Sports

Rugby: Japan looks to foreign referees to raise its officiating level

TOKYO, Feb 11 (Kyodo) - Just as star players from overseas have improved the quality of Japanese domestic rugby, Japan's League One is hoping to do the same with its refereeing standards by importing top officials from other countries.

Australian Nic Berry, a referee at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, demonstrated the kind of unerring judgment and smooth officiating Japan longs for from its native officials in the Jan. 22 League One game between Brave Lupus Tokyo and Toyota Verblitz.

While the large influx of high-profile players from overseas has resulted in a better game and an increase in the number of Japanese players on professional contracts, only three of the league's 17 Japanese referees are hired full-time. ...continue reading

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.

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1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

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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.

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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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