SoftBank suspends emergency quake, tsunami alerts over PHP security flaw
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese telecom operator SoftBank Corp. said Friday it has temporarily suspended emergency alerts for earthquakes, tsunamis and othe
The Tokyo
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Power bank fires caused 36 train delays in Japan over decade
TOKYO -- At least 36 train delays have been caused by passengers' power banks catching fire across Japan over the past 10 years. Some incidents have h
Japan idols face 'purity' pressure as romance reports spark online personal attacks
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Formal dating bans have become rare in Japan's idol industry, yet reports of relationships still trigger online firestorms that expos
AI cameras installed to detect bears, alert public in Japan's Aomori Pref.
AOMORI -- Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan on Oct. 21 installed sensor cameras equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) recognition technology at
2 managers of Tokyo pharmacy arrested for drug sales without prescriptions
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Two managers of a pharmacy in Tokyo popular with Chinese customers, including visitors to Japan, have been arrested on suspicion of s
River in northeastern Japan overflows, emergency warning issued
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A river in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita swelled and overflowed on Wednesday, prompting the country's weather agency to
Vulnerabilities found in widely used PHP programming language
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Vulnerabilities were found in the widely used PHP programming language on Wednesday, making the developer race to release emergency p
Emergency flood warning issued for river in Akita, northeast Japan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's weather agency on Wednesday issued a special flood warning, the highest level of its kind, for the Koyoshi River in the north
Personnel data of 22 Japan prefectural police forces may have leaked
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The personal information of officers and other employees at 22 prefectural police forces in Japan may have leaked following a recent
Ex-truck driver gets 7 yrs in prison over crash that killed 6 in Japan
TSU, Japan (Kyodo) -- A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced a 55-year-old former truck driver to seven years in prison for causing a multivehicle cras
Takahata Isao and “Grave of the Fireflies”: Japanese Book Explores the Making of an Anime Classic
A new book published in Japan draws on testimonies from people involved in making Takahata Isao’s anime Grave of the Fireflies, as well as the director’s notebooks, to explore the background to this heartbreaking classic....
Japan slams lack of access to journalist detained in Russia
Russia arrested a journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun on the Far East island of Sakhalin a week ago on suspicion of espionage.
Electronic warrant system to be rolled out in Tokyo and nearby areas by March
Currently, police officers need to visit courts in person to obtain printed arrest and search warrants.
East Japan police survey finds 1 in 28 students solicited for shady part-time jobs
YOKOHAMA -- About 3.5% of junior high and high school students surveyed in Sagamihara's Minami Ward in Kanagawa Prefecture had been approached with of
Japan's Defense Minister Koizumi hails troops back from Indonesia fires
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday praised Self-Defense Forces personnel who had returned from fighting forest fire
Japan to boost police investigations with advanced technology
"We can't keep up with attacks using the latest AI if police equipment lags behind," said the National Public Safety Commission chairperson.
Parents of Okinawa boat accident victim urge safer school trips
NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The parents of a 17-year-old high school girl killed in a boat accident off Okinawa in March urged the prefecture's governor Sa
Japan 9.9 Earthquake Alert Retracted After System Error
A misread quake near Kamchatka led to the first withdrawal of a public warning in Japan The post Japan 9.9 Earthquake Alert Retracted After System Error appeared first on Metropolis Japan ....
Japan gov't OKs bill to allow police to remotely access crime ring phones
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's Cabinet on Friday approved a bill to allow police to remotely access smartphones used by crime ring members, in a bid to dete
Japan Issues Magnitude 9.9 Earthquake Warning, Then Quickly Cancels It
Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued an emergency earthquake warning at 12:36 p.m. JST after initial automated data suggested a potentially catastrophic magnitude 9.9 earthquake near the Kuril Islands. The alert warned of possible maximum seismic intensity 7 shaking across parts ...
North Korea says it test-fired submarine-launched cruise missiles Wednesday
BEIJING (Kyodo) -- North Korea test-fired submarine-launched cruise missiles in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, but the launches posed no danger to nei
Why Did Russia Arrest Japanese Journalist Yuki Imai? | News Roundup
In this week’s news roundup we report on the arrest of Hokkaido Shimbun journalist Yuki Imai in Russia. Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet approval ratings fall again. Arata Takebe replaces Kazuo Yana as agriculture minister. The Yokohama mayoral election sees a surge in early voting with ...
