13 January 2016
Japanese pop group SMAP is on the verge of breaking up after more than 20 years, sources at the band's agency said Wednesday, in a move that would send shockwaves through the Japanese entertainment industry given the band's popularity at home and elsewhere in Asia. (Kyodo)
Snow fell for the first time this season in parts of Tokyo and Yokohama on Jan. 12, with more expected as a low pressure system approaches the Pacific coast. (Asahi)
Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus is rolling out its highest-performance model since the LFA supercar to burnish its reputation among buyers of prestige luxury autos. (Japan Times)
Monday marked Coming-of-Age Day, bringing with it the usual festivities that saw Japan's 20-year-olds celebrate their newfound adulthood - each in their own way. (Japan Times)
Japan's Defense Minister says his ministry is carefully examining a North Korean video that appears to show a submarine-based ballistic missile test. (NHK )Jan 12
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 31-year-old man who ran a prostitution ring featuring underage school girls, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 12). (Tokyo Reporter) Jan 12
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a door-to-door salesman for allegedly fondling the body of a girl in Akishima City, reports Nippon News Network (Jan. 12). (Tokyo Reporter) Jan 12
The passing of music legend David Bowie shocked his numerous fans around the world - including a Sapporo man who attempted to kill himself in public. (Japan Times) Jan 12
An announcer of public broadcaster NHK was arrested Sunday for allegedly possessing so-called "dangerous drugs" in violation of the law governing medicinal chemicals, the health ministry's drug control division said Monday.
(Japan Today) Jan 11
Actress Keiko Kitagawa and singer Daigo have registered their marriage, the couple announced Monday in their respective personal blogs. (Japan Times) Jan 12
Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus is rolling out its highest-performance model since the LFA supercar to burnish its reputation among buyers of prestige luxury autos. (Japan Times) Jan 11
Many companies are planning to open duty-free shops in Japanese cities to attract big-spending tourists from other countries. (NHK) Jan 11
The securities watchdog has questioned employees at Toshiba Corp.'s personal computer operations in connection with the electronics company's accounting scandal, sources familiar with the matter said Sunday. (Japan Times) Jan 10
Top Japanese brewer Asahi Group Holdings is taking a gamble amid a new wave of global consolidation. (Nikkei) Jan 10
Japan's industry ministry is taking steps to help boost exports of animation videos and comics. It will create a database that will allow companies to quickly check information on copyright and other relevant rights. (NHK) Jan 11
Bosses hold back on pay raises for workers, creating a major stumbling block for Japan's 'Abenomics' strategy for economic growth (wsj.com) Jan 10
There has been a lot of discussion recently about allowing more foreign workers into Japan to make up for severe labor shortages in some fields. As of the end of 2014, the labor ministry estimated there were 790,000 foreign nationals working in Japan legally, which is more than the number of national civil servants (640,000). (Japan Times) Jan 09
Bloodbath. Carnage. These are just a sample of the sanguinary words used to describe the market turmoil in early 2016. Although the markets seemed to have calmed down somewhat, investors are still wary. (Nikkei) Jan 08
The Nikkei stock index started the year with a record five-day losing streak, ending lower after a day of choppy trading Friday amid ongoing fears for China's economic outlook. (Kyodo) Jan 08
Japan's exports of food, including farm and marine products, hit a record high last year, for the eleven months from January. Figures for that period have hit new record highs three straight years in a row. (NHK) Jan 11
Japan's Defense Minister says his ministry is carefully examining a North Korean video that appears to show a submarine-based ballistic missile test. (NHK ) Jan 11
The Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces have decided that Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft returning home from anti-piracy activities off the coast of Somalia will give priority to stopping along the way at bases of countries facing the South China Sea, including the Philippines and Vietnam, according to sources. (the-japan-news.com) Jan 10
Tokyo's Itabashi Ward on Friday became one of the first municipalities in the nation to start issuing the My Number identification card for social security and taxation services. (Japan Times) Jan 09
Both chambers of Japan's Diet have unanimously adopted resolutions condemning North Korea's latest nuclear test. (NHK) Jan 08
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye agreed Thursday to continue close collaboration between their countries, including at the United Nations, in response to North Korea's nuclear test Wednesday. (Jiji Press) Jan 12
Roughly 7 percent of 3-year-olds are sleep-deprived, getting less than 10 hours of sleep a day, due partly to parents coming home from work later than before, according to a government study. (Japan Times) Jan 10
The government's fiscal 2016 measures to help children and their families in poverty include beefing up child allowance for single-parent households and financial support for parents attending vocational schools for skilled jobs. (Japan Times) Jan 08
The Foreign Ministry has decided to require new staff to score at least 100 points on the TOEFL English proficiency test, or at least 7.0 on the IELTS test, beginning in fiscal 2016, so they can be helpful in diplomatic negotiations in English from the start.
