Thai cultural festival in Tokyo highlights entertainment boom
World 17:36 13/05/2026TOKYO -- One of Japan's largest Thai cultural exchange events, which has drawn around 300,000 visitors in recent years, was held over the weekend under sunny skies at Tokyo's Yoyogi Park amid the growing interest among Japanese people in the Southeast Asian country's culture, including modern entertainment.
Japan biz bankruptcies hit 12-year high for April
World 16:37 13/05/2026TOKYO -- The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan in April involving liabilities of at least 10 million yen rose 6.6 pct from a year earlier to 883, the highest level for the month in 12 years, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. said Wednesday.
Children with parental violence more likely to turn to delinquency
World 16:50 12/05/2026KYOTO -- Children who have been physically abused by their parents are more likely to turn to juvenile delinquency than those who have not, a group of researchers, including those from Kyoto University, has found.
Black bear sightings in Japan surge 2.5-fold in FY 2025
World 16:34 12/05/2026TOKYO -- The number of Asian black bear sightings in Japan in fiscal 2025 came to 50,776, marking the highest figure since comparable data became available in fiscal 2009, provisional data from the Environment Ministry showed Monday.
Convenience stores seek to serve as disaster hubs
World 16:39 11/05/2026TOKYO -- Convenience stores in Japan, long an essential part of daily life, are seeking to serve as disaster response hubs that help sustain nearby residents in times of major natural disasters.
Foreign odor reported on train near Tokyo; woman sent to hospital
World 16:20 11/05/2026KAWASAKI, KANAGAWA PREF., -- Passengers of a train running in Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, on Sunday complained of a foreign odor, and a woman was sent to hospital.
CEO hopes to cool Japan with electricity-free material
World 17:18 08/05/2026TOKYO -- With a cooling material powered by water, not electricity, a Taiwan-born U.S. entrepreneur says she hopes to "help all types of people" in Japan struggling with summer heat that is getting increasingly severe every year.
Nintendo to raise Switch 2 price by 10,000 yen
World 16:45 08/05/2026KYOTO -- Nintendo Co. said Friday that it will raise the suggested retail price of its Nintendo Switch 2 video game console by 10,000 yen to 59,980 yen on May 25.
Japan takes on seafloor rare earth mining for domestic production
World 17:06 07/05/2026TOKYO -- The Japanese government is taking on the challenge of mining critical minerals, including rare earths, from the seabed around Minamitorishima, a Japanese remote island in the Pacific, with an eye to realize domestic rare earth production in the future.
Honda mulls freezing EV plant project in Canada
World 16:28 07/05/2026TOKYO -- Japan's Honda Motor Co. is considering an indefinite freeze on the planned construction of an electric vehicle production plant in Canada, apparently in response to a slowdown in EV demand in the United States, informed sources said Wednesday.
Japan pledges to back Asian nations over crude oil, inflation
World 17:16 06/05/2026SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN -- Japan has pledged to fully support developing Asian nations struggling amid crude oil shortages and inflation blamed on the ongoing Middle East tensions, at a series of gatherings held in Uzbekistan on Sunday and later, including an annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.
Japan, EU to enhance cooperation on platform regulations
World 17:03 06/05/2026BRUSSELS -- Japan and the European Union agreed Tuesday to strengthen their cooperation over regulations regarding social media and other online platforms.
