Japan News

Japan's justice minister apologized Tuesday over the escape of a "model" inmate who fled an open prison more than a week ago, as the number of police hunting him passed 6,000. (Japan Today)

Major Japanese advertising agency Dentsu Inc. will introduce a uniform monthly day off on a trial basis from June, aiming to improve productivity by allowing more private time for its workers. (Japan Times)

Prosecutors have announced the non-prosecution of a middle school teacher who was accused of molesting a woman as she returned home in Fujimino City last year, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Foreigners held in a Japanese immigration detention centre have launched a hunger strike over the death of a detainee, drawing fresh attention to conditions under which they are held. (Japan Today)

Police have arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of stabbing to death a 48-year-old woman in a hotel room in Hiroshima City. (Japan Today)

The Ministry of Finance has caused a fresh controversy by asking the victim of an alleged sexual harassment by Vice Finance Minister Junichi Fukuda to cooperate with an investigation into the allegation. (Jiji)

Yuki Kawauchi won the 2018 Boston Marathon on Monday, becoming the first Japanese runner to win the prestigious race in 31 years. (Jiji)

The average life expectancy in 2015 for women was highest in Kitanakagusuku, a village in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa, at 89.0 years, a health ministry survey showed Tuesday. (Jiji)

A Japanese opposition party member says a Self-Defense Force officer yelled at him and accused him of being an enemy of the Japanese people. (NHK)

UNESCO has listed the Izu Peninsula in central Japan as a Global Geopark for its unique landform featuring many active volcanos in line. (NHK)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is holding his sixth summit with US President Donald Trump. (NHK)

A pair of premium mangoes from Miyazaki Prefecture fetched a record-matching ¥400,000 at the season’s first wholesale auction Monday. (Japan Times)

Japanese game centers are must visit places on any trip to Japan, but in Tokyo, there is a place where you can time warp back to the 1980s and 1990s and play those games of the past, too. Since Japan was the leader in arcade game programming and machine production, the culture stretches back decades and those old machines are still in use! (ONLY in JAPAN)

A 14-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of stealing 10 million yen in cash from a friend's house, according to police. (Japan Today)

Shiga Prefectural Police are seeking the help of the public in identifying a woman’s corpse found severed in Moriyama City one month ago, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Men wearing gold, full-body suits and costume hats, themed as taiyaki (a waffle-like cake shaped like a fish, typically filled with red bean paste), have started to appear in central Nagoya, attracting the attention of pedestrians. (Japan Times)

Japanese workers appear headed for their biggest wage increase in two decades as companies led by the logistics and retail sectors compete for a slice of the country's ever-shrinking workforce. (Nikkei)

SoftBank Group Corp. is among several potential buyers for U.S. newspaper publisher Tronc, U.S. online news outlet Axios reported Monday, quoting a source familiar with the situation. (Kyodo)

Tennis player Naomi Osaka, now living in the United States, has expressed her willingness to play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a member of the Japanese team. (NHK)

An 85-year-old woman was fatally struck by a car in Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, police said Sunday. The female driver of the car, who resides in the same city, was arrested on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death, Sankei Shimbun reported. (Japan Today)