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 […]
Tokyo police have conducted an anti-terrorism drill, including the seizure of a suspicious drone by using an interceptor drone, ahead of the Tokyo Marathon next month. The drill was conducted Sunday in a parking lot at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in Koto Ward, which will be used as the finish area for the […]
A record number of people visited Japan last year, renewing a record set in 2014. A weaker yen and looser visa requirements for Chinese travelers are cited as major factors. The Japan National Tourism Organization estimates that about 19.73 million foreign nationals visited the country last year, up 47 percent from 2014. Topping the list […]
The number of visitors to Japan in 2016 will surge 19.0 pct from the previous year to hit another record high of 23.5 million, topping the government’s target of 20 million, according to a recent estimate by major travel agency JTB Corp. The upbeat outlook is attributed in part to a growing number of foreign […]
An unlimited-ride ticket offered by Japan Railway (JR) companies that can only be used on local and rapid JR trains at present will be utilized on a stretch of the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line when it starts in March, JR firms announced Jan. 5. It will mark the first time the special one-day Seishun 18 ticket […]
Japan could start using self-defense force in response to Chinese intrusion around the disputed islands. Top government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga explained the Cabinet approved the objective in May last year, saying foreign naval passage into Japanese seas would trigger seaborne policing action. Suga said it stated its warnings against China through diplomatic channels last November […]
