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Surfing makes a splash in urban Japan
The sport of surfing is riding high as the world anticipates its Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Read more
The sport of surfing is riding high as the world anticipates its Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Read more
Fukuo Dogochi, a 90-year-old survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing in 1945, said he does not have confidence in his health since his strength weakened following gallstone surgery last year. Read more
It was caged and only hovered for about a minute, but was airborne: a new flying car. Read more
Prompted by the deadly shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, that left at least 31 people dead, last week the Japanese foreign ministry warned Japanese citizens in the United States to stay vigilant against such dangers. Read more
Tensions erupted after Japan tightened export controls on key materials for South Korea’s semiconductor industry and decided to downgrade South Korea’s trade status. Read more
Concerns over crop damage due to global warming have spurred the development of heat-resistant rice varieties around Japan. Read more
The Kusatsu onsen hot spring area in Gunma Prefecture has abolished the role of “yucho,” a person who instructs people in a traditional bathing method, out of concerns that their actions could violate the Medical Practitioners’ Law. Read more
More than 1 billion yen (about $9.2 million) has been donated to Kyoto Animation Co., whose No. 1 studio was devastated in an arson attack July 18 that killed 35 people. Read more
The Japanese government plans to provide assistance for the collection and disposal of plastic waste from the ocean picked up by fishing vessels, subsidizing most of the cost borne by municipalities. Read more
Momo, the googly-eyed creature that triggered a viral social-media hoax terrifying children and parents alike, is receiving the Hollywood treatment by Orion Pictures. But how did a sculpture morph into a symbol of horror? Read more
Rui Hachimura’s junior high school coach said he was delighted to hear that Hachimura had become the first Japanese basketball player ever selected in the first round of the National Basketball Association draft. Read more
A staircase at the front gate of JR Kumagaya Station is painted to show a woman surrounded by morning glories, meant to distract passersby from the blistering summer heat. Read more
Papers were have been filed with a prosecutors office against a 19-year-old man for allegedly importing a North Korean beer to Japan, police said. Read more
Mitsuhiro Ebara believes plastic sheets called “smart polymers” may one day prove to be a cheap solution to curing cancer. Read more
Passengers will be able to board planes faster without having to present passports or boarding passes, thanks to a new facial recognition system. Read more
The construction site of the new National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, the main venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, is nearly 90% complete. Read more
Vegan options at restaurants and on supermarket shelves have been increasing in Japan to better serve tourists from the U.S. and Europe, where diets free of animal products are common. Read more
A dugout canoe, part of a project aimed at tracking how ancient Japanese migrated from Taiwan about 30,000 years ago, arrived at Yonagunijima island in Okinawa Prefecture at noon July 9. Read more
Japan’s culture of cute makes no exceptions for poop. It gets a pop twist at the Unko Museum in Yokohama near Tokyo. Read more
Making use of local hot springs, expensive tiger puffer fish are being cultivated inland, helping to revitalize local economies. Read more
The Japanese government last month released a rough calculation of vital statistics for 2018, revealing that the number of deaths minus births, or natural population decline, totaled 444,085, exceeding 400,000 for the first time. Read more