The Japan Times

25/01/2025

Strange things are afoot in Ryota Kondo’s “Missing Child Videotape” as a man investigates the 13-year-old disappearance of his younger brother.

Ryota Kondo’s eerie ghost story debut goes for ambient dread rather than jump scares.

25/01/2025

Japan is considering requiring boards of education to draw up programs aimed at reducing the overtime hours of public school teachers.

Education boards would be required to report on the current work hours of teachers and detail measures to improve their working styles.

25/01/2025

Tennis is often said to be a sport for athletes from wealthy backgrounds. Sara Saito, one of Japan's most promising young WTA talents, is hoping to buck that trend.

The 18-year-old Saito, who has steadily risen up the WTA rankings, is the only teenager among the eight Japanese players in the top 200.

25/01/2025

Informal job offers have been accepted by 84.3% of job-seeking university students, a drop of 1.7 percentage points from a year earlier and the first decrease in four years.

It is the first decrease in four years, as some students who received job offers from several companies apparently hesitated to pick one.

25/01/2025

U.S. President Donald Trump's second administration has sparked divided reactions, with concerns over policy shifts and unpredictability, writes Kuni Miyake.

The Trump administration is no different from previous administrations and remains as inherently 'America First' as ever.

25/01/2025

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has expressed his eagerness to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance together with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

The minister said he will work to take the two countries' cooperation to new heights by building a strong relationship of trust with the Trump administration.

25/01/2025

Fuji TV's handling of sexual misconduct allegations against TV personality Masahiro Nakai led to a firestorm of public disapproval. Where did it go wrong?

25/01/2025

Last year's record summer heat and heavy rain ruined cabbage crops, driving up the cost of the leafy green in what media in Japan have dubbed a "cabbage shock."

It is the latest pain point for shoppers and eateries in Japan already squeezed by inflation.

25/01/2025

In his policy speech to parliament, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba touted his government’s ¥200 billion ($1.3 billion) regional revitalization policy as “the era’s remodeling of the Japanese archipelago.”

The relocation of industrial, state, and academic institutions to regions outside of Tokyo will begin with government agencies.

25/01/2025

Hegseth is likely to press U.S. President Donald Trump’s case that allies and partners in Asia — including Japan — should spend more on their own defense.

In a mostly party-line result that saw no Democrats vote for Hegseth, three Republicans — including former GOP leader Mitch McConnell — also voted no.

25/01/2025

In case you hadn't heard: Tourists are everywhere. And according to a new United Nations report, global tourism has officially recouped the losses from the pandemic era.

Global tourism generated nearly $1.6 trillion (about ¥250 trillion) in 2024, about 3% more than the previous year and 4% more than in 2019.

25/01/2025

The Naha District Public Prosecutor's Office has decided not to indict a U.S. Marine who had been investigated for alleged sexual assault in Okinawa Prefecture, citing insufficient evidence.

After comprehensive consideration, the prosecutor's office determined that it is difficult to build a case against the Marine.

25/01/2025

Police arrested a 45-year-old man on Friday on suspicion of mutilating and abandoning the remains of his girlfriend, whose bones were discovered on a beach on Izu Oshima last October.

The victim was identified as Shizuka Takase, a 37-year-old restaurant worker from Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture.

24/01/2025

Two of Japan Airlines' most senior executives will have their pay docked following an incident of pilots drinking inappropriately.

The punishments stem from an incident last month when two captains caused a flight to be delayed by around three hours after alcohol was found in their systems.

24/01/2025

A 61-year-old Chinese tourist was fatally struck by a train in the city of Otaru, Hokkaido, on Thursday morning after stepping onto the tracks to take photos.

The woman entered the Hakodate Line tracks near Asari Station in Otaru to photograph the ocean with her phone.

24/01/2025

Mitsubishi Motors won’t be a part of Honda and Nissan’s plans to combine their companies under a holding company, the Yomiuri Shimbun has reported.

Mitsubishi Motors hasn’t made any announcements and is considering all options, a spokesperson for the company said.

24/01/2025

Japanese retail investors’ hunger for overseas equities is weighing further on the yen.

Investment trusts that cater to Japanese individuals bought a net ¥10.4 trillion of overseas equities and funds last year.

24/01/2025

U.S. federal prosecutors sought a prison term of four years and nine months for Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, on charges including bank fraud.

'This kind of betrayal and greed calls for a significant term of imprisonment,' prosecutors argued.