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Japan's future could be in mums' hands
Public dismay with the Japanese government's response to this year's triple disaster - earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown - is driving some to become more politically engaged, helped by social...
View ArticleJapan performs better than other countries in plastic recycling
Japan registered 77% plastic recycling rate in 2010. This is twice the rate of UK and 20% higher than the United States. The rate to which Japan recycles its plastic waste is a rise from its 73% rate...
View ArticleAsia's natural-born allies
At a time when China's economic, diplomatic, and military rise casts the shadow of a power disequilibrium over Asia, the just-concluded visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to India cemented...
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Experts ponder reasons for Japan's rash of short-term prime ministers
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda took office in September, becoming Japan's sixth prime minister in five years. One thing that people will pay attention to is whether he can stay in power for more than 12...
View ArticleHirata's motives vex police detectives
It was shortly after NHK's "Kohaku Utagassen" ("Red and White Singing Competition") program had ended and just minutes before the new year when Makoto Hirata appeared in front of Marunouchi Police...
View ArticleMost top firms predict no growth in new year
More than 70 percent of 105 leading Japanese companies see economic activity here either receding or flattening out because of the yen's continued strength and slowdowns in the U.S. and European...
View Article16-year Aum fugitive mum on life on run
Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hirata, who turned himself in to police late Saturday after being on the run for more than 16 years in connection with a cult slaying, believes guru Shoko Asahara should...
View ArticleSakurajima hits 996-eruption high
Mount Sakurajima, an active volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture, explosively erupted 996 times in 2011, the most since record-keeping began in 1955, the local meteorological observatory said. At the...
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The rise and fall of property taxes
There are many incentives for buying a home. One of them is to simply get out of paying rent - but that isn't to say that once you own your residence there aren't costs that have to be paid on a...
View ArticleNew semiconductors in the works / Japanese manufacturers to develop...
Major electronic IT manufacturers including Hitachi, Ltd., Fujitsu Ltd. and NEC Corp., plan to jointly develop next-generation semiconductors that will operate with one-tenth of the power consumed by...
View ArticleHusbands may get Imperial status
The government will likely grant Imperial status to commoner husbands of female Imperial family members who lead their own family branch so they can engage in official duties similar to those of...
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Japanese customers line up for Apple's Lucky Bags
Apple Stores in Japan have continued the fukubukuro or "mystery bag" tradition, where sealed bags of merchandise are offered on New Year's Day at a hefty discount. If you're extremely lucky, you'll...
View ArticleMan 'visited N. Korea to buy bogus U.S. bills'
An 80-year-old Sapporo man released by North Korea after his arrest last year said he went there with two other Japanese men to obtain counterfeit U.S. currency, according to Hokkaido police. The two...
View ArticleAustralia limits its whaling response
If the past few years are anything to go by, things will hot up in the Southern Ocean over the coming weeks and it will have little to do with climate change. It has become something of a summer ritual...
View ArticleJapanese politicians land on disputed isles
Four Japanese citizens, including municipal politicians, landed Tuesday on islands in the East China Sea at the centre of a bitter territorial dispute with Beijing, authorities said. The group sailed...
View ArticleJapan PM eyes election if tax bills don't pass
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda wants to call a snap general election if parliament does not approve bills needed for a sales tax increase, the Sankei newspaper reported Tuesday. Japan is...
View ArticleRush of travelers returning from New Year holidays begins in Japan
The rush of travelers returning to the Tokyo metropolitan region from New Year holidays in their hometowns or other travel destinations began Monday, jamming trains, flights and expressways across...
View ArticleJapan police turned away surrendering Aum fugitive
Japanese police turned away one of the nation's most wanted fugitives when he tried to surrender at Tokyo police headquarters on New Year's Eve after nearly 17 years on the run, reports said Tuesday. A...
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Demand for antique netsuke heats up in West
Dealers in London are witnessing growing interest from buyers in Japanese antique netsuke and "inro" as new world records are set at auctions. London-based auction house Bonhams announced world-record...
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Crisis spawns distrust as Web alliances try to push for truth
Historically, Japan has undergone major social change only when it was thrust upon the country from outside - prime examples being after its defeat in World War II and after the arrival of U.S....
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