Japan News

Japan's government has announced that ballistic missiles are believed to have been launched from North Korea on Saturday morning. (NHK)

A man affiliated with Japan's largest crime syndicate was shot Wednesday in Kobe apparently in connection with a feud among factions of the Yamaguchi-gumi organization in the western Japan city and surrounding areas, police said. (Japan Today)

The US Department of Defense has expressed its "strong concern" and "disappointment" at South Korea's decision to terminate its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. (NHK)

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono has summoned South Korea's ambassador and lodged a protest at Seoul's decision to end an intelligence-sharing agreement between the two countries. (NHK)

Defending champions Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic are the No. 1 seeds for singles play in the U.S. Open, it was announced on Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Japan's space agency said Thursday its Hayabusa2 space probe returning to Earth late next year will drop its capsule containing asteroid samples in Australia's southern desert. (Kyodo)

To boost the number of male employees taking paternity leave and promote female participation in the workforce, Japan's labor ministry decided to increase government subsidies for companies whose employees do so, sources close to the matter said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japan will include sharing activities like Airbnb-style vacation rentals in gross domestic product calculations as early as fiscal 2020, Nikkei has learned, as the government seeks a better picture of the growing sector. (Nikkei)

Japan's capital is set to lay claim to the country's tallest building in 2023, when developer Mori Building aims to complete a 330-meter tower as part of a major redevelopment. (Nikkei)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a woman and a man for allegedly introducing a teenage girl to men for prostitution last year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Aug. 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

The South Korean government says it will not extend an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. Bilateral relations are tense over issues including trade and wartime labor. (NHK)

With the Rugby World Cup kicking off Sept. 20 in Japan, communities across the country are preparing for the 500,000-plus visitors expected to attend. (Nikkei)

Japan's two largest opposition parties said Tuesday they will form a joint group in both houses of the Diet in an attempt to challenge the ruling bloc's dominance. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 50-year-old man over the alleged abduction of a middle school girl in order to molest her last month, reports TBS News (Aug. 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

It has always been a mystery why Summer Sonic is not held in the relative cool of June or July, but at the very height of summer, when the August sun beats down upon the festival’s outdoor stages or typhoons power through the country, threatening disruption and cancellations to the event’s packed schedule. (Japan Times)

The number of South Korean tourists visiting Japan fell last month to its lowest in nearly a year as visitors canceled travel plans amid deteriorating relations between the neighbors, Japanese government data showed on Wednesday. (Japan Times)

A Shinkansen bullet train made an emergency stop after one of its doors opened while speeding through northeastern Japan. (NHK)

Japan's current bubble tea craze has sent tapioca imports soaring to meet the demand for the drink made with cold milk and tapioca balls. (Asahi)

Up to 3.41 million people, accounting for about 5 percent of Japan’s total labor force, are estimated to be working as freelancers, according to a recent survey conducted by the government. (Japan Times)

People who traveled in Japan by rail, air and road decreased from a year earlier during the Bon summer holidays due to a heavy storm. (Japan Times)