Japan successfully retrieves rare earth-rich sediment from seabed
World 17:42 02/02/2026TOKYO -- Japan has successfully retrieved rare earth-rich sediment from the deep seabed, marking a step toward a potential domestic supply of rare earths, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Monday.
Japan to boost aid for town development using historical resources
World 17:41 02/02/2026TOKYO -- The Japanese tourism ministry plans to strengthen financial support for town development efforts by municipalities that utilize historical tourism resources in fiscal 2026, which starts in April.
Foreign workers in Japan hit record 2.57 million
World 17:43 30/01/2026TOKYO -- The number of foreign workers in Japan as of the end of October 2025 jumped 11.7 pct from a year before to 2,571,037, hitting a record high for 13 years in a row amid the country's labor shortages, the labor ministry said Friday.
Japan man suspected of involvement in Laos child prostitution blog
World 17:34 30/01/2026TOKYO -- Tokyo police have arrested a 61-year-old man for allegedly registering a fake address to rent an internet server, with the suspect also believed to be involved in a blog suggesting child prostitution in Laos, it was learned Thursday.
420mn yen robbed in Tokyo; similar assault follows
World 17:03 30/01/2026TOKYO -- A group of Japanese and Chinese people were robbed of an estimated 423 million yen in Tokyo on Thursday night, quickly followed by an assault on a different group also carrying a lot of cash.
Suicides in Japan fall below 20,000 for 1st time in 2025
World 17:41 29/01/2026TOKYO -- The number of people who died by suicide in Japan in 2025 came to 19,097, standing below 20,000 for the first time since the statistics began in 1978, preliminary government data showed Thursday.
Japan police conduct 13 undercover probes into 'dark' jobs
World 17:37 29/01/2026TOKYO -- Japanese police conducted 13 undercover investigations into so-called dark part-time jobs through last month, National Police Agency sources said Thursday.
Overseas assets held by Japan residents hit record in 2024
World 19:29 28/01/2026TOKYO -- Overseas assets held by wealthy residents of Japan in 2024 rose 26.3 pct from the previous year to a record high of 8,194.5 billion yen, the National Tax Agency said Wednesday.
Japanese among female scientists to be inscribed on Eiffel Tower
World 19:29 28/01/2026PARIS -- Japanese physicist Toshiko Yuasa is among the 72 female scientists set to join the currently male-only list of names inscribed on the Eiffel Tower, the city of Paris has said.
2 pandas arrive in China from Japan
World 17:56 28/01/2026CHENGDU, CHINA -- Twin giant pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, arrived in Sichuan Province in southwestern China on Wednesday after leaving Tokyo's Ueno Zoo the previous day.
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.
