National
Sony to revamp hands-on entertainment facility in Tokyo
Sony Group Corp will reopen its hands-on entertainment facility in Tokyo's Shinjuku district Thursday to offer visitors new experiences utilizing its latest technology, aiming to attract young people and inbound tourists. At The Tokyo Matrix, located in the capital's popular Kabukicho nightlife district, visitors will be able to take an… Read
1st dismantling of nuclear reactor begins in central Japan
Chubu Electric Power Co has begun dismantling a nuclear reactor in Shizuoka Prefecture, making it the country's first commercial reactor to undergo the process, the utility said. The company started the disassembly work on Monday by removing the top lid of the pressure vessel of the Hamaoka plant's No. 2… Read
Mount Fuji climbers to be charged ¥4,000 on all trails
Hikers attempting any of Mount Fuji's four main trails will be charged an entry fee of 4,000 yen from this summer, after local authorities passed a bill on Monday. A record influx of foreign tourists to Japan has sparked alarm about overcrowding on the nation's highest mountain, a once-peaceful pilgrimage… Read
Activist Watson vows to act against Iceland whaling, monitor Japanese ships
Activist Paul Watson has revealed a plan to take action against Iceland's whaling activities in June, while continuing to monitor whether Japanese ships return to the Southern Ocean to hunt the marine mammal in the area. Speaking in a recent online interview with Kyodo News, the longtime environmental activist originally… Read
4 die in fires at homes in Kochi, Aichi
Three people were found without vital signs in a fire that broke out Monday morning in a house in Kochi, western Japan, and two of them were later confirmed dead, local authorities said. The two deceased were identified as a 96-year-old resident and his 63-year-old son. The elder man's 85-year-old… Read
Japan eyes deploying long-range missiles in Kyushu
Japan is considering deploying long-range missiles in Kyushu as part of the country's efforts to acquire "counterstrike capabilities" to hit enemy targets in the event of an emergency, government sources said. The deployment, expected to commence at the end of the next fiscal year in March 2026, is aimed at… Read
Visitors to Hiroshima A-bomb museum surpass 80 million in 70 years
The number of visitors to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum documenting the devastation caused by the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in 1945 surpassed 80 million on Sunday, reaching the milestone 70 years after its opening in 1955. At a ceremony to mark the achievement, Yoshifumi Ishida, director of… Read
Water route connecting Kyoto, Osaka reopens after lock construction
A waterway connecting Kyoto and Osaka Bay, long closed for flood control, reopened Sunday as Japanese transport authorities began operating a lock on the Yodo River. The water route between the major areas in western Japan is expected to support the transportation of supplies and debris during disasters when land… Read
Unification Church faces dissolution in Japan
The Unification Church has come under intense scrutiny in Japan since a former prime minister was assassinated, but it could soon fall even further from grace. Authorities said in October 2023 they were seeking to dissolve the influential sect, founded in South Korea and nicknamed the "Moonies" after its late… Read
Window crack found on Tokyo-Osaka bullet train
A window crack on a Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka forced a temporary slowdown, the operator said late Saturday. A steel plate on communications equipment in a tunnel in central Japan is believed to have detached and hit a window on the No. 16 car of the… Read
