4+ day, 9+ hour ago   (1492+ words) TOKYO - Women now make up a growing share of customers at Akihabara maid cafes, reflecting a shift in Japan's "oshi-katsu" fan culture as visitors increasingly seek not only someone to support, but also a sense of two-way connection with the…...

4+ day, 9+ hour ago   (571+ words) SAITAMA - Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation. The Edogawa…...

4+ day, 16+ hour ago   (653+ words) KYOTO - A 62-year-old Kyoto Prefectural Government employee has been suspended for three months after repeatedly entering a women's restroom at his workplace and taking used sanitary products, with the employee subsequently resigning voluntarily. According to the Kyoto Prefectural Government, the…...

4+ day, 19+ hour ago   (906+ words) TOKYO - Prosecutors have sought a fine of 200,000 yen for entertainer Dewi Sukarno, widely known in Japan as Dewi Fujin, who is charged with two counts of assault against former members of her agency staff, arguing that the 86-year-old has not…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago   (1565+ words) KYOTO - Kyoto is preparing to effectively prohibit new private lodging operations in residential areas and other parts of the city as complaints over noise, smoking, garbage and operators ignoring existing rules intensify, even as some traditional townhouse owners say tourist…...

5+ day, 18+ hour ago   (641+ words) OSAKA - Renovation work has begun at a hospital in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, as the city prepares to introduce a baby hatch for parents unable to raise their children and a confidential birth system that allows pregnant women to give birth…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (699+ words) TOKYO - Tokyo has unveiled the design for a major redevelopment of the plaza outside Shinjuku Station's west exit, with a landmark tree, water-play area and event space planned as part of a transformation centered on "greenery, light and people" that…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago   (634+ words) TOKYO - Nearly 60% of Japanese high school students consider learning about different cultures "very important," the highest proportion among Japan, the United States, China and South Korea, according to a survey released by the National Institution for Youth Education. The independent…...