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Train Services in Tokyo Resume Following Power Outage That Suspended Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku Lines (Update 4)
East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) has suffered a power outage Friday morning, resulting in suspens...
January 16, 2026
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Radiation Detected from International Mail Package from Vietnam
Trace amounts of radiation were detected Thursday by Tokyo Customs’ branch office in Koto Ward, T...
January 15, 2026
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Kobe’s ‘Hope’ Baby Helped People Connect with Tohoku, as Region Recovered from 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
KOBE — On Jan. 20, 1995, three days after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, a baby girl weighing 2.97...
January 17, 2026
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Intl Students Join Quake Drill with Mori Building in Tokyo
Mori Building Co. conducted a joint earthquake drill on Thursday with the British School in Tokyo...
January 17, 2026
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Regulations to Fight AI’s Fake Information, Suicide Inducement Exist in 48 U.S. States
WASHINGTON / NEW YORK — Among the 50 U.S. states, 48 have already enacted their own state legisla...
January 18, 2026
General News
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Winter-only Restaurant in Japan’s Nagano Pref. Serves ‘Dinner Refugees’; JTB Aims to Facilitate Lodging Without Dinner
JTB Corp. has recently launched a winter-only restaurant at a hotel in Hakuba Village, Nagano Pre...
January 20, 2026
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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
The government said Tuesday that the number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 reached the 40 m...
January 20, 2026
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Akita Shinkansen Resumes Services After Suspension Due to Heavy Snow
Akita Shinkansen services resumed at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday following suspensions caused by hea...
January 20, 2026
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Helicopter with 2 Passengers from Taiwan Goes Missing Over Aso, Kumamoto Pref., Did Not Return at Scheduled Time
A helicopter with three people aboard went missing over Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, at around 11 a....
January 20, 2026
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People in Japan Endure Freezing Temps to Pray for Health Under a Waterfall in Toyama Pref.
People prayed for good health while they stood under a waterfall at the foot of the Tateyama moun...
January 20, 2026
Crime & Courts
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Online Posts Divided Over Defendant in Abe Shooting Trial; Those Seeking Harsh Punishment Outnumber Sympathetic Observers
Both sympathy and criticism can be seen on the X social media site for Tetsuya Yamagami, currentl...
January 20, 2026
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Former Russian Trade Staffer Accused of Espionage; Allegedly Received Confidential Information From Machinery Firm Staffer
Two men — a former employee of a precision machinery manufacturer and a former staffer of the Tra...
January 20, 2026
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Japan’s Police Investigate After Man Dies from Stab-like Wounds Near Himeji Station
A man appearing to be in his thirties was found with stab-like wounds to his back outside an apar...
January 20, 2026
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Sapporo Man Held on Suspicion of Creating Sexual Deepfakes of Female Celebrities, Gaining Over ¥11 Mil. with Images
A 31-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of creating sexual deepfakes of female celebri...
January 20, 2026
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101 Criminal Charges Filed Against People Related to U.S. Forces in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture in 2025; More Than 100 for 1st Time in 22 Years
A total of 101 criminal charges were filed against U.S. force members and others connected to the...
January 17, 2026
Imperial Family
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Japan Emperor, Empress, Princess Aiko Watch Sumo for 1st Time in 6 Years; Imperial Family Meet with Sumo Stars After Bouts
The Emperor, the Empress and their daughter Princess Aiko watched the eighth day of the New Year ...
January 19, 2026
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Poems on Brightness Recited at Imperial New Year’s Reading; Prince Hisahito Makes His Debut at Annual Event
The annual Imperial ceremony of Utakai Hajime, or the New Year’s Poetry Reading, was held at the ...
January 14, 2026
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Prince Hisahito Joins Japan’s Emperor, Empress in Offering New Year Greetings to the Public
The Imperial family held its New Year greeting on Friday at the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward, ...
January 2, 2026
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New Year’s Greetings Ceremony Held at Imperial Palace; Prince Hisahito Attends for 1st Time
The Emperor and the Empress attended the New Year’s greetings ceremony at the Imperial Palace, wh...
January 1, 2026
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Imperial Family Has Long History with Horses, Former Racehorses now on Imperial Duties
Retired racehorses are having fruitful second careers carrying Imperial family guards.
...December 31, 2025
Obituaries
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Valentino, Italian Haute Couture ‘Emperor’ Who Painted Fashion Red, Dies at 93
ROME, Jan 19 (Reuters) - ROME, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A mix of carmine and scarlet, with a hint of or...
