JAPAN

Countries differ in their norms, but office workers everywhere want the same thing: flexibility.

The annual event is taking place in Germany

Japan is bracing for a return of tourists from abroad, as border controls to curb the spread of coronavirus infections are gradually loosened. After two long years, Yusuke Otomo, who owns a kimono rental shop, can barely contain his excitement. Hopes are running high at such businesses catering to foreign tourists, who numbered more than 30 million people a year before the pandemic. For now, foreign tourists are allowed in limited numbers and only on group tours. Visas are being given only to certain countries, including Thailand and the U.S., that are deemed to pose a minimal health risk, so people can enter without a quarantine. (June 28)

In a blistering hot June around the Northern Hemisphere, in which records have been set on every contintent, Japan is the latest victim.

Serena Williams’ competitive preparation for Wimbledon will amount to two doubles matches.

Refugee groups in Japan hope its support for Ukrainians could serve as a model for future humanitarian crises and conflicts, but the path forward remains unclear.

"I actually wonder if the legal system in this country is really working," one of the plaintiffs, Machi Sakata, told Reuters.​

Ukraine's military said they have destroyed a heavily-armed Russian tug boat on the Black Sea using a Harpoon missile supplied by the US.

Burger King operates over 150 restaurants in Japan.

Naomi Osaka has pulled out of Wimbledon for the second consecutive year.

Revlon filed for bankruptcy as the cosmetics giant struggles with supply chain issues, a steep drop in sales during the pandemic and competition from celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Rihanna, who have their own cosmetic lines.

Adobe cited foreign-exchange challenges, along with other software companies, as well as the war in Ukraine when it gave lower-than-expected guidance.

Before her suicide, Hana Kimura tweeted that she received about a hundred hateful messages every day.

Japan’s parliament approved tougher penalties for criminal defamation Monday in a move prompted by a bullied wrestler's suicide and that is raising free speech concerns. Parliamentary deliberations on toughening the defamation law began in January after Hana Kimura took her own life at 22. Kimura faced bullying and insults on social media in 2020 after appearing on the Netflix show “Terrace House,” about three men and three women temporarily living together at a shared house in Tokyo.

It’s easy to be frustrated with Japan’s slow reopening, but the country needs to learn to let down its guard first.

It’s easy to be frustrated with Japan’s slow reopening, but the country needs to learn to let down its guard first.

Analysis of Hayabusa2's samples from the asteroid Ryugu shows they date to before the formation of the planets.

The yen has slipped to two-decade lows against the dollar largely because Japan has a different view on inflation than its global peers. The Bank of Japan stands out among major central banks with its commitment to maintain rock-bottom interest rates to boost a sputtering economy, even as surging prices worldwide spur the US Federal Reserve to roll back stimulus and raise rates. A weaker yen can both benefit and harm the economy, businesses and consumers. The steepness of its slide, however, has

The once-popular Asian destination has some of the world's toughest Covid-19 restrictions.

U.N. member nations have elected Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland to join the powerful U.N. Security Council.

China’s trade growth rebounded in May after anti-virus restrictions that shut down Shanghai and other industrial centers began to ease.

Crude is trading at a record in many local currencies. That will eventually lead to demand destruction.

After more than two years of closed border policies, Japan is reopening to international travelers on June 10.

CBS News looks at the major hoops private citizens in Japan must jump through to own a gun, and the surprising origins of the country's firearms restrictions.

A U.S. Navy lieutenant in Japan is appealing a three-year prison sentence for a car crash that killed two people last year.

For Ridge Alkonis, a U.S. Navy lieutenant living in Japan, a springtime trip with his wife and three children to Mount Fuji was intended as fun and leisurely family time before an expected deployment. In the telling by Alkonis' family and supporters, the naval officer abruptly lost consciousness in the car, causing him to slump over behind the wheel after suffering acute mountain sickness. With a Japanese court set to hear an appeal Wednesday of Alkonis’ prison sentence, his parents are pleading for leniency for an act they say was nothing more than a terrible accident but that prosecutors view as deadly negligence.

After filing for bankruptcy protection on Thursday, Japan's oldest existing Chinese restaurant, Heichinrou, is shutting down after 138 years of business. The restaurant, located in Yokohama Chinatown, first opened in 1884, catering to foreigners who moved to the city during the Meiji Restoration. Boasting 138 years of business, Heichinrou claimed itself to be the oldest existing Chinese restaurant in Japan on their website.

President Biden on Friday responded to Elon Musk's recent doubts about the U.S. economy, saying he wished the Tesla CEO "lots of luck on his trip to the moon." According to Reuters, Musk said in an email to Tesla executives Thursday he has a "super bad feeling" about the economy and he said in an email to employees Friday that he'll be cutting about 10% of workers.

