Tokyo police arrest head of major sex worker scouting group
World 17:06 27/01/2026TOKYO -- Tokyo police have arrested the 40-year-old leader of Natural, one of the largest illegal sex worker scouting groups in Japan, for allegedly making a payment to gangsters in 2023.
Last 2 pandas in Japan leave for China
World 17:05 27/01/2026TOKYO -- The last remaining giant pandas in Japan, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei of Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, departed for China on Tuesday afternoon in a move that will leave Japan with no giant pandas for the first time in about half a century.
Chubu Electric HQ inspection starts over N-plant data fraud
World 17:47 26/01/2026NAGOYA -- Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority on Monday began an on-site inspection of Chubu Electric Power Co.'s headquarters over earthquake risk data fraud linked to the firm's Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.
Japan content piracy, fake goods cause 10.4 trillion yen in damage
World 17:46 26/01/2026TOKYO -- Online piracy and counterfeit products related to Japanese anime, games and other content caused estimated damage of 10.4 trillion yen in and outside the country in 2025, an industry ministry survey showed Monday.
Japan plans stricter rules to address foreigner-linked issues
World 17:29 23/01/2026TOKYO -- The Japanese government adopted a package of measures Friday to address problems related to foreign nationals, including planned stricter rules on their acquisitions of Japanese land and nationality.
Japan to accept up to 1.23 million foreign workers through FY 2028
World 17:22 23/01/2026TOKYO -- The Japanese government said Friday that it will accept up 1,231,900 foreign workers for five years through the end of fiscal 2028 under specified skilled worker residency and skill development programs.
4 die, 26 injured in heavy snow in Japan
World 17:22 23/01/2026TOKYO -- Heavy snow mainly pounding the Sea of Japan coast since Tuesday has left four people dead and 26 others injured.
TEPCO halts control rod removal at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor
World 17:17 22/01/2026TOKYO -- Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Thursday it has suspended the removal of control rods from the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, after an alarm sounded during the process.
Japan has tough road ahead to achieve 60-million-visitor goal
World 18:04 21/01/2026Japan still needs to overcome mounting challenges to achieving its goal of 60 million annual visitors by 2030, although the number of inbound tourists topped 40 million for the first time ever last year with their consumption growing to around 9.5 trillion yen.
Thai woman arrested in Japan for smuggling 'zombie cigarettes'
World 17:33 21/01/2026OSAKA -- A 31-year-old Thai woman has been arrested by Japanese police for allegedly smuggling etomidate, known as 'zombie cigarettes,' in a suitcase.
Foreign visitors to Japan top 40 million for 1st time in 2025
World 17:15 20/01/2026TOKYO -- The annual number of foreign visitors to Japan came to some 42.7 million in 2025, up from 36,870,148 in the previous year, exceeding 40 million for the first time, tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Inside Rishiri, the remote island quietly redefining tourism
World 16:15 20/01/2026Rishiri Island, perched at Japan’s northern edge, has long been defined by its remoteness. That isolation is precisely what now places it at the heart of a shift: as travelers increasingly seek quieter, low-impact destinations, small communities like Rishiri are compelled to rethink how they open up—without losing what made them unique in the first place.
