Heavy snowfall hits Japan, coldest day in much of country

TOKYO - Temperatures plunged to their lowest level so far this winter in many regions of Japan on Sunday, with heavy snowfall continuing to hit areas especially along the Sea of Japan coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings of snowstorms and ... ( read original story ...)

3 dead in heavy snowfall as coldest day this winter hits Japan

Airlines including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines cancelled at least 130 flights, while services on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines saw delays. To have fuller access to the Kyodo News website, it is necessary to subscribe. We offer a broad ... ( read original story ...)

Yokohama's zinc levels exceed limits

Yokohama's tire manufacturing operation in West Point is asking the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to modify its wastewater pretreatment permit to allow for more zinc discharge. Daily monitoring reports The Dispatch obtained from MDEQ's ... ( read original story ...)

Toxic chemicals detected at Tokyo's new fish market site

High levels of toxic chemicals were found in groundwater tests at a new facility scheduled to replace Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market -- the world's largest -- clouding the costly relocation plan, news reports said Saturday. The controversial project has been ... ( read original story ...)

Sapporo experience invaluable for Aussie athletes

SAPPORO 2017: Becoming accustomed to the atmosphere in an Olympic Village at the February Asian Winter Games will provide invaluable experience for emerging and seasoned athletes. Among the thirty athletes selected by the Australian Olympic Committee for ... ( read original story ...)

Nintendo Switch game console to launch in March

TOKYO - The Nintendo Switch video game console will sell for 29,980 yen (about $260) in Japan, starting March 3, the same date as its global rollout in the U.S. and Europe. The Japanese company promises the device will be packed with fun features of all ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo governor urges golf venue to allow women members

The club situated in Saitama Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, also bars women from playing there on Sundays, according to a Kyodo news agency report. Last year, Muirfield golf club lost its place on the rotation of venues for the British Open after a ballot ... ( read original story ...)

Definitions of 'comfort women' reveal Japan-S. Korea divide

TOKYO – "Comfort women," used by the Japanese military used for sex, were present wherever the army invaded and occupied Asia countries from the early 1930s through the end of World War II. That aspect of wartime history was kept quiet until the early ... ( read original story ...)

Japan 'fish exorcist' ritual draws claims of animal abuse

Organisers acknowledged to the news site J-Cast that they had received several complaints from the public. The ceremony's defenders insisted it was part of Japan's cultural heritage, with one online comment complaining: "People are too uptight these days." ( read original story ...)

Japan drone delivers soup to surfers in test flight

FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN - A drone successfully delivered a bottle of hot soup to surfers in Japan on Thursday in a test of an unmanned flying vehicle traveling a preset route of more than 10 kilometres. Japan's Industry Ministry and the Fukushima prefectural ... ( read original story ...)

Japan to aid Manila 'war on drugs'

MANILA - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged a 1 trillion yen ($8.7 billion) aid package, including government aid and private investment in infrastructural development in the Philippines over the next five years, as Japan moves to strengthen ties ... ( read original story ...)

Japan watching closely for rapid yen rises – Ishihara

TOKYO The Japanese government is monitoring closely for rapid rises ... hit by a loss of confidence in the U.S. reflation trade a day after a news conference by President-elect Donald Trump. (Reporting by Minami Funakoshi; Editing by Chris Gallagher) ( read original story ...)

Japan gov't "highly praises" outgoing U.S. envoy Kennedy's work

... Okinawa Prefecture shoulders for hosting the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan. To have fuller access to the Kyodo News website, it is necessary to subscribe. We offer a broad range of subscription options depending on your needs. Learn more. ( read original story ...)

Japan emperor: How abdication could usher in a calendar change

For the first time in two centuries a Japanese emperor may be about to abdicate. The huge change for Japan could also affect one aspect of everyday life - the calendar. Emperor Akihito, 83, has hinted he wants to stand down at the end of 2018, allowing ... ( read original story ...)