Japan’s agriculture ministry blames shortage on tourists’ vast demand for rice and low crop yields last yearJapan’s rice stockpile has fallen to the lowest level this century, with a tourism boom part of the cause, government officials say.Private-sect…
Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd and co-founder of Greenpeace, has been arrested on an international warrant and is facing charges including accomplice to assault and ship trespassAnti-whaling activist Paul Watson could face up to 15 years in prison in …
Use of the motorised luggage which is popular in parts of Asia, require safety equipment and a driver’s licence, according to Japanese lawAs record numbers of tourists flock to Japan to take advantage of the weakness of the Japanese yen, some are runni…
US defence secretary says China is ‘engaging in coercive behaviour, trying to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas’Japanese and US defense chiefs, as well as top diplomats, agreed to further bolster their military cooperation by upgra…
Record-high 17.78 million foreign tourists came to Japan in the first half of year, with arrivals in June led by travellers from South Korea, China, Taiwan and the USBusinesses in Japan are considering a dual pricing system for foreign tourists and loc…
Allies of the 73-year-old anti-whaling activist Paul Watson have said that prison time would amount to a ‘life sentence’The arrest of the anti-whaling activist Paul Watson in Greenland – where he could face extradition to Japan – has been condemned as …
After 50 years, the cute Sanrio character has been revealed by her creators – and King Charles – to be something quite unexpectedName: Hello Kitty.Age: Fifty. Created in 1974, introduced the following year. Continue reading…
The co-founder of Greenpeace will be taken to court where a decision will be made about his extradition to Japan, police sayProminent anti-whaling environmentalist Paul Watson has been arrested in Greenland on Sunday under an international arrest warra…
Consultation launched as surveys show people have little chance to meet partners and worry about high cost of living The Japanese government has begun to consult young people about their interest in marriage – or lack thereof – as Japan continues to st…
Goze – women who earned a living as musicians despite sight impairments – are all but forgotten in Japan but Rieko Hirosawa has learned their songsRieko Hirosawa sits on a stone bench outside her home, tunes her instrument and takes a deep breath. She …
Rieko Hirosawa, who herself is blind, has learned how to play the shamisen and sing the songs of the goze, blind and visually impaired women who earned a living as itinerant musicians and who numbered in their hundreds at their peak in the late 19th ce…
Smoking is illegal for anyone under 20 in JapanMiyata was an outside chance for medal in ParisShoko Miyata, the 19-year-old captain of the Japan women’s artistic gymnastics team, has withdrawn from the squad for the Paris Games after violating the team…
The brooding and brilliant Japanese actor rivalled Rudolph Valentino but battled orientalist caricature before finding solace in Zen and watercoloursThis month, the Cinema Rediscovered festival in Bristol will screen a rarely seen film from 1919 that o…
Tony Barnette was stumbling around the minor leagues until a spell with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows transformed his lifeMeiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo pulsated with excitement in 2015, during a watershed moment in Japanese baseball. The Tokyo Yakult Swallo…
Unable to marry legally in Japan, LGBTQ+ couples are celebrating their bond in traditional kimonos, suits and gowns for elaborate photoshootsLGBTQ+ couples in Japan, unable to marry legally, are celebrating their relationships by donning traditional ki…
Presidents and prime ministers denounce shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania and wish him a quick recoveryTrump rally shooting – latest updatesWhat we know so farLeaders from around the world have condemned the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pe…
Co-founder of British chipmaker Graphcore, which has been bought by Japan’s SoftBank, issues warningBusiness live – latest updatesBritain risks a tech “talent drain” to the US if British pension funds fail to back the sector, according to the co-founde…
The terminal at Hawaii’s Hilo International Airport was temporarily evacuated while a bomb squad checked if the grenades were able to explodeA Japanese man was arrested at Hawaii’s Hilo International Airport after security screeners allegedly spotted t…
【ホリエモン】マジで彼女らはヤバいです。立憲民主党・蓮舫氏を当選させる…