Sales of feudal-era weapon heat up in Japan after store uses it to thwart robbery

A Japanese weapon that traces its roots to the 1600s is gaining new interest after a jewelry store employee successfully used it to prevent ...

Japan kicks off trial of over-the-counter morning-after pills

Japanese health officials commenced a trial for prescription-less morning-after pills at selected pharmacies on Tuesday, with plans for a fu...

Japanese archaeologists unearth massive stash of 100,000 ancient coins

An enormous trove of 100,000 ancient coins were recently discovered in Maebashi, a city in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, with archaeologists esti...

Takeshi Kitano directs, stars in samurai period drama featuring gay relationships

Japanese actor, comedian and director Takeshi Kitano has revealed that “Kubi” (“Neck”), his upcoming samurai period drama, will highlight ho...

KFC releases miso-flavored fried chicken in Japan

How does miso taste in fried chicken? KFC apparently knows the answer, having announced the first of its kind this week. What’s it called: T...

Cats, dogs receive blessings in Japan as part of unique coming-of-age tradition

Pets took center stage at a Shinto shrine near Tokyo this week to receive blessings from priests in a tradition originally observed for chil...

Naomi Osaka’s latest Nike collection inspired by Japan, New York

Nike recently unveiled its latest collaboration with Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, a collection inspired by her time in Japan and New Yo...

NYC company scammed out of $250,000 worth of rare Japanese Kit Kats: report

A New York City-based company reportedly lost $250,000 in rare Kit Kats due to an elaborate scam involving identity theft and fake email acc...

Yakult opens first-ever cafe in Japan

Yakult has opened its first-ever cafe in Japan, offering a unique dining experience in good probiotics. About the cafe: The cafe is part of ...

SF supervisors criticized for taking taxpayer-funded trip to Japan to learn about math

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Myrna Melgar are missing board meetings while on a taxpayer-funded trip to Japan to exp...

Japan grows mouse embryos in space in historic first

In a world first, a group of Japanese scientists successfully grew mouse embryos aboard the International Space Station (ISS), offering hope...

Why ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 moved from Japan to Thailand

The third season of HBO’s “The White Lotus” was originally set in Japan before it was moved to Thailand — a decision reportedly made t...

IAEA begins first safety review of Japan’s release of Fukushima water

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is now conducting a safety review of Japan’s release of treated radioactive water, the first s...

Foreign YouTubers face investigation after sneaking ‘free’ train rides across Japan

Fifi “Fidias” Panayiotou, a 27-year-old YouTuber with 2.4 million subscribers, is under investigation for filming and traveling across Japan...

Almost half of all Japanese workers sleep less than 6 hours per night: study

A government survey in Japan revealed that 45.5% of its workers sleep less than six hours per night on average.  The survey results: The rec...

‘Oshikatsu’ explained: Why some Japanese people would rather ‘stan’ than date

In recent years, Japan has aggressively moved to address its aging and dwindling population, going as far as subsidizing marriage, childbirt...

Watch: Japanese teen sets jump rope world record with astonishing feat

A Japanese teen broke and set a new Guinness World Record in July for “most revolutions in a single skip – rope skipping.” What happen...

Japanese man who spent $16K to become a ‘dog’ struggles to make friends with real canines

The Japanese man who has built a following for transforming himself into a “dog” is reportedly being shunned by actual canines. Catch up: Th...

A Japanese start-up is selling a 14-feet-tall Gundam-like robot suit for $3 million

Japanese robotics company Tsubame Industries has created a 14.8-feet-tall robot called Archax, which resembles the robot from classic anime ...

Japanese scientists move closer to making lab-created human sperm, eggs a reality

Researchers in Japan are progressing in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), a field of biomedical research aimed at creating unlimited supplies of “a...

Thousands sign up for Ghibli-themed dating event by Japan local government

More than 2,000 people reportedly flocked to register for a Studio Ghibli-themed matchmaking event organized by the government of Aichi Pref...

Japanese ‘sugar baby’ accused of scamming man out of $180K on dating app

A 25-year-old Japanese sugar baby was recently slapped with an arrest warrant after authorities accused her of scamming a man out of million...

‘Trans-age’ Japanese man born in 1984 identifies as 28-yr-old

A 39-year-old Japanese man is making headlines for identifying as a “trans-age” individual and claiming to be 28 years old. Embr...

Video: Japanese women give their thoughts on whether paying for sex is cheating

A Japanese YouTuber has gone viral for asking Japanese women about whether they think paying for sex is the same as cheating or not. About t...

Japan demographic crisis: 1 in 10 residents are aged 80 or older

The country’s death rate has consistently surpassed its birth rate for over a decade, making it a pressing concern for local leaders ...

Video: Pro wrestlers brawl inside moving bullet train in Japan

A wrestling match took place on a high-speed Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train traveling between Tokyo and Nagoya on Monday. The showdown: The ...

Japan has more centenarians than ever before, with women making up most of the total

The number of centenarians in Japan has reached a record high of 92,139, with women making up 88.5% of this total, according to data from th...

Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita among first-ever women referees for men’s Asian Cup

Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita is among the historic inclusion of five female officials, including two referees, at the upcoming men’s Asian Cup ...

Japanese man who spent $16K to become a ‘dog’ says he wants to become a movie star

The Japanese man who found global fame after transforming himself into a “dog” through a $16,000 rough collie costume has expressed his wish...

Japanese bird scientist’s unconventional research tactic goes viral

The anonymous researcher resorted to wearing a pigeon mask for an entire year in a bid to blend in ...

Australian travel vlogger slammed for going inside ‘women-only’ train carriage in Japan

An Australian travel vlogger is now in hot water after filming himself going inside a “women-only” train carriage in Japan and calling himse...

Japan among top 10 best countries in the world, according to Americans

Japan is one of the 10 best countries in the world, according to Americans. Key details: American media company U.S. News shared its annual ...

Nissin is releasing caffeinated Cup Noodles for gamers

Nissin recently unveiled its newest product in Japan: caffeinated Cup Noodles targeted at gamers. About the new product: “Gaming Cup Noodle”...

Japanese man admits setting anime studio fire that killed 36

The man accused of setting an anime studio ablaze in Kyoto, Japan, in 2019 has pleaded guilty to the crime this week. Background: Shinji Aob...

This 90-year-old Japanese mountain climber reached Mt. Fuji’s peak in a wheelchair

Japanese alpinist Yuichiro Miura reached the summit of Mt. Fuji with his friends and family after three days of ascending in a specially des...

Watch: Japanese driving school holds test featuring real drunk drivers

A driving school in Japan held a special driving test with drunk participants last week to show the impact of alcohol on driving skills. Key...