The problem has become so bad that some local governments and schools in Japan have drafted rules to deal with the ‘irritated and impatient’.
More than 9 million ‘akiya’ homes – 13.8 per cent of all Japan’s residential properties – have been left empty after owners die, a new report found.
The forensics team – Tokyo Prison Fire Project – have made ‘significant progress’ with the remains that were co-mingled and degraded by fire.
Academics said his use of the term was unfair given Japan’s unique cultural and historical context.
Kagoshima, on the Japanese island of Kyushu, is a nature and food lover’s paradise. We recommend 6 things to try there, from the unique geothermal sand baths to some of Japan’s best wagyu beef.
More than 60 per cent of respondents to a survey said they supported granting more visas to skilled workers, compared to 44 per cent in a 2018 poll.
Observers say Japan’s prime minister is going to need a political miracle to remain in office after his Liberal Democratic Party suffered an electoral drubbing over the weekend.
Japan’s ambition to send its first astronaut to the moon by 2028 is seen as a move to prevent China from scoring a propaganda coup, analysts say.
Chinese professor Fan Yuntao, who teaches in Tokyo, has reportedly gone missing after returning to Shanghai in February 2023.
Japanese authorities have issued a warning for hikers and others to stay alert for bears emerging from hibernation.
Elderly Japanese are at highest risk from the elevated temperatures, while agriculture – especially the crucial seasonal fruit sector – and fish prices will also feel the impact.
The Mobile Cooperation Team initiative was first set up in 2017 as part of Tokyo’s efforts to train and equip the coastguards of Southeast Asian nations that felt threatened by China’s presence.
A newspaper group’s publication of a translated version of ‘Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters’ has raised freedom of expression concerns on both sides of Japan’s political divide.
Attended by the king and villagers from across the country, Bhutan’s high-altitude Royal Highland Festival involves dancing, horse racing, wrestling and other trials of strength.
Eight-year-old Labrador retriever, the equivalent of 60 in human age, began her tour of duty at Narita and Haneda airports in 2017.
Ministry of Health study highlights severe lack of sleep among Japanese, raising alarms over potential societal impacts.
The upgraded Kaga, now capable of deploying the vertical take-off variant of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, will be a welcome addition to Japan’s arsenal, analysts say.
Moscow’s ‘carrot-and-stick’ tactic with Tokyo over the peace agreement goes back decades, analysts say, after a Kremlin spokesman dredged up the Cold War-era strategy in an effort to drive a wedge between the US and Japan.
Some 88 per cent of respondents also say North Korea is a cause for concern, while 89 per cent identify Russia as a danger, according to the annual survey.
Japanese health authorities have attempted to play down global media reports of a spike in cases of the rare but frequently deadly streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome.
Reports suggest it will be the new medium-range Typhon system, capable of firing high-speed anti-shipping projectiles or Tomahawk cruise missiles to address threats from North Korea and China.
Four arrests were made in connection to a website promising women opportunities to ‘earn tens of millions of yen a month’ in the US sex industry.
Operators hope the ship – the first built in Japan in 73 years – will revive interest in whale meat and prop up the ailing industry, which has been surviving on subsidies.
Japan also hopes to reinforce its reputation as a nation that promotes the rule of law in international disputes and to play a larger role in regional diplomacy, analysts say.
Officials have proposed to kill the animals in a buffer zone surrounding Nara Park that attracts thousands of visitors, who feed them rice crackers.
Experts say the number has gone up with increases in pet ownership and the popularity of push-button gas stoves
No official details yet on involvement of US forces, but the sighting of a Chinese unmanned aircraft near Japanese waters has raised a security spectre.
Sociology expert says there is trust in Japanese society, where it is considered safe to leave belongings unattended while snoozing on commute.
Respondents said they felt obligated to attend the annual revelries and that they felt like an extension of work.
The Do-Dodonpa ride at the Fuji-Q Highland theme park had already paused operations since 2021 over reports of injuries among riders.
