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Typhoon Shanshan causes widespread Japan disruption

Trains and flights have been cancelled in Japan as one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country in decades drenches cities in its path.

At least six people have been killed and more than 100 injured after Typhoon Shanshan made landfall in the south-western Japan on Thursday.
Now downgraded…[Read more]

Japan rail disruption spreads as typhoon crawls eastward

Disruption to shinkansen bullet train services in Japan continued Saturday as slow-moving Typhoon Shanshan lingered in western Japan, causing heavy rain in wider parts of the country.

JR Central will continue suspending many trains on its Tokaido Shinkansen Line on Sunday, mainly affecting…[Read more]

TICAD ministerial meeting starts in Tokyo

A two-day ministerial meeting for the International Conference on African Development, or TICAD, has opened in Tokyo, with delegates from 47 African nations taking part.

Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko, who is the chairperson of the meeting, has asked participants to hold talks on the future of…[Read more]

Govt. to present outline of assistance for fisheries industry next week

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has indicated that the government will present an outline of support measures for the fisheries industry, which has been affected by China’s suspension of Japanese seafood imports.

Kishida announced this during a visit to a fish market in Iwaki…[Read more]

Typhoon Shanshan expected to approach Japan from Tuesday

Typhoon Shanshan is expected to approach western to eastern Japan from Tuesday without losing most of its power. Heavy rain may start even before the typhoon approaches.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says that as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, Shanshan is moving northward over waters near the…[Read more]

Japan’s economy rebounds strongly on consumption boost, backs case for more rate hikes

Japan’s economy expanded by a much faster-than-expected annualised 3.1% in the second quarter, rebounding from a slump at the start of the year thanks to a strong rise in consumption and backing the case for another near-term interest rate hike.
The Bank of…[Read more]

In Japan’s ageing countryside, some villages face extinction

Japan has an estimated 9 million abandoned homes as rural areas grapple with rapid population decline.

Nanmoku, Japan – Like all bakers, their day starts before dawn.

Hours later, as the mid-afternoon light streams through the windows of their kitchen, Masayuki Kaneta, 85, and his son…[Read more]

Japan’s embattled PM had a cruel summer – it ended with his exit

It’s been a cruel summer for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
A series of scandals that implicated the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Mr Kishida’s closest allies within it and even his family had put his job on the line.
That this happened as living costs shot up and…[Read more]

Nikkei closes up 10.23% after Monday’s record fall; dollar trading at ¥145.94

Tokyo’s key Nikkei index closed more than 10 percent higher Tuesday, bouncing back from a record selloff the previous day on worries over the U.S. economy and a stronger yen.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 10.23 percent, or 3,217.04 points, to end at 34,675.46,…[Read more]

Hiroshima marks 79th anniversary of atomic bombing

Hiroshima marked the 79th anniversary on Tuesday of its atomic bombing by the United States, with its mayor urging people to unite in prompting world leaders to shift away from nuclear deterrence amid global conflicts including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle…[Read more]

Japanese stocks rebound from worst crash since 1987 while global markets are mixed

Japanese shares soared Tuesday, clawing back some of their record losses from the previous day and underpinning a patchy recovery on global markets.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index finished 10% higher and the broader Topix closed around 9% up. Elsewhere in Asia,…[Read more]

Why is Japan cracking down on rideable motorised suitcases?

A growing number of airports are imposing restrictions on these electric suitcases over safety concerns.

Rideable motorised suitcases, which emerged almost 10 years ago as something futuristically novel as well as functional, have increasingly become popular among travellers.

But the…[Read more]

Hackers Race to Win Millions in Contest to Thwart Cyberattacks with AI

The front line in the battle to protect U.S. critical infrastructure ran this month through a rental house in Orange County.

More than a dozen hackers from Arizona State University, the University of California-Santa Barbara and Purdue University tapped on laptops spread…[Read more]

Junior high school boy drowns in Tama River in Tokyo

A junior high school boy drowned after being swept away by a river current in the Tama River in Hamura City, Tokyo, on Sunday morning.

According to police, the boy was swimming with three friends at around 5:30 a.m. when he was swept away, Kyodo News reported. The boy’s friends alerted a p…[Read more]

Blinken arrives in Japan for 2+2 security talks, Quad

Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs and top diplomats will meet in Tokyo on Sunday for talks aimed at further bolstering their military cooperation, including by upgrading the command and control of U.S. forces and strengthening American-licensed missile production in Japan, amid a rising threat…[Read more]

The simple Japanese method for a tidier and less wasteful fridge

To help people clear cluttered fridges and reduce food waste, researchers in Tokyo are testing simple organisational techniques – and all you need to get started is some tape and a few stickers.

Have you ever opened your refrigerator and felt a surge of anxiety? Perhaps you s…[Read more]

Anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrested in Greenland. He faces possible extradition to Japan

Greenland police said they apprehended veteran environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan.

Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American citizen, is a former head of the Sea Shepherd…[Read more]

Israel’s invitation to this year’s atomic bomb commemorations in Japan has sparked a controversy over double standards

Hiroshima, the Japanese city devastated by a US atomic bomb in 1945, is at the center of a growing controversy after local officials dismissed calls to disinvite Israel from its annual ceremony promoting world peace as war rag…[Read more]

Japan asks young people why they are not marrying amid population crisis

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 struggle with a dem…[Read more]

German investor morale falls sharply in July, ZEW says

German investor morale deteriorated more than expected in July, registering its first fall in a year and suggesting the recovery in the euro zone’s largest economy will be bumpy.
The economic sentiment index fell to 41.8 points from 47.5 points in June, the ZEW economic research institute…[Read more]