A 7-year-old boy from Hyogo, Japan, was gifted a letter of gratitude by the police for directing a lost 3-year-old to safety. Ruito Murai, a second-grade student at Amagasaki Municipal Tachibana Minami Elementary School, found the infant standing at an intersection near Santanda Park on April 19, reported The Mainichi. After asking the young child if he was lost, Murai took him to the local park and promptly informed a police officer, who was already searching for the infant after his mother filed a report.

Japan’s persistent restrictions on foreigners are out of step with not only the Group of Seven major economies, but also its neighboring countries, other than China.

Rimac raised 500 million euros to expand its ability to build high-performance EV components for bigger automakers.

Japanese parents crave security for their kids. If anything, the country could afford to be a little more out there.

Global stocks and U.S. futures are higher after Wall Street rebounded from a seven-week string of declines and China eased anti-virus curbs on businesses in Shanghai and Beijing.

Asian stocks are higher after Wall Street rebounded from a seven-week string of declines and China eased anti-virus curbs on business activity in Shanghai and Beijing.

Fusako Shigenobu, who co-founded the terrorist group Japanese Red Army, was released from prison Saturday after serving a 20-year sentence, and apologized for hurting innocent people. Shigenobu was convicted of masterminding the 1974 siege of the French Embassy in the Hague, the Netherlands. The Japanese Red Army, formed in 1971 and linked with Palestinian militants, took responsibility for several attacks including the takeover of the U.S. Consulate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1975.

Japan is debating when and how to take off masks. The country should proceed cautiously.

Japan is debating when and how to take off masks. The country should proceed cautiously.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Biden administration to use a higher estimate than Republican-led states want for calculating damages to people and the environment from greenhouse gas emissions.

Alizé Cornet has beaten 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 to advance to the third round at the French Open.

Natural gas prices are at the highest level in nearly 14 years, just as the summer air conditioning season begins.

The Olympic Refugee Foundation and the refugee Olympics team are the winners of this year’s Princess of Asturias Award for sports.

President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order on policing Wednesday, the second anniversary of George Floyd's death.

President Joe Biden will return back to Washington D.C. at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow he will return to his domestic agenda.

As the White House tries to demonstrate that the war in Ukraine hasn’t distracted America from pressing priorities in Asia, the Biden administration is once again looking to “the Quad.” The informal grouping brings together the US, Japan, India and Australia in an alliance of democracies with shared economic and security interests that span the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The point is to maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” but the unstated priority is countering China’s growing power, which rankles the leadership in Beijing. The Quad has its critics, who question the group’s sometimes-ambiguous goals and ask how effective it can be given that some members are wary of provoking China. Still, it’s set to become more relevant as US-China tensions persist and Russia’s invasion of its neighbor sharpens Western security alliances.

Joe Biden spent his first presidential trip to Asia strengthening economic and military commitments.

President Joe Biden insisted on Tuesday that the U.S. has made no change to its strategic policy on Taiwan.

Novak Djokovic says he plans to defend his title at Wimbledon this year and supports the decision by the ATP men’s tour to withhold ranking points from that tournament as a show of unity among players — even though the move will negatively affect his hold on the No. 1 spot.

Naomi Osaka’s return to the French Open ended in the first round with a straight-set loss to 20-year-old American Amanda Anisimova.

No non-American has ever touched down on the lunar surface, and Japan has previously said it hopes to achieve a Moon landing by the end of this decade.

The United States and four other nations emphasized their support for host nation Thailand after they walked out of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group meeting in Bangkok.

When Samantha Zimmer of Houston, Texas reported to a dog rescue call, she discovered a hero dog who refused to leave his injured friend's side.

President Joe Biden said he does not believe an economic recession is inevitable in the U.S. Biden, in Tokyo, acknowledged the U.S. economy has “problems” but said they were "less consequential than the rest of the world has.” (May 23)

Anthony Albanese's center-left Labor Party ousted Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative coalition at Saturday's election. (May 23)

The countries have made clear in recent days how much strategic importance they place on semiconductors — including export controls to China.

A central theme for the trip is to tighten U.S. alliances in the Pacific to counter China’s influence in the region.

A central theme for the trip is to tighten U.S. alliances in the Pacific to counter China’s influence in the region.

Pressure from the US president can give Prime Minister Fumio Kishida cover to increase military spending to counter China.

President Joe Biden says cases of monkeypox are “something that everybody should be concerned about.”.

Anthony Albanese vows to take the nation in a new direction, creating a renewable energy superpower.

President Joe Biden has signed legislation granting Ukraine an additional $40 billion in U.S. support as it continues to battle a Russian invasion.

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency has stressed the importance of transparency after visiting the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, where he observed preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater that has prompted concerns inside and outside Japan

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency has stressed the importance of transparency after visiting the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, where he observed preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater that has prompted concerns inside and outside Japan.

