The return of Japan's shadow shogun
The return of Japan's "shadow shogun", Ichiro Ozawa, from apparent political oblivion following his acquittal on last Friday on charges that he conspired with former aides to make false financial...
View ArticleIn Osaka, the man who should be king
"Fascist," "dictator," "populist," "mountebank," "militarist," "Hitler" and even "Putin." Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka, has been called many things during his startling ascent onto Japan's...
View ArticleBus operator raided over fatal highway crash
Police raided Monday the operator of a chartered bus that crashed on the Kanetsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture the previous day, killing seven passengers and injuring 39. Investigators from the Gunma...
View ArticleTwo slayings taint Golden Week in Nagoya and Chiba
A man and a woman were found slain Monday, in Nagoya and in Chiba Prefecture. The man was found lying on a street in Nagoya's Meito Ward with about a dozen stab wounds. He was declared dead at a...
View ArticleLady Gaga teacup hits $50,000 and rising in Japan
Fans bidding in a charity online auction to buy a teacup used once by pop diva Lady Gaga had offered more than four million yen ($50,000) by Tuesday, with five days left before the hammer falls. (AFP)
View ArticleMan's remains found in burned-out car in Odawara
Police said Tuesday that the remains of a man were found in the burned-out wreckage of a minicar in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, late Monday night. (Japan Today)
View ArticleIn Japan, what happens to children after their parents divorce?
After divorce, Japan's family court grants the custody to one parent only. It is the rule of the "single parent," or the single custody. In cases where a child is born to a couple, where one parent is...
View ArticleTokyo stocks close 1.78% lower
Tokyo stocks lost 1.78% to close at their lowest level in nearly 11 weeks on Tuesday with exporters' shares dragged down by the yen's renewed rise against the dollar. (Japan Today)
View ArticleProbe into Japanese bathtub fatalities after 14,000 die in one year
Japan's health ministry is to launch an investigation into bath-time fatalities after it was estimated that 14,000 people die every year in the tub - three times as many as those who died in car...
View ArticleJapan goes tie-free for power saving 'Cool Biz' campaign
A month earlier than last year, Japan has launched its annual "Cool Biz" campaign to save electricity during summer. The initiative allows civil servants to work tie-free and with their sleeves rolled...
View Article25 percent of foreigners living in Tokyo left Japan temporarily after March...
Twenty five percent of foreigners living in Tokyo left the country temporarily following the March 11, 2011 disasters, according to a recent Tokyo Metropolitan Government survey. The survey was...
View ArticleCesium exceeding new limit detected in 51 food items in nine prefectures
Radioactive cesium was detected in 51 food products from nine prefectures in excess of a new government-set limit in the first month since it was introduced April 1, according to data released by the...
View ArticleDriver arrested over accident
The Gunma prefectural police arrested Tuesday the driver of a tour bus involved in an accident that left seven dead and 39 injured. Kazan Kono, 43, was arrested on suspicion of causing death and injury...
View Article3 Chinese warships sail through Kagoshima strait
Three Chinese Navy warships sailed through the Osumi Strait off Kagoshima Prefecture and into the Pacific, the Defense Ministry said Monday. The warships--two frigates and an intelligence-gathering...
View ArticleEmperor plays tennis for first time since heart surgery
Emperor Akihito played tennis Sunday and Monday for the first time since undergoing heart bypass surgery in February, Imperial Household Agency sources said Tuesday. (Japan Times)
View ArticleSchoolboy steals chemicals to make bomb
A 17-year-old schoolboy has been arrested on suspicion of breaking into his school's chemistry storage room and stealing Potassium Nitrate multiple times from February until this month, police said...
View Article1 in 4 Japanese has thought of suicide
The Cabinet Office said Wednesday in announcing the results of a government survey that 1 out of 4 Japanese adults has contemplated suicide, with young people more prone to such thoughts than others....
View ArticlePanasonic hid Y11 billion in income: tax bureau
The Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau has told Panasonic Corp. that the company failed to declare ¥11 billion in taxable income in two financial years through March 2011, sources said. (Japan Times)
View Article90-year-old woman dies after being attacked by dog in Yamanashi
A 90-year-old woman died after being attacked by a Tosa dog in Fuefuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Monday. According to police, the woman, Masaru Kobayashi, was talking with a friend on the sidewalk at...
View ArticleBaseball: Hideki Matsui eager to get started with Rays in minor league
Hideki Matsui thinks he can still perform at a high level and help the Tampa Bay Rays. "I really don't have any doubts," the two-time AL All-Star said Tuesday during a news conference at Tropicana...
View Article
