Japan In Focus
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Good Ole Shopping Street in City in Japan’s Ibaraki Pref. Evokes Showa Era Nostalgia, Was One of the Busiest in Its Prime
INASHIKI, Ibaraki — There is a shopping street that greatly retains the atmosphere of the Showa e...
January 20, 2026
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Kagoshima: Hawk Soars in Demonstration of Edo-Period Hunting Practice, Draws Visitors
KAGOSHIMA — Visitors to Sengan-en garden in Kagoshima City earlier this month were awed by the sp...
January 17, 2026
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Nara: Kasuga Taisha Holds Kagura Hajime Ceremony; Shrine Maidens Perform Heian-Era Ritual Praying for National Peace
NARA — The Kasuga Taisha shrine in Nara held on Jan. 3 its annual Kagura Hajime ceremony, a New Y...
January 17, 2026
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31 Years Since Great Hanshin Earthquake: Kobe People Share Momories of Disaster
KOBE — Jan. 17 marks 31 years since the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake struck the Kansai region an...
January 17, 2026
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Sled Time Trials Begin on Northern Japan’s Snowy Mt. Kanpu
OGA, Akita — Timed sled runs down the 355-meter-high Mt. Kanpu began on Dec. 27 in Oga, Akita Pre...
January 14, 2026
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Giant Kadomatsu Decorations Rise at Japan’s Gokoku Shrine, Expressing New Year Wishes
NIIGATA — Two giant kadomatsu gate decorations, each about 5 meters tall, have been set up at Gok...
January 14, 2026
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Edo-Period Shop Selling Traditional Japanese Candy Found in Tranquil Temple Grounds
A short walk from Kishibojinmae Station on the Toden Arakawa Line in Tokyo brings you to Kishimoj...
January 13, 2026
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Ehime: Zoo Aims to Breed Endangered Bornean Orangutans on Verge of Extinction
TOBE, Ehime — A female Bornean orangutan from Indonesia has been newly introduced into a zoo in t...
January 10, 2026
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Miyazaki: Tatami-Mat Tossed at Shrine in Replay of Japanese Sun Goddess Myth
TAKACHIHO, Miyazaki — The annual ritual of Iwato Nage was held at Amano Iwato Shrine in the town ...
January 10, 2026
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Kyoto: Imperial Tea House Given Fresh Roof of Cypress Using Traditional Technique
KYOTO — Work is underway to replace the roof of Seikatei, a tea house located in the Kyoto Sento ...
January 10, 2026
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Heirs of Kyoto Talent: Craftsman Strives for ‘Blacker than Black’ Dye, Mastering Prestigious Technique
KYOTO — Close to the site where 16th-century warlord Oda Nobunaga met his end, famous spring wate...
January 10, 2026
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Tower of the Sun Symbol of 1970 Osaka World Expo Continues to Resist ‘Progress,’ ‘Harmony’ Theme of that Event
The towering colossus resembles both a soaring bird and a human with arms spread wide. Faces ador...
January 8, 2026
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Artwork at Museum Created Using Traditional Japanese Technique Gets Year-End Cleaning
IMIZU, Toyama — Kote-e artisans carefully removed a year’s worth of dust from a kote-e work at a ...
January 7, 2026
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Capybaras Relax in Yuzu Bath at Tochigi’s Nasu Animal Kingdom, Fragrant Fruit, Cute Animals Draw Crowd
NASU, Tochigi — Capybaras enjoyed a yuzu bath at Nasu Animal Kingdom in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture,...
January 7, 2026
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Art Project Calls for Proposals for Event at Closed School in Gero, Gifu Pref., Looks to Give Form to Shared Memories
GERO, Gifu — The “Minna no Gakko” (everyone’s school) art project to be held at the former Yuya E...
January 4, 2026
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
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Pangasius Catfish Increasingly Featured on Japanese Restaurant Menus, Home Dining Tables Due to Affordability, Mild Flavor
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Sumo Restaurant in Tokyo Teaches Foreign Visitors About the Ancient Sport, with Bouts Between Retired Rikishi
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Autonomous Passenger Ship Connects Mainland with Remote Island in Seto Inland Sea; World’s 1st Commercially Operated Autonomous Vessel
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Japanese Chef of Italian Restaurant in Tokyo Offers Milanese Risotto; Bright Colors, Rich Flavors in Simple Steps
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Hokkaido Village Attracts Visitors with Red-crowned Cranes, National Special Natural Monument
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Wood Used in 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo’s Grand Ring to Be Sent to Fukushima Pref., Kansai University
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Takaichi Bets Her Future on Snap Election; Hopes to Gain Public Mandate for Administration
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Japan’s Enoden Line to Run New Train Car for 1st Time in 20 Years This Spring on Iconic Kanagawa Pref. Railway
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Snow-Covered Square Illuminated in Blue in Towada, Aomori Prefecture
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Winter-only Restaurant in Japan’s Nagano Pref. Serves ‘Dinner Refugees’; JTB Aims to Facilitate Lodging Without Dinner
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Record High 42.7 Mil. Visitors Travel to Japan in 2025, Post COVID-19 Recovery Continues, Weak Yen Also Spurs Trips
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Parties Gear Up for Feb. 8 Lower House Election; LDP Hurries to Compile Campaign Pledges
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Online Posts Divided Over Defendant in Abe Shooting Trial; Those Seeking Harsh Punishment Outnumber Sympathetic Observers