The top U.S. trade negotiator says with world economies all suffering from more than two years of the coronavirus pandemic and global supply problems exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has an “incredible opportunity” to engage with other nations and forge new partnerships and agreements.

Japan is welcoming a new U.S. economic initiative for the Indo-Pacific that President Joe Biden is expected to roll out during a visit to Tokyo next week because it demonstrates American commitment to a regional economic order that is not just about market access.

China is holding military exercises in the disputed South China Sea coinciding with U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to South Korea and Japan.

Assets remain in cash and savings but, for a country full of retired people, pensions may not be enough to keep up with inflation.

As the White House tries to demonstrate that the war in Ukraine hasn’t distracted America from pressing priorities in Asia, the Biden administration is once again looking to “the Quad.” The informal grouping brings together the US, Japan, India and Australia in an alliance of democracies with shared economic and security interests that span the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The point is to maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” but the unstated priority is countering China’s growing power, which

Naomi Osaka’s return to the French Open will be a tough test against the player who beat her at the Australian Open, No. 27 Amanda Anisimova.

Japan has announced it will donate $2.1 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency for its efforts to ensure the safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities that have come under Russian attack

"The climber is presumed dead based on the volume of ice, the distance of the fall and the duration of the burial," the park said.

President Biden is traveling to Japan and South Korea this week — his first trip to Asia since taking office. Like presidents before him, he's seeking to reorient U.S. foreign policy toward Asia.

Japan has recorded a trade deficit in April as imports ballooned 28% as energy prices soared following the war in Ukraine.

A senior Biden administration official says U.S. intelligence shows that it’s a “genuine possibility” that North Korea will conduct another ballistic missile test or nuclear test around President Joe Biden’s visit to South Korea and Japan that begins later this week.

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato shot to the top of the speed chart Tuesday on the first day of preparations for the May 29 race.

An underwater robot hunter has been built to seek out and destroy soaring numbers of jellyfish.

The man, who had only moved into the town of Abu in October 2020, was erroneously given around $359,000 in April, local media said.

Singer Tina Karol says on a visit to Japan that she and her fellow Ukrainians will not give up defending their land and culture from Russian invasion.

China’s export growth tumbled in April after Shanghai and other major industrial cities were shut down to fight virus outbreaks.

Han Xu feels much more comfortable in her second WNBA stint with the New York Liberty.

New Zealand has begun welcoming back tourists from the U.S., Canada, Britain, Japan and more than 50 other countries for the first time in more than two years after dropping most of its remaining pandemic border restrictions.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani says he expects to play Monday, a day after making an early exit because of tightness in his right groin.

Taylor Ward and Shohei Ohtani hit first-inning solo home runs off Lucas Giolito and the Los Angeles Angels rode a combined three-hitter to their sixth straight win, 5-1 over the Chicago White Sox.

A Florida man has been sentenced to seven months in federal prison followed by a year of home confinement for his part in a scheme to smuggle illegally harvested Florida turtles to China, Japan and other places.

Allyson Felix, who closed the Tokyo Games last year with more Olympic medals than any U.S. track and field athlete in history, says she will retire after the 2022 season.

Millions of Ukrainians have fled their country, but Sasha Kaverina did just the opposite.

The introduction differs slightly from tournament to tournament though the general theme never changes.

Iga Swiatek has moved up one spot to the top of the WTA rankings and is the first tennis player from Poland to be No. 1 in the sport.

Naomi Osaka is playing her first final in more than a year on Saturday, which sounds like a comeback story.

People across Japan are celebrating the peak cherry blossom viewing season one week after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, triggering concerns of a possible virus resurgence.

Japan’s “Drive My Car” has won the Oscar for best international feature.

The full Shohei Ohtani experience will be on display when the Los Angeles Angels take the field on opening day.

Asian stock markets have fallen after Western governments promised new sanctions on Russia.

Gov. Ron DeSantis accused the NCAA of "fraud" for allowing Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete competing for the University of Pennsylvania, to compete in the 500-yard freestyle, though he did not name the swimmer.

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing two people.

Tokyo’s stock benchmark soared 4% and other Asian markets have surged after oil prices dropped, easing fears inflation was set to accelerate.

Researchers say a large spider native to East Asia that proliferated in Georgia last year could spread to much of the East Coast.

Toyota says it is suspending production at all 28 lines of its 14 plants in Japan because of a “system malfunction” that a domestic supplier suspects is a cyberattack.

A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency has visited the site at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant where more than a million tons of treated radioactive waste water are to be released into the ocean.

Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street higher after Federal Reserve policymakers indicated they are leaning toward more decisive action on inflation but set no firm targets.

A remote-controlled robot has captured images of what appears to be mounds of nuclear fuel that melted and fell to the bottom of the most damaged reactor at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant.