UPDATES

Record low 363 million New Year postcards delivered on ...

Japan Post Holdings said Friday that a record low number of New Year greeting po...

Baseball: Right-hander Imai agrees to 3-yr deal with As...

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has agreed to a three-yea...

Sumo: Yokozuna Onosato seeking new heights with 4-plus ...

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Becoming yokozuna and winning half of the six grand sumo tourna...

At least 7 reported killed during widening protests in ...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran's ai...

Japan's Emperor Naruhito hopes for peaceful 2026 in New...

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Emperor Naruhito expressed his hope for a peaceful 2026 in his ...

Baltic Pavilion donates Osaka Expo's Myaku-Myaku dolls ...

IZUMI, Osaka -- Stuffed toys of the popular Osaka Expo mascot are cheering up ch...

Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with th...

Easy Japanese news in translation: Banksy paints childr...

The mysterious artist Banksy has made a new painting. It is on the wall of an em...

Japan aims to cut 25% of clothes waste by 2030 via recy...

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan aims to reduce clothes waste by 25 percent by fiscal 2030...

N. Korean leader Kim's daughter makes 1st public visit ...

BEIJING (Kyodo) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter, believed to be ca...

Pope opens 2026 with plea for peace in countries bloodi...

ROME (AP) -- Pope Leo XIV opened 2026 on Thursday with a plea for peace, singlin...

Annual New Year's Fire Review to be held at Tokyo Big S...

The annual New Year’s Fire Review, called dezomeshiki, will take place at Tokyo ...

Emperor and his family greet New Year well-wishers

Emperor Naruhito and his family waved to a crowd of flag-waving New Year’s well-...

3-year-old boy falls to death after parents leave home ...

A 3-year-old boy fell to his death from an apartment in Tokyo early Thursday aft...

Emperor emphasizes peace, hope for world in 2026

Emperor Naruhito, in his New Year address released Thursday, emphasized the impo...

Jakarta ranks world's largest city as Tokyo slips to 3r...

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Jakarta ranked as the world's largest city with 41.9 million in...