Iconic Japanese filmmaker and comedian Takeshi Kitano said Wednesday the country's entertainment industry has always tended to treat performers as commodities, with its traditional hierarchical structure often facilitating abuse of power. (Kyodo)
Wednesday marks 46 years since a 13-year-old junior high school girl was kidnapped by North Korean agents. (NHK)
A 43-year-old man who claimed he was "a woman inside" was arrested on suspicion of trespassing Monday after he was found in the women's bathing area at a hot spring facility in central Japan, police said. (Kyodo)
Shohei Ohtani was selected as the American League's Outstanding Player by his peers for the second time in this year's Players Choice Awards announced Thursday. (Kyodo)
Yuma Mune doubled in two runs and Yuma Tongu hit a solo home run as the Orix Buffaloes edged the Hanshin Tigers 5-4 in Tuesday's Game 3 to lead the best-of-seven Japan Series two games to one. (Kyodo)
Hiroya Miyagi threw six scoreless innings Sunday as the Orix Buffaloes evened the best-of-seven Japan Series at one win apiece with an 8-0 Game 2 victory over the Hanshin Tigers. (Kyodo)
A 92-year-old former top bureaucrat sentenced to five years in prison over a fatal Tokyo car accident in 2019 was ordered Friday to pay around 140 million yen ($932,000) to bereaved family members of the accident that sparked a debate on elderly drivers in rapidly graying Japan. (Kyodo)
Journalists are getting a preview in Tokyo of one of the world's largest auto shows. Electric vehicles take center stage as Japanese automakers unveil their next-generation concept cars. (NHK)
The J League was founded in 1992, 31 years ago. It might look like a long time, but it pales compared to other leagues like the English Premier League, which was rebranded in the same year but has existed since 1888. (newsonjapan.com)
Four children and their father were found dead Sunday in a submerged car in the sea off the coast of Mie Prefecture, central Japan, police said. (Kyodo)
A driver was arrested Tuesday after a woman in her 80s was hit by a van and dragged for about 2 kilometers in western Tokyo, resulting in her death, police said. (Kyodo)
Police said Wednesday they retrieved a body of a man who went missing in a cave tour on the southern island of Yonaguni, in Okinawa Prefecture. (Kyodo)
The International Monetary Fund raised its forecasts for Japan’s growth and price gains, projecting that inflation in the world’s third largest economy will run much hotter than the Bank of Japan’s target over the next year. (Bloomberg)
Four people were attacked by a bear on Monday in a residential area in Akita, northeastern Japan, with the whereabouts of the animal currently unknown, local authorities said. (Kyodo)
A self-employed delivery driver for the Japanese unit of Amazon.com Inc. has been deemed eligible for workers' compensation after he was injured on the job, a labor union said Wednesday. (Kyodo)
The J League was founded in 1992, 31 years ago. It might look like a long time, but it pales compared to other leagues like the English Premier League, which was rebranded in the same year but has existed since 1888. (newsonjapan.com)
Construction of a new skyscraper, set to be Japan's tallest building with a height of about 390 meters, has begun near Tokyo Station, developer Mitsubishi Estate Co. said. (Kyodo)
An animal keeper died apparently after being attacked by a lion at a zoo in northeastern Japan, police and the facility's operator said Thursday. (Kyodo)
Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and his wife Princess Kiko arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday for an official visit to Vietnam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries. (Kyodo)
SoftBank Group Corp said Tuesday that it will receive $5.12 billion in proceeds from the initial public offering of Arm Holdings Plc, a British chip designer under the Japanese conglomerate, by the end of September. (Kyodo)
Japanese boxer Junto Nakatani made a successful first defense of his WBO super flyweight title Monday with a unanimous decision over Mexico's Argi Cortes. (Kyodo)
The Asakusa Samba Carnival, a late-summer Tokyo highlight, returned Sunday following a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with sounds of passionate Brazilian music and explosive percussion filling a street in downtown Asakusa, drawing 300,000 spectators. (Kyodo)
After being held out of his 11th straight game with a right oblique injury, Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani's Angel Stadium locker was cleaned out Friday, signaling he may be done playing for the season. (Kyodo)
Kansai Electric Power Co. on Friday rebooted its nearly 50-year-old No. 2 reactor at its Takahama nuclear plant in central Japan for the first time since 2011, becoming the 12th unit to be restarted in the country since the Fukushima accident. (Kyodo)
Chinese internet users have rallied behind a yakiniku restaurant in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, after it was ordered by authorities to remove a sign saying, "No Japanese Allowed."