A record high number of foreign tourists visited Japan in January, mainly due to a weaker yen. Officials at the Japan National Tourism Organization say over 1.85 million people visited Japan last month. That’s up 52 percent from a year earlier. The largest number of tourists came from South Korea, at 514,900. The figure was […]
Police on Wednesday are searching the home of a former caregiver at a seniors’ residence near Tokyo in connection with the death of a resident. Three seniors died at a nursing care facility in Kawasaki in 2014 after falling from upper-floor balconies. Hayato Imai, aged 23, was working at the time that each of the […]
An actor was fatally stabbed with a real or mock samurai sword while rehearsing a play at a Tokyo studio, and police were investigating whether his death was criminal or accidental. Media reports indicated several actors were performing an action scene when the man was stabbed Monday, and no one saw what exactly happened. Japanese […]
As a part of an ongoing investigation into a man and woman accused of repeatedly abusing of her daughter, Fukuoka Prefectural Police on Tuesday re-arrested the couple for forcing her to eat goldfish, reports Fuji News Network (Feb. 16). In early June of last year, Yuko Ogata and her common-law husband, Takashi Egami, forced the girl, who […]
Plans are under way to set up more free Wi-fi hotspots on and near Japan’s highest peak of Mount Fuji. The service is expected to make it easier for the growing number of foreign hikers to access information on safety. The Yamanashi Prefectural government says it will set up 19 new hotspots during fiscal 2016, […]
Labor unions and management of Japan’s automakers have begun their annual wage negotiations. Union representatives from Fuji Heavy Industries presented their demands at the firm’s headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday. They’re asking for an average raise of 3,000 yen, or about 26 dollars, in monthly base pay and an annual bonus equal to 6.5 months’ […]
Nothing is more symbolic of traditional Japan than Geisha. Yet, only a small number of young women opt to enter the lifestyle in a typical year. And of them, quite a few quit amidst the strict training. Those who do make it through celebrate with a debut. Reibi Takahashi is soon to become a full-fledged […]
Civil servants in a western Japanese city are wearing ninja costumes to help boost tourism there. Koka City in Shiga Prefecture is famous for its ninja or secret agents in feudal Japan. Nearby, the city of Iga in Mie Prefecture is also known for its ninja tradition. Last year, the 2 cities designated February 22nd as […]
Japan’s transport ministry says it will consider setting standards for the structural durability of large buses, following a deadly bus crash last month. The accident occurred in central Japan. Fifteen people died after the tour bus went off a hillside. A photo obtained by NHK shows the severely damaged roof of the bus and a […]
Quarantine officials at Narita Airport have stepped up measures to detect possible cases of people infected with the Zika virus. This follows a decision by the health ministry to designate the Zika fever as an infectious disease. Starting on Monday, people found to have a fever after submitting to a thermographic camera check will be […]
