Sightseeing bus serving conveyor-belt sushi to launch in Tokyo
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Conveyor-belt sushi is hitting the road in Tokyo, with tours aboard a double-decker sightseeing bus set to begin Saturday.The Sushi B
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Japan city hit with higher damages order for harming 'Chiitan' mascot's work
TOKYO -- The Intellectual Property High Court here ordered the Susaki Municipal Government of Kochi Prefecture to pay higher damages Oct. 7 over its i
BOJ's Sato backs gradual rate hikes despite opposing Sept. increase
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Bank of Japan policy board member Ayano Sato said she supports gradually raising the central bank's policy interest rate, signaling o
Land ministry says no pressure from embattled farm minister over budgets
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's land ministry said Tuesday that officials felt no pressure from the farm minister to cut road budgets for municipalities head
What did Japan's scandal-stricken farm minister say to get him into so much hot water?
The Mainichi Shimbun has found that road budgets rose in municipalities in Japanese farm minister Kazuo Yana's district, Tochigi No. 3, whose leaders
Evacuation order to be partially lifted in Fukushima town
Futaba is one of two municipalities that host Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Hokkaido ranked most attractive prefecture for 18th year in a row
Three cities in Hokkaido — Sapporo, Hakodate and Otaru — also ranked as the top three most attractive municipalities in Japan, a survey found.
Scandal-hit mayor up against six challengers in Yokohama race
Former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka is in focus ahead of the Oct. 18 poll, which comes just weeks after his resignation over harassment.
A first look aboard the shinkansen’s new Supreme Class
From Oct. 1, select trains running between Tokyo and Hakata will offer the most luxurious way yet to travel on a bullet train.
Fukushima firm uses decommissioning know-how to develop AI robots
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A Fukushima company that once had virtually no expertise in operating machinery remotely is now setting out to develop AI-powered rob
Mayor of Yawata who took maternity leave among Time's rising stars
NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Shoko Kawata, the 36-year-old mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, believed to be the first incumbent mayor in Japan to take mater
Residents mixed over east Japan city's decision to accept nuclear waste disposal survey
HITACHIOMIYA, Ibaraki -- Residents expressed mixed views over a decision by the mayor of this eastern Japan city on Sept. 30 to accept a document-base
Why Yuko Fujigaki Was Chosen as Tokyo University’s Next President
On Monday, faculty and staff at the University of Tokyo took part in a vote to help determine the university’s next president. When the results came in, the margin was striking: Takao Someya received 1,107 votes, just over twice as many as the 553 cast for Yuko Fujigaki in the de...
Japan mayor who took maternity leave named to Time’s list of most influential
Shoko Kawata, the mayor of Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, was named to the magazine's list of Most Influential Rising Stars.
City near Tokyo OKs survey for possible selection as nuclear waste site
MITO, Japan (Kyodo) -- The mayor of a city in Ibaraki Prefecture, near Tokyo, said Wednesday it will accept a preliminary survey that the industry min
Ex-Yokohama mayor to attempt election comeback after power harassment resignation
YOKOHAMA -- Former Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka formally announced his candidacy on Sept. 29 for the Oct. 18 rerun mayoral election, with campaign
Japan's longest loop trail opens in northern Ibaraki Pref.
HITACHIOMIYA, Ibaraki -- The Hitachinokuni Long Trail, which takes hikers through forests and mountain village landscapes across six municipalities in
Igarashi and Ikeda clinch surfing gold at Asian Games
Japan also secured another medal in surfing, with Minami Nonaka securing bronze in the women's shortboard event.
Japan’s new arctic research vessel set to arrive in December
Mirai II will replace the 8,700-ton Mirai, which was decommissioned in December last year.
Ex-Yokohama mayor to run for comeback after resigning over abuse of power
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Former Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, who stepped down earlier this month after admitting he bullied and verbally assaulted sub
Former Yokohama mayor embroiled in harassment scandal to seek reelection
Former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka resigned on Sept. 7 after a senior city official accused him of power harassment.
What do film commissions do? Japan's unsung heroes behind location shoots
TOKYO -- On-location shooting is essential for films, television dramas and other visual productions, bringing realism and depth to stories through th
Asian Games: 15-yr-old skateboarders among 8 golds for Japan
NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- Japan's 15-year-old sensations Mizuho Hasegawa and Izuru Nagahara won the skateboarding park events on Friday as the host bagged eig
Japan municipal gov't to offer 100 yen a day for helping elderly, disabled take out trash
HITACHIOTA, Ibaraki -- The Hitachiota Municipal Government in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, will launch a new initiative from October that reward
Asian Games: 15-yr-old Hasegawa, Nagahara win skateboarding park golds
NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- Japan's 15-year-old Mizuho Hasegawa and Izuru Nagahara won the skateboarding park golds on Friday in their respective women's and me
Japanese skateboarders grab gold at Asian Games
In swimming, Kodai Nishiono won the gold medal in the men's 200-meter backstroke.
Japanese astronaut Suwa to head to ISS as early as spring 2027: NASA
NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa will head to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX craft as early as next spring, the Nat
Say where? Japanese towns use self-deprecating humor for tourism boost
Some municipalities are flipping their low name recognition into opportunities for self-promotion.
5 prefectures, 6 major cities in Japan want 'secondary capital' status: Mainichi survey
OSAKA -- A total of 11 local governments, comprising five prefectures and six ordinance-designated cities, are seeking designation as a "secondary cap
The Japan Times Prep School Fair set for Oct. 24; registration now open
The Japan Times, Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; Chairperson and Publisher: Minako Suematsu) will hold The Japan Times Prep School Fair, bringing together boarding schools and international schools from Japan and overseas, in Akasaka, Tokyo, on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. Re...
Editorial: Japan must curb spread of false info on social media during elections
False and misleading information and defamatory attacks on social media during elections in Japan are becoming an increasingly serious problem. Rather
Editorial: Japan's ruling bloc must not force through self-serving election changes
Talks between Japan's ruling and opposition parties on the House of Representatives electoral system are continuing. The parties intend to reach a con
City in Japan's Tochigi Pref. adds suspension bridge, zip line to hometown tax gifts
KANUMA, Tochigi -- The municipal government here has added a package featuring a "thrilling suspension bridge" walk and a zip line ride near the Nanma
Tokyo’s Subway Floors May Soon Tell You Where To Stand
During Tokyo’s peak hours, there’s always room for one more — right when you’re certain no further human could fit on board, someone squeezes in, the doors reluctantly close and there you are with your face pressed against the glass. Tokyo Metro thinks technology can help. On Sep...