M4.9 earthquake hits Tokyo, neighboring prefectures, on Friday evening.

Visitors to Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, can enjoy a special exhibition featuring kokeshi doll-shaped lanterns created by actress-cum-artist Non.

The kanji for bear was announced as kanji of the year for 2025 on Friday.

A tsunami advisory for Hokkaido and the Tohoku region was issued on Friday following a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that hit northern Japan at 11:44 a.m.

SAPPORO — A passenger plane bound for Akita from Sapporo diverted due to mechanical problems and landed at Hakodate Airport on Thursday.

Two new terms reflect a recent boom among stuffed doll-loving people: “plushie activities,” which means spending quality time with your favorite stuffed dolls, and “plushie photography,” which means taking photos with them. One such adult, actor Shinya Owada, has caused a sensation on social media with his plushie hobby.I asked Owada, 78, about the appeal of the hobby and his love of stuffed dolls.“It was so hard for me to decide which ones to bring with me today,” Owada said in his attractive deep voice, taking his favorite plushies out of his bag.The stuffed dolls he brought included characters from Pokémon, “The Lion King” and “Astro Boy,” as well as a Shiba Inu. He said he had selected particularly memorable ones from his collection, which he says fills an entire wall in his home.In February, Owada posted a video on X showing himself at an aquarium holding stuffed dolls of Pokémon characters with his back to the camera, and then turning to look at it.The contrast between the veteran actor’s dignified look and his “plushie activities” instantly sparked a buzz, which has spread.Owada has played important roles in many television series, films and stage productions. Recently, he has also gained attention as a video game streamer on YouTube.

The Liberal Democratic Party has compiled a draft outline of key points in a review of implementation guidelines for the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology with an eye on expanding the scope of export items and destinations.

Authorities have confirmed the existence of a fake Prime Minister’s Office website, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference on Friday.

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A bill related to a cut in the number of seats in the House of Representatives is unlikely to be enacted during the ongoing extraordinary session of the Diet, which ends Wednesday.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held phone talks on Wednesday with senior officials from Italy and NATO in an effort to coordinate with European officials regarding the issue of Chinese military aircraft directing their radar at Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets.

The government and ruling parties secured enough support to pass a supplementary budget bill for fiscal 2025 in the House of Representatives by actively incorporating proposals from Komeito and the Democratic Party for the People.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held phone talks on Friday morning in which they expressed serious concern over China’s military activities and affirmed that Japan and the U.S. will continue to cooperate closely.