Easy Japanese news in translation: Akita dog reappointed as tourism stationmaster
At JR Odate Station in the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture, the birthplace of the loyal dog Hachiko, an Akita dog named Sora has been appointed touris
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Judo: Japan reclaims 8th world championships mixed team gold
BAKU (Kyodo) -- Japan reclaimed its eighth mixed team title at the world judo championships Sunday, beating Russia 4-1 in the final in Baku.In the six
Swimming: Matsushita sets short course world record in 400 IM
SAGA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita set a swimming short course world record to win the men's 400-meter individual medley on Sunday by
Japan's emperor ponders decline of penhold grip in table tennis
AOMORI, Japan (Kyodo) -- Emperor Naruhito pondered the apparent decline of the penhold grip in table tennis on Sunday while watching the sport at the
30% of Japanese households with young children unhappy with mealtime environment
OSAKA -- Three in 10 households in Japan raising young children are dissatisfied with their mealtime environment, according to a recent survey.Mothers
Japan cross-party group's head thanks Taiwan for support after disasters
TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Keiji Furuya, leader of a cross-party group to promote friendship with Taiwan, said Sunday he had thanked President Lai Ching-te for
French defense firm Thales to build Japan base, media report says
Thales Chairman and CEO Patrice Caine told the Nikkei daily that the base "will mark a milestone toward Thales's long-term engagement in Japan."
80 underpasses in Japan saw vehicles submerged over past decade: survey
CHIBA, Japan (Kyodo) -- At least 80 underpasses in prefectural capitals across Japan have seen vehicles submerged in floodwaters over the past decade,
'Vivant' drama train collides with car in central Japan, no injuries
NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- A train adorned with images from the hit Japanese TV spy thriller "Vivant" collided with a minicar at a railroad crossing in central
Japan defeats Russia to win mixed team gold at World Judo
Japan reached the final after defeating host Azerbaijan in the second round, Mongolia in the quarterfinals, and China in the semifinals.
Japan urges oil stockpiling and development as Mideast risks rise
The push reflects Japan's efforts to reduce Asia's vulnerability to oil supply disruptions.
Japan study links enclosed streetscapes to better sleep
OSAKA -- People who live in streetscapes with a visual "sense of enclosure" created by buildings and trees get higher-quality sleep, according to find
Kurobe canyon route tours trade comfort for rare look at underground works
KUROBE, Japan (Kyodo) -- The long-awaited opening of the Kurobe-Unazuki Canyon Route aims to draw visitors with an appetite for something out of the o
Emperor and empress watch table tennis matches at Japan Games
The imperial couple watched matches for boys and girls, held at a gymnasium in the city of Aomori.
Sports club affiliation influences physical strength, survey shows
The Japan Sports Agency survey also revealed that the physical strength of women in their 40s is declining markedly.
Yoroku: Let's not allow Japan to slip into a horizontal writing-only world
"It was more than 100 years after the arrival of the Dutch that the study of horizontal letters began." What Japanese scholar Sugita Genpaku (1733-18
Research finds at least 39 'industrial comfort stations' across Japan during WWII
SAPPORO -- Research has found at least 39 "industrial comfort stations" existed across Japan for male Korean laborers mobilized into wartime industrie
Retro Japan: Former Taisha Station in Izumo boasts finest Japanese-style architecture
IZUMO, Shimane -- Three train station buildings in Japan are designated as important cultural properties by the national government: the Marunouchi bu
The do’s and don’ts when applying for permanent residency in Japan
What to know about income requirements, pension payments and the all-important statement of reasons.
Netflix vies to be a cut above in TV production
Netflix Japan's dramas are pushing the boundaries of storytelling and uplifting domestic TV standards, though not without growing pains.
Film festival to support Kumamoto reconstruction kicks off Saturday
KUMAMOTO, Japan (Kyodo) -- A film festival to support reconstruction from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes kicked off Saturday, with film director Isao Y
Takaichi again in a bind as U.S. threatens to ‘end’ ICC
Japan, which hosts roughly 60,000 U.S. service members and depends on Washington for its security, will need to walk a fine line as it pushes back.
Family of tower fall victim in Japan to seek work-related death recognition
TOKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The family of a 19-year-old worker who died after falling from a transmission tower in western Japan said Saturday it will
Sumo: Association chief Hakkaku vows to thrill Thai fans on 2027 tour
BANGKOK (Kyodo) -- Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku on Friday vowed to thrill Thai fans when the sport's governing body holds an exhibition tou
Newspaper subscription rate in Japan falls below 50% for first time
More people are getting their news from television programs and the internet.
