Iwate wildfires spread further to 1,600 hectares
World 16:53 27/04/2026MORIOKA, IWATE PREF. -- Wildfires in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate have spread further, scorching about 1,600 hectares by 6:00 am Monday.
Strong quake hits Hokkaido in northern Japan
World 16:53 27/04/2026TOKYO -- A strong earthquake rocked the Tokachi region in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido on Monday morning, measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.
Japan reviews dual pricing for tourist sites
World 16:37 27/04/2026TOKYO -- Experts commissioned by the Japan Tourism Agency met on Monday to launch a review of dual pricing for tourist sites, in which charges for nonresidents, including inbound tourists, are set higher than those for residents.
Tsunami survivor battles wildfire to protect hometown in Japan's northeast
World 15:21 27/04/2026OTSUCHI, JAPAN -- Ryota Haga was in high school when the biggest earthquake ever recorded in Japan triggered a deadly tsunami and swept away his family home in the quiet northeastern town of Otsuchi in March 2011.
Japan to protect celebrity voices against AI use
World 17:37 26/04/2026TOKYO -- An expert panel under Japan's Justice Ministry agreed Friday that the voices of individuals should be protected under publicity and portrait rights, amid a rise in the unauthorized use of celebrities' voices by generative artificial intelligence.
Japan to launch H3 rocket June 10
World 17:37 26/04/2026TOKYO -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said Friday that it will launch an H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on June 10.
Zoom ordered to pay damages for violating Japan firm's trademark
World 17:37 26/04/2026TOKYO -- Tokyo District Court on Friday ordered U.S. videoconferencing technology firm Zoom Video Communications Inc. and its sales agent in Japan to pay a total of about 182 million yen in damages for violating the trademark of Japanese electric musical devise developer Zoom Corp.
Firefighters in northern Japan struggle to contain blazes as over 3,000 people evacuated
World 14:24 26/04/2026OTSUCHI, JAPAN -- More than 1,000 firefighters in northern Japan battled to contain two wildfires for a fourth straight day on Saturday, as the blazes pushed closer to residential areas and forced more than 3,000 residents to evacuate.
Vietnam Yosakoi Festival opens in Ninh Binh ahead of Japanese PM Takaichi's visit
Vietnam News 13:18 26/04/2026The Vietnam Yosakoi Festival 2026 opened in Ninh Binh Province, northern Vietnam on Saturday, featuring vibrant and energetic performances by more than 240 Vietnamese and Japanese dancers as part of activities welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's upcoming visit to Vietnam.
Honda to cease automobile sales in S.Korea at end of 2026
World 16:34 24/04/2026TOKYO -- Honda Motor Co. has said it will terminate its automobile sales in South Korea at the end of this year.
Karst plateau in western Japan named UNESCO Global Geopark
World 16:01 24/04/2026TOKYO -- Mine-Akiyoshidai, a karst plateau in western Japan, has been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Japan passport fees going down to 9,000 yen in July
World 16:01 24/04/2026TOKYO -- Starting July, Japan will lower application fees for 10-year passports to around 9,000 yen.
