Asia stocks lower for 2nd day; Nikkei ends down 0.6%
Asian stock markets were lower during late Asian trade on Wednesday, with shares in the region moving further away from multi-year highs as investors turned cautious over recent gains. (investing.com)
View ArticleJapan Inc to pay bigger bonuses, cautious on higher base wages
Japanese exporters will hand out bigger bonuses for the next fiscal year as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies drive the yen to multi-year lows, with Toyota Motor Corp declaring its largest bonus...
View ArticleStrong winds hit Kanto region, causing transport delays
The Kanto region was hit by strong southerly winds on Wednesday, causing disruptions to train services as well as traffic on the Rainbow Bridge. (Japan Today)
View ArticleUniversity of Tokyo to begin recommendation-based entrance exam
The University of Tokyo, one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, aims to introduce a recommendation-based entrance examination system for the first time since its establishment in 1877,...
View ArticleJapanese politician banned for wearing wrestling mask to meetings
A local politician elected in the southern Japan city of Oita in February has been banned from council meetings for refusing to take off his full-face wrestling mask. (telegraph.co.uk)
View ArticleJapan tsunami town on watch for shark deal
An international agreement to protect sharks could spell trouble for one tsunami-wrecked port in Japan as it struggles back to its feet two years after being swept away, locals say. (france24.com)
View ArticlePal of Nicola accused gets three years for sex assault
The friend of a man accused of the Nicola Furlong murder has been handed a three -year sentence for sexual assault. (independent.ie)
View ArticleGiant panda pair at Ueno Zoo are observed mating
Tokyo's Ueno Zoo said Tuesday that two giant pandas have mated, sparking hopes for a cub. (Japan Times)
View ArticleJapan's first cherry blossoms start to bloom in Fukuoka
The Fukuoka District Meteorological Observatory said Wednesday that cherry blossoms in this southwestern Japan city's Chuo Ward started to bloom the same day, earlier than in any other places in the...
View ArticleOwners turning off batteries, says study
Up to a third of electric car owners in Japan say they will not buy another battery-powered vehicle again. (goauto.com.au)
View ArticleJapan Olympic Committee survey sheds light on violence
The Japanese Olympic Committee has promised to take steps to wipe out violence among its sports federations after a survey revealed more than 10 percent of its athletes had been victims of bullying or...
View ArticleOutgoing Bank of Japan head warns no quick fix to Japan's deflation
Outgoing Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa warned on Tuesday there is no quick way to fix an economy that has suffered 15 years of deflation and that aggressive money printing alone was not the...
View ArticleJapan judo coaches punished
The Japanese Olympic Committee said Tuesday that it has cut funding for the All Japan Judo Federation and ordered it to take preventive measures as punishment for coaches' abusive training of female...
View ArticleCollins was anxious and sweating: report
Rugby star Jerry Collins was sweating heavily and seemed anxious when he was arrested and jailed for having a knife in Japan, The New Zealand Herald has reported a witness saying. (stuff.co.nz)
View ArticleOi N-plant allowed to continue operations thru Sept.
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said Tuesday that the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture are allowed, in principle, to continue...
View ArticleProsecutors drop case against 2channel founder
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office decided Tuesday not to indict Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder and former operator of popular Japanese Internet bulletin board 2channel, for assisting the...
View Article2012 saw record-high 2,545 people apply for refugee status in Japan
A record 2,545 foreigners applied for refugee status in Japan in 2012, the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau said Tuesday. (Japan Times)
View Article4 Ospreys fly to Iwakuni base without notice to Japan
Four MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft came to the U.S. Marine Corps' Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, on Tuesday afternoon without prior notice to the Japanese government. (Jiji Press)
View ArticleMother granted custody of son after Australian dad abducted boy from Japan...
An Australian man who abducted his little boy from rural Japan after the devastating Japanese earthquake in 2011 has lost a bitter family tug-of-war for custody. (Courier Mail)
View ArticleEaster Island statue to give hope to Japan tsunami town
A giant statue from Chile's Easter Island was unveiled in Tokyo Wednesday before it is erected in a small tsunami-devastated northeastern Japanese town as a symbol of recovery. (Global Post)
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