Japan to set up expert panel on GPS tracking stalkers
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese police said Thursday they will set up a panel of experts to discuss measures to protect stalking victims by having offenders
Japan police arrest pet shop firm execs over suspected unlicensed injections
OSAKA -- Osaka Prefectural Police arrested four pet shop company officials Oct. 14 on suspicion of having dogs and cats for sale injected with infecti
Japan denies spying after Russia arrests journalist
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday said the details of the accusations against the Hokkaido Shimbun reporter remained unclear.
Japan raises alert for parts of Saudi Arabia, discouraging nonessential travel
Following the change, the entire country of Saudi Arabia is under Level 2 or higher in the Foreign Ministry's four-tier travel alert scale.
Easy Japanese news in translation: Matsuko Deluxe serves as one-day police chief in Tokyo
TV personality Matsuko Deluxe, 53, became the one-day chief of Shibuya Police Station in Tokyo on October 7. While saying, "Our ears are touching," Ma
Vietnamese-language driver's test suspended after questions leaked in Japan's Chiba Pref.
CHIBA -- Chiba Prefectural Police have suspended the Vietnamese-language written driver's license test after discovering the test questions had been l
Japanese journalist arrested in Russia's Sakhalin region on spying charges
MOSCOW (AP) -- A Japanese journalist suspected of spying has been arrested on Russia's Sakhalin Island, the top Russian domestic security agency said
Smugglers seeking new markets target Japan as cocaine use spreads among young people
TOKYO -- Smugglers are targeting Japan as a destination for cocaine, according to police. "It is no exaggeration to call it a war," a senior Metropoli
Born of Earth, Conceived in Fire
Japan’s ancient pottery traditions are far more interesting than you think The post Born of Earth, Conceived in Fire appeared first on Metropolis Japan ....
Vietnamese woman arrested in Japan for allegedly laundering scam money
The 34-year-old Vietnamese woman is suspected of laundering ¥30 million stolen through voice phishing in March 2025.
5 Malaysians arrested in Japan for alleged cocaine smuggling
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Five Malaysian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle a total of around 5 kilograms of cocaine from Malay
Japan-US talks to address off-base conduct policy after Okinawa murder
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan-U.S. talks on steps to prevent crimes by U.S. military personnel following the alleged murder of a local woman by a U.S. Marine
Japan and U.S. review troops’ off-duty rules after Okinawa killing
Crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-runs and drunk driving by U.S. military personnel have long triggered protests in Okinawa.
‘Not Just an Accident’: Family Seeks Murder Charge in Fatal Nagoya Fall
On the night of July 19, 2026, 23-year-old Hora Inaba was walking with a friend along a busy street in Nagoya’s Sakae district after dinner when a suicidal man jumped from the 11th-floor balcony of an apartment building and struck her. The impact caused fatal blood loss. The man ...
N. Korea fires suspected ballistic missiles toward Sea of Japan
TOKYO/SEOUL (Kyodo) -- North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Monday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said, with
Japan’s Goto fires Freiburg to Bundesliga summit
Goto's 85th-minute winner saw Freiburg leapfrog Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund into first place.
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan
At least two of the weapons were believed to have fallen into waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
Anna Yagi Was Killed. Why Are People Doxxing Her?
Anna Yagi was 39 when she was found dead in a hotel in Naha in the early hours of October 3. Okinawa police say she died from pressure to her neck; her backpack and wallet were missing, and surveillance footage showed the man who had entered the hotel with her leaving alone with ...
Russian Embassy vehicle in traffic incident near Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Four people were left slightly injured. Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
Japan calls Russia’s request to extradite ICC head Akane regrettable
In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his country's invasion of Ukraine.
53 companies in Japan hit by Qilin ransomware group: police agency
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A total of 53 companies in Japan have been targeted by an internationally active ransomware group known as Qilin, National Police Age
4 injured in accident involving diplomat's car near Japan Foreign Ministry
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Two cars collided near the Japanese Foreign Ministry building in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon, injuring four people, none of them seri