Japan plans to continue its whaling program with scientific ends despite the non-binding resolution recently approved by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to increase surveillance on such activities, local media reported. Japan conducts its ... ( read original story ...)
Producer apologizes for Japanese Sony Music all-girls group's Nazi-like outfits
The producer for a Japanese all-girl "idol" group has joined Sony Music in apologizing after the popular act performed in outfits resembling Nazi-era German military uniforms. Keyakizaka46, a group of about 20 mostly teenage girls who sing and dance in ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo panel head says 2020 organizers not co-operating
Ueyama also criticized the lack of financial accountability in the way the organizing committee was put together, comparing it to a company with no CEO or CFO. While Ueyama said there are leaders in similar roles within the organizing committee, the Tokyo ... ( read original story ...)
Japan rocket with manga art launches satellite into space
Japan's domestically developed mainstay rocket carried two pieces of manga artwork originally drawn by Chuya Koyama, known for his comic book on two brothers who dream about becoming astronauts. "We believe it's the first time in the world to launch a ... ( read original story ...)
IHG Opens Holiday Inn Osaka Namba
LONDON—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) opened the Holiday Inn Osaka Namba. This is the fifth Holiday Inn hotel in the brand family in Japan, joining others in Sapporo, Sendai, Kanazawa and Miyazaki. The 314-room Holiday Inn Osaka Namba is located in ... ( read original story ...)
Japan nudges wary firms to invest in Russia to help resolve islands dispute
Russia's Ministry for Development of the Russian Far East said last week that attracting Japanese business was a priority, and deputy minister Alexander Osipov said "we plan to reach concrete results" by the December meeting. The ministry said Japan was ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei drops to more than 1-week low on U.S. election shivers
TOKYO, Nov 2 Japan's Nikkei share average dropped to more than a week low on Wednesday as worries over the U.S. presidential election prompted a recoil in global markets, with a stronger yen adding to the cautious mood. The Nikkei fell 1.0 percent to ... ( read original story ...)
Nikkei drops to 2-week low on U.S. election concerns
TOKYO Nov 2 Japan's Nikkei share average fell to a two-week low on Wednesday as worries over the U.S. presidential election prompted a recoil in global markets, with a stronger yen adding to the cautious mood. The Nikkei fell 1.8 percent to 17,134.68 ... ( read original story ...)
Japan, South Korea eye joint action on companies aiding North
TOKYO -- Japan and South Korea are joining the U.S. in punishing companies that have helped North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons development, starting with a Chinese trading company suspected of money laundering. Pyongyang conducted its second nuclear ... ( read original story ...)
Japan faces uphill battle in tackling excessive overtime
TOKYO -- Japan is making a renewed push to tackle the problem of karoshi, or death from overwork, after the work-related suicide of a young woman grabbed headlines and caused a public outcry. But changing a deeply entrenched corporate culture that takes ... ( read original story ...)
Tokyo shares open lower on Trump surge
Tokyo shares opened lower on Wednesday, following global sell-offs sparked by a new poll that put Republican candidate Donald Trump slightly ahead of his Democratic rival in the US presidential race. "The Trump risk is in revival," said Chihiro Ohta, a ... ( read original story ...)
X Japan's Yoshiki, once suicidal, hopes 'We Are X' can save lives
"I've tried to make the actual sound as close as possible to what I composed in my head for my music," the Japanese rocker told the Daily News. "But no song I've ever done sounds perfect to me. If I'm trying (for perfection), I would never even finish one ... ( read original story ...)
A portrait of the tattooist as a nice young man
When Hori Benny moved into his brand new business premises in 2014 near Nipponbashi in downtown Osaka, there was an unwelcoming committee waiting for him. A neighboring business owner had gathered over 1,000 signatories for a petition to get him to move ... ( read original story ...)
Bank of Japan Stands Pat, Trims Inflation Forecasts
TOKYO—The Bank of Japan has given up its starring role in Abenomics, for now. After refitting its tool kit in September, the central bank opted Tuesday to leave policy unchanged, despite sharply cutting its inflation forecasts. And the bank doesn’t ... ( read original story ...)
Thrice spared death, Osaka zoo rooster draws crowds looking to get lucky
OSAKA – A rooster raised by Osaka’s Tennoji Zoo as food for other animals has now become an attraction himself, after thrice managing to avoid the gallows and a grim fate as fare for his fellows. It seems a belief has taken hold among some visitors ... ( read original story ...)
'Lucky chicken' finds fame in Japan
The male chicken, named Masahiro, has become something of a local celebrity in Osaka, even serving as an honorary "chief" of the local traffic police last month, the Kyodo news agency reports. Masahiro was meant to become raccoon food at the city's Tennoji ... ( read original story ...)