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:
With the series already in their name, India played to add another win to their name while Japan looked at ending the series with one win in their name. It was finally India who stamped its dominance as they went on to win the match 4-0 and claiming the series 3-0.
Already having captured the four-match Test Series by 2-0, the India Men Hockey Team will be eyeing their third consecutive win against Japan in their fourth and final test match tomorrow at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Confident India looks to win 3rd match against Japan tomorrow in Bhubaneswar.After an inspiring win over Japan yesterday, India Men Team is riding on confidence to win their third match of the four-match Test Series tomorrow at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
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Rajkummar Rao Turns Heads in a Japanese Festival Inspired Suit at Lakme Fashion Week 2015
Nanjing, May 2 (Xinhua-ANI): A shipyard operated by Sinotrans and CSC Holdings Co., Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Australian billionaire Clive Palmer to build a replica of the Titanic, the shipyard confirmed Wednesday.
Beijing, May 2 (IANS) A Chinese shipyard is planning to build a replica of the Titanic that sank in the Atlantic in 1912 with more than 1,500 people on board. The accident was immortalized in a movie by the same name with Leonardo diCaprio and Kate Winslet starring in leading roles.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to visit Manila this week to attend the annual board of governors' meet of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Perth, May 2 (ANI): Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard questioning the importance Australia gives China has warned that it should not get 'mesmerized' by the Asian nation.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon Wednesday following slogan shouting by some members to demand the carving out of a separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.
Washington, May 1 (ANI): Researchers have shed light on the several health benefits associated with lactoferrin, an important iron-binding protein.
Liverpool (UK), May 1 (ANI): Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that mice and rats have evolved to gnaw with their front teeth and chew with their back teeth more successfully than rodents that 'specialise' in one or other of these biting mechanisms. Research has already shown that rats and mice can both chew and gnaw, whereas other rodents, such as squirrels, specialise in gnawing, and some, like guinea pigs, specialise in chewing.
Beijing, May 1 (IANS) The production value of China's animation industry hit an estimated 60 billion yuan ($9.5 billion) in 2011, and a total of 200,000 minutes of animation were exported last year.
Manila, May 1, (Xinhua-ANI): Delegates have begun arriving at the Philippine International Convention Center to register for the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 45th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors, which begins Wednesday, a ADB statement said Tuesday.
Washington, May 1 (ANI): Researchers have discovered for the first time that the gene, which makes a protein called PDILT, enables sperm to bind to an egg, a process vital to fertilisation.
London, April 30 (IANS) A Japanese research team has set a new record for deep-sea drilling depth, reaching 25,400 feet below the Pacific Ocean's surface.
New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) India and Japan Monday held their first-ever economic dialogue and agreed to accelerate the partnership in several infrastructure projects such as the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in which the East Asian power is likely to pick up 26 percent equity stake.
New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Ending the post-Fukushima lull, India and Japan Monday decided to resume their civil nuclear deal negotiations and initiated key steps, including the launch of two dialogues in areas of maritime and cyber security, to deepen their strategic ties.
New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Ending the post-Fukushima lull, India and Japan Monday decided to resume negotiations on their civil nuclear deal and launched two separate dialogues in the domains of maritime and cyber security.
Washington, Apr 30 (ANI): A multinational automobiles manufacturer has announced plans to create what it's calling world's first mass-production process for recycling rare earth metals - crucial electric vehicle battery materials - on a large scale.
New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): India and Japan on Monday decided to intensify cooperation in energy efficiency and conservation sector as well as environmental issues.
Caracas, April 30 (IANS/EFE) Japan and South Korea plan to invest nearly $14 billion in various energy projects in Venezuela, Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said.
Tokyo, April 30 (IANS) At least seven people were killed and 38 others injured Sunday when a bus carrying holidaymakers crashed into a wall in a highway in Japan, Xinhua reported.
Tokyo, April 29 (Xinhua-ANI): An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted near the east coast of Honshu, Japan at 1028 GMT on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India and Japan will hold their first economic dialogue and sixth strategic talks Monday to impart a renewed momentum to burgeoning multi-faceted ties and to resolve issues for starting civil nuclear cooperation between them.
