Hokkaido Gas Enters Wind Power with Hybrid Plant
Hokkaido Gas has entered the wind power business for the first time, launching a hybrid power plant that combines wind and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Ishikari, Hokkaido. (News On Japan)
View ArticleChinese Couple Arrested for Money Laundering
A Chinese couple has been arrested on suspicion of laundering approximately 29 million yen in criminal proceeds obtained through fraud. (News On Japan)
View ArticleNara to Start CO2 Reduction Effort Targeting Household Emissions
Governor Yamashita announced during a regular press conference today that Nara Prefecture will launch a new initiative next month aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from households as part of...
View ArticleStar Wars Celebration Returns in Full Force, Uniting Fans Across the Galaxy...
What began as a swirl of excitement quickly became a full-blown celebration of galactic proportions as Star Wars Celebration made its triumphant return to Japan, bringing together fans from more than...
View ArticleJapan Reacts to Trump's Tariffs
As former U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies—particularly tariffs—once again become a topic of global attention, Japanese citizens are voicing a wide range of opinions. (News On Japan)
View ArticleIshiba Rules Out Linking Tariffs and Security in U.S. Trade Talks
Prime Minister Ishiba has clarified his stance on ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration, stating that security and trade are separate matters and that discussions on security should...
View ArticleSuruga Bay Ferry Resumes Service After Three Months
Service on the Suruga Bay Ferry, which connects Shimizu Port in Shizuoka City and Toi Port in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, resumed on April 18th after a suspension of about three months. (News On Japan)
View ArticleShizuoka Tea Auction Opens New Season with Record Prices
The first auction of the season signaling the arrival of new tea was held on the morning of April 18th at the Shizuoka Tea Market in Shizuoka City, with the highest bid reaching 880,000 yen per...
View ArticleTroubled Teen Finds His Voice as Christian Rapper
Shonosuke, a 28-year-old rapper from Sapporo, once spent his teenage years in constant fights, arrests, and turmoil. Raised in a single-parent household, his playground was the nightlife district of...
View ArticleMyanmar Community Prays for Recovery After Devastating Earthquake
A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28th, leaving 3,600 dead and hundreds missing, prompting Myanmar nationals living in Fukuoka City to call for support for their stricken homeland. (News On...
View ArticleMan Dies After Being Caught in Garbage Truck
A 72-year-old man died on April 18th in Itoman, Okinawa, after being caught in the waste inlet of a garbage collection truck while cleaning it. (News On Japan)
View Article'Shohei Ohtani's Dog Depicted in Tulip Art
In the city of Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, the annual Tulip Festival is underway, captivating visitors with fields of vibrant tulips at the peak of their bloom. (News On Japan)
View ArticleMan Caught Destroying Anime-Themed Pachinko Machine
A man was caught on camera violently damaging a pachinko machine decorated with the face of Evangelion Unit-01, an iconic character from the popular anime series, at a pachinko parlor in Ichikawa City,...
View ArticleForeign Influencer Causes Chaos on Tokyo Trains
A foreign influencer visiting Japan has come under fire after causing disturbances on Tokyo’s rail network and in public spaces, including loud music performances and backflips on station platforms....
View ArticleTokyo average condo price hits record high in fiscal 2024
The average price of new condominiums in Greater Tokyo has marked a record high for a fourth straight year amid rising costs. (NHK)
View ArticleCan Japanese EVs Compete with Tesla and BYD?
The emergence of Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has become a key catalyst in the discussion of a potential Nissan-Honda merger. Having grown through iPhone production, the company is now pushing...
View ArticleChinese Court Executes Man Who Killed Japanese Boy to Gain Online Fame
A Chinese man sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in Shenzhen has been executed, according to diplomatic sources. (News On Japan)
View ArticleVillage of the Sun and Full-Bloom Cherry Blossoms
Shibata Town, known for its flourishing cherry blossoms, has embraced a tree ownership system to pass the beauty of its roughly 400 commemorative trees—planted to mark births, marriages, and other...
View ArticleDiscuss Cooperation on Tariffs and Defense
George Glass, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Japan, held his first meeting with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to discuss tariff measures under the Trump administration and efforts to...
View ArticleNaked Man's Rampage Ends in School Break-In
A naked man was arrested after trespassing into a cram school in Saitama Prefecture, with police suspecting his involvement in at least five incidents within 50 minutes, including a fatal hit-and-run...
View ArticleAmazon's Ring Gains Ground in Fukuoka
Amazon held a product briefing for its security brand "Ring" in Fukuoka City on April 21st, aiming to boost recognition in Fukuoka Prefecture, where the population continues to grow. (News On Japan)
View ArticleWhat Are the Kamome and Tsubame Tribes? A 100-Year Transformation in Tenjin
This year marks the 100th year of the Showa era. Tenjin, Fukuoka City's central commercial and entertainment district, has transformed remarkably since World War II, evolving into a major shopping hub...
View ArticleWhat to Call an Ancient Royal Dog?
A model of a dog, believed to have lived alongside Queen Himiko, has been unveiled in Nara after being reconstructed from bones excavated at the Makimuku ruins, one of the leading candidate sites for...
View ArticleLunch Costs Up for Third Straight Year
The average weekday lunch spending in Japan rose for the third straight year to a record 485 yen in 2024 -- a 7.3% increase from the previous year -- highlighting how inflation is reshaping workers'...
