This performance of the Kikubatake scene took place in December 1993, at the National Theatre in Tokyo, and it would be one of the last onstage appearances of the great onnagata and nimaime Onoe Baikō VII (1915 - 1995), 78 years old at the time of this recording. (Kabuki In-Depth)

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of assisting a junior high school girl commit suicide. (NHK)

Joby Aviation Inc, a U.S. air taxi startup backed by Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp, said on Tuesday it has applied to Japan's transport ministry for aircraft certification as it prepares to launch urban transportation services. (Reuters)

Kikubatake ("The Chrysanthemums Garden") belongs to the third act of the 1731 jidaimono Kiichi Hōgen Sanryaku no Maki ("Kiichi Hōgen and the Book of Strategy"), first written for the bunraku stage and soon after adapted to kabuki. (Kabuki In-Depth)

At a Buddhist temple on a wooded hillside in Japan, grapes and wine bottles are given as offerings, and the head monk is also the honorary president of a vineyard cooperative. (newindianexpress.com)

Keita Nakagawa singled in the winning run in the ninth inning as the Pacific League champion Orix Buffaloes advanced to the Japan Series with a 3-2 walk-off win over the SoftBank Hawks on Saturday. (Kyodo)

In this video, I talked to the "smartest Japanese students" in English by asking them random questions! (JESSEOGN)

The yen's sharp drop against the dollar and other currencies is making Japan less attractive to foreign workers, at a time when the average wage of Japanese workers in dollar terms has fallen 40% over the past decade. (Nikkei)

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered on Monday a government probe into the Unification Church, after the assassination of former premier Shinzo Abe renewed scrutiny of the sect. (arabnews.com)

Shizuka takes a unique tour of Kyoto at night to enjoy the city sans crowds, and of course, delicious local food. Joined by tour guide Kevin, Shizuka explores the city from beautiful lit-up shrines to late-night snacks and drinks! (Japan by Food)

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has issued a partial business suspension order to Amway Japan for illegally soliciting people over network marketing. (NHK)

The Japanese government says the actual cost of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's state funeral last month was over 1.2 billion yen, or more than 8 million dollars. (NHK)

Japan's government has adopted a new set of suicide prevention guidelines that include more support for women. (NHK)

This is a brief follow-up to the recent controversy regarding Onoe Kikugorō VII's decision not to appear in the name-taking announcement of Ichikawa Ebizō XI. (Kabuki In-Depth)

Japan's Naoya Inoue announced Thursday that he will fight Britain's Paul Butler in December when all four bantamweight world championship belts will be at stake. (Japan Today)

Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing announced a record annual profit on Thursday, as most of the casual clothing retailer's markets rebounded from the COVID pandemic. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government plans to abolish health insurance cards in the fall of 2024 by integrating them into "My Number" ID cards. (NHK)

Japan's lawmakers have issued their strongest warning yet to investors selling the yen after the US dollar soared to a new 24-year high against the currency. (asiafinancial.com)

Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party has decided to suspend a member from party offices for one year after calling former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo "a traitor." (NHK)

Producer prices in Japan rose for a 19th straight month in September, driven up by higher energy and material costs and a rapidly weakening yen. (NHK)

Top Japanese universities have fallen in global rankings compiled by a British journal. (NHK)

The program and cast of the upcoming December kabuki show at the Minami-za theatre in Kyoto has been announced. As it coincides with the second month of Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII's name-taking ceremony, this kaomise or "face-showing" program will have a special focus on the unique style of kabuki of the Kamigata region. (Kabuki In-Depth)

An Israeli resident of Japan who was being held at a detention center near Tokyo after being charged in 2020 for smuggling drugs into the country has died, his lawyer said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Japan on Tuesday became the first country in Asia to receive Internet access from the Starlink satellite system from the SpaceX company controlled by Tesla founder Elon Musk. (UPI)

Japanese conveyor-belt sushi chain Kura Sushi will open its first New York State location by August 2024 in an ambitious expansion campaign that aims to quadruple its overseas network. (Nikkei)