News On Japan

Japan will help countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations groom 80,000 manufacturing and digital industry specialists over five years, part of a broader effort by Tokyo toward cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. (Nikkei)

SoftBank Group Corp. is continuing to push money into one of its biggest investments: WeWork Cos. (Japan Times)

Japan's economy contracted for the first time in 2 quarters. Government officials say a string of natural disasters in the period dented exports and consumer spending. (NHK)

Public broadcaster NHK announced Wednesday the lineup for its annual New Year’s Eve music extravaganza, but K-pop group BTS — under fire recently for a controversial T-shirt worn by one of its members — was not included. (Japan Times)

Between 260,000 and 340,000 foreign workers are estimated to flow into Japan in the five years from next April through an envisioned immigration control law revision aimed at dealing with the country's serious labor crunch, government sources said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

A Japanese high court on Wednesday overturned a lower court decision and acquitted a tattooist for operating without a medical license, ruling the process is not a medical practice. (Kyodo)

On 14 October, the Minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Yoshitaka Sakurada was questioned by opposition party members in the Japanese Diet. In one particular exchange with Constitutional Democratic Party member Masato Imai he made a surprising revelation. (soranews24.com)

Ikea Japan K.K. said Thursday it will open an outlet in front of Harajuku Station in Tokyo in spring 2020. (Japan Times)

A Japanese national research institute said Thursday it will import strains of Ebola and four other deadly viruses to improve detection processes amid a rise in the number of foreign visitors to the country. (Japan Times)

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks on the possible return of 2 of the 4 Russian-held islands at the center of a long-running territorial dispute. (NHK)

Kyoto Prefectural Police on Friday apprehended a man after he is believed to have stabbed a woman at a supermarket in Kyoto City’s Sakyo Ward, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. pledged Friday to administer more stringent alcohol tests for pilots and use new testing equipment in response to recent drinking incidents involving flight crew. (Japan Times)

Koji Hanada, who was a sumo grand champion and stablemaster under the name Takanohana, has divorced former TV announcer Keiko, sources close to the matter said Monday. (Japan Today)

The board of Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors, which is allied with Renault and Nissan, voted unanimously Monday to dismiss Carlos Ghosn as its chairman following his arrest last week. (Japan Today)

Six people were found dead on Monday at a home in Takachiho Town in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan. (NHK)

The Lower House of the Diet has passed a bill to accept more foreign workers to help address Japan's serious labor shortages. (NHK)

Japanese messaging app provider LINE is teaming up with Mizuho Financial Group to launch a bank. It will not have any outlets and specialize only in providing services for smartphone users. (NHK)

A patrol robot equipped with artificial intelligence is being tested at a Tokyo railway station. (NHK)

Japan is revamping its automotive tax system to impose levies based on mileage, as revolution in green and sharing technologies squeeze revenue under the current framework. (Nikkei)

Huge maglev shinkansen emergency exit shaft unveiled in Tokyo (Japan Times)

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