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Japanese comedian Ken Shimura dies after contracting coronavirus
Beloved Japanese comedian Ken Shimura has died at age 70 after he was diagnosed with coronavirus and placed on a ventilator in Tokyo, according to his representatives. Read more
Beloved Japanese comedian Ken Shimura has died at age 70 after he was diagnosed with coronavirus and placed on a ventilator in Tokyo, according to his representatives. Read more
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has repeatedly asked the city’s 13 million residents to stay home this weekend, saying the capital is on the brink of an explosion in virus infections. Read more
A man prayed at the shore in Iwaki earlier this month to remember victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated large swaths of Japan’s northern coast, leaving more than 19,000 dead or missing. Read more
The Japanese government plans to begin testing autonomous driving services around the country beginning April, through partnerships across a wide variety of industries. Read more
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the sight of someone coughing in public has become a frequent cause for suspicious stares, altercations and even mistreatment at work, leading to the emergence of what has been dubbed “corohara,” or coronavirus harassment. Read more
A player stretches where spectators’ stands are empty prior to a preseason baseball game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Yakult Swallows at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Read more
Today is my fourth straight day working from home and, consequently, the fourth day of my living nightmare. Read more
As the domestic kimono industry shrinks, a few contemporary designers have taken a fresh look at the traditional Japanese garb, introducing innovative designs that merge with Western-style dressing. Read more
OKUMA, Japan >> Inside a giant decontamination facility at the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant, workers in hazmat suits monitor radioactive water pumped from three damaged reactors, making sure it’s adequately — though not completely — treated. Read more
Japan’s Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters on Feb. 25 lifted the last shipment restriction on fish species caught off Fukushima Prefecture, resulting in all 44 species becoming available for consumers for the first time since the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in March 2011. Read more
The rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout Japan, together with what some see as government mishandling of quarantine measures on the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, are reigniting calls for Japan to establish an independent decision-making body similar to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more
The deck overlooks Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Read more
It’s golden hour on Iki, a pristine island in southwestern Japan. A gentle breeze cools the day to a perfect 75 degrees. Read more
Keiko Kobayashi brought her 7-year-old son to her Tokyo office Monday after his school, like most others in Japan, suddenly closed for four weeks in a government effort to slow the rapid spread of the new virus. Read more
Two young monks from different Buddhist sects have united to form a break-dancing duo, Kaiten Bozu (spinning monks). Read more
Kawazu-zakura cherry trees, which are known to bloom early during cherry blossom season, are nearing their peak in the city of Kawazu, located on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula, south of Tokyo. Read more
A draft ordinance in Kagawa Prefecture, which seeks to restrict youths’ weekday smartphone use to one hour, has sparked controversy. Read more
To encourage more customers to go digital, Japan’s largest bank is offering customers 1,000 yen (about $9) to give up their passbooks. Read more
Foreign trade in genetic material of Japan’s wagyu cattle would become subject to criminal prosecution under a new law that the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry intends to establish. Read more
Tokyo Olympic organizers and the Japanese government went on the offensive Wednesday after a senior IOC member said the 2020 Games were being threatened by the spread of a viral outbreak, with their fate probably decided in the next three months. Read more
Several athletes from countries suffering from war and poverty are training in Japan in gymnastics, judo and other sports for the Tokyo Olympics, thanks to scholarships from the International Olympic Committee. Read more