Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) PLC commenced the initial testing of a cutting-edge cement manufacturing plant in Trincomalee at a soft opening ceremony held recently. The fully-automated, hi-tech plant is the company’s fourth mill and is slated to nearly ... ( read original story ...)
USJ’s Osaka theme park to also have ‘Dragon Quest’ attraction
Details about the new attraction will be announced later, said USJ. The Osaka-based amusement park is also planning to open a Nintendo-themed area that will feature characters from Nintendo’s games, including “Super Mario,” by 2020. ( read original story ...)
Legoland Japan to open in Nagoya in April 2017
NAGOYA - A new Legoland Japan theme park is set to open in April 2017 in Nagoya, in Japan's Tokai region. The park's operator said on Nov 25, that the park is 80 per cent completed and will hire over 600 staff members, according to The Asahi Shimbun ... ( read original story ...)
'Drone City' May Be Built in Tokyo Before 2020, in Time for the Olympics
Think of 2020, with the Olympic Games being held in Tokyo. There will be drone deliveries, driverless taxis, and home robots will be a normal sight in one part of Japan. A Drone City may be functioning with at least 200 flying robots across a 10KM radius. ( read original story ...)
Why is Japanese anime getting big in China?
Japanese anime film Your Name has already been a huge success in its own country. And now it has become the country's most successful film yet at the Chinese box office. Despite the lack of big-name Hollywood stars or expensive stunts, it has taken nearly ... ( read original story ...)
Ronaldo hat trick leads Real Madrid to Club World Cup title
YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick on Sunday as European champion Real Madrid claimed its second Club World Cup title by beating Japanese side Kashima Antlers 4-2 after extra time. "This has been an unbelievable year for me and for the ... ( read original story ...)
Osaka students set Guinness record with burial mound mosaic made of incense sticks
Some 600 students, teachers and others at a high school in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, set a Guinness World Record on Saturday by creating a 10.48-sq.-meter mosaic made of incense sticks, a local signature item. The mosaic, which depicts an ancient Japanese ... ( read original story ...)
Japan culling 210,000 birds amid spreading avian flu
Tokyo: Japan has begun slaughtering about 210,000 farm birds in northern Hokkaido to contain another outbreak of a highly contagious strain of avian flu, an official said Sunday. It is the fifth mass cull this winter in Japan with hundreds of officials ... ( read original story ...)
Breakthrough in Japan, Russia islands row eludes PM Abe, Putin
The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia ... "The issue won’t be solved if each of us just make their own case," Abe said at a news conference with Putin. "We need to make efforts ... ( read original story ...)
Breakthrough in Japan, Russia islands row eludes Shinzo Abe, Vladimir Putin
Putin dismissed the notion that he was only interested in getting economic benefits from Japan. "If anyone thinks we're interested only in developing economic links and a peace deal is of secondary importance, that's not the case," he told the same news ... ( read original story ...)
Bird flu outbreak hits zoo events linked to Year of Rooster in Japan
TOKYO - The recent outbreak of a highly virulent strain of bird flu in Japan has taken a toll on bird exhibits and events at zoos nationwide ahead of the Chinese zodiac Year of the Rooster in 2017, a survey by Kyodo News showed Sunday. According to the ... ( read original story ...)
Japan, Russia sign economic development pacts; stalemate on territory
Joint economic development "would help foster trust toward a peace treaty," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after meetings in Japan over two days. Asked about developments in Syria ... ( read original story ...)
Sports trends 2017: why you'll be surfing your way through next year
This past August it was announced that for the first time ever surfing would be classed as an Olympic sport after being added to the Tokyo 2020 sports program. The news was celebrated by many surfers around the world who were thrilled that their favorite ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo opts for new volleyball venue for 2020 Games
Tokyo 2020 organizers have vowed to keep costs below $20 billion ... Koike also unveiled a plan to sell off the operating rights of the arena to a private company after the Games, Kyodo news agency reported. After taking office earlier this year, Koike ... ( read original story ...)
Kansai towns gear up for the ‘Pork Barrel-ympics’
Oh, and of course some worthwhile international cultural exchange … we hope. View from Osaka is a monthly column that examines the latest news from a Kansai perspective. ( read original story ...)
Meeting Between Japan and Russia Ends With Stalemate on Disputed Islands
TOKYO — The Japanese news media gave breathless coverage to President Vladimir V. Putin’s two-day visit to Japan this week, training television cameras on the airport in Yamaguchi Prefecture where the Russian leader arrived more than two hours late. ( read original story ...)