Yangon, Apr 29 (Xinhua-ANI): German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle arrived Yangon Sunday as part of his trip to Southeast Asia to start a new chapter of cooperation with Myanmar, official sources said.
Wellington, Apr 29 (ANI): Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt smashed the record for the world's longest television interview on Sunday, that had to be cut off at the end.
London, Apr 29 (ANI): A Japanese research institute has claimed that its deep-sea drilling probe has set a new record for depth by reaching 25,400 feet below the Pacific Ocean's surface.
New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India and Japan will hold their first economic dialogue and sixth strategic talks Monday that are expected to impart a renewed momentum to burgeoning multi-faceted ties and explore ways to start civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries.
New Delhi, Apr 27 (ANI): Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba will pay a two-day official visit to India beginning on April 29 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.
London, Apr 27 (ANI): Feeling sad or watching while receiving an injection may make pain an even more unpleasant experience, a pair of studies have claimed.
Washington, April 27 (ANI): The United States and Japan have signed a deal to move thousands of US Marines from the Okinawa Island in Japan.
Tokyo, April 27 (IANS) The US will move 9,000 Marines out of Japan's southern Okinawa to Guam, Hawaii and other locations in the Asia-Pacific region, said a joint statement agreed by Tokyo and Washington Friday.
Jakarta, April 26 (Xinhua-ANI): An Indonesian senior official said on Thursday that Indonesia will suspend imports of U.S. beef from Thursday because of a confirmed U.S. case of mad cow disease, a local media reported here.
London, April 25 (IANS) The British men's football team has been handed out a tough draw in the 2012 London Games.
New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Warning that developments in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and China's strategic rivalry with India and Japan will have security implications for Asia, Defence Minister A.K. Antony Tuesday said that these threats and future challenges cannot be appreciated by other nations from outside the region.
Tokyo, April 24 (ANI): After the deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan, airborne radiation levels from the Fukushima nuclear power plant are expected to remain at or close to dangerous levels at least until 2022, according to a government report.
London, April 24 (IANS) Brazil, Spain, Britain and Mexico have been seeded for the Olympic men's football tournament.
London, April 23 (IANS) Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic won their reverse singles matches to take Serbia into the Fed Cup final for the first time, beating Russia 3-2.
Washington, Apr 23 (ANI): Scientists in the United States have said that a volleyball and soccer ball that washed ashore on an American island are likely to be first pieces of debris to arrive in Alaska from the last year's devastating tsunami in Japan.
Beijing, April 23 (IANS) Deaths from gastric cancer are expected to steadily rise over the next two decades in China as the disease proliferates, said a Chinese cancer expert.
Tokyo, April 22 (IANS) One person was killed and 11 injured Sunday when an explosion tore through a chemical plant in southwestern Japan, a media report said.
Osaka (Japan), April 22 (Xinhua-ANI): One person was killed and 11 others were injured when an explosion rocked a chemical plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture in southwestern Japan early Sunday.
London, April 20 (IANS) Two women were attacked and killed by a group of bears who escaped from their cages in Japan's Hachimantai bear park in Akita region.
Beijing, April 20 (IANS) A total of 136 Chinese firms have found place in this year's Forbes Global 2000 list which also mentions 61 Indian firms, among others.
Phnom Penh (Cambodia), April 20 (Xinhua-ANI): Cambodia will host regional security meetings next week among the 10-member the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight dialogue partners.
Tokyo, Apr 19 (ANI): Over 9 600 people would die and nearly 150 000 would be injured if a mega-quake struck Tokyo, according to a Japanese government projection.
London, Apr 19 (ANI): Although cosmic rays were discovered 100 years ago, their origin has mystified physicists since long.
Tokyo, April 19 (IANS) Japan is aiming for a top five finish at the London Olympics 2012 with its athletes fired up in an effort to rewrite the country's history in the Games.
Tokyo, April 19 (IANS) Japan's trade deficit in the past fiscal year ending in March stood at 4.41 trillion yen (about 54 billion), marking the worst ever reading for the country, the finance ministry said Thursday.
