Indonesian broadcasting commission tells television network to cut indecent parts of the programme or show it at a later time With his penchant for mooning and blurting out risqué spoonerisms, Crayon Shin-chan has delighted Japanese children, and infuriated their parents, for more than two decades. But now the precocious five-year-old has met his match in the form of Indonesian regulators, who...
To celebrate 60 years since Japan's Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) was founded, servicemen ride plane-shaped scooters at a ceremony in Tokyo. The novelty scooters are based on the design of fighter aircraft. Those who take part in the ceremony are staff members who never leave the ground, such as mechanics and support staff Continue reading... ...
Two members of the hugely successful band, Rina Kawaei and Anna Iriyama, taken to hospital with hand and head injuries Two members of the Japanese girl group AKB48 were taken to hospital after being attacked by a man wielding a saw at one of the band's meet-the-fans events, police said on Monday. Rina Kawaei, 19, and Anna Iriyama, 18, both broke bones in their right hands and received cuts on their...
Chinese defence ministry calls on Japan to stop all reconnaissance activity after jet incident over disputed territory Chinese and Japanese officials have traded accusations after Chinese fighter jets came within a few dozen metres from Japanese military aircraft that had entered Beijing's air defence zone over the East China Sea. China's defense ministry claimed that a Japanese surveillance plane...
Outcry over storyline blaming radiation exposure moves PM to respond and publisher to suspend Oishinbo series One of Japan's most popular manga series is at the centre of a row over the possible health effects of radiation from Fukushima Daiichi. In a recent edition of Oishinbo (The Gourmet), the main character, a journalist, blames radiation exposure for nosebleeds he experiences after a reporting...
Anglo-Dutch firm Unilever to sell North America pasta sauce business including Kentucky and California plants to Mizkan Unilever has brought to an end its 27-year ownership of the Ragu brand by agreeing to sell its North American pasta sauce business to Miskan of Japan. The Anglo-Dutch consumer products firm said Miskan would pay $2.15bn (£1.27bn) for Ragu and Bertolli, the top pasta sauce brands...
Kazuto Tatsuta, who worked on cleanup at nuclear plant, hopes his work 'tells people about things that the media never see' Like many of the thousands of men who have worked at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant over the past three years, Kazuto Tatsuta was driven by a sense of mission. "I had been looking for work around the time of the disaster and wondered if there was anything I could do...
Fashion chain seeks to capitalise on 17% revenue rise by scaling up presence in second-largest luxury goods market Burberry's new chief executive Christopher Bailey promised to lead the company in "my own way", as the British luxury brand reported record results. The 158-year old company best known for its camel-coloured trenchcoats and check pattern said revenues were up 17% to £2.3bn,...
Institution's name will be changed to Kindai University to stifle giggles and encourage international exchange Lecturers at a university in western Japan could be forgiven for dreading the moment they have to introduce themselves at international conferences. Their institution's academic pedigree is not in doubt but to the non-Japanese ear, the mere mention of its name is enough to prompt fits of giggles....
Tweets of mutual appreciation following Modi's India election win demonstrate flourishing ties between the two countries Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, follows only three people on Twitter: his outspoken wife, a scandal-tainted politician and India's prime minister-in-waiting, Narendra Modi. Abe and Modi are two assertive nationalists who came to power on platforms pledging economic revival. They...
Tepco hails 'major milestone' in cleanup operation three years after earthquake and tsunami damaged reactors at nuclear plant The operator of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has started pumping groundwater into the Pacific ocean in an attempt to manage the large volume of contaminated water at the site. Continue reading... ...
China trip interpreted as part of a pivot toward Asia, coming after multiple rounds of sanctions from the US, EU and Japan Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Tuesday set on increasing cooperation after Russia's relations with the west soured over the Ukraine crisis. But Beijing holds far more cards at the negotiating table, and the most significant deal, a gas export agreement, had yet to be signed...
Event in August will be jointly organised with Japanese wrestler and politician Antonio Inoki. NK News reports North Koreas state news agency has said it will host an international pro wrestling event in Pyongyang in late August. The contest will be jointly organised by Kanji Inoki, better known as Antonio Inoki , currently a member of the upper house of Japans government and, famously, a former professional...
Death of Hyon Song-wol, supposedly the former girlfriend of Kim Jong-un, was reported in Japan and South Korea A North Korean singer said to be leader Kim Jong-un's former girlfriend and rumoured to have been executed last year has appeared on state television, apparently alive and well. Pyongyang's state TV showed Hyon Song-wol, the head of a band known as Moranbong, delivering a speech at a national...
The Japanese prime minister's plan to reinterpret the country's pacifist constitution is proving controversial. Our readers have shared their views on the proposed changes - and you can add your own below the line Japan will never again become "a country that wages war," according to prime minister Shinzo Abe. He has, however, called for a review of how the country's unique pacifist constitution...
As tensions with China continue, are Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe's plans to allow Japanese forces to fight overseas compatible with Japan's pacifist constitution? Share your views via GuardianWitness Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe has announced plans to lift the country's ban on fighting in conflicts overseas a move that many see as incompatible with Japan's pacifist constitution. Though...
Japan's prime minister calls for review of way country interprets its pacifist constitution a move likely to raise tension with China Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has announced plans to lift the country's ban on fighting in conflicts overseas, a move certain to raise tensions with China and anger voters at home. He called for a review of how Japan interprets its pacifist constitution to allow...
PlayStation 4, Vaio and Bravia TV maker hit by cost of exiting its PC business and forecasts further steep losses for 2014/5 Sony sank to a ¥138bn ($771m) quarterly loss due to expenses from exiting its personal computer business and is forecasting more red ink as it struggles to execute a long-promised turnaround. The Tokyo-based maker of the PlayStation 4, Bravia TVs and Walkman digital player...
Tomodachi Life game does not allow same-sex relationships 'Unfortunately it is not possible to change this game's design' The video-game giant Nintendo has apologised and promised to be more inclusive, after being criticised for not recognising same-sex relationships in English-language editions of a life-simulator video game. The company said, however, it was too late to change the game. In a statement...
From PM's thoughts on not quitting to Michelle Obama's TV ubiquity and cuteness overload in Osaka a roundup of the week's news The prime minister told allies he would not resign as prime minister if Scotland voted for independence . The revelation shows that Cameron and Downing Street are seriously concerned that some Scots will vote for independence as a way of expressing their dislike of the Tories....