A startup backed by the Japanese automaker has developed a test model that engineers hope will eventually develop into a tiny car with a driver who’ll be able to light the Olympic torch in the 2020 Tokyo games. For now, however, the project is a ... ( read original story ...)
3-on-3 basketball likely to be added to Tokyo Olympics official program
If things go right, 3-on-3 basketball could list in the official program for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Three-a-side basketball is actually an internationally recognized game that is overseen by FIBA, the sport's governing body. Officially known as 3? ( read original story ...)
Sapporo Is the First City In Japan To Recognize Gay Relationships – Towleroad
Sapporo has become the first city in Japan to officially recognize same-sex partnerships. According to Kyodo News, on Thursday the city also became the first to recognize partnerships between heterosexual couples with gender dysphoria. The initiative is ... ( read original story ...)
Costs of hosting the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo doubles
TAXPAYERS beware: The cost of hosting an Olympics is likely to be far more than advertised. The price tag on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has ballooned to twice the initial estimate, even after a major cost-cutting effort. In yet another tale of warning for ... ( read original story ...)
Osaka cops nab 6 in dumping of body of ex-yakuza
OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested six persons, including a corporate executive, for allegedly dumping the body of a former gang member found buried on a property in Izumi City, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (June 1). In the ... ( read original story ...)
Blaming Yokohama for Nurburgring punctures “too easy” – Muller
Four-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller believes teams should shoulder the blame for the spate of punctures in last weekend’s Nurburgring round, as blaming supplier Yokohama is “too easy”. Both races on the Nordschleife were affected by tyre problems ... ( read original story ...)
Japan, France welcome US leadership in the Asia-Pacific
Glossing over disagreements, the defense chiefs from Japan and France on Saturday welcomed U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific to manage the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and maintain regional peace. Speaking at a security summit in Singapore ... ( read original story ...)
North Korea Missile Tests: Wary Japan Refuses to Panic
It was a sentiment shared by several others approached by NBC News in the city's Ginza district. While Kim's stated aim is to develop a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, Japan is also home to some ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s sex problem causes a baby shortage
Since Japan began counting its newborns more than a century ago, more than 1 million infants have been added to its population each year. No longer, in the latest discomforting milestone for a country facing a steep population decline. Last year ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s Market Surges, but Analysts Worry of Looming Trouble
Japanese stocks have in effect been playing catch-up ... or see the earnings growth that has drawn investors to the Nikkei fade. The gains in Asia on Friday also came before the release of disappointing jobs data in the United States. ( read original story ...)
IOC to set Tokyo Olympics program, add street basketball
GENEVA -- A full list of 2020 Tokyo Olympics medal events will be finalized by the IOC executive board next week, one month ahead of schedule. Among more than 60 proposals, 3-on-3 basketball is an expected favourite after all were analyzed by an ... ( read original story ...)
Tattoo trial could determine the legal future of Japan’s taboo ink tradition
Two years ago, police in the city of Osaka raided Taiki Masuda's studio, arresting and fining him — his crime was working as a tattoo artist without also being a licensed doctor. Masuda contested his fine, and his trial is currently underway in Osaka The ... ( read original story ...)
US aircraft carriers join Japanese forces off North Korean coast for military training
North Korea's most recent test was conducted on Sunday, when it launched short-range Scud ballistic missile off its eastern coast, flying for six minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan. Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. ( read original story ...)
Japan lower house OKs bill allowing emperor to abdicate
A bill allowing 83-year-old Emperor Akihito to abdicate cleared the more powerful chamber of Japan's parliament on Friday, setting the stage for his elder son to succeed the Chrysanthemum throne. The bill, approved unanimously by the lower house ... ( read original story ...)
Japan, Short on Babies, Reaches a Worrisome Milestone
In a speech to business leaders this week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a “national movement” to address Japan’s demographic challenges. The government has taken steps to keep older workers in their jobs longer, and to encourage staff-hungry ... ( read original story ...)
Sapporo becomes 1st major Japanese city to recognize LGBT couples
Sapporo on Thursday became the first major city in Japan to officially recognize same-sex partnerships between lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples. The city in northern Japan also certifies partnerships between heterosexual couples with gender ... ( read original story ...)