The latest news, trends and photo galleries from Japan by Japan News and Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper founded in 1874.
Shikoku Electric Power Co., researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and other organizations have begun tests to explore the possibility of “microbial power generation” in mikan (mandarin orange) orchards in Yawatahama and Ikata in Ehime prefecture. Read more
Tougher penalties will be levied against anyone who uses a mobile phone while riding a bicycle, under the revised Road Traffic Law that went into effect Nov. 1. Read more
Japanese authorities seeking to reduce the carbon footprint and overcrowding at Mount Fuji will propose a trackless, rubber-tire tram system made by China’s CRRC to transport climbers, a person with direct knowledge of the plan said. Read more
Kyoto City has launched the nation’s first initiative to solicit donations from international tourists, aiming to preserve the city’s traditional beauty, culture and crafts. In exchange for their contributions, donors will receive electronic gift certificates. Read more
Japanese travel to Hawaii will now be easier as Gov. Josh Green and the visitor industry continue to work to encourage more Japanese travel despite the weakness of the yen. Read more
Japanese mayonnaise, sauces, curry and other liquid seasonings are taking off abroad, with exports doubling in the past 10 years. Read more
Nintendo Co. has released Nintendo Music, a smartphone app that allows users to listen to video game music. Read more
The production of koro-gaki specialty dried persimmons is reaching its peak in Shika, Ishikawa prefecture. Read more
Hopes are rising that more attention will be paid to a couple who created a series of large paintings depicting the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, following Nihon Hidankyo’s 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. Read more
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A male university student was charged in October for altering a massive boulder — known for its instability at the top of a cliff — so that it no longer sways when pushed. Read more
Murals of popular manga on vacant houses and public facilities have turned a remote island with a population of 11 in the Seto Inland Sea into a new tourist destination as a manga island. Read more
Maneki neko, or beckoning cats, come in various colors and poses, but no one had ever heard of a studded maneki neko before. Read more
Having survived the atomic bomb that flattened his hometown of Hiroshima when he was nine months old, Kunihiko Sakuma has never forgotten the stain it left on him in the eyes of some of his fellow Japanese. Read more
A project to install 23 dinosaur monuments in front of JR Fukui Station was completed last month. Read more
A stay-at-home mom could not help but sigh when she saw the rice prices at a Benny supermarket in Adachi ward, Tokyo, in late September. Read more
Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in a warning to countries that have nuclear weapons not to use them. Read more
Just after 5 a.m. on Aug. 30, water began flooding a vast underground chamber, called “the cathedral,” just north of Tokyo. Read more
Various programs to certify helpers for travelers with disabilities visiting Japan have been established to help promote “universal tourism,” which enables everyone to travel. Read more
A recent survey by Japan’s Cultural Affairs Agency showed that people have moved away from reading books, and most respondents said it was due to spending long hours looking at their smartphones. Read more
The harvest moon lit up the night sky in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward on Sept.17. According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the harvest moon this year did not fall on the same date as the full moon, which appeared on the following day. Read more
One in four married people under the age of 40 met their spouse through dating apps, according to a survey conducted by the Children and Families Agency. Read more
