Ramen in Japan proves more than just a tourist attraction
In Tokyo, long lines circle around blocks, and waiting an hour for your ramen is normal. Read more
Focus on Japan
The latest news, trends and photo galleries from Japan by Japan News and Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper founded in 1874.
Japan creating its own version of the CDC
The Japanese government has decided to establish its own version of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next April as part of efforts to improve the mitigation of infectious diseases. Read more
Hot spring inns offer office space to remote workers
Working remotely from tourist resorts and other vacation destinations is attracting attention, and efforts are growing to turn hot spring inns into offices. Read more
New, ultra-hot pepper makes for a sweet and versatile syrup
A collaboration between industry, government and academic partners has led to a syrup featuring a new variety of pepper developed in the city of Kawasaki. Read more
PHOTO: Japan’s Legoland blossoms with 880,000-brick cherry tree
A giant cherry blossom tree made of hundreds of thousands of Lego bricks is attracting visitors to the Legoland Japan Resort theme park in Minato ward, Nagoya. Read more
‘Spiciest town in Japan’ makes most of reputation
Lively versions of beer and karinto, a deep-fried flour and brown sugar snack, both made using habanero and other extremely spicy chiles, hit the shelves at Michi-no-Eki Hirata, a roadside rest area in Hirata, Fukushima prefecture, in January. Read more
‘Oppenheimer’ opens in nuclear-scarred Japan
Watching “Oppenheimer,” the Oscar-winning biopic about the father of the atomic bomb that opened in Japan in late March, Kako Okuno was stunned by a scene in which scientists celebrated the explosion over Hiroshima with thunderous foot stomping and the waving of American flags. Read more
Japanese films’ U.S. success spurs overseas strategy
The Oscar successes of “Godzilla Minus One” and “The Boy and the Heron” are likely to push the Japanese film industry further toward an international strategy. Read more
Godzilla shoes just one of designer’s fantastical creations
One Japanese creation that grabbed attention at the Oscars wasn’t a movie: It was the kitsch shoes that seemed to be clenched in Godzilla’s claw. Read more
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Japanese government creating manga preservation system
The Cultural Affairs Agency is examining the conditions of original drawings by leading manga artists in Japan and researching methods for preserving them. Read more
Traditional pottery town evolves with changing times
Pottery artisan Genji Shimizu, 78, creates each piece of his kyusu (teapots) one by one in a fluid motion that wastes no energy. Read more
Increasing number of people are game for gibier cuisine
Gibier cuisine, which features game meat from such animals as deer and wild boar, is rising in popularity. Read more
Dinosaur mural celebrates Japan’s fossil finds
A giant mural of dinosaurs is on display near Fukui Station, where a new high speed train, the Hokuriku Shinkansen, is set to stop beginning Saturday. Read more
Bad news is relative in Japan
The economy is now in recession after barely growing for decades. The population continues to shrink, with births last year plunging to a nadir. Read more
Artist creates mouthwatering works of wood
A fluffy castella cake, fatty tuna nigiri sushi and takoyaki (octopus dumplings) with rich sauce — they look so good that you might be tempted to eat them. But they are actually works of art carved from wood. Read more
66-pound radish wins annual contest
A 66-pound Sakurajima daikon (radish) took a top award at an annual contest held in late January at the foot of the vegetable’s namesake volcano, Mount Sakurajima, in Kagoshima City. Read more
Say ‘Cheese’ and ‘I do’
Amid recovering demand for tourism, a bridal company in Matsue, Shimane prefecture, is planning wedding photography tours for foreign tourists in Japan. Read more
Beauty products now allowed for male inmates
The Justice Ministry is allowing male inmates to purchase or be given beauty items and a few other products that traditionally have been allowed only for female inmates. Read more
Artist portrays everyday wonders
Flowers blossoming like pink chiffon, luscious berries and fluttering goldfish make for the delicate but defiant beauty that’s signature Mika Ninagawa. Read more
Japanese visitors to Hawaii are trickling back
The full recovery of visitor arrivals from Japan, one of Hawaii’s most coveted source markets, continues to fall short, and a complete return to 2019 levels could take until 2026. Read more
Open-air boat ride in chilly weather is still cozy
Kotatsu boats are back for the winter in Yanagawa, Fukuoka prefecture, where visitors can take in the canal waterfront while warming their feet. Read more
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More Focus on Japan
Ramen in Japan proves more than just a tourist attraction
Japan creating its own version of the CDC
Hot spring inns offer office space to remote workers
