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May 10, 2026
 

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Kathleen Benoza
A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in October.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 29, 2024
Meiji Seika Pharma files suit against lawmaker over 'unfounded' vaccine claims
CDP Lower House lawmaker Kazuhiro Haraguchi has said that the drugmaker's replicon vaccine is "akin to a biological weapon."
A Japan Coast Guard vessel sails in front of Uotsuri island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by Beijing as the and Diaoyu, in the East China Sea in August 2013.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2024
Chinese government vessels seen near Senkakus for record 353 days in 2024
The record comes as Beijing continues to ramp up its activities near the tiny islets that it also claims in the East China Sea.
Death row inmate Chisako Kakehi, who was convicted of murdering three elderly men between 2012 and 2013 with the intent of inheriting their assets, has died, local media reported Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2024
Chisako Kakehi, sentenced to death for cyanide murders, dies in custody
The 78-year-old death row inmate was convicted of murdering three men ¡ª her husband and two common-law spouses ¡ª to inherit their assets.
Education costs for children who attend private schools from kindergarten through high school have hit a record high of approximately ?19.76 million, according to a survey released by the education ministry.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 26, 2024
Cost of private education through high school hits record high in Japan
Total education costs for children who attend private schools from kindergarten through high school, including tuition and cram school fees, are approximately ?19.76 million.
The wreckage of a Japan Airlines plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft, at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Jan. 5, three days after the crash.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2024
Human error caused JAL jet collision at Haneda Airport: safety board
The pilot and co-pilot of the Japan Coast Guard plane mistakenly believed they got cleared to enter the runway just before the Jan. 2 incident.
This is set to be the first time Toyota will donate to a U.S. inauguration ceremony.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 25, 2024
Toyota to donate $1 million to Trump¡¯s inauguration ceremony
President-elect Trump says he plans to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico, triggering concerns from automakers that rely on Mexican production for the U.S. market.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky delivers a speech during a handover ceremony of Self-Defense Force vehicles to Ukraine, at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, in May last year.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 22, 2024
Zelenskyy to replace Ukraine ambassador to Japan
Sergiy Korsunsky played a key role in galvanizing Tokyo¡¯s support for Kyiv amid Russia¡¯s ongoing invasion.
Tsuneo Watanabe (center) attends a gathering with former prime ministers Yasuhiro Nakasone (right) and Toshiki Kaifu in Tokyo in 2009.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 19, 2024
Tsuneo Watanabe, editor-in-chief of Yomiuri Shimbun Group, dies at 98
Watanabe was an influential figure in 91²Ö¿â political and professional sports arenas.
Space One's Kairos No. 2 rocket is launched in Wakayama Prefecture on Wednesday. The launch subsequently failed.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 18, 2024
Tokyo startup's second satellite launch attempt ends in failure
Space One was again bidding to become the first private Japanese company to place a satellite into orbit.
The three Cambodian women are seeking compensation for damages over alleged sexual abuse and unpaid overtime wages.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 17, 2024
Cambodian interns accuse farmer of sexual abuse and wage theft
One woman was raped nearly every day and endured conditions ¡°akin to sexual slavery,¡± the three women's lawyer said in a statement.
New fencing was installed along the sidewalk near a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Monday to prevent tourists from jaywalking and to improve safety.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2024
New fencing installed to help manage tourists at Mount Fuji photo spot
The area in Fujikawaguchiko, a popular photography spot because of how Mount Fuji rises behind the convenience store, has gained traction on social media.
MUFG Bank CEO Junichi Hanzawa (left) and other senior officials bow in apology at a news conference in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 16, 2024
MUFG Bank apologizes for theft of ?1 billion in valuables from deposit boxes
The manager accused of the thefts allegedly used backup keys to access the boxes.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba takes part in an online meeting of Group of Seven leaders at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo early Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 14, 2024
Ishiba urges deeper G7 security cooperation as North Korea gets closer to Russia
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said recent developments have a "direct impact" on security in the Indo-Pacific region.
