54+ min ago  (845+ words) TOKYO - A 65-year-old man who spent 40 years working for a company was shocked to learn that his pension would amount to 168,000 yen a month, raising fresh concern over whether retirees in Japan can live on public pension payments alone. The…...

1+ hour, 24+ min ago  (727+ words) TOKYO - Demand for next-generation power semiconductors is expected to grow as artificial intelligence servers place heavier loads on power infrastructure, raising interest in technologies once viewed mainly as a component for electric vehicles. Power semiconductors are chips used to control…...

3+ hour, 5+ min ago  (855+ words) TOKYO - Japan's anime industry, one of the country's leading cultural exports, is beginning to confront the arrival of artificial intelligence in production as studios grapple with labor shortages, rising output and deep concerns over copyright and the future of animators…...

5+ hour, 10+ min ago  (876+ words) OSAKA - Osaka’s Minami district, now entering another period of major change with the planned opening of the Naniwasuji Line, the redevelopment of Midosuji and improvements around Nankai Namba Station, has transformed from an area once described as "scary" and "dirty…...

5+ hour, 10+ min ago  (1147+ words) TOKYO - A growing number of young doctors in Japan are moving directly into cosmetic medicine after obtaining a medical license and completing their initial clinical training, raising concern that the trend may be worsening staff shortages in insurance-covered medical care....

1+ day, 8+ hour ago  (794+ words) TOKYO - Small supermarkets offering lower prices than convenience stores and closer access than full-size supermarkets are expanding rapidly across the Tokyo metropolitan area, as retailers race to meet demand from older consumers, single-person households and shoppers under pressure from rising…...

1+ day, 8+ hour ago  (1006+ words) FUKUOKA - The Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly is facing mounting scrutiny over its use of public funds after revelations that assembly members spent about 45 million yen in one year on overseas inspection trips, including a Hawaii visit that cost nearly 12 million yen…...

1+ day, 8+ hour ago  (905+ words) TOKYO - Foreign drivers seeking to convert overseas licenses into Japanese ones are increasingly turning to driving schools after tougher rules introduced last October sharply reduced pass rates for both written and practical checks. Before the changes, applicants passed the knowledge…...

1+ day, 22+ hour ago  (1597+ words) KYOTO - Plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka have been narrowed from eight proposals to two main options, the Obama-Kyoto route and the Maibara route, as concerns grow over construction costs and the potential…...

1+ day, 22+ hour ago  (718+ words) HOKKAIDO - The first Pacific saury of the season landed in Hokkaido fetched a record 1.112 million yen per kilogram at an auction in Sapporo on July 10, with one fish later displayed at a retail price of 216,000 yen. The auction price surpassed…...