Japan

Economy

Japan's exports fall as Trump's tariffs fuel recession risks

Fears of a recession are mounting in the world's fourth-largest economy, after export to the US declined for the second month in a row in June.

17/07/2025

No Comment

Men race through Fukuoka with one-tonne floats at summer festival

In Fukuoka, southwest Japan, the centuries-old Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival came to a roaring finale on Tuesday as teams of men raced through city streets carrying one-tonne floats.

16/07/2025

Art

Marina Abramović wins sculpture prize in Praemium Imperiale awards

The Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović and the painter Peter Doig are among the laureates for this year's Praemium Imperiale, the prestigious Japanese award also known as the 'Nobel of the Arts'.

15/07/2025

Business

Nissan is closing flagship Oppama plant in Japan to cut costs

The factory in Oppama, Japan, employs approximately 2,400 people, who will lose their jobs in March 2028. Car production will move to another Nissan plant in southwestern Japan.

15/07/2025

Global Japan

3D tech and tradition protect Japan’s historic sites from disasters

In partnership with The Government of Japan

Japan is combining cutting-edge 3D scanning with centuries-old craftsmanship to protect cultural heritage from climate change, earthquakes, and humidity — starting with the iconic Eiheiji temple in Fukui Prefecture.

07/07/2025

Moments

Gion Matsuri: Inside one of Japan’s most storied festivals

Gion Matsuri is a bucket list experience for many visitors to the Japanese city.

02/07/2025

Japan

Japan executes convicted 'Twitter killer' who killed nine

The execution by hanging of a man convicted of killing nine people in Japan comes amidst a growing debate over the country's use of capital punishment.

27/06/2025

No Comment

Bear disrupts flights at Yamagata Airport, forces runway closure

A bear sighting at Yamagata Airport disrupted over 10 flights on Thursday morning. Authorities believe the bear came from nearby woods and it hasn't been found yet.

26/06/2025

Japan

Japan conducts first missile test on its own territory

Around 300 soldiers took part in the exercise by the Ground Self-Defence Force's 1st Artillery Brigade with a missile fired at an unmanned boat around 40 kilometres off of the coast.

24/06/2025

Focus

Expo 2025: bold themes tackle global challenges ahead

In partnership with Cabinet Secretariat

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan is using a thematic format to address global issues such as climate change, mobility, and digital transformation. Eight Theme Weeks will structure the six-month event, aiming to move beyond exhibitions and foster debate on long-term challenges.

23/06/2025

Tech News

How Japan built the largest-class superconducting quantum computer

The new quantum system developed by researchers at the Japanese National Research and Development Agency, RIKEN, in collaboration with the Japanese IT giant, Fujitsu, has 256 qubits. However, experts say, ensuring the quality of qubits is as important as the quantity of qubits.

20/06/2025

No Comment

Porcelain wind chimes ring in summer in Japanese pottery town

A summer festival in Japan’s Saga Prefecture is offering visitors a sensory experience with the soft sounds of porcelain wind chimes made by local artisans.

18/06/2025

Japan

Four Japanese soldiers injured in explosion at US base in Okinawa

The blast occurred while the soldiers, who specialise in handling explosives, were working at the storage facility for unexploded World War II ordnance, authorities said.

09/06/2025

Health news

Annual births in Japan fall for 16th straight year

The number of births in Japan last year hit another record low, new data shows.

05/06/2025

Japan

China to resume seafood imports from Japan after Fukushima disaster

China blocked imports of Japanese seafood because it said the release of the treated and diluted but still slightly radioactive wastewater would endanger the fishing industry and coastal communities in eastern China.

30/05/2025

Business

Japan's Prime Minister urges Trump to choose investment over tariffs

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Friday that he held telephone talks with US President Donald Trump and agreed to hold “productive" discussions at an upcoming tariff talks between the two sides.

23/05/2025

Economy

Japan shipments to US decline as trade tariffs slow export growth

The world's fourth-largest economy is one of the hardest hit by the US administration's elevated trade tariffs on cars, resulting in Japanese exports slowing in April.

21/05/2025

Japan

Japanese Yakuza mobsters arrested for operating too close to library

During the Yakuza's heyday in the 1960s, the group operated internationally and boasted more than 184,000 members, according to Japan's National Police Agency.

20/05/2025

Japan

Japan's farm minister apologises after free rice remark sparks outrage

Farm Minister Taku Etō has apologised after claiming he "never had to buy rice" thanks to gifts from supporters, sparking public anger amid surging food prices.

19/05/2025

Economy

Japan's economy shrinks as Trump trade war hits exports and confidence

The contraction strengthens the argument for increasing spending incentives in Japan as the economy prepares to take a hit from Trump's tariffs.

16/05/2025

Business

Nissan to shed 20,000 jobs as Japanese automaker reports loss

Nissan is slashing about 15% of its global workforce, or about 20,000 employees, as the Japanese automaker reported a loss Tuesday for the fiscal year that just ended.

13/05/2025

Japan

Nagasaki invites 'all countries' to nuclear bombing memorial

The United States dropped its second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, three days after the first bombing of Hiroshima, together killing more than 210,000 people.

08/05/2025

Health news

Could a smartphone app help you stave off depression?

The app used in a recent study focused on five key tenets of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the gold standard for mental health treatment.

24/04/2025

Tech News

New AI ultrasound can tell how tasty a tuna is with a 12-second scan

Tuna is highly prized by sushi chefs, but quality can vary and the process of checking the fish by hand with saws at the market can be dangerous.

18/04/2025

No Comment

Children perform Kabuki theatre at western Japan festival

The children said they practiced every day during their spring break from school and many visitors to the event applauded their compelling performance.

16/04/2025

Japan

Expo 2025 opens with Beethoven's 9th Symphony and futuristic exhibits

Expo 2025 opens in Japan, offering a vision of the future with participants from more than 160 countries and regions showcasing their futuristic exhibits amid a time of global divisions, tensions and wars.

14/04/2025