Higan: Japan’s Buddhist Equinox Holiday
Higan, marked twice annually in the periods around the spring and autumn equinoxes, is a Buddhist observance in which people pay respects to their ancestors, such as by visiting their graves.
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Kyushu Electric Power innovator tackles tricky vanilla cultivation in Japan
FUKUOKA -- In an agricultural area of Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan surrounded by rice paddies, local utility Kyushu Electric Power Co. is
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The Mainichi News Quiz: What might Japan Post do about its money-losing mail service?
How closely have you been following events in Japan? Try The Mainichi News Quiz for Sept. 22 to test your news knowledge. Ready?What is Japan Post Co.
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News in Easy English: Tokyo business area, office workers, keep cool in mini-forests
TOKYO -- People often call Tokyo's business areas "concrete jungles." They have many roads and tall buildings. These can make the city hotter. This is
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Japan, US, South Korea call on North Korea to resume dialogue
NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- The top diplomats of Japan, the United States and South Korea on Monday called on North Korea to resume dialogue even as it shows
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Heavy rain hits Tokyo area as typhoon approaches eastern coast, killing 2
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A large typhoon was moving closer to eastern Japan's Pacific coast Monday, bringing heavy rain to the Tokyo area and triggering lands
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Schoolgirl passes top level of Japan's 'Eiken' English proficiency test as a 4th grader
FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO, Yamanashi -- A fifth-grade girl from this central Japan city passed Grade 1 of the "Eiken" English language proficiency test, a diffi
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Osaka comedy club shows visitors Japan beyond guidebooks
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- In a small basement theater in Osaka's bustling Minami district, comedians from Japan and overseas are giving foreign visitors an irr
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Tadami River offers glimpses of mist and mystery as it winds through Fukushima Pref.
The Tadami River in Japan's Oku-Aizu region is famous for its billowing mist from June to September, for those lucky enough to see it. As the rainy se
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The centuries-old Japanese art of ikebana draws those seeking calm
TOKYO (AP) -- Ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers, is a form of expression that dates back more than 500 years. It continues to blossom, qu
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Death toll climbs to 6 after typhoon brings heavy rain to Japan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The death toll from Typhoon Dujuan rose to six Tuesday with six others still missing after heavy rain triggered landslides and floodi
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Compact appliances gain popularity in Japan as high home prices squeeze living space
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Compact appliances that maximize limited living space are gaining popularity in Japan as soaring housing prices make larger homes les
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Labor-scarce Japan counts on AI-powered robots in broad industries
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- As Japan faces a severe labor shortage in many sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing, more companies are counting on artificia