Land of the Rising Sun

Toyota's president, Akio Toyoda, gave a tearful apology to U.S. dealers after testifying in Congress over the recall of his company's vehicles. In Japan, Toyoda's decision to appear at the hearing drew positive feedback from many, including the prime minister. Jim Lehrer hears more from reporter Ayako Doi.

For Some in Japan, Home Is a Tiny Plastic Bunk

2010-01-04T20:10:00.000-05:00

Capsule hotels, built for salarymen who missed the train home, are becoming a last resort for the unemployed.

Japan Delays Decision on Moving U.S. Marine Base

2009-12-16T07:36:00.000-05:00

The government delayed until next year a decision on whether to pursue changes in an accord on the relocation of a U.S. military base on Okinawa.

Opinion: Obama's Japan Headache

2009-12-11T23:34:00.002-05:00

Japan is growing restive with U.S. tutelage as misunderstandings between the two countries multiply. It’s time for everyone to take a deep breath.

Opinion: Diplomacy That Will Live in Infamy

2009-12-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

Theodore Roosevelt, not F.D.R., had a greater effect on Japan’s decision to attack Pearl Harbor.

Opinion: In Japan, Concerns Blossom

2009-11-30T06:20:00.000-05:00

In Tokyo, it no longer snows.

In Japan, an Odd Perch for Google: Looking Up at the Leader

2009-11-30T06:17:00.001-05:00

After missteps in Japan, Google is striving to gain ground against Yahoo and make the most of a highly connected marketplace.

Opinion: Japan-U.S. Relations: Let There Be Discord

2009-11-16T06:12:00.000-05:00

The U.S.-Japanese friendship is fully able to handle occasional disruption.

Birth control pill still unpopular in Japan

2009-10-12T06:27:00.000-04:00

A decade since their much-publicized introduction, low-dose birth control pills are still struggling to gain popularity in Japan due to strong fears about side effects.

Obama Becomes Japan’s English Teacher

2009-10-12T06:23:00.000-04:00

A compilation of President Obama’s speeches has sold half a million copies in Japan, and publishers are trying to tap into the education market with new titles.

Taking On Skyscrapers to Protect View of an ‘Old Friend’

2009-10-12T06:22:00.000-04:00

Residents of Tokyo’s old Nippori neighborhood are trying to stop development of high-rises to preserve a view of Mount Fuji, Japan’s pre-eminent national symbol.

President of Toyota Apologizes

2009-10-03T06:21:00.000-04:00

Toyota has suffered a series of adverse events since Akio Toyoda became president of the company a few months ago, and he apologized for them.

How Do Japanese React to China’s Rise? Depends on Their Age

2009-10-02T06:20:00.000-04:00

Young people feel pessimistic about Japan’s future while those who survived World War II ask what there is to complain about.

Japanese elect a new leadership

2009-08-31T13:04:00.001-04:00

Aug. 30 - The Democratic Party wins elections in Japan, setting Yukio Hatoyama up to be the country's next prime minister.

With Bold Stand, Japan Opposition Wins a Landslide

2009-08-31T13:03:00.001-04:00

The Democratic Party of Japan has promised to reverse the economic decline and redefine Tokyo’s relationship with the U.S.

Japan Prepares for a Change as Voting Begins

2009-08-30T14:46:00.002-04:00

The opposition is poised to unseat the incumbent Liberal Democrats for only the second time since 1955.

After Decades, Japan Prepares for Likely New Ruling Party

2009-08-26T16:05:00.001-04:00

After decades of a virtual one-party state, the Japanese now are confronting what a change of power would actually mean.

Hiroshima's legacy

2009-08-06T15:53:00.000-04:00

Aug 6 - More than 60 years after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima -- it continues to shape thinking on nuclear policy.

Opposition Woos Japan’s Voters With Costly Vows

2009-08-04T20:58:00.000-04:00

As elections near, the Democratic Party of Japan is attracting voters with promises of more cash in hand.

Mobile Gives Manga a Lift

2009-08-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

For a variety of reasons, the mobile version of manga has it booming again, giving life — and bringing a little controversy — to the venerable Japanese comic form.

Even as Industry Slumps, Prius Inspires Waiting List

2009-06-13T09:33:00.000-04:00

The third generation of the gas-electric car was an instant hit in Japan, where plants are working 24 hours a day.

Japan Sets Emissions Targets, and No One Seems Pleased

2009-06-11T08:05:00.000-04:00

Environmentalists say Japan’s goals are insufficient, but there are also protests from business leaders who say the economy is not strong enough to handle such changes yet.

Charles Albury, Co-Pilot of Nagasaki Bomber, Is Dead at 88

2009-06-05T14:46:00.000-04:00

Mr. Albury was a co-pilot of the B-29 plane, named the Bockscar, that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.

In Reporting a Scandal, the Media Are Accused of Just Listening

2009-05-30T06:17:00.000-04:00

A highly publicized corruption investigation has weakened Japan’s opposition party, but many worry about the failure of the news media to press the prosecutors for answers.

Spread of Swine Flu Puts Japan in Crisis Mode

2009-05-22T07:13:00.000-04:00

The widening outbreak is a particular shock to this hygiene-obsessed country, which has been harder hit than any other country outside North America.

