Japan's government debt has reached a record high, due to a heavy reliance on government bonds.
The Finance Ministry says the national debt stood at nearly 1,086 trillion yen, or about 10 trillion dollars, at the end of last year.
Nearly 90 percent of the debt consists of government bonds. The total amount grew to around 8.8 trillion dollars. The number of bonds issued was increased to cover the cost of social security for the country's aging population.
Per capita debt was about 78,600 dollars. The ministry compiles data on the national debt every 3 months.
Immigration Bureau's relaxed visa policy has boosted tourism from southeast Asia, but it seems to have come with an unwanted side-effect. (soranews24.com)
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not saying whether or not he nominated Donald Trump for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, but the question may be moot: the U.S. president has been put forward by others for the prestigious award. (Japan Today)
Police on Monday arrested a truck driver for allegedly driving off with a man clinging to the side of his vehicle following a road rage incident in Miyagi Prefecture last June. (Japan Times)
The health ministry on Monday approved the world's first clinical test in which artificially derived stem cells will be used to treat patients with spinal cord injuries. (Japan Times)
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 41-year-old man who while drunk is suspected of gashing more than one dozen luxury automobiles in Ota Ward last month, reports Nippon News Network (tokyoreporter.com)
Ibaraki Prefectural Police believe a male temporary employee at a research center for industrial machinery manufacturer Kubota Corp. stabbed another employee before slashing himself on Sunday, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)
A movie by the Japanese director Hikari picked up two awards at the Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday. "37 Seconds" won the Panorama Audience Award and the CICAE Art Cinema Award.
(NHK)
A 43-year-old employee of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has been arrested for allegedly using his smartphone to film up the skirt of a high school girl on a train. (Japan Today)