A Japanese government panel says discussions on how to dispose of radioactive wastewater at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant should center on two options --- releasing it into the ocean, or into the air. (NHK)
East Japan Railway Co. conducted trial operations on Wednesday on a section of the Joban Line in Fukushima Prefecture that has been closed since the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. (Japan Times)
Some Japanese lawmakers giggled this week during a drill to practice the use of disaster prevention helmets, at least one of which was put on backwards, prompting Twitter users to question if they were making light of a life-and-death matter. (Japan Today)
A nuclear power plant reactor that was damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster and idled under stricter safety standards following the Fukushima crisis won approval from the nuclear watchdog on Wednesday for operations to resume. (Japan Times)
From chemicals to beer and travel, the chill in Japan and South Korea's relations is casting a wider shadow on their economic ties, the latest statistics show. (Nikkei)
The industry ministry said Monday it would be safe to release water contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the ocean, stressing that on an annual basis the amount of radiation measured near the release point would be very small compared to levels to which humans are naturally exposed. (Japan Times)
Torrential rainfall from a low-pressure system has caused flooding and mudslides in eastern and northeastern Japan. Four people have been confirmed dead. At least two others are missing. (NHK)
With torrential rain, raging rivers and submerged homes, the havoc wrought by Typhoon Hagibis was a grim reminder that extreme weather may now be the new norm in this disaster-prone nation. (Japan Times)
The Japanese weather agency warned people in Tokyo and northern Nagano that heavy rainfall Tuesday may set off flooding and mudslides, including in areas recovering from a deadly typhoon. (Japan Today)
The Japanese government says Typhoon Hagibis' damage to farming, forestry and fisheries has reached 57 billion yen, or about 527 million dollars. (NHK)
The government's response to Typhoon Hagibis dominated Tuesday's debate in the Diet. (NHK)
A Tokyo Fire Department helicopter rescuing a 77-year-old woman in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, who had been isolated because of flooding caused by Typhoon Hagibis, accidentally dropped her about 40 meters to the ground because her rescuers did not properly attach her to the rope when they were attempting to winch her to safety during the botched operation. (Japan Times)
Typhoon Hagibis has caused death and destruction across Japan. Three people have died, one other was found without vital signs, 17 people remain missing, and more than 90 people were injured. (NHK)
The European Union has informed the Japanese government that it will likely ease import restrictions on Japanese food products before the end of the year. (NHK)
A Japanese district court has found all three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company not guilty in the only criminal prosecution stemming from the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima. (NHK)
New Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a rising political star in Japan, said Wednesday he will encourage increased innovation in the country in the fight against human-driven climate change. (Kyodo)
Weather officials are urging continued caution against heatstroke as temperatures are forecast to top 35 degrees Celsius in wide areas across Japan on Wednesday. (NHK)
A strong earthquake has rocked Japan's northeastern prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi. There is no threat of tsunami. (NHK)
Japan hanged two death-row inmates Friday morning, the Justice Ministry said, in the country's first executions this year. (Japan Today)
The operator of the nuclear plant wrecked by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami said Wednesday that it will decommission four more reactors in northeastern Japan in addition to those already being scrapped. (Japan Today)
Japan's Princess Mako has visited the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru and a village that once had a Japanese immigrant as its chief. (NHK)
A supermarket has opened in the town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, which was devastated by the nuclear disaster in 2011. It is the first supermarket to operate in the town since the accident. Evacuation orders were partially lifted two years ago. (NHK)
FUKUSHIMA (TR) – Fukushima Prefectural Police on Wednesday arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly breaking the shoulder of his daughter with a golf club last month, reports Jiji Press (July 3). (tokyoreporter.com)
Talent agency Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. on Monday announced the suspension of 11 comedians for participating in a party held by so-called “anti-social forces†group without prior clearance from the agency, reports TV Asahi (June 24). (tokyoreporter.com)
Japan's Olympic organizing committee has unveiled a tentative torch relay route for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that features cultural and scenic attractions around the country. (NHK)