TOKYO: Young women standing idly around a park in Tokyo's west suggest that a giant statue of Godzilla is not the only attraction for a record number of foreign tourists. Their faces lit by the cold glow of their phones, the women lining Okubo Park are evidence that sex tourism has developed as a dark flipside...
SHANGHAI: A 27-year-old Japanese man has trended on social media because his unconventional name of “Happy” has brought him just the opposite. After Terauchi Happy’s story was reported by ABEMA Prime TV at the end of March, a heated discussion about unusual names was triggered on the internet. His name was given to him by his mother...
TOKYO: Increasingly, people are holding proper funerals when they lose their dog, cat or other beloved pet. The ceremonies may be attended by Buddhism priests who read out sutras, and memorial services may follow to mark religious milestones in the afterlife of the pet. Mourning a pet as you would a family member who has passed...
TOKYO: The man who allegedly killed a woman livestreaming on the streets of Tokyo reportedly said he came to Tokyo to search for her whereabouts while she was streaming. The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details of the murder. The man, 42, is from Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture and allegedly killed the 22-year-old woman on...
TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Tuesday (March 4) that Russia's entry ban on him and eight other Japanese citizens was "unacceptable". The comments came a day after Russia's foreign ministry banned Iwaya, the ambassador of Japan to Ukraine and seven other Japanese from entering the country in retaliation to Tokyo's sanctions. Iwaya told reporters...
TOKYO: Japan’s government and ruling parties are considering raising the International Tourist Tax, which is currently 1,000 yen (US$6.67) per person and levied on people leaving Japan as a “departure tax”. The government intends to expand the purposes for which the tax revenue is used, such as measures against overtourism, which has become a problem in...
TOKYO (The Straits Times/ANN): A career-ending sex scandal involving one of Japan’s most bankable stars has snowballed into a corporate governance nightmare and a textbook cautionary tale of how crises should never be managed. The spiralling controversy involves Masahiro Nakai, the 52-year-old media personality who was the leader of defunct male idol group Smap, and mainstream...
TOKYO (Reuters) - A large fire broke out in a commercial building near a famous tourist landmark Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka in western Japan, local TV footage showed on Tuesday. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
PUTRAJAYA: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's wife, Yoshiko Ishiba, on Friday (Jan 10) spent time enjoying a boat ride on Cruise Tasik Putrajaya for a view of the majestic buildings of Putrajaya from a different angle. She was welcomed on arrival at about 9.35am by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan...
SHAH ALAM: Social media influencer Kim Seri has denied fleeing to Japan over allegations of a fraudulent travel package she managed. Kim Seri, whose real name is Seri Azlina, said she is ready to cooperate with the authorities following police reports and almost half a million ringgit in losses linked to the Kim Seri tour package...
