More than seven years have passed since the tragic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, and in that time life has returned to normal for much of the country. (soranews24.com)
Fukushima Mayor Hiroshi Kohata announced a decision on Tuesday to remove a controversial statue of a child in a radiation protection suit that has drawn waves of criticism since it was unveiled early this month. (Japan Times)
A group of researchers conducted a test to develop technology for a space elevator that would link the Earth and outer space using cables. (NHK)
The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors said Thursday it had stopped selling a souvenir at the plant after facing a storm of online criticism saying it was inconsiderate. (Japan Today)
Japan has decided to reduce its plutonium stockpile, in line with its principle of possessing only the amount necessary for peaceful use, the country’s nuclear panel said Tuesday, while failing to give a numerical target. (Japan Times)
Several beaches ravaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan have been reopened for bathing for the first time in 8 years. (NHK)
The schedule for the Tokyo Olympics has been broadly determined. Starting times of the marathon and other races along roads were moved forward in view of the hot summer weather. (NHK)
Japan on Tuesday approved an energy plan that sets ambitious targets for nuclear energy use and sustains a struggling program for spent-fuel recycling despite setbacks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. (Japan Today)
A nuclear reactor at a trouble-hit complex in southwestern Japan restarted operations Saturday for the first time in more than six and a half years amid lingering safety concerns. (Japan Today)
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended an annual national tree-planting festival, the last such event for the couple, in the tsunami-hit city of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sunday. (Japan Times)
An internal probe by Nissan Motor Co. has discovered misconduct at its plants regarding the employment of foreign trainees, including forcing them to perform jobs not sanctioned under a government program, a company official said Wednesday. (Japan Times)
Corrosion and holes have been found in ventilation ducts at 12 reactors at seven nuclear plants across Japan, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said Wednesday, raising concerns that workers could be exposed to radiation in the event of an accident. (Japan Today)
Women are banned from entering the ring in professional sumo, but the rule doesn't apply to a town in northern Japan that holds a women-only sumo event. (NHK)
Fukushima Prefectural Police have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of a male corpse in a mountainous area of the town of Aizumisato last week, reports Kahoku Shimpo. (tokyoreporter.com)
Niigata Governor Ryuichi Yoneyama has announced he's stepping down over an alleged sex scandal. (NHK)
Officials of the operator of the crippled Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant apologized Thursday to the family of a 102-year-old man who killed himself in the face of an evacuation order amid the 2011 nuclear crisis. (Japan Times)
An art installation featuring a telephone booth filled with water and dozens of goldfish will be removed from in front of a coffee shop in Nara Prefecture after an accusation of plagiarism, the local body managing the property said Wednesday. (Japan Times)
Shikoku Electric Power Co. will not seek to extend the operation of an aging nuclear reactor in western Japan, judging that the required safety investments will not pay off due to declining electricity demand in the region, sources close to the matter said Monday. (Kyodo)
The government on Friday announced a total ban on technical trainees from abroad carrying out work to decontaminate areas tainted with radioactive material. (Japan Times)
Another Japanese nuclear reactor has been restarted following the March 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima in Japan. (NHK)
An event in Thailand promoting flounder from Fukushima has been cancelled amid concerns from consumers. (NHK)
A government-sponsored memorial ceremony was held in Tokyo on the 7th anniversary of the March 11 disaster. (NHK)
People in Fukushima Prefecture paid tribute to the victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami on the 7th anniversary of the disaster on Sunday. (NHK)
Tokyo on Saturday marked the 73rd anniversary of U.S. air raids during World War II that killed over 80,000, with some 600 people including families of the victims commemorating those lost in the bombing. (Japan Today)
Nearly 7 years after the triple meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan's chief nuclear regulator says the 2011 accident is not over. (NHK)