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National
Japan's military needs more women, but it's still failing on harassment
As Japan embarks on a major military build-up, it's struggling to fill its ranks with the women that its forces need and its policymakers have pledged to recruit. Following a wave of sexual harassment cases, the number of women applying to join the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) decreased by 12% in… Read
Tokyo police to set up 24-hour lost and found lockers
Tokyo police will introduce 24-hour lost and found lockers this summer to make it easier for owners to claim their missing belongings and reduce the workload of its personnel handling the retrieval of items. The move comes after the police recorded 4,087,000 cases of lost property last year, as foot… Read
Snake on Yamanote line train cause commotion in Tokyo
A train on a busy Tokyo line was temporarily stopped Sunday evening after a passenger reported seeing a small snake on board, with the reptile later captured. No one was injured in the incident. The counter-clockwise service on the JR Yamanote Line, which loops around central areas of the capital,… Read
Auroras illuminate night skies across world, parts of Japan
Auroras have been observed across the world, including parts of Japan, after a series of solar flares erupted from the sun, while sightings may continue over the coming days. Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology said that since Wednesday there have been at least seven eruptions on the… Read
Woman dies after being found lying on street in Nagoya
A woman died from head injuries after being found lying on a street in Nagoya on Sunday morning, police said. At around 4:25 a.m., a man called 110 and said a woman was lying on the street in Naka Ward, bleeding from the head, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police said the… Read
Japan's bullet trains host wrestling, dining events in new travel trend
Wrestlers face off in a shinkansen bullet train traveling from Tokyo to Nagoya in central Japan, with cheers erupting throughout the packed car as they exchange kicks and execute pile drivers. This is just the tip of a new trend in post-pandemic travel experiences, where bullet trains are being transformed… Read
Fewer domestic travelers seen in Golden Week
The number of domestic travelers decreased during this year's Golden Week holiday period as many residents of Japan refrained from traveling far from home amid rising prices, private sector data shows. Based on an analysis of data collected in the vicinity of 60 major train stations across Japan, 53 locations… Read
77% of Japan's COVID-19 oral drugs set to be destroyed: estimate
The Japanese government is set to destroy 77 percent of the COVID-19 oral medications it purchased during the novel coronavirus pandemic as they remain unused, an estimate based on government data showed Saturday. Of the oral drugs secured for 5.6 million people, those for 4.3 million people remain unused. The… Read
'Foreign travelers are Japan’s guests' – Governor against charging tourists more than locals
Japan finds itself in an unprecedented situation right now. The pandemic was, obviously, a difficult period for the travel, hospitality, and restaurant industries, and they’re all eager to make up for lost time/profits now that the various related precautions and protocols are over. So Japan receiving record numbers of foreign tourists,… Read
Owner of unauthorized MSDF drone video says he knew risks, shared it for fun
The owner of a video allegedly showing drone footage of a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel in port has said he posted the video to social media to attract attention despite knowing it was illegal to fly drones in the area. The video, which appears to provide a clear shot… Read
