Even as Japan is ‘rapidly globalising’, many people are reluctant to speak English, a move one observer says is ‘self-defeating’ for the world’s third-largest economy.
Veteran actor-director Takeshi Kitano has joined calls for the industry to clean up its act after a spate of reputation-damaging sex abuse scandals and suicides linked to overwork and bullying.
Japan’s outdated corporate culture is driving many young Japanese to look to Europe and other Western countries for better work-life balance.
The accusations, which centre on unlimited funds to win over members of the IOC who chose the host city for the 2020 Games, will weigh on PM Fumio Kishida ‘politically at a time when he can ill afford it’.
A shop worker in Tokyo fended off two would-be robbers using a modern version of the ‘sasumata’, a spear fork weapon that dates back to the 1300s.
The scandal at Nihon University has fuelled anger among the Japanese public, prompting the resignation of a top official and its 83-year-old American football team to be disbanded.
Vehicles registered with Russian diplomatic plates had accumulated more than 2,300 unpaid parking tickets in the five years to 2022, according to Japanese media.
A Japanese security report warns that a contest between the US and a partnered China and Russia will ‘accelerate’ as Beijing, Moscow seek ‘non-democratic international order’.
Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida did not push China’s Xi Jinping “very hard” over issues such as the Fukushima-linked food ban and Taiwan, an analyst says.
Talk of his successor is growing as many doubt Fumio Kishida’s ability to make ‘fundamental changes’ to deal with rising costs, stagnant wages and a ‘huge’ national debt.
Anyone arriving in Japan from Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam or the Philippines will also be required to have undergone a test for the disease.
The move helps the US force to operate more efficiently in the island environments of the Indo-Pacific and to better respond to Chinese aggression.
Activists warn of a link between depictions of pornography involving children and young people being lured into the sex industry, as the law does not cover child-porn images created by AI.
Sakie Yokota, 87, says she’s “frustrated” by the lack of progress to free her daughter Megumi, whom she believes is still alive 46 years after being snatched on the way home from school.
Chinese authorities have failed to renew the relevant paperwork for the export of Japanese nishikigoi carp.
Analysts say Russia’s unilateral decision is linked to Japan’s support for Ukraine, following other ‘microaggressions’ amid the decline in bilateral ties.
More bear attacks are expected over the next few weeks as climate change erode the bears’ food sources and a warm autumn delays their hibernation.
Critics say cases reported to health authorities are likely to be a fraction of the true number, and are concerned about higher suicide rates last year.
Japan’s expression of sorrow at the sudden death of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reflects its regret that both countries have lost a crucial political intermediary, analysts say.
South Korea helped evacuate 51 Japanese nationals from Israel, with officials later ‘openly agreeing to help each other out again in the future’.
If the court grants the request, the church will no longer be a religious corporation and be deprived of tax benefits, but will not be required to stop operating.
Japanese employees across age groups are unwilling to use up their paid leave, even as the younger generation aspires to have a better work-life balance.
Japanese schools have a reputation for being extremely strict, but there’s been a growing backlash against harsh rules on student appearance.
Visitors now have to pay as much as 69 per cent more for a Japan Rail Pass, although some bullet trains and lines are still not included.
Cases of school bullying rose 10.8 per cent on the year, but the real figure is likely higher as many such cases usually go unreported.
Japan’s travel and retail sectors are anticipating a major windfall that could last through to Lunar New Year now that large-scale tour groups from China are returning.
More than 2,200 people applied to attend a matchmaking event in central Japan that brings together fans of the Studio Ghibli films who are also looking for a spouse.
Due to a lack of salmon from a rise in ocean temperatures, there are concerns that brown bears in Japan will soon start to venture into urban areas in search of sustenance.
Fukushima city is starting to resist mega-solar energy projects as concerns grow about their impact on residents and the environment.
Ramsey Khalid Ismael, a 23-year-old who goes by the screen name Johnny Somali, was arrested in late August after allegedly breaking into a construction site in Osaka.
