A group of women in Japan has launched a landmark legal challenge against the country’s restrictive sterilisation laws, arguing that the decades-old legislation violates their constitutional rights to bodily autonomy. Among the plaintiffs is Kazane Kajiya, who chose to undergo sterilisation in the United States at the age of 27…
Japan has announced an ambitious plan to dramatically increase the production and sales of domestically manufactured semiconductors, aiming to reclaim a stronger position in the global technology supply chain. The government has set a target to boost chip sales eightfold by 2040 compared with 2020 levels, reflecting a renewed national…
UNICEF and the Government of Japan have announced a new three-year partnership to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in Kenya’s border regions and Nairobi’s informal settlements. Scope of the Initiative With an investment of Ksh.515 million (JPY 626 million), the project will target Garissa, Busia,…
Niigata, Japan – Japan has restarted operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest facility of its kind, after a minor glitch delayed its initial relaunch attempt in January. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) confirmed that the plant resumed operations at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT) on Monday,…
Panda lovers in Tokyo gathered on Sunday for an emotional farewell to Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, the hugely popular twin pandas at Ueno Zoological Gardens, who are set to return to China this week. Their departure will leave Japan without pandas for the first time in half a century.…
The man who assassinated Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life in prison, three and a half years after the shocking murder that stunned the nation and reverberated across the world. On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the Nara District Court handed down the sentence to Tetsuya…
Authorities in Japan are searching for a sightseeing helicopter that went missing near Mount Aso, one of the country’s most active volcanoes. The aircraft, carrying three people, disappeared on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, after taking off from a zoo in Aso City for a short tour. Timeline of the Incident…
Two hugely popular pandas at a Japanese zoo will depart on January 27 to join their sister in China, the Tokyo government and media said, leaving Japan panda-less for the first time in half a century. Loaned out as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” programme, the distinctive black-and-white animals have…
Tatsuji Sugimoto, the former governor of Fukui Prefecture in central Japan, has been accused of sending more than 1,000 sexually inappropriate text messages to staff during his tenure, according to an investigation obtained by AFP on Wednesday. Sugimoto, 63, resigned last month during his second term following multiple allegations of…
On Friday, Emperor Naruhito appeared on the palace balcony alongside Empress Masako and other members of the imperial family, greeting thousands of well-wishers gathered below. Many attendees waved small flags and shouted “banzai” as the emperor offered his New Year’s greetings. This year’s appearance held special significance, as Prince Hisahito,…