Everything you need to know about Japan: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Japan : World's Second Biggest Economy and Land of the Rising Sun
In 1603 Japanese military dictator Tokugawa Shogunate occupied the throne and ruled for two centuries. Japan opened its ports and began to modernize and industrialize its country after signing the treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854. By the end of 20 th century Japan became powerful regional power and defeated the forces of Russia and China in a war of imperialism. In the Second World War Japan sided with the Axis powers and even attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbour, which led to US joining the war. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 by the US forced Japan to an unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945.
Japan Profile: Overview of Facts and Figures
Geographical Information on Japan :
Japan is an archipelago of over 3000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia. Japan stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. This eastern most location of Japan makes it the ?Land of Rising Sun'.
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain
Culture, Cuisine and Tradition Of Japan:
The culture of Japan has been immensely influenced by the cultures of Europe, Asia, China and North America. These provide Japan a unique cultural identity. The rich amalgamation of various cultures can be seen in all aspects of Japanese society, whether Language, Music, Dress, Arts, Religion, Customs, Cuisine or Literature. Besides this Geisha, Kabuki Theatre, Ikebana is also regarded as significant part of Japanese Cultural Heritage.
The staple Japanese Cuisine includes noodles, rice and soup. Apart from this vegetable, crabs, fish, tofu and meat are important ingredients of Japanese cuisine. Spices and flavors like Soy sauce, miso and dashi are added to enhance the taste of foodstuffs. Various sorts of noodles, which are the vital element of Japanese culinary, were adopted from Chinese Cuisines.
Tourist Attractions of Japan:
The Country of Japan is gifted with a range of beautiful places to see and enjoy. Japan Tourism is composed of historic ruins, cultural resources, ultra modern cities as well as lush green forests and woods, breathtaking mountain ranges and sun drenched sea shorelines. All Japanese tourist hubs are well connected by highly advanced and easily available transportation systems. The coastal town of Kamakura plenty historic sights that include the giant bronze Great Buddha , colourful Hachimangu Shrine and picturesque Enoshima Island . At Nara Todaiji Temple is the world's largest wooden structure at 57m (187ft) high, and the sacred deer in Nara Park remain the centers of attraction for tourists.
Major Sight-seeing Places in Japan include:
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Young Indian paddler Manika Batra beat higher-ranked Yui Hamamoto of Japan to enter the girls' singles semifinals at the IITF Polish Junior Open in Wladyslawowo, Poland Thursday.
Mumbai, May 23 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets was trading 1.76 percent down around 2.30 p.m. trade Thursday, on the back of news emanating from the US that the stimulus programme could come to an end soon and weakness in other Asian bourses.
New Delhi, May 23 (ANI): Vice President Hamid Ansari will visit Ethiopia to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Organisation of African Unity/African Union (AU) on May 25.
Tokyo, May 23 (IANS/EFE) Japan's central bank said Wednesday that it will continue pursuing its current stimulus program and that the country's economy "has begun to recover" thanks to a reversal in the decline of exports, which account for 40 percent of Japanese GDP.
Chandigarh, May 22 (IANS) The country's second National Institute of Design will come up in Haryana's Kurukshetra district and Japan will provide technological assistance for the same, a minister said Wednesday.
Beijing, May 22 (Xinhua-ANI): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Myanmar from May 24 to 26 to boost bilateral economic ties, becoming the first prime minister to visit the Southeast Asian country in 36 years, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.
London, May 21 (ANI): Yahoo Japan faced a hack attack, which reportedly led to a theft of 22 million user ids that constitutes one tenth of its 200 million members.
Tokyo, May 21 (ANI): "The Land of the Rising Sun" - Japan - attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world.
Tokyo, May 21 (ANI): All Nippon Airways (ANA), the Japan's largest airlines, has announced plans to serve Ramen Noodles to its passengers from June 1, 2013.
Yangon, May 21 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay a state visit to Myanmar soon, an official announcement said here Tuesday.
Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets was trading nearly 0.30 percent down in the pre-afternoon trade Tuesday owing to negative foreign cues and continued profit-booking.
Tokyo, May 21 (IANS/EFE) The Japanese government Monday revised upward its evaluation of the economy given the weakness of the yen, which is helping to push exports and encouraging companies to increase production.
Asuncion, May 21 (IANS/EFE) Paraguay has become the main destination in South America for used cars from Japan, the US and other countries, thanks to new regulations aimed at making it easier to import automobiles so low-income consumers can purchase vehicles.
Ramallah, May 20 (IANS) Indian women's football team will have to be at their best when they take on Myanmar, a higher ranked team, in their first match of the AFC Asian Cup (qualifiers) here Tuesday.