JR Hokkaido sightseeing train makes final run in Kushiro wetland
KUSHIRO, Japan (Kyodo) -- JR Hokkaido's popular sightseeing Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko Train made its final run Saturday through a wetland in eastern H
Drone-sprayed bear repellent undergoes testing in northeastern Japan city
KITAAKITA, Akita -- A nonprofit group has started spraying a bear repellent by drone in this northeastern Japan city as part of a demonstration experi
Isabella Bird's 'Unbeaten Tracks in Japan': An awful inn in a poor farming village (Pt. 12)
In late June 1878, Isabella Bird and her party traveled upstream along the Ojika River toward what is now Lake Ikari in Tochigi Prefecture. Passing th
Rubio cites ‘necessity’ of U.S. sanctions on ICC in call with Japanese counterpart
The court's legislative body demanded "the immediate revocation" of the sanctions, urging "the international community to stand firm" in its defense.
26% in Japan see U.S. as biggest threat to world peace: survey
The rate for the United States rose 9.3 percentage points from the previous fiscal 2025 survey. The figure stood at 6.6% in fiscal 2024.
The Mainichi News Quiz: Japan's farm minister Yana said what?
How closely have you been following events in Japan? Try The Mainichi News Quiz for Oct. 10 to test your news knowledge. Ready?What did farm minister
Sado crested ibis spotted over 300 km from release site for 1st time
NIIGATA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Japan's Environment Ministry on Friday confirmed sightings of an endangered crested ibis over 300 kilometers away from Sado
Int'l journal lauds 1993 paper by researchers at Japan's Ehime Univ. as 'milestone'
MATSUYAMA -- A 1993 scientific paper by researchers at Ehime University in western Japan on the global spread of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
Eel on the menu at Japan's Vatican embassy amid trade regulation debate
ROMA (Kyodo) -- Japan's embassy in the Vatican City held an event Thursday to introduce the Japanese method of cooking eel to envoys from various coun
Germany eyes joining GCAP fighter jet project with U.K, Italy and Japan
There has been mounting speculation the group could open the door to Germany after a rival Franco-German fighter program collapsed in June.
Japan foster care outreach faces rethink after stark awareness survey
OSAKA -- Japan's foster care system offers homes to children who cannot live with their parents due to financial hardship, neglect or other circumstan
More Japanese firms hit by large-scale data breaches
The companies respectively said that they had found no evidence of unauthorized use of the affected information by third parties.
Yoroku: A Japanese researcher's part in solving the puzzle of life's asymmetry
"Symmetry" means that when a shape is flipped horizontally or rotated, it overlaps with the original. "Chirality," by contrast, refers to a mirror-ima
Japan's Nara Pref. trains a new generation of 'foresters' inspired by Swiss model
NARA -- In the wake of extensive damage to mountain forests caused by torrential rains that struck the Kii Peninsula in September 2011, the Nara Prefe
Easy Japanese news in translation: Hikonyan stars for first time in 20th anniversary film
Hikonyan, the mascot character of the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, marked its 20th anniversary, and a short film titled "Yume ni Mukatte" (Toward
‘Children Untold’ shines a light on the plight of postwar orphans
Miwa Nishikawa's "Children Untold" tells a Dickensian tale of Japanese orphans in the aftermath of World War II.
U.S. sanctions ICC after former judge wins Nobel Peace Prize
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed her deep concern over the move, calling it "incompatible with" Japan's position.
Dating Decline: More Young Japanese Have Never Been in a Relationship
A Japanese government survey found that the number of young people with no romantic experience is continuing to climb.
Weather-roiling El Nino hits record strength, Japan weather agency says
Sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean were 4C above normal as of September, the highest in records going back to 1949, the JMA said.
Japan to launch research study on rapid-response space transport
The move comes as more countries, including China, Russia and the U.S. continue to bolster their military capabilities in space.
'Kui-kake' rice drying marks harvest season in Japan's scenic Yamagata Pref. terraces
YAMANOBE, Yamagata -- Rows of harvested rice stacked to dry in the sun now line the Owarabi terraced rice fields here, creating a traditional Japanese
Okinawa assembly resolution seeks US forces' action after murder case
NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The Okinawa prefectural assembly adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. military to take action to prevent a recurrence after
Japan’s Prudential Life ordered to halt operations for over three months
The suspension order comes after numerous former and current employees were found in January to have improperly received ¥3.1 billion from customers.
Japan sees record number of workers’ compensation approvals for mental health in fiscal 2025
The figure, published in this year's white paper on measures to prevent karōshi, marked a record high for the seventh consecutive year.