Popular Stories
Kono to ask foreign media to switch order of Japanese names
Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Tuesday he plans to ask overseas media outlets to write Japanese names with the family name first, as is customary in the Japanese language. As an example, Kono said that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's name should be written as "Abe Shinzo," in line with other… Read
13 teen boys caught peeping into girls’ hot spring bath during class trip
The Japanese school year starts in April, and one high school in Tochigi Prefecture wasted no time in scheduling a two-night class trip for its new crop of first-year students. Their destination: the city of Nikko, nestled in the beautiful mountains and one of the top sightseeing destinations not just in… Read
U.S. House Democrats subpoena more Trump ex-aides, including Hicks
A U.S. House committee chairman on Tuesday subpoenaed two more former White House aides, including Hope Hicks, just hours after former White House Counsel Donald McGahn was a no-show for testimony before the panel at President Donald Trump's request. As tensions rose between the Republican president and the Democrats who… Read
Petition launched to stop forcible hair dyeing from natural color to black in schools
As we reported before, in October 2017, news of an Osaka teen who was forced by her high school to dye her naturally brown hair black went viral after it was picked up by both domestic and international news sources. This resulted in a heated debate on social media, with many questioning… Read
Lawyer for Ghosn slams 'outrageous' rules on seeing wife
A lawyer for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has slammed "outrageous" restrictions on his client's ability to see his wife, and predicted the tycoon's trial will not start for at least a year. In an interview with AFP, Takashi Takano revealed that Japan's top court this week backed a lower… Read
S Korea to carefully review Japan arbitration call on wartime labor
The South Korean government will "carefully review" Japan's request for arbitration in a dispute over the issue of compensation for laborers made to work during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. "Our government today received an official letter from the Japanese side through a… Read
TEPCO urged to be cautious about using foreign workers in Fukushima
The Japanese government on Tuesday urged the operator of the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to carefully examine its plan to have foreigners work at the complex under a new visa program, citing difficulties in managing the long-term health risk. "It is necessary to give very deliberate consideration" to whether… Read
Doctor suspected of sexually molesting 4 women during health checks
Police in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, have arrested a 47-year-old doctor on suspicion of sexually molesting four women while he was giving them health checks last year. According to police, the four women work for an automobile parts maker. The company’s employees go to the doctor's clinic in Maebashi for an… Read
Trump pitches U.S. immigration overhaul
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday proposed overhauling the U.S. immigration system to favor young, educated, English-speaking applicants instead of people with family ties to Americans, a plan he will push in his 2020 re-election campaign but has little to no chance of being approved in Congress. Trump's plan, roundly… Read
Trump, Saudi Arabia warn Iran against Middle East conflict
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new threat to Tehran on Sunday, tweeting that a conflict would be the "official end" of Iran, as Saudi Arabia warned it stood ready to respond with "all strength" and said it was up to Iran to avoid war. The heightened rhetoric follows last… Read
