In September 2023, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology nominated Tohoku University as a candidate to be a 'University for International Research Excellence' (UIRE). This program is supported by Japan's 10 trillion yen (US$68.7 billion) University Fund (UF). (East Asia Forum)

The Tokyo stock market finished trading on Friday at its highest year-end level in 34 years.

JAPAN’S nuclear power regulator on Wednesday (Dec 27) lifted an operational ban imposed on Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (Tepco) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant two years ago, allowing it to work towards gaining local permission to restart. (Business Times)

A Japanese court has ordered the central and Tokyo Metropolitan governments to pay damages over the wrongful arrests and detention of three people suspected of involvement in what they considered to be illegal exports. (NHK)

The labor union of budget airline Jetstar Japan continues its strike over unpaid wages, threatening to spill into the New Year holiday season as negotiations with the company break down.

A 27-year-old woman who turned herself in to police has been arrested on suspicion of abandoning the body of her newborn baby.

A group of international researchers including Japanese professors says it found a huge cliff in deep waters near the epicenter of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. (NHK)

As crowds flock to their hometowns and holiday spots for the New Year, the Nozomi service on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line, running between Tokyo and Fukuoka, started operating entirely with reserved seating from December 28 until January 4.

A move by Japan to provide Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine will have "grave consequences" for Russia-Japan ties, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. (CNA)

Japanese boxing superstar Inoue Naoya has become the second person in the sport's history to win all four major titles in two weight divisions. (NHK)

NHK has learned that five senior members of the Abe faction in Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party have said they did not know that part of the revenues from fundraising parties were not recorded in the faction's political funds reports. (NHK)

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft that experienced a cracked cockpit window during a flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, landed safely at Narita Airport on Tuesday afternoon, temporarily closing the runway for inspection.

The Japanese government on Wednesday implemented tighter regulations on popular "1 yen smartphone" offers, in part to stem their resale in foreign markets.

A survey of approximately 8,300 people conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revealed that over 45% of women and 9% of men have been victims of groping.

Three female employees in their 20s, working at a tax office in Tokyo, were suspended from their jobs by the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau on Tuesday for working in nightclubs and engaging in 'Papa Katsu,' or sugar dating.

New Details and Preview for the "Detective Conan 30th Anniversary Exhibition" Revealed (Dengeki)

Japan has announced a significant change to the national pension scheme for self-employed individuals and freelancers during childcare, extending the exemption period until the child turns one year old.

Japan's unemployment rate remained steady at 2.5% in November, unchanged from the previous month, while female employees reached 30.83 million, the highest since comparable records began in 1953, according to a survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

In a move to ease Japan's acute shortage of taxi drivers, the National Police Agency will make available the 'Class 2' driver's license test, required for driving passenger transport vehicles, in multiple foreign languages.

Japan faces a severe shortage of teachers, with more than 3,000 positions in schools remaining vacant, according to a recent survey conducted by the All Japan Federation of Teachers' and Staff Unions.

In a repeat of its Halloween safety protocol, Shibuya Ward in Tokyo has declared that the vicinity of the famous Hachiko Statue near Shibuya Station will once again be off-limits, this time for the upcoming New Year's celebrations.

A Shinkansen driver, employed by JR Central, has been disciplined for using a company-issued smartphone for personal purposes while operating the high-speed train.

High-end department store Takashimaya has issued an apology following more than 220 customer complaints regarding their Christmas cakes collapsing.

In the wake of widespread reports of excessive billing from unscrupulous host clubs, especially in hot spots such as Kabukicho, Tokyo police have established a dedicated consultation service starting Dec 25.

Residents of Joetsu in southern Niigata prefecture are facing a severe cold wave, with snowfall reaching over four times the usual levels for this time of year.