Food poisoning from narcissus on the rise / Leaves often confused with...
By Tamotsu Saito / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterPublic entities are warning the public to take care not to consume poisonous narcissus leaves in light of a series of cases of food poisoning stemming...
View ArticleBlooming brightly for mom
The Yomiuri ShimbunLisianthus are in bloom at a cultivation facility in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, on Saturday. Shipping...
View ArticleTravelers’ Treasures / Aizome Sekken Ichimatsu/Futae/Kamifubuki (Indigo-dyed...
Aizome Sekken is handmade soap which contains natural extracted of the indigo of Tokushima Prefecture, which has a history of producing indigo of over 400 years. The indigo was cultivated entirely...
View ArticleRenowned stage director Yukio Ninagawa dies
The Yomiuri Shimbun Yukio Ninagawa, who earned a worldwide reputation as stage director, died Thursday afternoon. He was 80. Born in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, Ninagawa joined the theater company...
View Article[Movie] The damage up close
The Yomiuri ShimbunCollapsed stone walls cover the ground at Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto on Wednesday, when the city government allowed the media to enter...
View ArticleDaddy’s here
The Yomiuri ShimbunA male bigfin reef squid about 50 centimeters long floats near a smaller female squid laying eggs on...
View ArticleKumamoto Earthquake / 70 designated disaster shelters unusable
The Yomiuri ShimbunSeventy designated evacuation shelters in Kumamoto Prefecture were closed or partially closed due to damage caused by the Kumamoto Earthquake, a recent survey conducted by The...
View ArticleEnjoy Mt. Takao’s must-see sights
The Yomiuri Shimbun Want to know more about seasonal must-see sights on Mt. Takao in Hachioji, Tokyo? Check out the “Takaosan Toku Toku Book,” a small booklet being distributed by Keio Corp. at...
View Article70% of evacuees lack plans to exit shelters
The Yomiuri Shimbun One month after the Kumamoto Earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture and surrounding areas, about 70 percent of evacuees living in shelters in Kumamoto Prefecture still have no prospect...
View Article1 month on
The Yomiuri Shimbun An aerial photo taken from a Yomiuri Shimbun helicopter on Friday shows the roofs of many...
View ArticleEnvironment ministers to urge trading of greenhouse gas cuts
The Yomiuri Shimbun A joint statement of environment ministers of the Group of Seven major countries will encourage popularization of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (see below), which is a scheme...
View ArticleQuake-hit area leaders worried about housing
The Yomiuri Shimbun Nine of 11 municipal heads in the areas in Kumamoto Prefecture that were hit by the Kumamoto Earthquake replied that it is still unknown when evacuation shelters will be able to be...
View ArticleKumamoto Earthquake 1 month on / Lost wife remembered in driver’s license photo
The Yomiuri ShimbunMIFUNE, Kumamoto — On Saturday morning, Takehisa Mochida, 75, a farmer in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture, gently took out his wife’s driver’s license in front of the collapsed house he...
View ArticleStepping forward with prayers
The Yomiuri ShimbunA husband and wife mourn relatives who died in a series of powerful earthquakes that hit Kumamoto Prefecture and neighboring areas. They were standing in front of the collapsed house...
View Article49 lights for the lost
The Yomiuri ShimbunChildren pray for the souls of the 49 people who died as a result of the Kumamoto Earthquake, near 49 candles lit for...
View ArticleTaking green path to vitalizing communities
By Hiroko Kono and Jun Sato / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior WritersA two-day meeting of Group of Seven environment ministers started on Sunday in Toyama ahead of the Ise-Shima G-7 summit meeting. Participants...
View ArticleTransmitters to track trout behavior
The Yomiuri Shimbun Ultrasonic transmitters will be attached to kunimasu trout in Saiko lake in Yamanashi Prefecture, as part of a project started in mid-April by the Yamanashi Prefectural Fisheries...
View ArticleHealthcare teams eyed for disasters
The Yomiuri ShimbunThe Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will start to organize disaster health emergency assistance teams (DHEATs) to assist with healthcare and medical measures at public healthcare...
View ArticleSchool lunch resumes in quake-hit town
Jiji Press MASHIKI, Kumamoto (Jiji Press) — Seven primary and junior high schools in the Kumamoto Prefecture town of Mashiki, hit hard by a series of powerful earthquakes,...
View ArticleImperial couple visits Kumamoto
The Yomiuri ShimbunThe Emperor and Empress wave as they leave the village office in Minami-Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Thursday afternoon. The Imperial couple arrived at Kumamoto Airport shortly after...
View ArticleExtended pier to draw cruise ships to northern Okinawa
The Yomiuri Shimbun The government plans to extend the pier of Motobu Port in northern Okinawa Prefecture to enable large cruise ships to dock there, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The prefecture is...
View Article‘Station nurseries’ help busy working parents
The Yomiuri Shimbun Day care facilities called “nursery stations with transportation services” are spreading around the nation, making it easier for working parents to enroll their children in nursery...
View ArticleEating out / The 40-year pursuit of authentic tonkatsu
By Chihiro Sato / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterTATEBAYASHI, Gunma — There is always a line of hungry customers at lunchtime in front of Fukuyoshi, a restaurant that specializes in tonkatsu pork cutlets....
View ArticleObama puts onus on China
The Yomiuri Shimbun U.S. President Barack Obama has strongly urged China to exercise self-restraint to alleviate tension with nearby nations stemming from its increasingly assertive moves in the South...
View ArticlePolice on guard for summit
The Yomiuri Shimbun An unprecedented level of security will be in place for the Ise-Shima Group of Seven summit meeting starting Thursday on Kashikojima island in Shima, Mie Prefecture, in light of the...
