Society

NHK unveils lineup for year-end music show -- without K-pop group BTS

Nov 15 (Japan Times) - Public broadcaster NHK announced Wednesday the lineup for its annual New Year's Eve music extravaganza, but K-pop group BTS --- under fire recently for a controversial T-shirt worn by one of its members --- was not included.

Popular groups like Da Pump and Ikimonogakari, which got back together this month after a two-year break, will perform in â€œKohaku Utagassen,â€ where acts compete each year as red and white teams.

Also known as the Bangtan Boys, the seven-member South Korean boy band will not be participating â€” although their appearance had been much anticipated â€” after one of its members was found to have worn a T-shirt depicting the atomic bombing of Japan.

The group debuted in 2013 and released an album that topped the U.S. Billboard 200 last May

Singer-songwriter Aimyon, idol group King & Prince, chorus group Junretsu, and six-member band Suchmos will perform in the year-end show for the first time.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

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Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

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