March 19, 2024
Monday saw the strongest winds of the year blow across Japan, stoking numerous fires, and creating a dust cloud visible from space.

The annual March timetable revision for JR has been implemented that includes a new commuter express train coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension.

Illustrator Mutsumi Inomata, known for her vivid watercolor paintings of young women with wide, jewel-like eyes, has passed away.


SOCIETY | March 19, 2024
A concert by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Central Band and soprano singer Mai Tsugane was held Sunday in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered significant damage from the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

The Imperial Household Agency announced that Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, is scheduled to visit Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture on March 26th.

A fishing boat was found adrift in northern Japan, with a deceased 75-year-old fisherman inside.

The Osaka Prefectural Police announced that they had arrested a teenager for possessing plant material suspected of being marijuana under the Cannabis Control Law, but later released him after no cannabis components were detected in the plant material.


A popular tourist train will grind to a halt on March 23rd as JR Kyushu retires Japan's oldest active steam locomotive "SL Hitoyoshi."

Coinciding with the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Fukui, known as the "Dinosaur Kingdom," local shrines have introduced new goshuin (red stamps) featuring dinosaur designs.

At Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama, visitors can experience harvesting wakame seaweed.

Ghibli Park has unveiled its new area 'Valley of Witches' on Saturday, drawing in hordes of fans eager to experience the magic.

Osaka's Nipponbashi Tool District boasts a history even longer than Tokyo's Kappabashi, renowned for its unique shop owners and innovative gadgets, attracting foreign visitors who rave about their finds.


At the "Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2023" award ceremony held on Sunday, the best game of 2023 chosen by game fans was "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which won the grand prize "Game of the Year."

The manga "Stardust Telepath" is set to be adapted into a live-action drama series, featuring members of AKB48.

The film 'La Campanella' began production on Sunday with actor Tsuyoshi Ihara and crew arriving at Togari Fishing Port in Saga City to shoot the first scenes.

The teaser trailer, teaser art, and stills for the Netflix movie "City Hunter," starring Ryōhei Suzuki, have been released.

An exhibition showcasing the winning entries of an 'Adult Coloring Contest,' where anyone can easily complete a professional-looking painting, is currently open in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.


In the process of making butter from milk, 90% becomes skim milk, which is traded at low prices, posing a challenge for dairy farmers. However, "Butter no itoko [Butter's Cousin]," a confectionery made from this reduced fat byproduct, is enjoying brisk sales.

Terutsuyoshi, a former top division sumo wrestler known for his dynamic movement and vigorous salt-throwing ritual, has decided to retire.

The final release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea, which began in August last year, was completed around noon today. This marks the end of the planned discharge of 31,200 tons for this fiscal year.

An emergency meeting began on Monday afternoon at the Suginami Ward Office in Tokyo, involving representatives from public elementary and junior high schools and nurseries, following a mysterious incident where a student's water bottle, brought from home, was found to contain an "abnormal" substance.


BUSINESS | March 19, 2024
The Tokyo stock market rose by more than 1,000 yen on Monday, recovering to the 39,000 yen range at the close of trade.

In the bid-rigging case surrounding the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, prosecutors have sought a 200 million yen fine for the advertising giant Hakuhodo as a corporation.

The Bank of Japan's monetary policy meeting today is anticipated to center on negative interest rates, with speculation in the market that monetary easing might come to an end, particularly after this year's spring wage negotiations resulted in a series of complete responses to demands for wage increases.

The Hokuriku Shinkansen's Kanazawa-Tsuruga section, which opened on March 16, connects all three Hokuriku prefectures by bullet train for the first time in over half a century since the project's conception.

U.S. Steel, a major American steel company, has announced that the acquisition process by Nippon Steel is expected to be completed this year, despite opposition from President Biden.