2012 foreign tourist target: 9 million
Tourism minister Takeshi Maeda said Tuesday that the government aims to attract more than 9 million foreign visitors in 2012, exceeding the past record of 8.61 million set in 2010. According to the...
View ArticleNarita part of U.K. open-skies deal
Japan and Britain have agreed to add Narita International Airport, the country's largest international gateway, to their open skies agreement as a result of bilateral civil aviation talks, the...
View ArticleHashimoto sets sights on the Diet
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto plans to form a new political party that aims to capture 200 seats in the next Lower House election and end the prefectural government system that has existed for nearly a...
View ArticleJapan-Peru FTA to kick in March 1
Japan's free-trade accord with Peru will go into effect March 1 now that all of the necessary domestic and diplomatic procedures have been completed, Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Tuesday. "I'm...
View ArticleTokyo wakes up to snow, traffic snarl
Snow fell in and around Tokyo from Monday night through early Tuesday and stuck for the first time this season, disrupting rail and road traffic and causing people to injure themselves in falls. As of...
View ArticleFallout from Fukushima No. 1 on rise
The amount of radioactive materials released from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has risen this month compared with December, Tepco said. The amount so far has come to 70 million becquerels...
View ArticleBlasts in lab at Osaka school spark fire; all safe
A fire broke out at an Osaka elementary school Tuesday morning after a string of explosions in a science room, prompting 250 students and teachers to evacuate, but no injuries were reported, police and...
View ArticleThe beginner's guide to Japanese drama
Often the key that opens the door to otaku culture is anime. Anime is a pervasive medium, and even those outside the fandom of Japanese culture and media can recognize the hallmarks of anime at fan...
View ArticleNoda calls on parties to act / Seeks end to 'indecisive politics,'...
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda expressed his determination on Tuesday to end "indecisive" politics, vowing to achieve his key policy goal of raising the consumption tax rate in his policy speech to the...
View ArticleElpida merger talks in final stage / Combined firm could have 2nd-largest...
Elpida Memory Inc., the world's third-largest dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) manufacturer, has entered the final stage of negotiations on a merger with U.S. firm Micron Technology Inc. and...
View ArticleJapan's in for a hard landing
Here in Japan, people are dour as the Bank of Japan cut its growth outlook for fiscal 2012 to +2.0 pct from its October estimate of +2.2 pct. It cited heightened concern about the eurozone crisis...
View ArticleJapan posts first annual trade deficit since 1980
Japan reported its first annual trade deficit since 1980 as it imported expensive energy to offset shortfalls caused by the devastating tsunami and manufacturers shifted production overseas to avoid...
View ArticleTennis: Clinical Murray overpowers weary Nishikori to book semi-final spot
Andy Murray reached his third successive Australian Open semi-final after easing past the challenge of Kei Nishikori. The world No 4 was rarely troubled by the Japanese, winning 6-3 6-3 6-1 in two...
View ArticleJapanese stocks advance as yen eases, Apple posts record profit
Japanese stocks advanced, sending the Topix Index up for a seventh day, as the yen weakened and technology companies rose after Apple Inc. reported record sales and profit. Sony Corp., Japan's biggest...
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Fukushima's exclusion zone a ghost town
As we travel down the road toward the 20-kilometer (12-mile) exclusion zone, the entryway is blocked by half a dozen police officers and a large sign flashing red lights. The sign reads: "Keep out....
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Japan to recommend Mt. Fuji, Kamakura for cultural World Heritage
The Japanese government decided Wednesday to recommend that Mt. Fuji and the ancient capital Kamakura be added to the list of cultural World Heritage sites, aiming to see them registered by the U.N....
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47 prefectures in 100 days to woo back tourists
While tourism in Japan has been sluggish since the March 11 calamity, a British couple recently completed a 100-day tour of all 47 prefectures to help bring foreign travelers back to the country. Their...
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Shibuya style with an Akihabara twist?
Shibuya-kei was one of the defining features of the music and fashion scenes of the 1990s, and it helped spawn the idea of "Cool Japan." The genre's sound was eclectic and openly embraced Western...
View ArticleCO2 emissions traded to help Tohoku region
Firms that emit greenhouse gases but also want to help revitalize business in the Tohoku region following the Great East Japan Earthquake are being drawn to participate in a carbon dioxide offset...
View ArticleToyota global sales forecast rises on green demand
Toyota raised its global sales target for this year to 8.58 million vehicles, up 21 percent from the previous year, as incentives for ecological cars lift demand in Japan. Toyota Motor Corp., which...
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