Asia Japan Japan was unable to overcome defending champion France in the mixed team judo final at the Paris Olympics; Japan, silver when the event was held for the first time in Tokyo in 2021, fell 4-3 in a new come-from-behind win by host France
Asia Japan Unable to get married legally in Japan, LGBTQ couples are celebrating their special bond by donning traditional kimonos and fashionable formal wear for "photo weddings"; still, these choreographed images are often kept hidden in the conservative society
Asia Japan Bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka were halted for hours on Saturday afternoon due to a power failure, as a sweltering heat wave hit the Pacific side of the Japanese archipelago; the stop affected around 97.000 travelers
Asia Japan The number of people who required assistance on Japanese mountains hit a record 3.568 cases in 2023, police remind at the start of this summer season, as climbers return to Mount Fuji and other popular peaks after the full easing of COVID-19 restrictions
Asia Japan Millions of cash and vending machines will have to be replaced as they are incompatible with the new 10000, 5.000 and 1.000 yen banknotes that will be put into circulation in July; there are almost 4 million such machines currently in operation
Asia Japan The transport ministry inspected Toyota headquarters in Aichi Prefecture after the company admitted to improperly obtaining vehicle quality certifications in a setback for the carmaker that sits on world's No. 1 spot for product reliability
Asia Japan The first survey on how much foreign residents are paying in health insurance and pension premiums will be conducted to analyze their impact on Japan’s social security system; currently the country has no data specifically regarding foreign nationals
Asia Japan Major Japanese firms offered an average 5,58% wage increase in the spring negotiations, as many sought to respond to elevated prices while trying to avoid brain drains; it is the highest increases in 32 years since comparable data became available in 1992
Asia Japan The city of Fujikawaguchiko has started building a large black screen on a stretch of pavement to block the spectacular view of Mount Fuji; the measure intends to repel flocking tourists, as they often behave inappropriately
Asia Japan In 2531 all Japanese will be called Sato, unless the old law and tradition requiring married people to have the same surname is changed, according to Hiroshi Yoshida, a professor of economics at Tohoku University
Asia Japan Oji Holding, specialized in the production of disposable diapers, has decided to focus only on adult and senior products, exiting the market of diapers for babies
Asia Japan Commenting international concern about current spread of streptococcal infections, Hitoshi Honda, professor and infectious disease expert at Fujita Health University said pandemic-level infections are not expected and travel restrictions not required
Asia Japan 157 hospitalizations have been traced back to dietary supplements at the center of an expanding health scare, an increase from the 114 cases that last week Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said were linked to its products containing red yeast rice 'beni kōji'