Alaska students return basketball washed away by tsunami to middle school in...
A basketball that was washed away in last year's tsunami has been reunited with students at a middle school in Japan. A beachcombing student found the basketball in March on a beach near Craig, Alaska. ()
View ArticleOldest census record of Japan discovered
Archaeologists say wooden tablets found in southwestern Japan and dated to the seventh century are believed to be the oldest census record in Japan's history. (UPI)
View Article75% of Japan's NW Pacific whale hunt unsold: official
Three-quarters of the tons of meat from Japan's controversial whale hunt last year was not sold, despite repeated attempts to auction it, officials said on Wednesday. (AFP)
View Article'Amazing Spider-Man' takes over Japan
Andrew Garfield and the stars of "The Amazing Spider-Man" swung into Tokyo on Wednesday, bringing the comic book crime-fighter back to the big screen in the world premiere of one of the summer's most...
View ArticleGovt to call 'lights out' for energy-intensive bulbs
The government is expected to call on major electronics retailers and home appliance makers to voluntarily halt production and sales of energy-consuming incandescent lightbulbs to save power this...
View ArticleNTT readies solar project
NTT Corp. will enter the solar power generation business this summer, company officials said Wednesday. The move is aimed at capitalizing on a state program starting next month to have power suppliers...
View ArticleNumber of people on welfare tops 2.1 mil.
The number of people receiving welfare benefits topped 2.1 million for the first time as of the end of March, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced Wednesday. (Yomiuri)
View ArticleMainali case exposes flaws, bias in judicial system
Facing retrial, exoneration and freedom after spending 15 years in prison for the 1997 murder of a Tokyo woman - a crime for which he was initially acquitted - Govinda Prasad Mainali could be a case...
View ArticleNew transistor can slash gadget power consumption
Researchers have developed a transistor capable of slashing the power consumption of semiconductors by more than 90 percent, possibly paving the way for sharply prolonging battery life in smartphones...
View ArticleOspreys add to Okinawa grievances
For nearly 30 years, Ginowan resident Eisho Nakandakari has had periodic trouble sleeping at night. It's not insomnia that keeps him up, but the roar of jets from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma,...
View ArticleJapan's younger generation shuns the world stage
In most societies, the young are more globalized than their parents. They communicate more easily across cultural and linguistic barriers and want to expand their horizons beyond the confines of their...
View Article5 men arrested for employing underage girls in nightclub
Five men have been arrested for employing 15-year-old girls to work at a nightclub in Yokohama where they entertained customers wearing only underwear and swimsuits. (tbsnewsi)
View ArticleDaughters mourn prince / 'Bearded Prince' remembered for social welfare work
Princess Akiko, the eldest daughter of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, repeatedly wiped away tears at the funeral ceremony for her father Thursday morning, while her younger sister, Princess Yoko, looked...
View ArticleNikkei wavers as investors eye upcoming gamechangers
Japan's Nikkei share average dipped on Thursday as investors continued to cut their exposure to risky assets, hedging against the potentially disruptive consequences of Greece's election at the weekend...
View ArticleTokyo should curb provocations over Diaoyu Islands
Since Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara announced his proposal to "purchase" the Diaoyu Islands, quite a few Japanese politicians have continued provocative acts against China over the isles. (Xinhua)
View ArticleCan Sony get its mojo back?
Is Sony the victim of forces beyond its control, or a corporate icon felled by complacency? The truth probably lies somewhere between the two. The company has had to contend with natural disasters in...
View ArticleApple's iOS 6 changes may bite into Gree, DeNA games
In a testament to the strength and reach of Apple Inc.'s AAPL -0.11% empire of i-devices, changes to the iOS operating system, which runs the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, can have major reverberations...
View ArticleJapan to give $26 million in aid to Myanmar
Japan agreed on Thursday to provide up to 1.6 billion yen (S$25.8 million) in emergency grant aid to help Myanmar tackle its chronic power shortages, news reports said. (straitstimes.com)
View ArticleLehman crisis leaves Japan with ready tools to combat Greek risk
Japan is quietly drawing up contingency plans to protect its economy and financial markets in case this weekend's Greek elections ignite fresh turmoil in the euro zone and a flight of capital from the...
View ArticleOlympics: Japan's nuclear ghost town cyclist aims to be evacuees 'power'
Even if Japanese track cyclist Kazunari Watanabe's longshot Olympic dream comes true in London, there will be no happy homecoming. The town no longer exists. Watanabe's home town of Futaba sits next to...
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