Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
National
Kyoto study finds nearly 500 translation errors for foreign tourists; new guidelines released
Kyoto has always been among Japan’s top tourism destinations, and with Japan receiving more foreign travelers than it ever has before, the same goes for its former capital. But with record-breaking numbers of overseas visitors coming into Kyoto, there’s an increased need for multilingual guidance signage and guidance, and a recent study… Read
Japan begins 6th release of Fukushima treated radioactive water
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Friday started a sixth release of treated radioactive water into the sea amid opposition from China and Russia. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc said it plans to discharge 7,800 tons of water through June 4, after confirming that… Read
Japan passes revised law allowing joint child custody for divorced parents for first time
Japan’s parliament on Friday passed a revision to the country’s civil code that will allow divorced parents the option of joint child custody, a change that brings the nation in line with many other countries. The revision, the first to custody rights in nearly 80 years, is to take effect… Read
Tokyo’s beckoning cat temple asks foreign tourists to stop writing on the beckoning cats they buy
Located in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, Gotokuji’s name translates to “temple of great virtue.” And sure, as a Buddhist temple, it is a place for the virtuous, but it’s also a place for cat lovers. That’s because on any given day you can expect to see somewhere around 10,000 manekineko, or “beckoning cat,” figurines… Read
U.S. Navy flagship carrier USS Ronald Reagan leaves its Japan home port after nearly 9 years
A U.S. Navy strike group's flagship aircraft carrier left its Japanese home port on Thursday, wrapping up nearly nine years of deployment in the Indo-Pacific, where it served a key role in the U.S. effort to bolster defense ties with Japan and other partners in the region. The departure of USS Ronald… Read
Film shows rural Japan's changing face through eyes of mythic critter
For the overwhelming majority of people in Japan, the tsuchinoko, a creature resembling a fat snake that has never been conclusively confirmed as real, does not exist. But a new documentary film to be screened in Tokyo from Saturday is asking audiences to reflect on what changing beliefs in the… Read
Court rejects lawsuit to block restart of west Japan nuclear reactor
A court has rejected a lawsuit seeking to block the restart of a nuclear reactor in western Japan due to safety concerns, dismissing the plaintiffs' claim that evacuation plans in the event of a natural disaster are inadequate. The decision by the Matsue branch of the Hiroshima High Court came… Read
Woman in her 80s dies en route to hospital after ambulance takes wrong route
The Yokohama City Fire Department revealed on Monday that a Hodogaya Fire Department ambulance mistakenly took the wrong route while transporting an ill woman in her 80s and arrived at the hospital too late to save the woman. The woman was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital, Kyodo News… Read
Visitors to Japan exceed 3 million for 2nd straight month in April
Japan welcomed more than 3 million visitors for a second straight month in April, official data showed on Wednesday, setting the stage for a potential record year for tourism. The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 3.04 million last month, edging down from the monthly record of… Read
Palestinians rally in Tokyo to mark 76 years of displacement
About a thousand people, including Palestinians and their supporters, rallied in Tokyo on Wednesday to commemorate 76 years since Palestinians were forced from their homeland to make way for the creation of Israel. Similar protests have been held worldwide amid a brutal war in Gaza, which has seen over 35,000… Read