The failed launch of a small rocket by Tokyo-based startup Space One is seen at the Spaceport Kii site in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, in this screenshot taken from an online broadcast on March 13.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 14, 2024
Japanese firm delays bid to be first to put a satellite into orbit
This delay comes after the failure of its first rocket, which erupted into flames just seconds after liftoff earlier this spring.
The head priest of Kiyomizu Temple writes the kanji "kin," which was chosen by the public as the character that best represents 2024, on Thursday in Kyoto.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2024
'Kin' selected as the kanji of 2024 after strong year for Japanese athletes
The choice also reflected the Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s slush-fund scandal and the spate of robberies involving shady part-time jobs.
Prince Hisahito, who is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, is currently a third-year student at the University of Tsukuba¡¯s affiliated high school.
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2024
Prince Hisahito to enroll at University of Tsukuba
The 18-year-old, who is a student at the university¡¯s affiliated high school, secured admission through a recommendation-based exam.
The silhouettes of Mount Fuji, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building and Shinjuku skyscrapers are seen during sunset in Tokyo in November.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 11, 2024
Tokyo remains third in global city index for ninth consecutive year
While Tokyo notched improvements in research and development, cultural interaction, livability, and accessibility, its score declined in the economy category.
A health ministry survey showed that 5,824 people age 65 and older died in a bathtub in their home or other residential facilities in 2022, more than double the number of people who died in a traffic accident.
JAPAN / Explainer
Dec 10, 2024
Winter chill, hot baths and the risk of heat shock: How to stay safe
Heat shock has come under the spotlight after popular actor and singer Miho Nakayama was found dead at her home last week.
PayPay Bank is competing for funds as rates rise.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 5, 2024
PayPay Bank paying big to attract deposits, with offer of 2% on dollars and yen
The offer is many times the rates advertised by competing banks and applies to yen deposits of up to ?5 million, with no limit for dollar deposits.
People gather in Hyogo Prefecture on Nov. 17, an election day.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 4, 2024
Japan¡¯s civic space status upgraded to highest tier
Japan is now ranked in the same category as nations such as Taiwan?and Denmark, reflecting increased freedoms for civil society and peaceful protest.
The weight of not knowing: Japan¡¯s long-missing children
A signboard urging people to call the police if they have information on the whereabouts of Kaori Nomura, who went missing in 1991 at the age of 8, is seen in Yokohama in early April.
Japan confirms year¡¯s first fatal bear attack
Japanese authorities confirmed Friday the first fatal bear attack of 2026, in which a 55-year-old woman died on April 21 in Iwate Prefecture, according to media reports.
Tokyo¡¯s top pizzaioli have raised the city to the upper crust
Daniele Cason, the chef behind one of Tokyo's top pizzerias, says his pizza represents a largely Roman take on the dish.
Path to glory opens for Hoshoryu after injuries to rivals Onosato and Aonishiki
Yokozuna Hoshoryu will be in the spotlight as the favorite during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
South Korean judge who hiked ex-first lady's jail sentence found dead
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review her arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2025.
Rising bear encounters test Japan¡¯s approach to wildlife management
The nature guides and conservationists at Picchio Karuizawa focus on nonviolent interventions like collaring and tracking bears to keep the animals away from human settlements and oft-used hiking routes.
Path to glory opens for Hoshoryu after injuries to rivals Onosato and Aonishiki
Yokozuna Hoshoryu will be in the spotlight as the favorite during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
When it comes to their kids, Japanese mothers look beyond pink and blue
Sun hats, hoodies with built-in UV protection and parasols are on the must-have lists of Japanese moms this summer.
Poison Girl Friend was early. Now it makes sense.
Noriko Sekiguchi launched Poison Girl Friend in the late 1980s, crafting melancholy, club-influenced pop with multilingual lyrics. Her music is now being rediscovered by younger listeners through streaming services and a renewed interest in ¡¯90s trip hop.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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