Japan

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Worshippers pray for good health in ice water purification ceremony

Tokyo worshippers participate in the annual ice water purification ritual at the Teppozu Inari Shrine, an event to pray for good health in the new year. The participants warm up by stretching their bodies and jump into a pool of cold water with huge ice blocks in it.

09/01/2022

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First snowfall of season turns much of Tokyo white

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy snow warning in the Tokyo region on Thursday as the city saw its first snow of the winter season.

06/01/2022

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Tokyo firemen perform traditional firefighting acrobatics at New Year drills

Members of the Edo Firemen Preservation Association perform Japanese traditional firefighting techniques during the New Year's fire brigades exercise.

06/01/2022

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First tuna auction of year at Toyosu fish market

The new year's first tuna auction was held at the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo, early on Wednesday morning. The top bid at the event was a bluefin tuna from Oma, Aomori prefecture, weighing in at 211 kilograms.

05/01/2022

Home

'Taste your TV': This professor has invented a 'lickable' screen

The device uses a carousel of 10 flavour canisters to render different tastes on a lickable transparent film that slides down over images of food.

05/01/2022

Mobility

This new bus-train vehicle is as happy on the road as it is on rail

The versatile innovation, known as a "Dual Mode Vehicle" is the first of its kind in commercial operation in the world.

27/12/2021

Japan

Tokyo, home to more than sport at the Paralympic and Olympic games

In partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Paralympic and Olympic medallists, Courtney Ryan and Sandra Sánchez discuss their amazing journeys that go beyond sports in Tokyo 2020/2021.

27/12/2021

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Monkeys gathering around a bonfire in Aichi zoo winter solstice custom

Monkeys gathering around a bonfire in Aichi zoo winter solstice custom

22/12/2021

Japan

McDonald's Japan ration fries as COVID and floods chip away at stocks

The chips are down for some fast food fans in Japan.

22/12/2021

Partner content

The Olympic spirit: a Tokyo 2020 legacy

Partner content presented by Tokyo Metropolitan Government

“After 18 months of uncertainty, every single Olympian should be extremely proud of the fact that they made it here,” said British diver Tom Daley after winning gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform.

22/12/2021

Japan

Japan carries out first death row executions since 2019

Public support for capital punishment in Japan remains strong despite criticism from abroad, particularly from human rights organisations.

21/12/2021

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Sea of Japan coast receives heavy snow leading to disruption

Japanese weather officials are warning of possible traffic disruptions and power outages as heavy snow continues falling mainly along the Sea of Japan coast.

18/12/2021

Partner content

BEYOND TOKYO 2020: personal takeaways from covering the Games

Partner content presented by Tokyo Metropolitan Government

When the Tokyo 2020 Olympics began in July 2021, I was among a limited number of foreign journalists in Japan that covered the Games.

17/12/2021

Japan

At least 24 people dead after building fire in Osaka

Japanese police said they were investigating whether the blaze was caused by arson or an accident.

17/12/2021

Mobility

People with disabilities can drive this car using just their hands

Mazda is releasing a new driving system in one of their latest SUVs that will allow people with lower-body disabilities to drive solely with their hands.

16/12/2021

Japan

"Maybe other countries wouldn’t have done it, but Tokyo did it.”

In partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Government

In My Tokyo we hear from a US-based photographer and a French radio reporter about their experiences and memories of covering the Summer Olympic Games and exploring the city itself.

15/12/2021

Food and Drink

Why are eels so expensive and what is the future of the Japanese dish?

Eels are a much-loved delicacy in Japan - but the animals are now so endangered that they command eyewatering prices.

14/12/2021

Health news

Japanese researchers create a 'vaccine' against getting old

Researchers at a Tokyo university say their vaccine slowed the ageing process in mice, and could even aid the treatment of ageing-related diseases.

14/12/2021

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Pilgrims get a lift with robotic suit in development by Japanese university and airline

A Japanese university and airline company have held a feasibility study of a robotic suit designed to assist with walking. It was conducted in Shikoku, southwestern Japan, which is home to a famous traditional Buddhist pilgrimage.

14/12/2021

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Kyoto entertainers perform New Year greeting ritual

In Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, professional female entertainers known as "geiko," and their apprentices known as "maiko," have started offering early New Year's greetings.

13/12/2021

Mobility

Can a smart ramp solve transport's accessibility problem?

A Japanese rail company is trialling an automatic ramp that helps wheelchair users get on trains independently. But is it a long-term solution to a major problem?

02/12/2021

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Japanese coast guard rescues man after boat capsizes

A 69-year-old man drifted in rough waters off Japan for nearly a day clinging to the bottom of his capsized boat until he was rescued by the coast guard.

02/12/2021

Japan

Japan bans entry of foreign visitors as omicron variant spreads

Japan will suspend entry of all foreign visitors from Tuesday over a new COVID-19 variant.

29/11/2021

Art

Afghan mural destroyed by the Taliban recreated by Japanese designers

Researchers have crafted a "super clone" of an Afghan mural destroyed by the Taliban, to salvage the work's "spirit" for future generations. This one exists 6,000 km away in Japan.

17/11/2021

Japan

Japan's former princess leaves for US with commoner husband

A Japanese princess who gave up her royal status to marry her commoner college sweetheart left for New York on Sunday.

14/11/2021

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Japan's robotic dog owners celebrate children festival with their Aibos

Owners of the Japanese robot dogs "Aibo" take their robotic companions to the Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo for the children's holiday Shicigosan.

12/11/2021