View ArticleTourists Queue for Tokyo’s Most Instagrammable Spring Scenes
Foreign tourists are lining up to visit some of Tokyo’s most photogenic spring attractions, with Nezu Shrine in Bunkyo Ward drawing crowds on April 22nd as vibrant late-blooming azaleas reached their...
View ArticleToyota Unveils Lexus ES and New EV at Shanghai Motor Show
At the Shanghai Motor Show, which opened to the press on April 23rd ahead of its public run from April 27th to May 2nd, Toyota Motor Corporation revealed a series of new models, including a new...
View ArticleWoman Arrested After Allegedly Severing Boyfriend’s Ring Finger With Axe
A 23-year-old woman has been arrested and indicted in Osaka for allegedly cutting off her boyfriend’s ring finger with an axe. (News On Japan)
View ArticleFans Mourn Former Hanshin Manager Yoshida
A public flower offering was held on April 23rd at Koshien Stadium in memory of former Hanshin Tigers manager Yoshida Yoshio, who passed away in February at the age of 91 following a stroke. Many fans...
View ArticleOsaka Expo Attendance Tops One Million
The total number of visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai surpassed one million on April 23rd, just 11 days after the event began. Despite being a weekday, the venue remained crowded, with long lines...
View ArticleTottori and Jordan Form Sand Alliance
Tottori Prefecture and the Kingdom of Jordan, both exhibitors at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, have formed a symbolic partnership dubbed the "Sand Alliance," uniting over their shared cultural and...
View ArticleNaked Man Tied to 20 Crimes in 90 Minutes, One Dead, Several Injured
A man found wandering naked in Saitama Prefecture has been arrested after a string of violent incidents, including a fatal hit-and-run and an attempted abduction, unfolded within roughly 90 minutes on...
View ArticleBipedal Monkey With Missing Hand Spotted in Tokyo
A monkey walking upright on two legs was spotted in a residential area of Tokyo on April 23rd, drawing attention as it crossed a street in the rain before entering a nearby field and munching on crops....
View ArticleWhy Rice Prices Keep Rising
Rice prices in Japan continue to soar, more than doubling from the same period last year, with no clear signs of easing despite the government’s decision to release stockpiled rice. The current...
View ArticleJapan to Introduce ESTA-Like System for Tourists Visiting Japan
Japan plans to introduce a new electronic travel authorization system to bolster immigration screening for foreign visitors, moving up its original timeline in response to the recent surge in arrivals....
View ArticleKyoto University Links Lung Disease to PFAS Exposure
Kyoto University and its research team have revealed that several former employees of Daikin Industries developed lung diseases, potentially linked to exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl...
View ArticleWoman Arrested for Drunk Driving After Eating Alcohol-Filled Chocolate
A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she...
View ArticleWoman's Body Found in Freezer
A woman’s body discovered in a freezer at a residence in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, is now believed to have been concealed there for approximately four and a half years, police announced. (News On Japan)
View ArticleJapan to Issue Bicycle Blue Tickets from April 2026
The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using...
View ArticleUSJ Expands Minion Park With New Ride for Summer
Universal Studios Japan has announced a surprise expansion of its popular Minion Park, increasing the area by 1.4 times and unveiling a new attraction that features the park’s first-ever moving...
View ArticleToyota’s Global Sales Fall for First Time in Four Years
Toyota Motor Corporation announced on April 24th that its global sales for fiscal 2024 totaled 10,273,719 vehicles, a 0.3% decrease from the previous year, marking the first year-on-year decline in...
View ArticleThree Months After Sinkhole Swallowed Truck, Search for Driver Set to Restart
Nearly three months after a road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, authorities are preparing to resume the search for the missing truck driver as early as next week. (News On Japan)
View ArticleMayor to Cut Own Salary by 20% After Harassment Findings
In response to a third-party committee confirming five cases of power harassment involving senior officials in Ōnojo, including the deputy mayor, the city government held a press conference on April...
View ArticleOsaka Begins Building Casino Resort Near Expo Site
Construction of the Integrated Resort (IR) complex in Yumeshima, Osaka—adjacent to the site of the 2025 World Expo—began on April 24th, with plans to open the facility in five years. (News On Japan)
View ArticleToxic Chemicals Detected in Rivers and Groundwater Across Japan
Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites...
View ArticleFire Breaks Out on Yodobashi Camera Billboard in Front of JR Osaka Station
A fire broke out on the evening of April 25th on an electronic billboard attached to the Yodobashi Camera commercial complex in front of JR Osaka Station, prompting a large emergency response. No...
View ArticleEmperor and Empress Praise Scientists for Green Achievements
The Emperor and Empress attended the Greenery Ceremony, an annual event honoring researchers who have made outstanding contributions in fields such as plant and forest conservation. (News On Japan)
View ArticleFour Young Mechanics Die After Car Crashes at High Speed
A passenger car was captured speeding across the frame from left to right by a security camera just moments before a fatal crash in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, that claimed the lives of four...
View ArticleLong summery with paras, no headers
The Japanese government held its first meeting on April 25th to address support measures for the Employment Ice Age Generation, a group that has recently become the focus of active policy discussions...
View ArticleSkies To Reopen Over Nihonbashi
After 77 years, Tokyo is set to return blue skies to Nihonbashi as the city buries its expressways underground and reimagines its historic heart. (News On Japan)
View ArticleJapan Leads the Fight Against Counterfeit Medicines
As counterfeit pharmaceuticals continue to spread worldwide, Japanese optical and AI technologies are playing a critical role in protecting lives. (News On Japan)
View Article