2+ day, 15+ hour ago   (1535+ words) HYOGO - Tada Shrine in Kawanishi, Hyogo Prefecture, has filed for protection under Japan's Civil Rehabilitation Act, becoming the first shrine in the Kansai region and only the third nationwide to enter bankruptcy proceedings, according to Teikoku Databank. Financial problems surrounding…...

2+ day, 16+ hour ago   (724+ words) TOKYO - The takeover battle for Kakaku.com, operator of restaurant review site Tabelog and price-comparison service Kakaku.com, intensified on September 11 after Swedish investment firm EQT raised its tender offer price to 3,680 yen per share, surpassing a rival proposal from…...

2+ day, 16+ hour ago   (1637+ words) OSAKA - The rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence is fueling construction of data centers across Japan, but plans for two large facilities beside a residential neighborhood in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, are raising concerns over sunlight, noise and low-frequency sound as…...

3+ day, 16+ hour ago   (867+ words) The assembly held an election for chairman on September 10 following Kuranouchi's departure in connection with allegations involving the exchange of money over the chairman's post. Jin Oshima of the Liberal Democratic Party, the assembly's largest caucus, and Masahiko Fukami of…...

3+ day, 16+ hour ago   (1488+ words) OSAKA - Raccoons are increasingly appearing in urban areas of Japan, including residential neighborhoods near Shin-Osaka Station, raising concerns over disease, attacks on people and agricultural damage that reached about 700 million yen nationwide last year. Despite their familiar appearance, raccoons are…...

4+ day, 16+ hour ago   (607+ words) YOKOHAMA - South Korean semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics has begun full-scale operations at a new semiconductor research center in Yokohama, seeking to accelerate development and strengthen cooperation with Japanese suppliers as demand for chips used in artificial intelligence continues to grow....

5+ day, 14+ hour ago   (704+ words) OSAKA - Grape-picking season has reached its peak at tourist farms in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, where hot weather from spring through summer has produced particularly sweet, richly flavored fruit this year, although prolonged rain has reduced visitor numbers and could shorten…...

5+ day, 20+ hour ago   (1608+ words) NARA - Japanese homebuyers are facing growing uncertainty as mortgage costs rise alongside a sharp increase in interest rates, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year government bond briefly topping 3% last week for the first time in about 30 years. The rise…...