Tokaido, Sanyo Shinkansen trains to have private compartments
World 17:09 18/06/2026TOKYO -- Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, and West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, said Wednesday that they will start offering Supreme Class premium private compartments on their Shinkansen bullet trains on October 1.
Japan mulls plan to cut food tax rate to ‘virtually zero’ pct
World 17:08 18/06/2026TOKYO -- The chair of a Japanese suprapartisan panel has presented a proposal to lower the consumption tax rate on food to virtually zero pct to effectively fulfill Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's campaign pledge of a zero pct food tax rate.
Japan police send liaison to Thailand for fraud crackdown
World 16:46 18/06/2026TOKYO -- Japan's National Police Agency said Thursday that it has assigned a liaison to Thailand to coordinate with authorities in Southeast Asian countries to combat fraud involving 'tokuryu' loosely organized anonymous criminal groups.
Japan bank lobby warns of potential service disruptions due to AI-enabled cyberattacks
World 15:57 18/06/2026Japanese lenders may be forced to suspend services such as ATMs and online banking if sophisticated AI models end up posing a serious threat to the banking system, said the chair of the country's banking lobby.
Researchers identify 25 new biomarkers for cyanide poisoning
World 15:48 16/06/2026TOKYO -- Researchers in Japan have identified 25 new biomarkers for cyanide poisoning, a finding that could sharpen criminal investigations and improve forensic determinations of cause of death.
Japan calls for proper use of diabetes drug Mounjaro
World 15:48 16/06/2026TOKYO -- Japan's health ministry Tuesday called on medical institutions nationwide to ensure the proper use of diabetes drug Mounjaro, warning against its use for weight loss and other nonapproved purposes.
'This is our culture': Japan fans clean up World Cup stadium
World 17:49 15/06/2026Japan fans left the stands spotless after their World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday, saying it was "Japanese culture" to tidy up after themselves.
Japan to send delegation to Greenland to evaluate rare earth extraction, Nikkei says
World 13:44 14/06/2026TOKYO -- Japan is preparing to send a delegation to Greenland this summer to evaluate possible rare earth extraction, the Nikkei newswire reported on Sunday.
Japan's Rapidus to cooperate with British, Italian institutions
World 17:31 11/06/2026TOKYO -- Japanese semiconductor company Rapidus Corp. will sign agreements with public institutions in Britain and Italy on research and development cooperation, Rapidus executives told Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday.
Japan's 3 megabanks to jointly issue stablecoin
World 17:28 11/06/2026TOKYO -- Japan's three megabank lenders have announced plans to jointly issue a stablecoin, a type of digital asset, linked to currencies such as the yen and the U.S. dollar, during the year ending next March.
Penguins use group cues to find foraging grounds: Japan team
World 17:49 10/06/2026TOKYO -- A team of Japanese researchers has found that Adelie penguins in Antarctica tend to reach new foraging grounds by moving in groups after unsuccessful attempts to find food.
JR East starts running Tokyo Disneysea-themed Shinkansen train
World 17:48 10/06/2026SENDAI, MIYAGI PREF. -- East Japan Railway Co. on Wednesday started operating a specially painted Shinkansen bullet train themed on the 25th anniversary of Tokyo DisneySea, a theme park near the Japanese capital.
