News On Japan

Japanese police are questioning staff from the Bulgarian national opera after being notified by the opera company that they are suspected of scrawling graffiti in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. (NHK)

The Hiroshima Carp clinched their second Japan Series berth in three years on Friday with a 5-1 victory over the Yomiuri Giants in Game 3 of the Central League Climax Series' final stage. (Kyodo)

Police said Friday they have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the stabbing of his grandparents in the city of Wako in Saitama Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Scandal-hit KYB Corp. on Friday disclosed the names of 70 government and municipal office buildings that used, or are suspected of having used, substandard earthquake shock absorbers in their construction. (Japan Times)

Final preparations were under way Friday for the launch of a joint mission by European and Japanese space agencies to send twin probes to Mercury, the closest planet to the sun. (Japan Times)

The government is considering giving effective 2 percent rebates for cashless purchases of all goods and services at small shops after next year’s planned consumption tax hike, it was learned Saturday. (Japan Times)

A video tape showing a horse getting whipped at a traditional festival held last month in the city of Kumamoto has caused a public outcry, with many people calling it a form of animal abuse. (Japan Times)

Two major construction companies were Monday ordered to pay fines totalling 380 million yen for colluding to win contracts on the Japan's maglev project. (Japan Today)

Canada’s legalization of the recreational use of marijuana, which went into effect last week, has prompted the Japanese government to issue warnings that Japan’s law on cannabis use may apply to its nationals even when they are abroad. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have revealed that the woman whose corpse was found in a residence of an apartment building in the Roppongi entertainment district of Minato Ward died as a result of a skull fracture, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

On Monday morning, the Nozomi 114 bullet train was making its regularly scheduled run from Hiroshima to Tokyo. Its route along the Sanyo/Tokkaido Shinkansen line provides views of some of Japan’s largest cities and, if the weather is clear, even Mt. Fuji, but one passenger spotted something much more startling. (soranews24.com)

About 2,000 people have taken part in a parade in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto in one of the city's major festivals. (NHK)

The award-winning Japanese director Naomi Kawase will produce the official film of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (NHK)

Unfair admissions are suspected at several universities in Japan, the education ministry said in an interim report on its emergency investigation on Tuesday. (the-japan-news.com)

Japan is to stop providing China with government aid next year and start jointly helping developing countries. (NHK)

Bits of plastic have been detected in the feces of people in Europe, Russia and Japan, according to research claiming to show for the first time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government says it's highly likely that freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda has been released by militants in Syria. (NHK)

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. reopened its flagship Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store Wednesday, after a renovation that includes a new first floor designed by architect Kengo Kuma. (Japan Times)

A 15-year-old boy who was arrested last Friday on suspicion of killing his 87-year-old grandfather and attempting to kill his 82-year-old grandmother at their home in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, has told police he also planned to kill a classmate from his school. (Japan Today)

Women who applied unsuccessfully to Tokyo Medical University intend to demand compensation from the school for manipulating entrance exam results in favor of male applicants and hiding the discriminatory practice, their lawyers said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Latest Images