Japan's emperor, empress mark 2018 New Year with ceremony, poems

The Japanese government is set to nominate the "Asuka-Fujiwara Palaces" in Nara Prefecture for UNESCO World Heritage status, aiming for registration next summer.

Shinji Aoba, the defendant sentenced to death in the first trial for the Kyoto Animation arson-murder case that claimed 36 lives, has withdrawn his appeal, finalizing the death sentence.

The annual 'Midwinter Endurance Tournament' was held at Tsurumi Mountain, standing 1,300 meters above sea level in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.

Gifu Police have announced that what was initially reported as a stabbing incident in Gifu City was, in fact, an act of self-harm by the victim.

Tokyo police are investigating a shocking case involving the disposal of a woman’s remains on the shores of Izu Oshima. The arrested suspect, 45-year-old Sōtatsu Yanase, who operates a tatami shop, has admitted to dismembering the body of his partner, Shizuka Takase, 37, using farm tools before disposing of her bones on the beach.

We got Exclusive access inside a Japanese female prison to show you first hand how life is like for these inmates and what they are doing on the inside to rehabilitate themselves for when they leave. (Japanese Food Craftsman)

A Chinese court has handed down a death sentence for a man charged with the killing of a Japanese boy in southern China in September of last year. (NHK)

An abandoned hotel in Tokyo's Kabukicho district has become a source of public concern due to the large amounts of trash accumulating in front of the building.