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Princess Kako to visit Greece to mark 125 years of ties
Princess Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, will travel to Greece in May to mark 125 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries, the Japanese government said. The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko will embark on a trip from May 25 to… Read
Japan tightens rules on int'l student enrollment to tackle malpractice
Japan is tightening rules on the management of foreign student enrollments at educational institutions after a Tokyo university was found in 2019 to have lost contact with more than 1,000 students from abroad. Universities and vocational schools are no longer allowed to accept foreign students unless their enrollments are properly… Read
90% in Japan support idea of reigning empress: survey
A total of 90 percent of respondents in a recent Kyodo News poll said they would support the idea of a reigning empress as Japan's imperial family struggles with a shrinking number of male heirs. The results of the mail survey, conducted in March and April ahead of the fifth… Read
Electric scooter accidents in Japan surge after rules eased
The average number of monthly accidents involving electric scooters has shown a six-fold rise in Japan after the country started allowing users to ride the vehicles without a driver's license in July, recent data by the National Police Agency showed. Traffic experts have warned of the risks of fatal accidents… Read
Town to block Mount Fuji view from troublesome tourists
A huge black barrier to block Mount Fuji from view will be installed in a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists. Construction of the mesh net -- 2.5 meters high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20 meters -- will… Read
SDF punishes 5 members for mishandling state secrets
The Self-Defense Forces have reprimanded five members over two cases of mishandling state secrets in its ground and maritime branches, the government said, in the second such punishment of SDF members under the secrecy law since its enforcement in 2014. The ministry said none of the state secrets in question… Read
IAEA says Fukushima treated water discharge progressing as planned
An International Atomic Energy Agency task force confirmed that the discharge of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant is "progressing as planned," as it wrapped up Friday its latest review on the process. It was the second visit to Japan by an IAEA task force, comprised of… Read
U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington leaves for Yokosuka
The U.S. military said the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington has left from Virginia for the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, replacing another Nimitz-class vessel, the Ronald Reagan. The George Washington, which was deployed to the base from 2008 to 2015, departed Thursday from Naval Station Norfolk, and will sail… Read
Golden Week holidays start amid post-COVID tourism boom, weak yen
Japan's Golden Week holidays started Saturday, with train stations and airports across the country crowded with tourists amid easing fears of COVID-19, while the yen's sharp fall against other currencies has made overseas travel more expensive. "I'm going on a graduation trip that I couldn't make due to the coronavirus… Read
Emperor, empress to visit Britain as state guests in June
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Britain as state guests in late June, the Imperial Household Agency said Saturday, marking the first state visit by a sitting emperor since his father Akihito's in 1998. The trip, aimed at fostering goodwill and friendship, will be the second overseas one since… Read
