Japan

Stories 321 - 340 | << Prev   Next >>

'Ghost Ship' Comes Ashore Carrying Human Heads

Japanese officials suspect they know where it came from

(Newser) - A shipwreck on the coast of Japan carried grisly cargo: five human bodies and two human heads, Sky News reports. Police apparently found the boat Saturday on Sado Island, about 31 miles northwest of the mainland, and are investigating the cause of death. "Five of the bodies were identified...

Just After Midnight, NK 'Gift' Was Sent. Except It Wasn't

Public broadcaster NHK sent out incorrect report that North Korea had launched a missile

(Newser) - North Korea's " Christmas gift " to the US never came (at least that we know of), but a news alert sent in Japan early Friday temporarily scared people into thinking the gift had been delivered. Reuters reports that a few minutes after midnight, public broadcaster NHK put out...

In Rare Move, Japan Hangs a Foreigner

Wei Wei was convicted of the 2003 murders of a family of 4

(Newser) - "It was an extremely cold-blooded and cruel case, in which (Wei) killed four innocent members of a happy family," said Japan's justice minister in announcing a rare move: the execution of a foreigner. The AP reports Wei Wei's Thursday death by hanging was the first time...

Journo Wins Big #MeToo Case Against Powerful TV Anchor

Judge: Account of Japan's Shiori Ito, who accused Noriyuki Yamaguchi of rape, 'trustworthy'

(Newser) - A 30-year-old freelance journalist in Japan who accused a high-powered TV journalist of rape won about $30,000 in damages in a Tokyo court Wednesday, in what she calls a "milestone" for Japan, per the New York Times . Judge Akihiro Suzuki said he found Shiori Ito's account, laid...

He Was Angry at His Phone Company. Then, a 'Tipping Point'

71-year-old Akitoshi Okamoto arrested after KDDI says he made 24K phone calls to them

(Newser) - Customer service hotlines exist in part so that customers can air grievances, and one elderly man in Japan apparently took advantage of that. CNN reports 71-year-old Akitoshi Okamoto was arrested Nov. 26 on suspicion of fraudulent obstruction of business after allegedly making 24,000 phone calls over a two-and-a-half-year period...

Store Faces Backlash Over 'Miss Period' Badge

Outcry after Japan's Daimaru debuts badge alerting others to workers' menstrual status

(Newser) - A Japanese department store that says it was trying to help out its female employees is now facing backlash over a uniform accessory. The BBC reports the hubbub is centered on a badge that Daimaru introduced in October to hundreds of workers in its women's wardrobe department. One side...

Pope to Change Church Teaching: Nukes Are 'Immoral'

Francis warns that an 'accident of possession' or 'insanity of a leader can destroy humanity'

(Newser) - Pope Francis is planning to change official Catholic Church teaching to declare the use and possession of atomic weapons as "immoral," a move that makes clear that his rejection of the Cold War-era doctrine of deterrence is to be official church policy. Francis had declared the possession of...

What May Be World's Best Sushi Place Now Has No Stars

Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo no longer ranked by Michelin because it's too exclusive

(Newser) - The 2020 Michelin Guide for Tokyo includes 226 restaurants with at least one star, more than any other city, per Eater . But a restaurant widely regarded as the world's best for sushi isn't one of them, reports the Guardian . Sukiyabashi Jiro—where former President Obama reportedly had the...

This Firm Cut Its Workweek to 4 Days, With Surprising Results

Microsoft Japan's monthlong experiment saw a nearly 40% boost in productivity

(Newser) - Japanese employees are known for their work ethic, to the point where it can often be excessive: As CNBC notes, there's even a term there—"karoshi," or "death by overwork"—that has cropped up due to workers dying on the job . Yet Fox News reports...

'Sorrow Beyond Imagination': Japan's Shuri Castle Burns

Okinawa landmark was a World Heritage Site

(Newser) - A castle first built centuries before Okinawa was annexed by Japan has been devastated by fire. Police say a fire that broke out around 2:30am Friday has destroyed much of Shuri Castle, which was erected under the Ryukyu Dynasty around 500 years ago, the Guardian reports. The wooden structure,...

