1+ day, 1+ hour ago   (962+ words) IBARAKI - Prolonged rain has dramatically transformed Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki Prefecture, sending far more water than usual over the famous cascade and drawing growing numbers of tourists eager to see the unusually powerful spectacle. Visitors emerging from the tunnel leading…...

3+ day, 19+ 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…...

4+ day, 21+ 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…...

5+ day, 6+ hour ago   (1492+ words) TOKYO - Women now make up a growing share of customers at Akihabara maid cafes, reflecting a shift in Japan's "oshi-katsu" fan culture as visitors increasingly seek not only someone to support, but also a sense of two-way connection with the…...

5+ day, 6+ hour ago   (571+ words) SAITAMA - Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation. The Edogawa…...

5+ day, 14+ hour ago   (1100+ words) TOKYO - Heavy rain continued across wide areas of Japan on September 9 after downpours began the previous day, prompting Level 4 flood danger warnings along several rivers in Tokyo and, at one point, a Level 5 emergency safety alert in Nagoya, while forecasters…...

6+ day, 18+ 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…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (587+ words) TOKYO - Rail operators are warning of widespread disruptions through the morning of September 7 as heavy rain threatens Shinkansen services and commuter lines, with some trains to be canceled, services reduced and the final departure time brought forward on part of…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (980+ words) NAHA - Western and eastern Japan face a prolonged risk of heavy rain into next week as Typhoon No. 24, a tropical depression and the autumn rain front combine to bring increasingly unstable weather across a wide area, with the typhoon currently…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (1391+ words) Miyazaki - Asahi Kasei has grown from its roots in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, into a global conglomerate with annual sales exceeding 3 trillion yen by repeatedly developing products and technologies that dominate their markets or occupy niches with few direct rivals. The…...