Sydney, April 19 (IANS) Buoyed by the number of Indian tourists flocking to Australia, an influential tourism promotional body has asked the Australian government to invest $1 billion to attract more visitors from India and other Asian countries in the next decade.
Tokyo, April 19 (IANS) Japan's trade deficit in the past fiscal year ending in March stood at 4.41 trillion yen (about $54 billion), marking the worst ever reading for the country, reported Xinhua citing the finance ministry.
Johannesburg, April 18 (Xinhua-ANI): The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) on Wednesday hosted the celebration to commemorate the 100 days-to-go landmark for 2012 London Olympics Games.
Qingdao (China), April 18 (Xinhua-ANI): All five Chinese seeds in the women's singles won in straight sets in the first round at the Asian Badminton Championships here Wednesday.
London, Apr 18 (ANI): Sarah Outen, who is no stranger to adventure, will be on her own once she rows out across the Pacific from a small port in Japan this week until she reaches Canada.
Moscow, April 18 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A short haircut by Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova provoked a backlash among fans after she posted pictures of the new style on her official Facebook page.
New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The Indian government has downplayed reports about a proposed construction of an observatory by China in Aksai Chin, a remote part of Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region it occupied after the 1962 war.
Chennai, April 16 (IANS) Automobile-maker Hindustan Motors Ltd Monday announced the launch of upgraded Mitsubishi Montero, a sports utility vehicle.
Washington, April 16 (ANI): A Japanese bank has announced that it will be installing about a dozen automated teller machines that can read customers' palms to identify them.
Copenhagen, April 16 (IANS) Former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki saw her winning streak at the Danish Open come to an end as Angelique Kerber of Germany downed the Dane 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the title here.
Tokyo, April 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Operations at Japan's all nuclear power plants could be suspended "momentarily" starting May 6, Japanese Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano has said.
Seoul, April 16 (IANS) South Korea, China and Japan have agreed to work together to ensure food security and enhance their trade in agricultural products.
Washington, Apr 15 (ANI): Some of the relationships among blooming of flowers, emerging of insects, migration of birds, and planting and hunting seasons are falling out of sync as climate change alters important cues, such as the arrival of spring warmth, a new study has revealed.
Tokyo, Apr 14 (ANI): The Japanese government has declared two nuclear reactors safe and is planning to restart them to combat looming power shortages.
Tokyo, April 14 (ANI): A Japanese woman who killed three men after dating them for their money has been sentenced to death.
London, April 13 (IANS) French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday admitted he did not visit Fukushima during a trip to Japan after the tsunami last March, but had told an election rally he had visited the stricken nuclear plant.
Beijing, Apr 13 (ANI): China's online retail sales are likely to surpass that of US by 2015, a latest survey has revealed.
Beijing, Apr 13 (ANI): China has overtaken Japan as the world's second-biggest cinema market in the first quarter of the year, industry experts have revealed.
London, Apr 13 (ANI): Proof that some chimps routinely avoid the safety of treetops to sleep on the ground raises the possibility that some early hominins did too with possible implications for their growth, a new study has claimed.
Beijing, April 13 (IANS) A remote area in Tibet may be chosen as the location for a new international astronomical observatory, because of "limited clouds and vapours" but "high transparency" ideal for observation activities.
Bangalore, April 12 (IANS) Scientists had been expecting Wednesday's great earthquake off Sumatra but it occurred a little sooner, according to Arun Bapat, an Indian seismologist in Pune.
London, April 11 (IANS) A Japanese company has created a robot with 65 facial expressions which can talk, sing and can easily be mistaken for a real-life girl at first sight.
New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) A list of major earthquakes in the world in 2012, according to the US Geological Survey.
Washington, April 11 (IANS) The massive earthquake that shook Indonesia Wednesday brought back terrifying memories of the 2004 tsunami that swept through Aceh province.
London, April 11 (IANS) An evergreen forest at the foot of Japan's Mount Fuji is being dubbed a "suicide forest" because up to 100 bodies of people who kill themselves are found there every year.
London, April 11 (IANS) Polar bears in Alaska have been seen with missing patches of fur, and reports say it may be due to a "mystery illness" related to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant in Japan.