Japan Pardons 550K as Emperor Takes Throne

'An opportunity for the citizens of Japan to cleanse their spirit and start anew'

(Newser) - Japan celebrated the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday—and around 550,000 people classed as petty criminals had plenty of reason to cheer. The Japanese government announced ahead of Tuesday's ceremony at Tokyo's Imperial Palace that more than half a million pardons had been granted as "...

Japan's 126th Emperor Proclaims Enthronement

Prime minister led 'banzai' cheers

(Newser) - Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on Tuesday, proclaiming himself Japan's 126th emperor as the audience shouted "banzai" to wish him a long and prosperous reign. Naruhito pledged at an enthronement ceremony at the Imperial Palace to serve his constitutional duty as a symbol of the state and...

Japan Typhoon Death Toll Hits 53
Japan Typhoon
Death Toll Hits 53
Oct 15, 2019 12:37 AM CDT

Japan Typhoon Death Toll Hits 53

Hagibis caused more than 200 rivers to overflow

(Newser) - The toll of death and destruction from a massive typhoon that tore through central and northern Japan continued to climb Tuesday, as the government said it was considering approving a special budget for the ongoing disaster response and eventual reconstruction. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a parliamentary session that the...

Officials Apologize for What Happened to Woman, 70

Typhoon has killed up to 33 in Japan

(Newser) - Helicopters, boats, and thousands of troops were deployed across Japan to rescue people stranded in flooded homes Sunday, as the death toll from a ferocious typhoon climbed to as high as 33. One woman fell to her death as she was being placed inside a rescue helicopter, the AP reports....

Stalker Finds Pop Star by Zooming In on Her Eye
Eye Reflection in Selfie
Was All Her Stalker Needed
in case you missed it
Oct 13, 2019 2:30 PM CDT

Eye Reflection in Selfie Was All Her Stalker Needed

Hibiki Sato charged with attacking Japanese pop star: cops

(Newser) - Celebrities, and anyone else hoping not to be found by creeps on the internet, can learn from an alarming stalking case out of Japan. According to media reports, a member of the J-pop group Tenshitsukinukeniyomi was sexually assaulted at her Tokyo apartment building last month after a fan figured out...

Typhoon Hits Japan
Typhoon Hits Japan
Oct 12, 2019 10:00 AM CDT

Typhoon Hits Japan

It's expected to be Japan's worst in 60 years

(Newser) - A heavy downpour and strong winds pounded Tokyo and surrounding areas on Saturday as a powerful typhoon forecast to be Japan's worst in six decades made landfall and passed over the capital, where streets, nearby beaches, and train stations were long deserted, the AP reports. Store shelves were bare...

Invisible Ink Brings an A in Ninja History Class

Student in Japan wins points for creativity

(Newser) - A professor in Japan had to concede that a student in ninja history knew her stuff when she turned in an essay in invisible ink that she'd made herself. The essay came with a note written in regular ink saying to heat before reading. Once the professor held the...

Lost Chapter of World's First Novel Found in Chest

Family has been holding it for nearly 300 years

(Newser) - The chest was opened. And suddenly, a chapter has been added to the oldest known version of what's considered to be the world's first novel . The original manuscript of the Tale of Genji—telling of the political and romantic life of Genji, the son of an ancient Japanese...

Tennis Phenom's Big Move: Give Up US Citizenship

Naomi Osaka had to make a decision by age 22, per Japan's rules

(Newser) - Naomi Osaka, born in Japan to a Japanese mom and Haitian-American dad , currently holds both US and Japanese citizenship. But once she turns 22 next week, Japan's nationality laws dictate she'll have to choose between the two—and the tennis star says she's going with the latter,...

Coming Typhoon Like One That Ravaged Japan in 1958

Hagibis could bring 2 feet of rain to Tokyo area

(Newser) - With a powerful typhoon expected to bring 2 feet of rain and damaging winds to the Tokyo area this weekend, Japan's government warned people Friday to stockpile supplies and evacuate before it's too dangerous. The Rugby World Cup and other events were canceled for Saturday, and flights and...

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