In response to the rising price of rice, retailers, restaurant chains and food-product manufacturers are planning to raise the price of onigiri (rice balls), box lunches and processed rice products, as well as charging for extra portions of rice. Read more
Major Japanese video game companies are stepping up their efforts to recruit personnel, as ever more sophisticated graphics mean that more staff are required for game development. Read more
Giant torches blazed during a parade Jan. 7 seeking a year of protection from illness at the Oniyo fire festival, a tradition believed to be 1,600 years old. Read more
Every year when winter finally loosens its grip on northern Japan, Tomoko Kobayashi begins what has become an annual rite for her and a small band of collaborators. Read more
A new technology in which udon noodles are turned into paper has been developed in Kagawa prefecture, famous for the chewy Sanuki udon, and preparations are underway to put the tech to practical use. Read more
A town in Nagasaki prefecture’s Goto Islands last year set up a government department devoted to the area’s specialty noodles, Goto udon. Read more
Tucked away in a corner of central Tokyo, the Extinct Media Museum lives up to its name. Read more
Hotels and restaurants in the popular Hakuba ski resort village are packed to capacity amid a surge in international tourists on the slopes, and visitors to the village are expected to grow this season. Read more
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency plans to deploy unmanned firefighting robots and other specialized vehicles as part of its efforts to enhance the equipment and machinery used by Emergency Fire Response Teams, which are dispatched to areas stricken by earthquakes, flooding and other disasters. Read more
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As entrance exam season approaches, Hofu Tenmangu Shrine in Hofu, Yamaguchi prefecture, is offering test-takers free hachimaki (headbands) as good luck charms. Read more
PayPay Corp., which develops electronic payment services, has launched a service that allows visitors to shrines and temples to make cashless offerings through its app. Read more
With the passing of Jimmy Carter this week, condolences came from across Japan, notably in areas that had cultivated ties with the former U.S. president. Read more
Sanriku Railway Co. is running its special seasonal train this winter, called the Kotatsu Ressha, between its Kuji and Miyako stations on the line in Iwate prefecture. Read more
Members of a group demonstrating a centuries-old firefighting tradition display banners atop bamboo ladders during the dezomeshiki New Year’s Fire Review festival at Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center in Koto ward, Tokyo, on Jan. 6. Read more
Kansai Airport is proud to have never lost a piece of luggage in the 30 years since it opened in 1994, and the distinction has earned it recognition. Read more
Artificial intelligence is being used in new and diverse ways during the New Year’s holidays. Read more
A massive statue of a snake — the Chinese zodiac sign for 2025 — has been installed at Tatsumizu Shrine in Tsu. Read more
A hot spring area in western Shimane prefecture has been undergoing a renaissance of sorts, thanks to a unique strategy of turning the entire town into what is effectively an all-inclusive resort. Read more
When you walk on those mountains, especially as they come to life, you feel immersed in a spiritual power you never forget. Read more
Tthe day after Christmas in 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake west of the Indonesian island of Sumatra set off a mammoth wave as high as 16 stories, and in some places as fast as 300 mph. Read more
“Photo time” offers audiences watching Noh, Kabuki and other traditional performing arts the chance to take photos of the stage and actors after the end of the show, and it’s spreading throughout the Kansai region. Read more
