National
4 climbers rescued by helicopter after encountering bear in Hokkaido
Four climbers were rescued by helicopter from a mountain in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after being stranded for about three and a half hours due to an encounter with a brown bear, police said Sunday. On Saturday at 2:30 p.m., a man in his 60s saw a bear around 50 meters… Read
Tokyo wards tighten screws on 'minpaku' home-sharing amid complaints
Faced with complaints about noise, garbage and other nuisances, municipalities in Tokyo are ramping up inspections of minpaku private lodging facilities and imposing restrictions as the number of such properties rises. Local authorities in the Japanese capital are zeroing in on unregistered providers of such lodging services, with some municipalities… Read
Japan to link Narita, Haneda airports by new limited express train in 2030s
A new limited express train service directly linking Narita and Haneda airports is expected to start operating in the 2030s and should reduce the current travel time of about 90 minutes between the two, sources close to the matter said Friday. The move aims to make it easier for inbound… Read
Japan weighs doubling budget for supporting anime, content industries
The Japanese government is considering doubling its budget for supporting content industries such as anime, games and music to around 100 billion yen, sources close to the matter said. The government plans to secure at least 500 billion yen over the next five years to promote overseas expansion, with the… Read
Teacher brought own heater to school before fire, principal says
The head of a Tokyo public elementary school that was severely damaged in a fire last month says that a teacher had placed her own electric heater and air circulator in the storage room where the fire is thought to have originated. The teacher had routinely dried items there after… Read
Kyoto University set to be Japan's 3rd to get huge gov't research grant
Kyoto University has met screening standards for designation as a world-class research institute eligible for substantial government grants aimed at elevating Japanese universities to the top of the global rankings, the education ministry said Friday. The university is expected to be formally designated as the program's third recipient possibly by… Read
Japan tests AI systems to identify trees at risk of collapse
Engineers in Japan are developing artificial intelligence-based systems to identify trees at risk of falling or shedding branches, as aging roadside and park trees pose a growing public safety hazard. A growing number of local governments are considering adopting the technology amid an acute shortage of tree doctors and arborists,… Read
Tokyo hospital says its baby hatch received 20 infants since opening last year
A hospital in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, said Thursday that 20 infants have been left in the baby hatch since it opened in March last year. San-ikukai Hospital opened the baby hatch on March 31, 2025. It is designed to anonymously accept infants up to four weeks old whom their parents… Read
Japan deploys cameras in northern mountains as bear attacks surge
Japan has begun installing hundreds of cameras in its northern mountains as part of a nationwide survey of the bear population following a surge in maulings, an official told AFP on Thursday. Bears have killed at least five people since April 1, all in the northern region of Tohoku, after… Read
Estimated 350,000 people in Japan have used cocaine: study
Approximately 350,000 people in Japan between 15 to 64 are believed to have used cocaine, the largest estimate since the current research method was introduced in 2007, a government study showed Thursday. A nationwide survey sent out by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2025 showed 0.4 percent… Read
