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 ...)
YouCam Makeup Retail Consultations Adopted at Fruit Gathering’s New Tokyo Ginza Store
TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Perfect Corp. announces YouCam Makeup’s consultation mode will be available at Fruit Gathering’s new Ginza store starting June 15 th, 2017. The new store includes a “Virtual Makeup Studio” in which customers try true-to ... ( read original story ...)
Air Canada is flying round trip from LAX to Nagoya, Japan, for $476
Sfseltzer RT @latimestravel: Air Canada is flying round trip from LAX to Nagoya, Japan, for $476 https://t.co/VvP5rBGKHd 27 minutes ago Cool Japan News Air Canada is flying round trip from LAX to Nagoya, Japan, for $476 - Los Angeles Times https://t.co ... ( read original story ...)
‘The essence of ninja is to be patient’: Ninja champion fosters a calm attitude in his pupils
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Have you ever tried throwing shuriken ninja stars? It can certainly be fun to try – but for people such as Masaaki Ikebe, who won the annual shuriken-throwing competition in March to become the first two-time champion in its eight ... ( read original story ...)
Japan parliament passes emperor abdication law
But the idea of female succession is popular among ordinary Japanese. A Kyodo News agency survey last month showed 82 percent of those polled were in favour of allowing a female member of the imperial family to succeed, while 62 percent supported the ... ( read original story ...)
Japan men take out ‘groper insurance’ against sex pest claims
TOKYO In Japan, where train travel can often be a perilous ordeal for women, an insurance company is reporting a sudden run on a policy that protects men falsely accused of groping. The spike in takers for the 6,400 yen ($57, Dh209.2) “false groping ... ( read original story ...)
Abdication of Japan’s emperor moves a step closer
TOKYO Japanese Emperor Akihito's abdication moved a step closer ... that we can expect it to pass speedily," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference prior to the vote. While no definite plan for an abdication has been confirmed ... ( read original story ...)
Japan disappointed by Trump’s decision to quit Paris agreement
OSAKA – Japanese government officials, business leaders, and environmental groups expressed regret Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that America was withdrawing from the Paris Climate Change Agreement, but vowed to find ways to work ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s GPIF pension fund sues Toshiba auditor over investment losses
Toshiba has been on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's supervision list since mid-March as it has failed to clear up concerns about its internal controls after the $1.3 billion accounting scandal. That scandal preceded the crisis now engulfing Toshiba over ... ( read original story ...)
The North Korean threat to Japan
The U.S., working with Japan, must make the nuclear threat from North Korea a priority issue ANALYSIS/OPINION: In early May, I was part of a fact-finding trip to Japan. What I learned from four days of discussions with senior government officials ... ( read original story ...)
Japan and an Anti-Crime Bill
Re “Anti-Conspiracy Bill Advances in Japan” (news article, May 24): Concluding the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, or Untoc, is a pressing issue for Japan, as we prepare to play host to major events, particularly the ... ( read original story ...)
The cost of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has already nearly doubled to $12.6 billion
TOKYO (AP) — 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 nearly twice the initial estimate, even after a major cost-cutting effort. A major reason ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei tops 20,000 but autos, banks and yen make investors doubt sustainability
TOKYO/SINGAPORE A 10 percent surge over six weeks swept Japan's Nikkei stock index above the 20,000-point barrier for the first time since late 2015 on Friday, without dispelling doubts about the rally's shelf life given the outlook for automakers ... ( read original story ...)
Behind Nikkei rally: dearth of shares to sell
In Asia, South Korean and Indian stocks are in record territory. The Nikkei? It's up 4%. Japanese stocks have not yet received their invitation to the global stock market party. The extent of the neglect is evident from data. According to the Bank for ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei rises above 20,000 to hit nearly two-year high on upbeat US data
Japan’s Nikkei share average broke through the 20,000-point barrier for the first time since December 2015 on Friday after a batch of strong U.S. economic data lifted Wall Street and the U.S. currency against the yen. The Nikkei swept through 20,000 in ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo Olympics cost twice the initial estimate: Why?
TOKYO (AP) — 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 nearly twice the initial estimate, even after a major cost-cutting effort. A major reason ... ( read original story ...)