In Japan, Secure Jobs Have a Cost

2009-05-21T12:41:00.000-04:00

Some are questioning the system, bolstered by government subsidies, that keeps otherwise idle workers occupied.

Young Japanese Savor Chance to Play With Their Heroes

2009-04-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka have inspired young players by showing them it is possible for Japanese players to succeed on the world stage.

Japan’s Crisis of the Mind

2009-03-14T09:49:00.000-04:00

Washington may see Japan, the world’s second-largest economy, as a powerful nation, but the Japanese don’t see themselves in the same light.

Japan’s Ruling Party Faces Political Extinction

2009-03-14T08:41:00.000-04:00

Time could be running out for Japan’s unpopular prime minister, Taro Aso, and his Liberal Democratic Party and its half-century monopoly on political power in Japan.

Minister Quits at Bad Time for Japan’s Economy

2009-03-14T08:19:00.001-04:00

The resignation of the finance minister, Shoichi Nakagawa, criticized for his odd behavior at a Group of 7 news conference, was a major setback for Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Clinton Offers Words of Reassurance While in Japan

2009-03-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the U.S. alliance with Japan a “cornerstone” of American foreign policy.

Hard-Working Man

2009-03-14T07:48:00.002-04:00

The Japanese admire Abe Lincoln because he is seen as a self-made man.

In Japan, New Jobless May Lack Safety Net

2009-03-14T07:23:00.000-04:00

Hundreds and perhaps thousands of Japanese workers are finding themselves literally cast into the streets as the country’s economy suffers.

Japan's garbage fitness

2009-01-30T06:46:00.001-05:00

Jan 30 - Space-starved Tokyo uses green technology to turn garbage into electricity while wooing locals with community-friendly incinerators.

An average resident of Tokyo's 12 million-strong population generates more than one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of waste per day, so garbage officials have been challenged where to put it.

Japan joins anti-piracy patrols

2009-01-29T06:57:00.000-05:00

Jan 28 - The Japanese navy will take part in international anti-piracy controls off of Somalia.

Japan has spent months deliberating over their decision to send in naval forces to join others from the United States, India, Russia and the European Union.

In order not to breach their pacifist constitution they will primarily protect Japanese vessels or those that are carrying Japanese cargo and crew.

The Japanese government is considering introducing a new laws permitting them to protect foreign vessels and allowing them to use weapons beyond self-defense.

Japan Says It Will Send Anti-Piracy Force to Somalia’s Coast

2009-01-29T05:42:00.000-05:00

Japan said it would deploy its Maritime Self-Defense Force to protect Japanese commercial ships off the coast of Somalia, possibly as early as March.

Japan Moves to Take Stakes in Ailing Companies

2009-01-28T05:38:00.000-05:00

The country outlined a plan to inject state funds into ailing companies in exchange for stakes in them, a move that echoes the partial nationalization of some troubled financial firm in the U.S. and Europe.

Obama speech book a big hit in Japan

2009-01-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

Jan 21 - Japanese learn English form Obama speech textbook.

English-language textbook featuring recent speeches by Barack Obama has become a best-seller in Japan.

Obama, Japan welcomes Obama

2009-01-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

an 20 - The Japanese residents of Obama city have staged a massive party to mark the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

The city is nowhere near Washington DC, where Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, but they had a massive party all the same.

Excited locals and Obama fans flocked to a temple to celebrate the inauguration - Hawaiian style - as a tribute to Obama's birthplace.

Grandson of Toyota Founder Will Lead

2009-01-21T15:00:00.001-05:00

Toyota Motor named Akio Toyoda, 52, to head the company in a widely expected management reshuffle.

Japan’s Outcasts Still Wait for Acceptance

2009-01-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

The buraku, descendants of a low feudal class, face social discrimination despite decades of affirmative action.

Japan and Korea Vow Unity on Economic Slump

2009-01-21T14:17:00.001-05:00

The financial crisis prompted South Korea and Japan to set aside historical disputes on Monday and agree to cooperate to meet immediate economic challenges.

Bra for boys is bestseller

2009-01-08T06:37:00.000-05:00

A bra for men becomes the hottest selling men's underwear item on a Japanese online shopping site.

The move has provoked heated online discussion in Japan with thousands debating the merits of male use of the item of underwear.

Kyoto Celebrates a 1,000-Year Love Affair

2009-01-07T13:53:00.000-05:00

This city, known for its shrines and blazing autumn hills, is celebrating the millennial anniversary of an ancient book about love and loss among the imperial set.

Japan Seeks Australia’s Help to Thwart Whaling Opponents

2009-01-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

Japan said Tuesday that it would formally ask Australia to keep anti-whaling activists and their ship, the Steve Irwin, from refueling at Australian ports.

Beacon of Japan’s Future, Sparkling With Nostalgia

2009-01-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

Tokyo Tower, the city’s Eiffel Tower-like structure, has turned 50, and has become the symbol of a bygone era that has won a new place in the national imagination.

Japan smash success

2008-12-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

Dec 22 - Business is booming for Japanese therapists who find clients for their dish-smashing stress therapy a hit in tough financial times.

Begun only one month ago, stressed out passers-by dish out about two dollars to smash a cup or saucer and relieve their anxieties to the encouragement of staff.