(the-japan-news.com) Jan 08
Who doesn't love getting a free book? Especially when that book is over 300 years old! (rocketnews24.com) Jan 07
the commercial English-teaching business could be accused of wage-fixing: Rather than competing for talent, they have followed one another's lead, driving down salaries to hamper career development, limit job mobility and keep foreign teachers firmly in their place. (Japan Times) Jan 11
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.5 jolted northeastern Japan on Monday, but there were no fears of tsunami, the Meteorological Agency said. (Japan Times) Jan 11
With the proliferation of smartphones and other devices, the use of GPS - the global positioning system - has become ubiquitous. From pinpointing one's location to getting directions online, satellite-based navigation is driving the interactive use of online maps. (Japan Times) Jan 10
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 33 recipients of this year's Scientific and Technical Awards. (NHK) Jan 09
A great white shark has died after spending barely three days in a rare case of captivity in a Japanese aquarium. (Japan Times) Jan 08
Drones… drones… drones… custom-made unmanned vehicles are turning out to be the tech-talk in Japan, with a host of organisations and companies planning to use drones to increase their efficiency and productivity. (atimes.com) Jan 11
Yokozuna Harumafuji suffered a setback on the second day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday, falling to No. 1 maegashira Shohozan.
(Japan Times) Jan 11
It was a blockbuster year for the growth of rugby union in 2015, and now it has the Google data to back it up. (sportingnews.com) Jan 11
Harumafuji, the winner of November's Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, opened the first day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament with a textbook victory on Sunday. (Japan Times) Jan 10
The organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on Saturday picked four finalists for new emblem designs for the 2020 Games. (Jiji Press) Jan 07
If we were this dog’s owner, we would be sure to keep our pet pooch securely on a leash during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics… (rocketnews24.com) Jan 10
Thousands of people took part in a New Year race at a Shinto shrine in western Japan on Sunday. The winner is crowned the year's "luckiest man." (NHK) Jan 10
The number of visitors to Japan in 2016 will surge 19.0 pct from the previous year to hit another record high of 23.5 million, topping the government's target of 20 million, according to a recent estimate by major travel agency JTB Corp. (Jiji Press) Jan 10
My alarm sounded at 6:45 a.m., but I quickly silenced it and rolled over in my futon. I enjoyed a fleeting moment of quietude before the thrumming of rubber soles on pavement and accompanying excited voices crescendoed, a brief multilingual hubbub that then faded away for a minute or two before rising up again. It was starting. (Japan Times) Jan 07
An unlimited-ride ticket offered by Japan Railway (JR) companies that can only be used on local and rapid JR trains at present will be utilized on a stretch of the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line when it starts in March, JR firms announced Jan. 5. (Asahi) Jan 07
Efforts are under way in Japan to put more fruits and other agricultural produce on the shopping lists of tourists visiting the nation in record numbers, by simplifying quarantine inspection procedures. (Jiji Press) Jan 12
This is an amended version of an article that appeared on my blog www.insaitama.com last year.February 3rd is Setsubun in Japan, which marks the end of winter. A common tradition associated with this ancient festival is mamemaki or beanthrowing. M...
Jan 12
Although Himeiji Castle reconstruction has been finished, Hikone remains a great town to visit to enjoy feudal Japan's architecture and atmosphere. The castle town has a long history revolving around its most iconic symbol, Hikone Castle. And bonu...Jan 12
It's nearly two weeks into 2016. Did you welcome the New Year the Japanese way—hatsumode (a temple or shrine visit) and all? If it still hasn't sunk in that it's already 2016, perhaps you can kick the year off by going to some of these events, s...Jan 11
The surprise smash hit event of 2015 in Tokyo was the Shunga Exhibition, the first such large-scale public showing of erotic prints in Japan.
200,000 people packed the tiny Eisei Bunko Museum over the 85 days of the exhibition, which was based on...
Jan 11
The train's time-table. One train at 7:04AM and another at 5:08PM.
Japan's impressively efficient high-speed rails have continued to expand to the outskirts of the country, rendering many of Japan's older, low-tech railways obsolete. Kami-Shirata...
Jan 10
goo Ranking recently published a survey on what kinds of things happen at the adjacent coffee shop table.
Demographicsgoo Rankings asked iBRIDGE's Research Plus to conduct this survey, where between the 27th and 30th of October 2015 500 members...
Jan 10
I was drinking with Sandy in the park recently. It was dark and naturally we were on the swing set.
“I'll just never be happy here,” she said.
“Congratulations,” I replied, “you're finally Japanese. Here, have a chu-hi. It's got real l...
Jan 10
Kimono have existed as a staple for women's clothing in Japan since the 8th century. They still remain a vibrant and existing part of Japan's traditional culture, which seem to be growing in modern street fashion as well. But now, they're receivin...
Jan 8
The first week of 2016 has kicked of with stories that run from the seemingly ‘no brainer' - Tokyo police urge partiers not to sleep in traffic, The Asahi Shimbun. Down to the thoroughly depressing - Rationing hits Japan's nappy trade as Chines...
Jan 8
Author: Aurelia George Mulgan, UNSW Canberra
On 18 December 2015 the Abe administration announced details of the much-anticipated agriculture, forestry and fisheries-related
Characteristically, the ‘agricultural tribe' (nōrin zoku) of the ru...