The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun

10/11/2025

Fake videos created by generative AI that appear to depict people’s close encounters with bears — such as by feeding the creatures or fighting them off with their bare hands — are mushrooming on social media in Japan.

One video apparently shows a news program reporting about a wild bear sighting in a city. Other videos show an old woman feeding fruit to a bear she encountered in a field, a high school girl bravely shooing away a bear, and a bear running off with a pet dog in its mouth. However, these videos — a...

10/11/2025

Tokyo Umbrella Maker Preserves Century-Long Tradition; Very Few Umbrellas Still Manufactured Domestically

Foot-powered, moss-green sewing machines whir away near the western bank of the Sumida River in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, stitching triangular cloth to make some of the very few Western-style umbrellas still produced in Japan.

10/11/2025

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to provide financial support to companies that conduct periodontal disease screenings during workplace health checkups in fiscal 2026.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to provide financial support to companies that conduct periodontal disease screenings during workplace health checkups in fiscal 2026. The initiative aims to help working-age individuals, who are at a higher risk of developing periodontal disease, detect....

10/11/2025

With the approach of winter, swans have begun arriving in Akita Prefecture, where they often search for food in harvested rice paddies.

Swans glean fallen ears of rice from a paddy in the Nishime community in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture. Recently, as winter has begun to approach, swans have been arriving across the prefecture. They nest in spots such as ponds and beside the city’s Koyoshi River, and during the day they search for ...

10/11/2025

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Rises on Hopes US Shutdown May End Soon

TOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei share average rose on Monday, tracking gains in U.S. stock futures as hopes grew that the historic U.S. government shutdown may end soon.

10/11/2025

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10/11/2025

This Delicious recipe features the seasonal staple Japanese satoimo taro in dumpling form with a cheese filling, to bring the best of Japanese and Western flavors.

Satoimo Japanese taro, known for its firm and sticky texture, is in season. Akihiko Murata, who runs a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, combines satoimo and cheese to create dumplings that are the centerpiece of a dish.

10/11/2025

Kyoto’s Nishijin-ori textile, long used for kimono and obi sashes, is attracting attention from high-end overseas fashion brands for use in clothing, bags and interior design.

Kyoto’s Nishijin-ori textiles, long cherished as a material for kimono and obi sashes, is attracting attention from high-end overseas fashion brands. The potential of the textile is being expanded through use in clothing, bags and interior decoration.

10/11/2025

As customers tighten their spending amid soaring prices, department stores and other businesses are selling a range of osechi dishes for the New Year that offer more value for money in addition to their regular luxurious offerings.

With less than two months remaining before the end of the year, sales of boxed osechi meals for the upcoming New Year’s festivities are in full swing.

09/11/2025

The earthquake that shook Iwate and Miyagi prefectures this evening resulted in the suspension of Tohoku Shinkansen train service between Sendai and Shin-Aomori stations.

Tohoku Shinkansen services are currently suspended between Sendai and Shin-Aomori stations due to the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck the Tohoku region on Sunday evening.

09/11/2025

A bear came out of the bushes and clawed a Niigata Prefecture man in the side on Sunday morning, part of a string of recent bear attacks on humans in Japan.

NIIGATA — A man in his 60s was attacked by a bear on his property and was taken to a hospital on Sunday in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture.

09/11/2025

An annual antler-cutting ceremony for wild deer in Nara was held later than usual this year as the organizers needed to prioritize non-ceremonial antler cutting amid spate of injuries to tourists.

NARA — An antler-cutting ceremony was held for the famous wild deer in Nara on Saturday, about a month later than usual due to last autumn’s increase in the number of tourists being hurt in recent years by the animals, which inhabit Nara Park.