About 3,700 people gather at Kobe East Park in Kobe, Japan on Wednesday morning for an event titled "1.17 meeting" to remember the Great Hanshin Earthquake. The quake occurred on Jan. 17, 1995, and ultimately claimed 6,434 lives. This year marked the 23rd ... ( read original story ...)
Light earthquake, 4.3 mag was detected near Ishinomaki in Japan
A light earthquake with magnitude 4.3 (ml/mb) was detected on Monday, 54 kilometers (34 miles) from Ishinomaki in Japan. Event ids that are associated to the earthquake: us2000ck1x. Id of event: us2000ck1x. The temblor was picked up at 23:10:26 / 11:10 pm ... ( read original story ...)
I had the craziest night out in Tokyo thanks to CouchSurfing — but it had nothing to do with staying with random people
Instead of using the app for lodging, I used it to meet locals and had a wild night out. On a trip to Tokyo last year to help launch Business Insider Japan, I found myself like many business travelers — alone in a foreign city. My BI Japan colleagues ... ( read original story ...)
Malawi begs Japan for more aid: Finance Mnister says K1.3bn grant will not be ‘Cashgated’
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and DevelopmentGoodall Gondwehas asked Japanese Government to consider increasing financial assistance to Malawi on Economic and Social Development Programme. Speaking during the signing ceremony of 200 million ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo disaster drill focuses on preparing foreigners
A disaster drill aimed particularly at providing shelter for stranded foreigners was conducted at the Roppongi Hills complex in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. The exercise was held in ... ( read original story ...)
Kobe marks 23 years since Great Hanshin earthquake that killed more than 6,400
KOBE – The city of Kobe and neighboring areas in western Japan on Wednesday marked the 23rd anniversary of a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that claimed the lives of 6,434 people, with many vowing to pass on lessons learned from the disaster to future generations. ( read original story ...)
Space Invaders attack Tokyo! Iconic aliens appear on the side of Japanese skyscraper to mark the video game’s 40th anniversary
Aliens from Space Invaders were projected onto the window panes of a Tokyo skyscraper where they were blasted by enthusiastic fans to celebrate 40 years of the game. Four decades after the game took the world by storm, a high-tech exhibition is allowing ... ( read original story ...)
A deep dive into Japan’s record-setting tourism figures
The Nikkei Asian Review took a close look at the data. China and South Korea account for over 50% The numbers clearly show geographical proximity is a major factor. Mainland China was the No. 1 source of visitors to Japan last year, accounting for 7.35 ... ( read original story ...)
Hokkaido: Ex-colleague of Sapporo woman accused in her murder
HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested a former co-worker of a 23-year-old woman who was found murdered in her residence in Sapporo last year, reports Nippon News Network (Jan. 17). Police have accused Akihiro Kumakura, 43, of ... ( read original story ...)
Ex-Wallaby Smith arrested in Tokyo for ‘cabbie assault’
Legendary Wallaby George Smith has been arrested in Tokyo, police said Wednesday, after he allegedly refused to pay his taxi fare and then assaulted the driver. The 37-year-old flanker is suspected of running away from a taxi without paying roughly 10,000 ... ( read original story ...)
‘Alien attack’ in Tokyo as Space Invaders turns 40
Tokyo (AFP) - Block graphic aliens dropped down the window panes of a Tokyo skyscraper before being blasted into oblivion by enthusiastic gamers celebrating 40 years of the arcade sensation "Space Invaders". Four decades after the game took the world by ... ( read original story ...)
Japan central bank to keep policy on hold, offer upbeat inflation view
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s central bank is set to maintain upbeat price forecasts next week and paint a slightly better picture of the economy than it did three months ago, signaling its conviction the country is making slow but steady progress in ... ( read original story ...)
Japan business lobby seconds call for 3% pay hikes
TOKYO -- Top Japanese business lobby Keidanren has urged members to raise wages 3% in this spring's labor talks, backing government efforts to boost incomes, consumption and, ultimately, prices. "The escape from deflation is within reach," Yasumi Kudo ... ( read original story ...)
SoftBank mulls IPO for Japanese wireless unit; reportedly seeking US$18B
TOKYO — SoftBank Group Corp (SFTBY.PK ... A spinoff — potentially the biggest IPO by a Japanese company in nearly two decades — would give the unit more autonomy and help investors value the business as well as its parent which has myriad holdings ... ( read original story ...)
Japan’s ruling party sees removing military ban as infeasible
TOKYO -- Removing Japan's constitutional ban on maintaining military forces would be politically infeasible, the vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party told The Nikkei, suggesting that a less drastic change to the pacifist charter would be ... ( read original story ...)
Niche tours of hidden Tokyo reveal grit and history
TOKYO (AP) — I've always resisted the idea of taking a guided tour on my annual visits to Japan. My interests are pretty niche and I know Tokyo well enough that friends there have trouble suggesting new things to see. This year I decided to try two ... ( read original story ...)