Japan Today

Tokyo stocks rose 0.13% on Tuesday, recouping early losses as the dollar turned higher against the yen. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 20.21 points to 15,381.02, its best finish since December 2007, while the Topix index of all first-section issues gained 0.07% or 0.88 points to 1,270.39. Trading…

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that it intends to draw up a set of unified rules for the use of baby strollers on buses and trains. Current rules regarding baby strollers vary between the operators of Japan's various public transportation systems, ministry officials said Monday.…

South Korean soldiers were guilty of abusing women in wartime, Osaka's mayor said in comments reported Tuesday, days after provoking a storm by labeling sex slaves a military necessity. In a remark likely to fuel outrage and further stoke tensions in an already uneasy relationship, Toru Hashimoto said the South…

Police in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, have arrested a man for allegedly making death threats by telephone. According to police, the suspect, identified as Yuta Sasaki, a 20-year-old restaurant employee, called them from a public phone at 7:30 p.m. Monday and said he was going to kill someone, NTV reported. Police…

A man stabbed his ex-wife on a street in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and then caused a car crash while he was fleeing from the scene. According to police, the 31-year-old woman was attacked by a knife-wielding man while she was walking her child to school at around…

A blood-soaked vengeance tale from Japan drew the biggest boos in the race for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize Monday, with critics savaging a "risible" parade of cliches. Japanese director Takashi Miike unveiled "Shield of Straw" (Wara No Tate) about a nationwide bounty hunt for a child rapist who…

A tense American League East duel between New York and the Baltimore Orioles revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each team Monday night when the Yankees won 6-4 in 10 innings. The result extended Baltimore's losing streak to six games, and it became apparent why New York leads the division…

A powerful tornado swept through an Oklahoma City suburb on Monday, tearing down blocks of homes, two schools and leaving at least 91 people dead, including 20 children, local officials said. The state medical examiner's office released the latest death toll but the number was climbing rapidly, as emergency crews…

Crown Prince Naruhito will visit Spain June 10-17 at the invitation of the Spanish government to mark the 400th anniversary of relations between Spain and Japan. Crown Princess Masako, who accompanied her husband to the investiture of Dutch King Willem-Alexander earlier this month, will not be going, a government official…

British designer Stella McCartney, right, poses for a photo with a Japanese guest during her fashion event at the British Embassy in Tokyo on Monday.

KDDi's au on Monday unveiled four new smartphone handsets for summer. Popular young actress Ayame Goriki and pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu joined the event. The AQUOS PHONE SERIE smartphone, to be released in late July, allows you to use it for 3 days straight without recharging because of the…

The Detroit Red Wings seized control of their Western Conference semifinal series with a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Three on Monday. After squaring the best-of-seven series in Chicago on Saturday, the Red Wings maintained the momentum on home ice to beat the top-seeded Blackhawks and move…

Former World Bank president Robert Zoellick said Monday Japan's economic drive needed accompanying structural reforms, voicing fear that recent growth could be just a "sugar high." Japan posted 0.9% quarter-to-quarter growth in the three months through March, during which time Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took charge with a platform that…

Iraq's wave of bloodshed sharply escalated Monday with more than a dozen car bombings across the country, part of attacks that killed at least 95 people and brought echoes of past sectarian carnage and fears of a dangerous spillover from Syria's civil war next door. The latest spiral of violence…

Japanese rock band X Japan's drummer Yoshiki, second from left, smiles next to his wax figure, third from left, with vocalist Toshi, right, as the members' wax figures are unveiled at Madame Tussauds Tokyo on Monday.

Silence and politics don’t mix. Politics is speech – perpetual, ceaseless speech. Small wonder if the tongue slips, or if politicians blurt out more than is good for them. The latest casualty is Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) co-leader and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto. Wartime “comfort women” –…

A large majority of Japanese people disagree with Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto who said women forced to provide sex during World War II were a military necessity, polls issued Monday said. Up to 200,000 "comfort women" from Korea, China, the Philippines and elsewhere were forcibly drafted into brothels catering to…

Brazilian organizers acknowledge there were setbacks in the inauguration of the stadium which will host the opener of the Confederations Cup, vowing to try to fix the problems in time for the second and final test event at the venue next Sunday. After a series of delays, the Estadio Nacional…

Japan will be boosted by the return of defender Yuto Nagatomo for next month's 2014 World Cup qualifier against Australia after the Inter Milan full back said he has fully recovered from knee ligament damage. The 26-year-old took the field for the first time since February in Inter Milan's 5-2…

The recovery of the Japanese economy, just as a recession in Europe digs in, is renewing pressure on European policymakers to shift course from austerity to stimulus. Data released on May 16 showed Japan's economy grew markedly in the first quarter, only weeks after a new government and a new…