Idol groups come and go in J-pop at a quick clip. A new one debuting isn’t particularly newsworthy unless they hail from one of the huge talent agencies in the country (think Johnny & Associates)…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Officials at Fukuoka Airport in southern Japan have canceled a total of 78 flights to and from the airport due to the temporary closure of a runway. This happened because a plane that landed there ha…

posted by  Yubi | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Railway fans have flocked to Kyoto for a debut of new train cars that will take tourists to the ancient Enryaku-ji Temple in Mount Hiei.

After a commemorative ceremony, the first train departed Demac…

posted by  Yubi | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Gadget lovers helped the drone industry take flight, but its future looks to be more industrial, with increasing numbers of drones sold for tasks like surveying and inspection. A good example of this…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

While this statue isn’t life-sized, this is a fitting tribute to a giant of Japanese cinema.

The Shin Godzilla statue went up in Tokyo’s Hibiya, where Toho Studios was born. The plaza was previously …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

In 1957, Saruhashi became the first woman to receive a PhD in chemistry in Japan. Her work focused on measuring the molecules in seawater — like carbon dioxide, oxygen, and also radioactive molecules…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Tokyo prevented a housing shortage by building more and building up. Interestingly, it appears that this change was instigated by Japan’s national government, which since the 1980s has assumed more a…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Machiya are a type of townhouse that were once common in Kyoto but are now becoming scarce, as owners often shy away from conducting expensive repairs, and instead choose to build contemporary replac…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Toyota Motor says it is suspending autonomous vehicle testing on US public roads in the wake of a fatal accident involving a test vehicle operated by the ride-hailing company Uber.

Toyota Research In…

posted by  Yubi | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments

Thirteen men and women, who were unable to leave a mountain trail in western Tokyo due to heavy snow, have been found after an overnight search.

All 13 are said to be conscious, and rescue efforts ar…

posted by  Yubi | 8 years, 5 months ago | 0 comments