Kuala Lumpur, May 20 (IANS) Japan showed all-round strength by sweeping aside Singapore 5-0 in their group match at the Sudirman Cup here Monday.
Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets was trading nearly half a percent up in the pre-afternoon trade Monday on the back of sustained buying from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and on positive global cues.
Beijing, May 20 (IANS) China and India's combined potential are large enough to make the West anxious but there are "many weaknesses in the bilateral relationship", a state-run Chinese daily has said.
Washington, May 19 (ANI): Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has shown promise in improving mental states in people suffering from chronic pain.
Rio de Janeiro, May 19 (IANS) Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff officially opened Brasilia's Mane Garrincha World Cup stadium.
New Delhi, May 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to pay official visit to Japan from May 27 to 29 and to the Kingdom of Thailand on May 30 and 31.
Beijing, May 18 (Xinhua-ANI): Japanese government confirmed the DPRK's missile launches on Saturday, saying none of the missiles have landed in Japan's territorial waters, Kyodo news agency reported.
Washington, May 18 (ANI): By using global positioning systems (GPS) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, researchers have shown that they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes after the earthquake onset.
Thrissur (Kerala), May 18 (IANS) The festivities and fireworks at the Thrissur Pooram festival have stunned two US-based filmmakers who are making a movie on pyrotechnics across the globe. They have termed it as one of the most amazing display they have ever witnessed.
Beijing, May 18 (Xinhua-ANI): China's Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on Friday urged Washington to remain "truly neutral" on the Sino-Japanese territorial dispute in East China Sea by honoring its promise to "take no side."
Tokyo, May 17 (IANS) India and Japan Friday agreed to further strengthen investment and trade ties by ensuring faster implementation of ongoing projects.
Tokyo, May 17 (ANI): The meeting between H.E. Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India and H.E. Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan was held today in Tokyo considered the enhancement of the infrastructure in the region of the Chennai Bangalore Infrastructure Corridor(CBIC).
Tokyo, May 17 (ANI): Fujitsu, one of Japan's leading global brands offering IT products and services, launched new services based on cloud computing at the Fujitsu annual forum in Tokyo.
Rio de Janeiro, May 17 (IANS) More than 76 percent of tickets available for next month's Confederations Cup in Brazil have been sold, world football's governing body, FIFA said.
Rome, May 17 (IANS) Italy head coach Cesare Prandelli has named his initial 31-man squad for the Confederations Cup, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced.
Paris, May 17 (IANS) Former Olympic champion and four-time World Cup winner Ma Lin became the biggest name to fall at the World Table Tennis Championships when he was upset by Japan's Kenta Matsudaira in the men's singles second round.
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives in India days after the two countries resolved a 20-day border stand-off, experts said India-China ties go back a long way and one should not judge the relations on the basis of one event.
Tokyo, May 17 (IANS/EFE) Japan grew at a 3.5 percent clip in the first quarter relative to the same period last year, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ambitious program to combat deflation and revitalize the world's third-biggest economy began to yield results.
Paris, May 16 (IANS) Canadian Adham Sharara was re-elected as president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) during the World Championships here.
Tokyo, May 16 (IANS) Formula 1 team McLaren confirmed Thursday that they will form a new multi-year technology partnership and use Honda engines from the 2015 season.
Oslo, May 15 (IANS) Norway welcomed India and five other countries after they secured permanent observer status in the inter-governmental forum Arctic Council Wednesday.
Beijing, May 15 (IANS) An alliance of groups representing labourers who were forced to work for Mitsubishi Materials in Japan during World War II have sought about $60 million as compensation.
Kiruna (Sweden), May 15 (IANS) India and China Wednesday got observer status in the Arctic Council along with four other countries.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh goes to Japan May 27-29 for the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during which nuclear energy cooperation will be high on the agenda. He will then go to Thailand at the invitation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will pay a three-day official visit to Japan beginning on May 27 at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.
Rio de Janeiro, May 14 (IANS) England's Howard Webb has been named by FIFA as one of 10 referees who will officiate at the Confederations Cup in Brazil next month.
London, May 14 (ANI): In yet another controversial statement, prominent Japanese politician Toru Hashimoto said that the 'comfort women system' in Japan during the second world war was necessary, as soldiers who were risking their lives needed to take 'rest'.
Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets Monday closed 2.14 percent down on profit-booking and weak global cues.
Chennai, May 13 (IANS) India's largest tyre manufacturer MRF has joined forces with Czech car maker Skoda to enter a two-car team in the six-round 2013 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).
Paris, May 13 (IANS) Ten years after she shocked the table tennis world by reaching the last eight at the 2003 World Championships here at the age of 14, Japan's Ai Fukuhara finds that she will face the same situation again at the Bercy Arena.
London, May 11 (ANI): An American student is attempting to make a record as the youngest person in history to fly solo around the world, and will be making his first stop in the UK after setting off from California on May 2.
Tokyo, May 11 (ANI): A crab-eating monkey, also known as a long-tail monkey in Japan, has successfully given birth after having its uterus removed and reimplanted.
Zhuhai (China), May 10 (IANS) Raj Bharath, the 18-year old from Bangalore, clinched a stunning pole position on his debut weekend with Meco Motorsport in the Formula Masters China Series at the Zhuhai International Circuit here Friday.
London, May 10 (ANI): Japan has protested to China over a newspaper article that has questioned Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa island.
Washington, May 10 (ANI): Japan researchers have created a pair of robots- a girl and a dog - whose odour sensors can determine just how bad you smell.
Tokyo, May 10 (IANS) Japan's current account surplus for fiscal 2012 decreased to its lowest-ever level, down 43.6 percent from the previous year, according to government data released Friday.
Rio de Janeiro, May 9 (IANS) World football governing body FIFA admitted concern over delays in the construction of Sao Paulo's 2014 World Cup Stadium.
Beijing, May 9 (Xinhua-ANI): Japan and the United States on Thursday held the first bilateral comprehensive dialogue on cyber security in an effort to set international rule and discuss countermeasures to cyber attacks, according to local media.
Tokyo, May 9 (ANI): Two scholars from a Chinese research center have suggested re-examining the ownership of the Japanese island chain that includes Okinawa.
Melbourne, May 9 (ANI): Buzz Aldrin, the US astronaut who became the second man to walk on the moon, has said that the US must lead the way towards building a permanent settlement on Mars.
Tokyo, May 9 (ANI): New high-tech hangers can now do the job of salesclerk by suggesting matching items to generate a bigger sale.
Washington, May 9 (ANI): Researchers say snowstorms lashing down at the northern hemisphere of Mars during the icy cold winters may be predicted several weeks in advance.
Beijing, May 9 (IANS) China has reiterated its claim over disputed Diaoyu islands, stating that they are its "inherent territory".
Tokyo, May 8 (ANI): The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and the Brazilian government have made an announcement about the discovery of a large mass of granite on the seabed off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, suggesting a continent may have existed in the Atlantic Ocean.
New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) India has improved significantly as a table tennis nation in the last decade, Commonwealth TT chairman Alan Ransome said Wednesday.
London, May 8 (ANI): China is enraged by a blunt report by the Pentagon, accusing the country of cyber-espionage aimed at extracting US military secrets.
Rio de Janeiro, May 8 (IANS) Brazil is on target to set a new attendance record for next month's Confederations Cup, world football's governing body FIFA said.
New Delhi, May 7 (ANI): President Pranab Mukherjee will receive the first copy of the book 'Contemporarising Tagore and the World' at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here tomorrow.
Mumbai, May 7 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets closed Tuesday's trade over one percent up and touched its highest level in the last three months.
Athens, May 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Children from one of the world's most remote regions will start the Olympic flame relay for next year's Winter Games in Sochi.
Tokyo, May 7 (ANI): Life is back to normal after two years of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that hit East Japan on March 11, 2011, and this can be seen in the revival of several business enterprises.
Sao Paulo, May 7 (IANS) The construction firm responsible for Sao Paulo's new World Cup stadium admitted that the venue would not be ready until March next year, missing the deadline set by world football's governing body FIFA by more than two months.
Singapore, May 6 (IANS) Unheralded Daisuke Kataoka of Japan believes his first victory on the Asian Tour will come very soon after an outstanding showing at the Indonesian Masters over the weekend.
Beijing, May 5 (IANS) Chinese ships carried out their routine patrolling Sunday around the disputed Diaoyu Islands that are also claimed by Japan.
Tokyo, May 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Japan and India will continue talks on a bilateral agreement for civilian nuclear energy cooperation, Japanese finance ministry officials said.
San Diego, May 3 (IANS) Scientists have shown that certain proteins in plants that function as transporters can help solve global fuel and food problems, a study says.
Oeiras (Portugal), May 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova failed to reach the Portugal Open semifinals after suffering a straight-sets defeat to World No.53 Romina Oprandi.
Kuala Lumpur, May 2 (IANS) Top seed P.V. Sindhu reached the women's singles semi-finals of the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold here at the Juara Indoor Stadium by winning both her second round and quarter-final matches Thursday.
Ankara, May 2 (Xinhua-ANI): An alliance of Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and France's Areva has won a bid to build Turkey' s second nuclear power plant, Turkish Daily News reported Thursday.
Lisbon, May 2 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova has reached the quarterfinals of the Portugal Open tennis event beating Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva.
Tokyo, May 2 (IANS/EFE) Japan launched a campaign Wednesday to reduce energy consumption during the summer, but the government did not impose rationing for the first time since the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant two years ago.
London, May 2 (ANI): The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is likely to categorize the iconic Japanese volcano of Mount Fuji as a World Heritage site.
Washington, May 2 (IANS) India, the United States and Japan held their fourth trilateral dialogue at the State Department here, exchanging views on a wide range of regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Abu Dhabi, May 2 (IANS/WAM) Abu Dhabi and Japan have held discussions over ways to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation in the different sectors.
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) Owing to its rich culture and heritage, India is one of the top tourism destinations in Asia, a survey by CNN has said.
Beijing, May 1 (Xinhua-ANI): Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai said Tuesday that it is Japan, not China, that is taking "unilateral or coercive actions" on their islands dispute.
Tokyo, April 30 (IANS) Japan's unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percent to 4.1 percent in March from 4.3 percent in February, said Japan's internal affairs ministry Tuesday in a preliminary report.
Tokyo, April 30 (IANS) Japan's industry ministry said Tuesday in a preliminary report that the country's industrial production rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent in March from the previous month.
Moscow, April 30 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia is ready to invest in huge new infrastructure projects to help meet Japan's growing requirements for hydrocarbon resources, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Moscow, April 29 (IANS) Russia and Japan have pledged to speed up talks on reaching a peace treaty for the first time since the end of World War II, the leaders of the two countries said Monday, reported Xinhua.
Beijing, Apr. 29 (Xinhua-ANI): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe started his Russia visit among a four-nation trip in an effort to revive long-stalled territorial talks with Russia, promote mutual trust and enhance the two countries'cooperation in all areas, especially in economy.
London, Apr. 29 (ANI): Facebook has lost millions of users per month in its biggest markets, new data have suggested.
Moscow, April 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) In a first visit by a Japanese premier to Russia in a decade, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be undertaking an official visit from April 28-30 on an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tokyo, April 28 (IANS) Japan Sunday for first time commemorated the day the country ended the US occupation and recovered its sovereignty in 1952 after its defeat in the World War II.
New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) World No.10 women's doubles pair Miyuki Maeda and Satoko Suetsuna of Japan won the India Open Super Series title here Sunday.
Washington, Apr 28 (ANI): Boeing has assured that the changes to the lithium-ion battery of the 787 Dreamliner are fully sufficient to ensure the aircraft's safety, although the company has been unable to find the cause of the original battery failures earlier this year that led to groundings of the plane worldwide since mid-January.
Tokyo, April 28 (ANI): High blood pressure is one of the reasons for grave illnesses such as strokes, heart and renal diseases.
London, Apr. 28 (ANI): Lewis Hamilton has requested his girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger not to do another series of 'X Factor,' as he fears that he won't be able to see her for three months if she accepts the 1.5-million-pound-deal.
Abu Dhabi, April 28 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan have held discussions over ways to boost cooperation and bilateral relations, especially in the trade, economy and investment sectors.
Kyoto (Japan), April 27 (ANI): Omron Corporation Limited, one of the world's biggest medical equipment makers, has developed world's first blood pressure analysis service named 'Medical Link'.
Tokyo, Apr. 27 (ANI): Japan's transport ministry has cleared Boeing's 787 Dreamliners to resume flight.
Tokyo, Apr. 27 (ANI): China has regarded the Japanese administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea as its core interest, China's foreign ministry has announced for the first time.
Film: "Hardware Software Kya Yaaron"; Cast: Imran Ahmed Khan, Snehadhar Penta, Ranbir Chakma, Sanjeev Nair, Juby Devasia, Adithi Kalkunte, Vishal Nair, Sweta Desai, Saleem Ahmed, Monish Nagraj, Shannon McDonnell, Jun Fujitha, Yuko Fujita, and Arvind Kamath; Director: Rabi Kisku; Rating: ** 1/2
Melbourne, April 26 (ANI): Dr Chris Brown got the shock of his life after he turned up to do a radio interview in Sydney and found that the hosts were in the nude.
Sydney, Apr. 26 (Xinhua-ANI): Australia will deploy a guided- missile frigate, HMAS Sydney, to join the U.S. 7th Fleet in Japan at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea, according to The Australian on Friday.
Beijing, Apr. 26 (Xinhua-ANI): Visiting top U.S. military officer Martin Dempsey met here Friday with Japanese military chiefs and vowed to cooperate closely with Japan on defense to cope with regional threats.
