TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso was preparing to skip a Group of 20 finance leaders’ gathering in Buenos Aires next week, officials said on Tuesday, with the minister fighting to survive a cronyism scandal that has paralyzed parliament. ( read original story ...)
Japan Inc to announce pay hikes, seen short of PM Abe’s three percent target
TOKYO (Reuters) - There will be good news and bad news when big Japanese companies announce annual wage hikes on Wednesday: workers will probably get more than last year's 2 percent, and possibly the most in years, but they will fall short of Prime ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo: Man, 56, nabbed over robbery of jewelry store in Adachi
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 56-year-old man who wielded a knife during a robbery of a jewelry store in Adachi Ward earlier this month, reports TBS News (Mar. 13). On the morning of March 2, Koichi Sawazaki, of no known ... ( read original story ...)
Sapporo Maruyama Zoo welcomes Japan’s largest polar bear exhibit
Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in Sapporo, Japan, is about to launch a new polar bear exhibit, with the new facility doubling as a specialist breeding facility for Japan’s zoos. The largest polar bear exhibit in Japan, the new facility – which is five times the ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo: Brawl erupts during new release by street fashion brand in Shibuya
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation after a brawl erupted during a new release by a popular fashion brand in Shibuya Ward on Friday, reports Nippon News Network (Mar. 12). In video footage posted online, about 10 persons, believed by ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo cops make 8th arrest in largest ‘dangerous drugs’ bust
TOKYO (TR) – Police have made an eighth arrest in the bust of a large operation that trafficked so-called “dangerous drugs,” reports Fuji News Network (Mar. 10). On June 8, 2016, an anti-organized crime division of the police seized 185 kilograms of ... ( read original story ...)
Are these the most bizarre public toilets ever? The Instagram account that documents Tokyo’s strange bathrooms
But the bathroom quirkiness doesn't end there, because a new Instagram account has been documenting the bizarre designs of Tokyo's public loos. The pictures have been collated by Hidefumi Nakamura, who uploads them to his Instagram page toilets_a_go_go. ( read original story ...)
Japan PM wife’s name removed from documents in suspected cronyism scandal: media
TOKYO (Reuters) - The name of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife was removed ... was quoted saying by Kyodo news agency. The doubts have also sparked calls for Aso to quit, but the finance minister said on Friday that he will not step down. ( read original story ...)
Japan govt altered documents in scandal linked to Abe’s wife
TOKYO – Japan's Finance Ministry has acknowledged doctoring documents in a widening scandal linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife that has rattled his government. The doctored documents related to the 2016 sale of state land to a school operator in ... ( read original story ...)
References to Japan PM, wife and finance minister removed from documents related to suspected scandal
Aso told a news conference on Friday that several officials at his ministry ... Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan’s longest-serving premier. The matter has also led to opposition calls for Aso, who ... ( read original story ...)
From the mountains to the sea: The delicacies of Hokkaido
We begin at its biggest city, Sapporo, and head to the Nijo Ichiba fish market where fresh and dried seafood are abundant. With so many shops and restaurants, it’s easy to get lost in here. One tip a Japanese friend offered us was to look for a ... ( read original story ...)
Osaka: 1-year-old girl dies after father puts her in closet
A 1-year-old girl died after he father placed her in a closet in their residence in Osaka City’s Kita Ward (Twitter ... A neighbor tells Nippon News Network (Mar. 11) that the sounds a crying child could be heard coming from the residence each night. ( read original story ...)
Japan PM, finance minister under fire over suspected cronyism scandal
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s finance ministry is set to report on Monday that documents were doctored in a suspected cronyism scandal, which if true would add further pressure on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his close ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso. ( read original story ...)
Japan marks anniversary of 2011 tsunami that killed 18,000
They stood in grassy areas or roadsides overlooking the choppy sea. In Japan's capital, they lit candles and offered flowers. Some dabbed at tears. Japanese marked the seventh anniversary Sunday of a tsunami that took more than 18,000 lives on the ... ( read original story ...)
Japan Now Has a Drive-Through Funeral Service
Located in the central part of Ueda, Japan, it works just like a fast food delivery service–but the difference is that visitors can pull up to a drive-through window to register on a touchscreen tablet, offer money, and even give traditional incense ... ( read original story ...)
Assefa clocks 2:21:45 to take Nagoya marathon title
IAAF Newsletter 2018 IAAF News 190 - February 2018 PDF En IAAF Newsletter 2018 ... Meskerem Assefa of Ethiopia cruised to a one-minute victory at the Nagoya Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday (11). Assefa passed Kenyan Valary Jemeli Aiyabei ... ( read original story ...)