A recent survey by National Institute of Infectious Diseases shows that a total of 66 people suffered from an unidentified paralysis between Aug. 1 and Dec. 3 last year, Asahi Shimbun daily said on Wednesday. The survey, released on Tuesday, was conducted after a series of reports last summer that children showed symptoms of paralyses […]
Filipino protesters plan a second trip to disputed islands in the South China Sea, this time staying a month, a spokeswoman said on Thursday, after China flew a planeload of tourists to an artificial island it has built in the area. China claims almost the entire energy-rich South China Sea, where about $5 trillion worth […]
Would you like chocolate fries with that? McDonald’s Japan said Tuesday that it will offer French fries with chocolate sauces as a topping, dubbed the McChoco Potato, beginning Jan. 26. The company has offered a variety of toppings for fries, including cheese sauce and bacon, but this is the first time that they provide a […]
The Liberal Democratic Party has decided not to seek passage of a bill to legalize casino operations during this Diet session because coalition partner Komeito remains cautious on gambling. The LDP appears to be eager to avoid a conflict with Komeito, backed by the Buddhist lay group Soka Gakkai, ahead of the Upper House election […]
A man in his 30s attempting to evade a groping accusation suffered severe injuries after he leaped from a train platform and was hit by a train at JR Shimbashi Station, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 20). Prior to 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the man allegedly fondled the body of a woman in her 20s inside a car of the JR Tokaido Line. […]
The news that the Japanese pop group SMAP will stay together has been widely reported outside Japan. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency noted that the group’s possible breakup was far more than celebrity news, and it rocked Japanese society for a week. Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that SMAP has avoided splitting up, and noted […]
Heavy snowfall and high winds are wreaking havoc in northern and western Japan. Weather warnings for the area are in effect. In Hokkaido and other regions, up to 90 centimeters of snow have fallen over the past 24 hours. A low-pressure system has stalled near the northern island and could bring more heavy snowfall. One […]
Yasutaro Koide, a former tailor recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living man on earth, died at the age of 112. Yasutaro Koide, a former tailor recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living man on earth, died at the age of 112 of chronic heart failure at a hospital in Nagoya, […]
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2015 reached 19.74 million and these travelers spent an estimated 3.48 trillion yen ($29.6 billion), both hitting new record highs, the Japan Tourism Agency said Tuesday. The number of visitors, increasing partly due to a weaker yen which encourages tourists to visit and spend when in the […]
Heavy snow blanketed many areas of northern and western Japan along the Sea of Japan coast on Tuesday. The Meteorological Agency says a low-pressure system is bringing strong winds to much of the archipelago. Gusts up to 110 kilometers per hour hit the northern Japanese city of Nemuro and the city of Kanazawa on the […]
