National
Gov't starts airing announcement on protection from N Korean missile attack
The government has begun airing a television announcement suggesting how civilians should protect themselves in the event of a missile attack from North Korea. The 30-second broadcast, which will be aired by 43 main and local television stations across the nation through July 6, says that people will be informed… Read
Proud of dwarfism, woman keeps pursuing dreams
Life for Hitomi Goto had always been about trying to blend in and the envy she felt as a person dealing with dwarfism from an early age, especially when it came to the fashion of her peers. But the 27-year-old Goto now sees herself in a different light: a standout… Read
Regulator urges background checks on students, researchers working at reactors
Japan's nuclear regulator has urged universities to conduct background checks on students and researchers working at research reactors, as a step to ensure the proper handling of nuclear materials and prevent terrorism. The check items include mental disorder and criminal records and those who have access to strictly controlled nuclear… Read
16-year-old cyclist killed after being hit by car in Tochigi
A 16-year-old boy was killed after he was hit by a car while he was riding his bicycle in Shimotsuke, Tochigi Prefecture, on Friday. According to police, the incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. Fuji TV reported that the boy, Shohei Takahashi, was riding his bike home along a national… Read
U.S. Navy to hold Japan memorial for sailors killed in crash
The U.S. Navy said Friday it will hold a memorial ceremony for seven sailors killed when their destroyer collided with a container ship off Japan's coast last weekend. The service will be held on Tuesday at the naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, where the badly damaged destroyer USS… Read
Three heroes honored for miracle intervention in a highway accident in Chiba
Luck or fate is something that swings both ways. One day you find some money on the ground only to accidentally leave it in a vending machine another day. Sometimes these swings are so intense one can only watch in amazement of them. For example, at about 7:50 a.m. on… Read
'It's a girl!' - Tokyo zoo announces baby panda's sex
A baby panda recently born in Japan is a girl, a Tokyo zoo said Friday, adding that the little cub appeared to be in good health. Tokyo's Ueno Zoo celebrated the first birth of a baby panda in five years on June 12, prompting rolling television reports and setting off… Read
Japan-U.S. test to shoot down ballistic missile fails
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said Thursday it failed to intercept a ballistic missile during a test off Hawaii. The failure came during a test conducted with Japan's Defense Ministry late Wednesday. The U.S. and Japan are jointly developing the interceptor to shoot down medium-range ballistic missiles. The allies have… Read
Hospital mistakenly removes 2/3 of patient's stomach after diagnosis mix-up
A surgeon at Nishichita General Hospital in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, mistakenly removed about two-thirds of an ulcer patient's stomach, after a mix-up in which he thought the patient had stomach cancer. According to the hospital, an 80-year-old man, who was supposed to have surgery for stomach cancer, was sent home… Read
Investigators obtain data recorder in U.S. warship collision
Japanese authorities said Thursday they have obtained a data recording device from a container ship to help determine why it collided with a U.S. destroyer, killing seven American sailors. Japanese transport safety officials said they obtained the voyage data recorder, similar to an airplane's "black box," from the Philippine-flagged ACX… Read
