Japan

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Kainan City sets world record for mass gingerbread house decorating

Kainan City in western Japan has set a new world record for the most people decorating gingerbread houses simultaneously, Guinness World Records confirmed on Sunday.

20/10/2025

Travel News

Japan breaks visitor records as highest-ever hotel tax gets approval

Japan's popularity continues to surge despite concerns of pollution, anti-social behaviour and 'human traffic jams'.

18/10/2025

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Expo 2025 Osaka closes after six months and 28 million visitors

Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai closed its doors on Sunday after six months of welcoming the world, drawing more than 28 million visitors to Japan’s second-largest city.

17/10/2025

Markets

Markets give seal of approval to Japan's pro-stimulus 'Iron Lady'

Traders piled into Japanese stocks after the country's ruling party named Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, betting on her Thatcherite policies to supercharge growth.

06/10/2025

Japan

Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan's first female Prime minister

Takaichi replaces Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the party hopes to regain public support and stay in power after major election losses.

04/10/2025

Business

Sold out: Japan is running out of Asahi beer because of a cyberattack

Major Japanese beverage producer Asahi says it has been hit by a cyberattack that left its operations disrupted for the fifth day on Friday.

03/10/2025

Health news

Emotional eaters may benefit less from weight loss drugs, study says

Doctors should try to understand their patients’ eating behaviours before prescribing weight loss drugs, researchers said.

17/09/2025

wellbeing

Japan sees record number of centenarians, and most are women

The vast majority of Japan’s centenarians are women.

12/09/2025

Economy

Japan: Revised Q2 GDP shows 2.2% growth despite US tariffs

Japan’s economy expanded at a stronger rate in the fiscal first quarter than previously estimated. The data was published hours after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his long-awaited resignation following his party's defeat in the summer elections.

08/09/2025

Focus

AI, art and inclusion take centre stage at Expo 2025

In partnership with Cabinet Secretariat

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, experts explored how AI, creativity and diversity can shape the future of education and peace.

04/09/2025

Tech News

AI simulation shows ‘worst-case scenario’ Mount Fuji eruption

The AI-generated video released by Japanese officials for Volcanic Disaster Preparedness Day in Japan shows a simulation of a potential violent eruption of the active volcano.

02/09/2025

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Giant bamboo snake parades through Japanese village

A giant straw and bamboo snake over 80 metres long was paraded through a Japanese village on Sunday as part of a festival first held in 1988.

01/09/2025

Food and Drink

World Sushi Skills: Lithuanian chef crowned world champion in Japan

The World Sushi Championship is held annually in Tokyo, Japan, to promote food safety and authentic sushi cuisine. It is organised by the World Sushi Skills Institute, established with the support of the Japanese government.

01/09/2025

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Somen makers in western Japan close season with cultural ceremony

Makers of somen noodles in Japan’s western Nara Prefecture have marked the end of this year’s production season with a traditional ceremony at Omiwa Shrine in Sakurai.

28/08/2025

Markets

Nissan shares plummet more than 6% as Mercedes-Benz sells its stake

Nissan shares fell as German carmaker Mercedes-Benz, the second-biggest shareholder in the ailing Japanese carmaker, sold its stake.

26/08/2025

Japan

Japan PM Ishiba expresses 'remorse' on WWII surrender anniversary

Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its WWII surrender with PM Shigeru Ishiba expressing "remorse" for the first time since 2013. About 4,500 officials and families observed a moment of silence.

15/08/2025

Economy

Japan's economy holds steady at half-year mark despite Trump tariffs

The country's GDP grew in the second quarter thanks to a rush of pre-tariff exports and a glut of international tourists.

15/08/2025

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Kazakhstan National Day events held at Osaka Expo 2025

Kazakhstan marked its National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka on 10 August with a programme of music, traditional dress, and cultural presentations.

15/08/2025

Scenes

Watch: A Japanese entrepreneur recycles forgotten traditions into a trend

In partnership with Media City

Around 500 tonnes of barely used kimonos are discarded annually in Japan.

14/08/2025

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Awa Odori festival continues with nightly so-odori performances

Hundreds of dancers are filling the streets of Tokushima this week as the Awa Odori festival’s full-scale outdoor performances take place across multiple venues in western Japan.

14/08/2025

Japan

Kazakhstan marks National Day at World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

Kazakhstan’s National Day at World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan featured music, cultural performances and innovation, drawing thousands of visitors.

14/08/2025

Japan

Several people missing after powerful rains lash southern Japan

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged residents to "prioritise actions to save your lives" as heavy rainfall triggered flooding and mudslides in the country's south.

11/08/2025

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Nagasaki ceremony remembers Koreans killed in atomic bombing

Dozens gathered in Nagasaki on Friday to honour South Koreans killed in the city’s atomic bombing, a day before its 80th anniversary.

08/08/2025

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Japan issues top-level warnings as floods and landslides hit Kyushu

Heavy rain lashed Japan’s southern Kyushu island on Friday, triggering floods, landslides and mass evacuations as authorities issued the highest-level warnings in parts of the region.

08/08/2025

Moments

Hop on the train to visit Japan’s world-famous fireworks festivals

One festival features the largest firework in the world, known as the ‘Yonshakudama’

08/08/2025

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‘Oppenheimer’ noh play staged for Hiroshima bombing anniversary

A noh play portraying the inner torment of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist behind the atomic bomb, was staged in Tokyo to mark 80 years since the Hiroshima bombing.

07/08/2025