NIPPON
 
While bookstores are increasingly closing in Japan due to the expansion of online shopping, some have started to work with libraries for survival.
The government plans to support such collaboration by starting a survey in fiscal 2025 from April in response to concerns over the current si...

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CNA
 
Heavy snow in Japan's northern region cancelled dozens of flights on Tuesday (Dec 31) as millions of families were returning home to spend the New Year holiday with their loved ones.
Japan Airlines said it scrapped 42 flights, affecting 6,398 passengers, by early afternoon, all of them serv...

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BBC
 
Japanese toilets - equipped with music players, automatic flushes, and heated seats - are clearly not afraid of making a splash with their innovative designs.
But these cutting edge seats have an unlikely nemesis: toilet paper.
Toto, a top Japanese toilet bowl maker, said last week that use...

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KYODO NEWS
 
Japan's education ministry has urged that school trips be planned for the off-season due to a recent labor shortage in transportation and accommodations amid a boom in inbound tourism, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Schools tend to have their trips between May and Jun...

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JAPAN TIMES
 
Princess Kako, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, turned 30 on Sunday.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, the princess is concerned about people affected by the massive earthquake and heavy rain that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Ja...

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KYODO NEWS
 
 
The top five Japanese defense firms tallied sales of $10 billion in 2023, up 35 percent from the year before, according to an international security think tank, as the country continues its defense buildup amid Chinese and North Korean threats.
Globally, the combined arms revenues ...

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JAPAN TIMES
 
Japanese lawmaker Toshiyuki Adachi of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has died during his visit to the Maldives, informed sources said Saturday.
Adachi, 70, was believed to have died in an accident at sea.
A native of Hyogo Prefecture, Adachi was first elected to the House of Co...

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ANTARA
 
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia affirmed that Indonesia and Japan can combine abundant mineral potential, encourage innovation, and contribute to global efforts to address the impacts of climate change.
"By combining Indonesia's abundant mineral resources...

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NHK
 
Influenza is on the rise across Japan, with weekly case counts increasing in all 47 prefectures.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases and other organizations say about 5,000 hospitals and clinics across the country reported seeing 211,049 flu patients in the seven-day period up to ...

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KYODO NEWS
 
Japan and China on Wednesday continued efforts to improve bilateral ties, with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya outlining a plan to ease visa requirements for Chinese tourists and agreeing on an early visit to Japan by top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi.
But Iwaya also conveyed to W...

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