News On Japan

Silk Craft Continues in Rural Shiga

SHIGA, Jul 16 (News On Japan) - In Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, a traditional thread-spinning craft used to produce strings for the koto and shamisen continues to be practiced using silk drawn directly from cocoons.

At a workshop in the Oto district of Kinomoto in Nagahama, workers expertly draw out fine silk threads from cocoons boiled in hot water, winding the threads together onto wooden frames.

The craft is said to have a history of about 1,200 years in this area. While some 70 households once engaged in the practice, the spread of synthetic fibers has reduced the number to just one remaining workshop.

Instruments made with this hand-drawn silk, such as the koto and shamisen, are valued by musicians for their unique tones and continue to attract devoted fans.

The thread-spinning will continue through the end of July.

Source: YOMIURI

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A man wielding knives in both hands was arrested near the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on the afternoon of October 25th after injuring a riot police officer on duty.

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A memorial service marking 80 years since the end of World War II was held in Shari, a town in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko region, on October 22nd to honor those who perished in the Northern Territories and other areas.

Police in Osaka arrested a 48-year-old man on October 22nd after a tense 14-hour standoff in which he allegedly held a woman at knifepoint inside an apartment. A special tactical unit forced entry into the residence late at night, ending the standoff without injuries.

The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested Naoki Satake, an unemployed suspect, on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after he allegedly sprayed tear gas on a man and tried to steal 53 million yen in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward in September.

A train window on the Tobu Tojo Line shattered while the train was in motion on the evening of October 22nd, leaving five passengers injured.

The number of people killed in bear attacks across Japan in 2025 has risen to nine—the highest ever recorded—prompting urgent responses from both the government and local authorities as incidents continue to spread from forests to residential areas.

A photograph of fireworks soaring above the Edo River in Chiba’s Ichikawa City — forming what looked like a glowing Mount Fuji — was taken down from city hall just one day after being displayed, following a single citizen complaint.

The October issue of the long-established American lifestyle magazine Town & Country features Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, on the cover under the headline "Princess Ingognito," dedicating a six-page spread to Komuro and her husband Kei, exploring their life in the United States.

Police have arrested a former host and several associates for allegedly coercing female customers into sex work after exploiting their romantic feelings and saddling them with massive debts.