Abe, Obama affirm Japan-US alliance at summit
Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe were Thursday discussing the future shape of the Japan-US security alliance as they met for talks at the start of the president's tour of a tense Asia.
China frees Japan ship after $28 mn paid
China on Thursday released a seized Japanese ship after owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines paid 2.9 billion yen ($28 million) to the Chinese side, a court said, in a dispute dating to the 1930s.
Japan's digital eyes show your emotions for you
Can't be bothered to show anyone what you're thinking? Then a Japanese scientist has the answer -- a pair of digital eyes that can express delight and anger, or even feign boredom.
Jimmy Choo creates Fukushima shoes line
Designer Jimmy Choo unveiled a one-off range of shoes in Japan on Friday, made using materials and techniques native to the disaster-hit Fukushima area, in a bid to boost the profile of artisans there.
Murakami's new book unveiled in Japan
Haruki Murakami's first collection of short stories in nine years hit the shelves in Japan on Friday with some excited fans queuing for the midnight launch.
Sony's PlayStation 4 sales top seven million
Sony says it has sold seven million PlayStation 4 worldwide since its launch last year and admitted it can't make them fast enough, in a welcome change of fortune for the Japanese consumer electronics giant.
Japan virtual star Hatsune to join Lady Gaga tour
Hatsune Miku, a computer-generated Japanese pop star who performs as a hologram, is to support some of Lady Gaga's tour of North America next month, the US songstress has announced on Twitter.
Honda's new ASIMO robot, more human-like than ever
It walks and runs, even up and down stairs. It can open a bottle and serve a drink, and politely tries to shake hands with a stranger. Meet the latest ASIMO, Honda's humanoid robot.
Only 1 in 7 Japanese scientists are women: study
Just a seventh of scientists in Japan are female, government figures show -- the lowest rate of any developed nation, despite being a record high for the country.
Japan culls 112,000 chickens after bird flu outbreak
Japan has finished slaughtering 112,000 chickens after confirming its first bird flu infections for three years, with authorities stepping up efforts to swiftly contain the latest outbreak, officials said Tuesday.
Taiwanese tourists hurt in Japan deer rampage
Visitors to one of usually-safe Japan's most celebrated spots are being warned to be on the lookout, after two Taiwanese tourists were injured in a rampage by a wild deer.
Japan says no decision on 2015-16 whaling
Japan on Monday insisted it had made no decision on whether to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean next year, after a militant environmental group said Tokyo intended to evade an international court ruling.
'Cherry tree from space' mystery baffles Japan
A cosmic mystery is uniting monks and scientists in Japan after a cherry tree grown from a seed that orbited the Earth for eight months bloomed years earlier than expected -- and with very surprising flowers.
Pair of Japanese mangoes fetch $3,000 at auction
A pair of mangoes grown in southern Japan sold Thursday for a whopping 300,000 yen ($3,000), a record price for the fruit's first auction of the season, Kyodo News reported.
Japan kills 251 minke whales in final Antarctic hunt
Japan killed 251 minke whales during the 2014 Antarctic hunt, in what is expected to be the last "research whaling" mission in the Southern Ocean after an international court ruling.
Denis Ten skates at Japanese Skating Exhibition
Bronze winner of the Sochi Olympics in figure skating Denis Ten from Kazakhstan is participating in the Osaka World Figure Skating Exhibition 2014 alongside Yuzuru Hanyu, the Olympic champion, and Canadian silver medalist Patrick Chan.
Japan lawmaker resigns over $8 mn loan scandal
A senior Japanese politician has announced he is resigning as his party's leader, despite insisting that he spent an undeclared $8 million loan not on politics but on personal items -- including an ornamental rake.
Spring in Japan: beautiful blossoms and hayfever misery
Spring in Japan brings explosions of pink and white cherry blossoms that provide a beautiful backdrop for picnics across this nature-loving country.
Novartis replaces top Japan executives over drug trial scandal
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Thursday it was replacing the top executives at its Japanese unit over allegations the division hid serious potential side effects of leukaemia treatments from regulators.
Japan cancels next Antarctic whaling hunt after ICJ ruling
Japan said Thursday it was cancelling its annual Antarctic whaling hunt for the first time in more than a quarter of a century in line with a UN court ruling that the programme was a commercial activity disguised as science.