View ArticleObama likely to meet A-bomb survivors
The Yomiuri Shimbun The Japanese and U.S. governments are planning to set up a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and hibakusha atomic bomb survivors when the president visits the Hiroshima...
View ArticleIconic postwar hotel an apt host for G-7 leaders
The Yomiuri ShimbunThe main venue for the Group of Seven Ise-Shima summit, the Shima Kanko Hotel in Shima, Mie Prefecture, sits atop a small hill a short walk from Kintetsu Railway’s Kashikojima...
View ArticleBeat the hot spring heat with a ‘Cool Shampoo’
The Yomiuri Shimbun KAMINOYAMA, Yamagata — Barbers in Kaminoyama, Yamagata Prefecture, plan to go all-out promoting their “Cool Shampoo” service to boost customer satisfaction among tourists who visit...
View ArticleDaily craftsmanship / Many hands put heart into brushmaking
By Sayuri Nitani / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterThis is the second installment of a six-part series. KUMANO, Hiroshima — With small bundles of animal hair in various colors laid out in front of them,...
View ArticleMan indicted in China for alleged spying
Jiji Press BEIJING (Jiji Press) — A Japanese man in his 50s has been indicted in China after being arrested for his alleged involvement in spying activities, informed sources said...
View ArticleHow sweet
British Prime Minister David Cameron receives a bouquet of flowers from children as he arrives at Chubu Airport in...
View ArticleZoomUp / Tight security descends on tranquil island
By Takehito Kobayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun PhotographerSHIMA, Mie — Just as the early rays of dawn were casting an indigo-blue hue over the ocean, coast guard officers clad in knife-proof vests were...
View ArticleAbe to issue message in Hiroshima with Obama
The Yomiuri ShimbunPrime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided that he will also issue a message calling for nuclear disarmament along with U.S. President Barack Obama when the two leaders visit Hiroshima on...
View ArticleKeeping close watch
The Yomiuri Shimbun Police officers walk through Chubu Airport in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, on Tuesday, the day before...
View ArticleKeeping cool
The Yomiuri ShimbunPeople stand under a tree to cool off while waiting at a traffic light Tuesday at the Sukiyabashi...
View ArticleU.S. base worker says he ‘strangled’ woman
The Yomiuri Shimbun NAHA — A civilian employee of the U.S. military arrested on suspicion of abandoning the body of a 20-year-old Japanese woman in Okinawa Prefecture told prefectural police that he...
View ArticleRetired sleeper express given new lease of life
The Yomiuri Shimbun AKITA — East Japan Railway Co.’s defunct sleeper express Akebono has been renovated into a hotel that opened recently at Kosaka Railroad Rail Park in Kosaka, Akita Prefecture....
View ArticleTravelers’ Treasures / Kishu-san Shuro Tawashi (Windmill palm scourer from...
Since being invented in Japan in the Meiji era (1868-1912), the traditional Japanese scrubbing brush, called a tawashi, has been an essential item to the Japanese. These days, the majority of tawashi...
View ArticleRaising the alert level
The Yomiuri ShimbunRoadblocks restrict access to one of the bridges leading to Kashikojima island where the Shima Kanko...
View ArticleMonpe work pants winning new fans
By Michiyo Horike / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterFUKUOKA — Contrary to their past image as trousers worn by elderly women, monpe baggy work pants are becoming a cool fashion statement as manufacturers...
View ArticleFuji green tea has global ambitions
The Yomiuri ShimbunFUJI, Shizuoka — Green tea used to be a prime item for export during the Meiji era (1868-1912), along with silk. However, prices and the consumption of green tea have been falling....
View ArticleShogun Yoshimune inspires Line stickers
By Naoya Azuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterWAKAYAMA — Stickers based on Yoshimune-kun, a character inspired by Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751), have been made by the Wakayama City Tourist Association...
View ArticleAzaleas paint Kesennuma red
The Yomiuri ShimbunAzaleas are in full bloom at Mt. Tokusenjo in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. Climbers with...
View ArticleYoung oysters up-and-coming Sanriku stars
The Yomiuri ShimbunMINAMI-SANRIKU, Miyagi — Farmers in Minami-Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, are cultivating rare unspawned oysters called Amakoro-gaki, aiming to sell them as the town’s brand oyster and...
View ArticleRoses in full bloom along streetcar line
The Yomiuri Shimbun Roses along the Toei Streetcar (Toden) Arakawa Line in Tokyo are at their best now, delighting passengers. The Arakawa Ward government has been...
View ArticleEmperor, Empress may visit Kumamoto
Jiji Press TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The Emperor and Empress may pay a visit on May 19 to Kumamoto Prefecture, which was heavily damaged by the recent series of strong earthquakes, to encourage people...
View ArticleDecoration down to a science: Laboratory glassware finds new Eureka! moment...
By Kenji Iwaasa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterBeakers, test tubes and other scientific glassware normally found in laboratories are now finding a place as ornaments in ordinary homes. Their simple form...
View ArticleDisaster prevention for foreigners / Local Mie officials prepare information...
The Yomiuri ShimbunSHIMA, Mie — Prior to the Ise-Shima Group of Seven summit in Mie Prefecture, where many foreigners including participating government officials will gather, local governments are...
View ArticleMomentum grows for united opposition front in House of Councillors election
The Yomiuri Shimbun Opposition parties are accelerating their efforts to form a united front for the House of Councillors election this summer, following the strong showing last month by a candidate...
View ArticleAbe discusses maritime security
Jiji Press NAGOYA (Jiji Press) —Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in separate talks with leaders of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, on Saturday, agreed...
View Article