Society

Kimiko Date invited to play in Japan Women's Open at 46

Aug 03 (Japan Today) - Former world number four Kimiko Date has been invited to play in next month's Japan Women's Open barely a fortnight before she turns 47, the Japan Tennis Association said on Wednesday.

The Kyoto native had been awarded a sponsors' invite for the Sept 11-17 event at Tokyo's Ariake Tennis Forest Park, Kyodo news reported.

Date, who initially retired in 1996 but returned to competition in 2008, spent 16 months on the sidelines following a couple of knee surgeries before launching another comeback in May.

A four-time winner of the tournament when it was known as the Japan Open, Date will be joined by compatriots Naomi Osaka, Nao Hibino, Risa Ozaki and Misaki Doi in this year's edition of the tournament.

New Shinkansen Reservation Service Lets Users Book in One Minute

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

Father Claimed Son Was Missing Before Disappearance

A 37-year-old father arrested over the alleged abandonment of his son's body in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture may have contacted associates to say the child had gone missing before the boy's school informed the family, investigators said.

Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Father Admits Killing and Body Abandonment in Kyoto

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

Strong Typhoon Raises High Surf Risk for Pacific Areas of Japan This Weekend

A large and powerful Typhoon No. 4, internationally named Sinlaku, was located near the Mariana Islands and moving north-northeast as of the latest update. The storm is expected to gradually shift its course eastward and pass southeast of the Ogasawara Islands around April 18, before making its closest approach around April 19.

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Illegal Poppy Found in Fukuoka Flower Park

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13 Japanese Men Arrested Over Fake Police Scam

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