カテゴリー: Japan
Kyoto to sell its obsolete manhole covers in a bid to cash in on the public’s fascination with the decorated piecesThey are heavy disks of wrought iron that separate us from our subterranean sewage, but in Japan, they are also highly coveted works of a…
Official calls for use of hunting guns in towns to be made legal amid rise in number of marauding bearsThree bears that snuck into a tatami mat factory in northern Japan and were holed up inside for nearly a day have been captured and killed, according…
Ken Hasebe issues warning after 2022 Itaewon tragedy in Seoul, in which more than 150 people diedAuthorities in one of Tokyo’s liveliest neighbourhoods are pleading with revellers to stay away during Halloween, fearing a repeat of last year’s deadly cr…
Japanese talent agency to create new firm to manage artists as it tries to distance itself from disgraced founderThe Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, whose late founder has been accused of sexually abusing hundreds of boys and young men,…
UN-approved release to go ahead despite China’s ban on all Japanese sea imports following first batchJapan will begin releasing a second batch of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant from next week, its operator has said, an exercise th…
Moves by broadcaster NHK, McDonald’s, Nissan and Suntory follow allegations against late Johnny & Associates founderSome of Japan’s best-known companies have cut ties with a powerful talent agency whose founder was accused of sexually assaulting hu…
Trilateral discussions to resume in response to Beijing’s fears over growing US influence in regionThe leaders of China, Japan and South Korea will hold three-way talks “as soon as possible” after a meeting intended to ease Chinese concerns over Washin…
Experts blame rising sea temperatures caused by climate crisis for cub deaths at Unesco heritage siteAs many as eight in 10 brown bear cubs born this year in a remote part of northern Japan have died amid a shortage of salmon, with experts blaming ris…
Imports fell by 67% in August from the same month a year earlier, to about ¥3bn ($20.2m)Chinese seafood imports from Japan have plummeted following Beijing’s ban on marine products from its neighbour in response to the discharge of wastewater from the …
Japan hopes the fair in 2025 will reconnect it with the global community after Covid but calls are growing to delay or scrap the eventIn the distance, beyond the clouds of sand kicked up by a coastal wind and passing lorries, the centrepiece of Osaka’s…
After experiencing a record-breaking number of ‘extremely hot’ days in summer, the unusually high temperatures are due to continueMatsutake mushrooms and persimmons have appeared on supermarket shelves, along with seasonal beers and sakes. In Tokyo nei…
Julie Fujishima, niece of late pop mogul, apologises and acknowledges agency founder’s abuse for first timeThe president of Japan’s biggest boyband talent agency has resigned after acknowledging for the first time that its late founder sexually abused …
Schools in Kumamoto have purchased two mechanical assistants to help children regain confidence in dealing with teachers and classmates A city in Japan is tackling a rise in truancy with the help of a robot assistant that officials hope will encourage …
Analysts say absence could be snub to Delhi or part of apparent push by Beijing to elevate blocs not regarded as US-dominatedXi Jinping’s attendance at the G20 this weekend has been all but ruled out after China’s foreign ministry announced the team wo…
Japanese media report the courts may be asked to disband the Unification church amid criticism of ruling party’s ties to organisationJapan’s government may ask courts to order the dissolution of the Unification church following the assassination in Jul…