The average price of new condominiums in Tokyo's 23 wards exceeded 100 million yen for the first time last year. This development raises questions about who is buying these high-priced properties and what options are available for those who find these prices out of reach.

There has been a significant number of cancellations in Kanazawa, an iconic hot spring town located more than 100km from the earthquake's epicenter, even though there was no seismic damage.

The trio girl unit iScream, chosen from an audition with 10,000 applicants and belonging to LDH, released a dance performance video of their song "Heart of Gold," a track from their 2nd album 'Selfie' released on January 17th.

Warm weather in northern Japan has followed the coldest snap of the season, where 141 flights were canceled due to whiteout conditions in Sapporo, while Wednesday is witnessing a sharp increase in temperatures.

In a dramatic start to their quest for Asian Cup supremacy, Japan's Samurai Blue, eyeing their first title in three appearances, battled from behind to clinch a 4-2 victory against Vietnam in their group stage debut.

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)

It’s beginning to look a lot like a grim Christmas in Japan. Sharply rising prices for basic foodstuffs mean that the cost of a cake for the festive season is up significantly over last year, while parents say they will spend less on their children’s gifts. (South China Morning Post)

Japan's wholesale inflation slowed sharply in November as fuel and commodity prices fell, data showed on Tuesday, a sign of easing cost-push pressure in the world's third-largest economy. (Reuters)

Japan's seafood exports to China continued to fall sharply in October from a year earlier. (NHK)

Japan’s three biggest chemical companies are seeing their earnings suffer from a slump in basic chemicals. All three experienced a sharp drop in profits in the first half of fiscal 2023, which ended Sept. 30, and one of them, Sumitomo Chemical, is forecasting a loss of $655 million for the full fiscal year. (acs.org)

Entry denials into the United States from Japan have surged in the past year, with some young Japanese women visiting Hawaii for tourism being forced to return to Japan.

Japanese manufacturers' business confidence improved for the first time since August while service-sector mood rose for a second month, according to the Reuters Tankan poll, which also highlighted a challenging outlook amid a patchy economic recovery. (Reuters)

Japan's top currency official said on Wednesday that the authorities are on ''standby'' to react to sharp moves in the yen. His comment came after the Japanese currency's depreciation against the dollar accelerated. (NHK)

Japan’s exchange rate environment made a big turnaround in 2022, when the yen began to depreciate sharply. When it exceeded 145 yen against the US dollar by September 2022, and then 150 yen in October, the Ministry of Finance conducted two rounds of foreign exchange interventions. (East Asia Forum)

Foreign visitors are back in Japan and putting more money into the economy than ever before. Their spending hit a quarterly record, backed by a sharp recovery in arrival numbers and the weaker yen. (NHK)

This year, the number of human casualties caused by bears in Japan is at an all-time high, with the animals now appearing in urban areas where sightings have previously been rare.

China's imports of Japanese seafood fell by two-thirds in August from the same month last year, as Beijing halted all such imports following the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (NHK)

US magazine Time has chosen a former female member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force who has spoken up about sexual violence among its list of 100 rising stars who will shape the future. (NHK)

A katana is a traditional Japanese sword that is prestigious for its extraordinary craftsmanship and performance. (newsonjapan.com)

Square Enix Holdings has shed nearly $2 billion of its value since Final Fantasy XVI, the latest installment of its global hit series, came out to mixed reviews. Now investors wonder whether one of the games industry’s most remarkable runs is coming to an end. (Japan Times)

Ushi-oni, the bovine demon, is a mythical creature of Japanese folklore found in several locations across the country's West. (See U in History / Mythology)

Japan is monitoring foreign exchange moves with a sense of urgency and will consider timely action if the yen's moves become volatile, its top currency diplomat said Wednesday after the yen hit a fresh 10-month low against the U.S. dollar overnight. (Kyodo)

Warm and damp air has destabilized atmospheric conditions in northern Kanto, prompting weather officials to issue information on record hourly rainfall for some areas in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

The Japanese stock market has experienced an impressive upswing. Since January 2023, the Nikkei 225 index has risen by around 30 per cent — by far outperforming US and European stocks. The boom is driven by foreign investors, with Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet’s Japan visit seen as a ‘stamp of approval’ for investing in Japan. (East Asia Forum)

Ski resort operators in Japan are devising a variety of attractions to lure tourists in the summer as the number of winter skiers and snowboarders keeps falling sharply. Instagrammable sites, including swings and a cafe amid magnificent landscapes, and activities such sliding and sauna bathing are among the various new attractions. (Nikkei)