January 20, 2026
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David Webb, Prominent Hong Kong Shareholder Activist, Dies at 60
HONG KONG (AP) — David Webb, one of Hong Kong ’s most vocal shareholder activists who advocated f...
January 14, 2026
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Scott Adams, Whose Comic Strip ‘Dilbert’ Ridiculed White-Collar Office Life, Dies at 68
Scott Adams, whose popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-c...
January 14, 2026
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Claudette Colvin, Who Refused to Move Seats on a Bus at Start of Civil Rights Movement, Dies at 86
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a...
January 14, 2026
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Hiroshi Kume, Japanese Anchor for TV Programs ‘News Station,’ ‘The Best Ten,’ Dies at 81 Due to Lung Cancer
Hiroshi Kume, who served as a news anchor for TV Asahi’s “News Station” and other programs, died ...
January 13, 2026
Social Series
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Inclusive Society / South Korea, Taiwan Strive for Coexistence With Foreigners Amid Low Birth Rates, Labor Shortages
This is the final installment in a series of articles on coexistence with foreign residents and v...
January 19, 2026
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Inclusive Society / Muslim Residents in Japan Aim to Gain Understanding About Mosques, Burial Rules
The increase in facilities for foreigners has led to some friction with Japanese people. Places o...
January 16, 2026
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Inclusive Society / Japanese, Foreign Residents in Housing Complexes Build Trust; Multilingual Support, Outreach Helps Fonn Cross-cultural Bonds
Seventy-six buildings line both shores of a river in Kanagawa Prefecture, like huge walls. A stor...
January 15, 2026
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Inclusive Society / Increasing Number of Schools Offer Special Japanese Language Tutoring for Foreign Students Living in Japan
The number of children who need Japanese language tutoring is increasing in schools in the nation...
January 12, 2026
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Inclusive Society / Japan’s Remote Tourist Areas See Deluge of Foreign Visitors with Overtourism Being Serious Problem
This is the third installment in a series of articles on coexistence with foreign residents and v...
January 11, 2026
Coronavirus
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COVID-19 Cases up for 8th Consecutive Week in Japan; Omicron Subvariant Nimbus Accounts for About 40% of Infections
The number of people infected with COVID-19 has increased for eight consecutive weeks, driven by ...
August 16, 2025
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60% of Special COVID-19 Loans in Arrears at End of 2024; Government Directs Local Authorities to Boost Support
A total of ¥241.3 billion in special government loans meant to mitigate the financial impact of t...
May 19, 2025
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5 Years After Confirmation of First Coronavirus Infection, Japan Must Take Steps to Prepare for Next Pandemic
Wednesday will mark five years since the first novel coronavirus infection was confirmed in Japan...
January 13, 2025
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¥468.5 Bil. Loaned to Households Due to COVID-19 is Now Uncollectable; Number May Increase with Further Defaults
Of the over ¥1.4 trillion loaned to households in financial distress due to COVID-19 through the ...
October 24, 2024
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Long COVID Forces 50％ to Quit or Take Sick Leave From Job; Some Employers Dismiss Staff’s Needs, Say Illness Not Real
Many people suffering from so-called long COVID have been forced to quit their jobs or take sick ...
August 22, 2024
Noto Peninsula Earthquake
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On Japan’s Coming of Age Day, New Adults in Disaster-Hit Areas Renew Vow to Revitalize Hometowns
Ceremonies celebrating the start of adulthood for the newest crop of 20-year-olds were held acros...
January 12, 2026
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Ishikawa Residents Mourn Those Who Died in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Hold on to Hope for Rebuilding Two Years On
Two years have passed since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck on a quiet New Year’s Day. In di...
January 3, 2026
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Japan Remembers Victims of Noto Earthquake, Heavy Rain 2 Years After Disasters
WAJIMA, Ishikawa — A memorial ceremony on Thursday held by Ishikawa Prefecture remembered victims...
January 2, 2026
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Earthquake-Affected Areas in Japan’s Noto Region See Continued Outflow in Child-Rearing, Working Population
WAJIMA, Ishikawa — The population continues to decline in areas affected by the Noto Peninsula Ea...
January 2, 2026
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Noto Peninsula Earthquake Marks 2nd Anniversary; Disaster Caused 698 Deaths across 3 Prefectures, 18,000 Still in Temporary Housing
KANAZAWA — Thursday marked the 2nd anniversary of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. The number of de...
January 1, 2026
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