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 […]
A humanoid robot is offering boarding information to passengers at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Japan Airlines introduced the 60-centimeter-tall robot, which speaks 3 languages, on Tuesday. It is aimed especially at accommodating the surge of Chinese travelers during the Lunar New Year holidays. The robot uses cute gestures to notify passengers in Chinese and English that […]
Apparently, some Japanese men really don’t like to eat alone in public. But are they simply too shy, or is there something else going on? If you’ve ever popped into a fast food restaurant, conveyor-belt sushi joint, or beef bowl eatery in Japan, you’ll see plenty of people dining alone. In fact, the practice is […]
These cherry blossom kicks will tell the whole world your feet are ready for spring. Hot on the heels of rival Adidas’ Asian-inspired collaboration with singer Rita Ora, shoemaker Nike has launched its own line of sneakers with Japanese styling cues. Whereas Adidas went with a grab bag of Japanese imagery, Nike has instead decided […]
Three members of a family perished in a fire that destroyed their house in Shomotsuke, Tochigi Prefecture, on Thursday morning. According to police, six people lived in the two-story wooden house and an adjacent house owned by Isamu Omori, 60. Fuji TV reported that at around 7:40 a.m., Omori’s 52-year-old wife called 119 to report […]
Police in Tokyo are stepping up crackdowns on illegal parking of sightseeing buses in popular districts as large numbers of Chinese visit Japan’s capital during the Lunar New Year holidays. Police are focusing on 4 districts — Ginza, Akihabara, Shinjuku and Asakusa — where tourist buses are causing traffic jams. Buses are allowed to stop […]
