Japan’s whaling industry has been propped up for years by government subsidies and isn’t even filling existing quotas. Still, it wants to add the world’s second-largest mammal to its catch-and-kill list.

The tsuchinoko, a creature resembling a fat snake that you wouldn’t want to anger, is the star of a new film that uses the mythical animal to explore how Japan has changed since the mid-20th century.

After the player pulled out of major tournaments in 2021 and 2022 and gave birth to her first child last year, 2024 is the year of Osaka’s return to the international circuit

The dispatch of such a specialised China watcher to the embassy is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to reinforce intelligence gathering.

Rahm Emanuel visited Ishigaki and Yonaguni, an island facing Taiwan, where he interacted with Japanese troops and the local fishing community.

With fewer new students attending schools in rural Japan, one principal decided to liven things up for his handful of pupils by “enrolling” a young goat.

Fuji City residents complain that tourists are flocking to the Fuji Dream Bridge to catch a view of the famous mountain and leaving a mess behind.

A trip to Tokyo by Taipei’s mayor, who is tipped as a future presidential candidate, is the latest indication of the growing closeness of Japan and Taiwan.

Tokyo said it was ‘extremely regrettable’ that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had made an assertion ‘contrary to the facts’.

Threats included office damage, slashed car tyres, letters with box-cutter blades, and messages about ‘crazy ideas’ and conspiracy theories.

Former All Blacks captain Cane’s move to Tokyo-based Suntory Sungoliath adds to allure of a country attracting top players and bumper crowds.

Hotel Groove is in entertainment complex Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, where a 900-seat traditional kabuki theatre will open soon – but did you know the buzzy nightlife district is named after the drama form?

The company is selling the rehydrated protein as a solo item, tapping into new trends to woo customers in a market that now offers a wide range of choices.

A total of 17,034 individuals aged 65 or older in Japan died alone in the first three months of the year, according to a new report.

Senator Lindsey Graham ‘should have thought twice’ before his comments justifying the 1945 atomic bomb attacks on Japan, analysts note.

Foxconn reported a net profit of US$679 million in the first quarter, which missed analysts’ average estimate of US$897 million.

China may resume talks with South Korea and Japan at end of month, but separate Beijing-Seoul meeting hinges on South Korea not sending delegation to inauguration of Taiwan’s new president.

Seventeen Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) lawmakers say they have been mentioned at least 50 times in evidence since start of Jimmy Lai trial.

Aircraft forced to make an emergency landing in Kumamoto prefecture’s Aso city after experiencing mid-flight engine failure.

The US$13 charge and cap on daily climbers on Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Trail will be enforced with the help of an online booking system, introduced to fight overtourism on Japan’s highest mountain.

Japan’s defence minister confirmed the footage was real and said Tokyo was taking the drone intrusion ‘extremely seriously’ – more than six weeks after the video first appeared online.

A new bill currently being pushed through parliament would give the state-run Japan Pension Service the power to revoke foreign nationals’ permanent residency status if they fail to make mandatory contributions.

In Japan, most people, when asked, say their home is the most comfortable place, but growing numbers are spending time in ‘third place’ spaces – social settings such as coffee shops – as individuality rises.