Japan

Spotlight

Japan opts for wind and hydrogen to help achieve its green future

In partnership with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Japan is seeking to develop alternative energies such as offshore wind and hydrogen, which can adapt to the country's geography, but also to the climate events it experiences.

15/05/2023

Culture news

Meet the 10-year-old kabuki actor stepping into the spotlight

A French-Japanese child has made his first appearance to rapturous applause this week under his new stage name - Onoe Maholo.

04/05/2023

Travel News

Japan has just made it easier for skilled workers to apply for a visa

High-flying graduates are also targeted by Japan's simplified visa rules.

03/05/2023

No Comment

Sumo Showdown: Tears and triumphs in Japan's Baby Crying Contest!

Traditionally, the babies have been held aloft by genuine sumo wrestlers, but due to concerns over COVID-19, this year they were carried by their parents.

22/04/2023

Japan

'Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow,' warns Japan FM

G7 countries reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and issued warnings to Russia, China and Sudan on the final day of meetings between the group's top diplomats in Japan.

18/04/2023

Japan

Countries helping Russia in Ukraine will pay 'high price', vows G7

Policy towards Moscow varies considerably around the world, with many capitals striking a different stance from the West.

18/04/2023

Japan

G7 FMs vow tough stance on Chinese, Russian aggression

The world is at a “turning point” on the fighting in Ukraine and must “firmly reject unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine," Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told his colleagues on Sunday.

17/04/2023

Japan

G7 vows to speed up clean energy transition

Ministers say they will hasten the shift toward cleaner, renewable energy, but set no timetable for phasing out coal-fired power plants as they wrapped up two days of talks in Japan.

16/04/2023

Japan

Japan PM escapes unharmed after man throws explosive device

The incident comes just nine months after Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

15/04/2023

Culture news

Murakami has a new book out: Here's why you should care

Haruki Murakami's new book ‘The City and Its Uncertain Walls’ has been released in Japan. We look back at what makes the writer so unique.

13/04/2023

Culture news

Former J-pop teen idol alleges sex abuse by Japanese music mogul

Former member of Johnny's Jr. backup boys' group, Kauan Okamoto, has accused late entertainment mogul Johnny Kitagawa of sexually assaulting him multiple times between 2012 and 2016, while staying at Kitagawa's luxury house.

12/04/2023

Culture news

Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto dies aged 71

Ryuichi Sakamoto was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. In 2022, he revealed that he was terminal, a year after he disclosed he was suffering from rectal cancer.

02/04/2023

Culture news

This Japanese student chose to graduate dressed as Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The Kyoto University student, known only as Amiki, wore an outfit inspired by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his graduation ceremony

29/03/2023

Spotlight

Rediscovering the best of Fukushima's local produce through innovation

In partnership with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Before the disaster, Fukushima was one of Japan's biggest agricultural producers. Now, its resilient farming community is helping consumers to enjoy the region's tastiest produce once again.

24/03/2023

Spotlight

Back to Fukushima: Surfers return to the beaches, 12 years on

In partnership with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Twelve years after the Fukushima accident, the people from the region are working with determination to revive tourism and keep their ancestral traditions alive.

17/03/2023

Japan

Japanese and South Korean leaders meet in Tokyo to restore relations

The Japanese and South Korean leaders met on Thursday during a highly anticipated summit to discuss improving trade and security relations. This comes amid concerns over North Korea's growing unrest and China's increasing influence.

16/03/2023

No Comment

WATCH: Record early start again for Tokyo's cherry blossoms

According to Japan’s weather agency, Tokyo's official cherry bloom records go back 70 years and the delicate white-pink flowers have only appeared this early in 2021 and 2020.

14/03/2023

Art

Nobel Prize winning author Kenzaburo Oe dies aged 88

The Japanese citizen, who wrote about war and his disabled son, was vocal as a pacifist alongside his worldwide literary success

13/03/2023

No Comment

Tokyo court orders retrial of ex-boxer after 57 years on death row

Hakamada was sentenced to death in 1968 for robbing and murdering his boss, the man's wife and their two teenage children. But Amnesty International says his conviction was based on a forced confession.

13/03/2023

Japan

Gastronomic cuisine in Tokyo, with two of Japan's top chefs

In partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Government

If you come to Tokyo, you’ll enjoy gastronomy from all over the world. In these portraits, we look at the inspiration driving two of Japan's top chefs.

03/03/2023

Japan

Back-street style and old-world charm: What makes Tokyo so special?

In partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Government

“In Tokyo, you are free to be whatever you want to be, wherever you want to be." Find out why Japan's capital is the source of so much inspiration.

24/02/2023

Food and Drink

Japanese food maker readies plant-based seafood for Europe

In March, European supermarket shelves will have to make space for a new Japanese entry in the increasingly big market for plant-based alternatives to sea-food and meat.

23/02/2023

Mobility

New balloon capsule aims to float passengers to the edge of space

The company says it aims to "democratise space" by offering cheap, safe balloon flights high enough in the stratosphere to see the curve of the Earth.

21/02/2023

Art

Leiji Matsumoto, manga creator of epic space sagas, dies aged 85

Matsumoto died of acute heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on Feb. 13, 2023, his office, Studio Leijisha, said.

20/02/2023

Earth News

Why are locals worried about Fukushima wastewater?

Nearly 12 years ago, a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear catastrophe at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant. Now, the plant operator wants to release 1.3 million tonnes of wastewater into the sea.

20/02/2023

Culture news

French-Japanese boy becomes first recognised dual-national kabuki star

Kabuki shows are all-male affairs combining dance, drama, and music, with men playing male and female roles.

18/02/2023