Tokyo, April 10 (IANS) Visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda Tuesday agreed to jointly develop military equipment.
Melbourne, Apr 10 (ANI): A Perth man, who made international headlines for putting up his life for sale during a midlife crisis, is now living on his very own Caribbean island and has found love again.
Moscow, April 10 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A man in Russia's eastern city of Vladivostok has been found with a radioactive car. A court Tuesday ordered him to remove it from the country.
New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The visas on arrival issued to foreign tourists from 11 countries saw a jump of 34 percent during January-March this year compared to the same period in 2011, officials said Tuesday.
London, April 10 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron will make a landmark trip this week to Myanmar where he is expected to meet Nobel laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a media report said.
Beijing, April 10 (IANS) Arguing that China's economic rise is good for the world, a Chinese commentary said Tuesday that Beijing must "show more kindness" to neighbouring countries worried about its strength.
Tokyo, April 10 (IANS) The Japanese central bank decided Tuesday to keep its key interest rate unchanged and refrained from fresh monetary easing steps, dashing market hopes.
Beijing, April 10 (IANS) China swung back to trade surplus in March from February's deficit of $31.48 billion, posting a $670 million trade surplus in the first quarter, authorities said Tuesday.
Washington, April 9 (IANS) A number of global technology and business groups want India to reconsider its new rules on government-purchased technology, suggesting they would be at odds with New Delhi's World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.
Astana (Kazakhstan), April 9 (IANS) Teenage boxer Shiva Thapa humbled Athens Olympics silver medallist Worapoj Petchkoon of Thailand to enter the semifinals of the 56 kg category at the Asian Olympic qualifying event here Monday. The Indian is now one step away from making the London Games.
Beijing, April 9 (ANI): China has reportedly set up a rare earth association in order to streamline the sector's development.
Pyongyang, Apr 8 (ANI): North Korea has threatened retaliation and 'merciless punishment' against any country that shoots down a rocket it plans to launch this month.
Tokyo, April 7 (ANI): Japan has announced a new set of standards for its nuclear plants on Friday to prevent disasters, such as last year's meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-chi power plant, as the government aimed to ease public concern about restarting idle reactors.
Tokyo, April 6 (IANS) Japan is seeking better relations with China.
Washington, April 6 (IANS) The US Coast Guard has fired cannons to sink a Japanese ghost ship that was drifting towards Alaska, a media report said.
Tehran, April 5 (IANS) Iran's national football team will play a friendly match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in preparation for the final stage of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil.
Seoul, April 5 (IANS) Foreign direct investment (FDI) into South Korea grew 17 percent in the first quarter due to a growth in inflow from advanced economies such as Europe and Japan, a government report showed Thursday.
Washington, Apr 5 (ANI): Taking two servings of soy every day can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes by up to 26 percent, a new study has revealed.
Beijing, April 3 (IANS) Starbucks Corp expects China to become its second-biggest retail market measured by the number of its stores by 2014, following just behind the US.
New Delhi, Apr.3 (ANI): Hollywood director James Cameron of "Titanic" and "Avatar" after diving in the Mariana Trench or Marianas Trench, which is the deepest part of the world's oceans, and located in the western Pacific Ocean, supports views on the technical details related to the trench, oceanic life and the need to save environment as well as mother Earth, as conveyed in the book "Luv U Mate" by Indian author Dr Punit Sethi.
Beijing, Apr.3 (ANI): China's Health Minister Chen Zhu has warned that the country is in danger of experiencing slow economic growth, because of diseases like cancer and other chronic ailments.
London, Apr 3 (ANI): Rihanna, whose new movie 'Battleship' is to be released soon, has said that she would love to play Whitney Houston in a film about the late singer's life.
London, Apr 3 (ANI): Rihanna, whose new movie 'Battleship' is to be released soon, has said that she would love to play Whitney Houston in a film about the late singer's life.
New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) A new initiative to strengthen investment links between established Indian companies and British small and medium enterprises (SMEs) focussed on technology was launched here Monday.
New Delhi, Apr 2 (ANI): The international business community has reportedly written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh complaining about his governments' decision to introduce retrospective amendments to the tax law.
