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.
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.
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.
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.
Forest fires continue in northeastern Japan town
World 17:10 23/04/2026OTSUCHI, IWATE PREF., -- Wildfires that broke out on Wednesday in two locations in the northeastern Japan town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, continued into Thursday, burning a total of about 200 hectares, according to the town government.
Multilingual alerts, pictograms proposed after foreigner accident
World 17:08 23/04/2026TOKYO -- A Japanese transport ministry affiliate on Thursday proposed the introduction of multi-language warnings and pictograms, after a foreign tourist was hit and killed by a train last August.
23 pct of Japan sauna facilities do not have panic buttons
World 17:31 22/04/2026TOKYO -- A nationwide survey by the health ministry showed Wednesday that about 23 pct of some 13,000 sauna facilities across Japan do not have emergency buttons.
Japan GSDF to probe radio comms during fatal drill accident
World 17:21 22/04/2026TOKYO -- Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force plans to investigate radio communications at the time of a fatal accident that occurred during a live-fire drill in the southwestern prefecture of Oita, Defense Ministry sources said Wednesday.
Japan warns public over safety of used goods
World 17:20 22/04/2026TOKYO -- Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation is urging the public to exercise caution when buying secondhand goods, warning that they may cause accidents such as explosions and fires.
3 GSDF members die in tank drill accident
World 16:40 21/04/2026TOKYO -- Three Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force members died in an accident Tuesday during a tank firing drill at the Hijudai training area in the southwestern prefecture of Oita.
