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A woman wearing traditional outfit looks at the yellow lit lanterns during the Mitama Matsuri festival at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo
Image: Philip Fong/AFP/Getty ImagesImage: Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

Japan

For centuries, the Land of the Rising Sun was a very closed society. Today, the economic powerhouse blends a distinctly Western lifestyle with ancient religion and traditions that go back thousands of years.

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All Content on this topic

Japan, Tokio | Nissan-CEO Uchida und Honda-CEO Mibe bei gemeinsamer Pressekonferenz

Japan's Honda and Nissan mull merger

Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan are reportedly in talks to form the world's third-largest auto group.
BusinessDecember 23, 202401:27 min
Makoto Uchida, president and CEO of Nissan Motor, and Toshihiro Mibe, Honda Motor president and CEO, attend their joint press conference

Honda and Nissan launch negotiations for historic merger

Historic collaboration between rival Japanese car makers set to create the world's third-largest automaker by sales.
BusinessDecember 23, 2024
Nissan leader Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda President Toshihiro Mibe (right) at a joint press conference earlier this year

Nissan, Honda inch closer to possible merger

The two Japanese carmakers confirmed reports that they would be 'collaborating' more closely.
BusinessDecember 18, 2024
Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson seen in snowy Nuuk, Greenland, after being released from jail on December 17, 2025

Denmark frees anti-whaling activist Paul Watson

Paul Watson has called Japanese claims that he attacked one of their whaling ships, "a total fabrication."
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 17, 2024
An elderly woman wearing a face mask crosses a street in Tokyo's Tsukiji area

Japan's elderly face loneliness

An estimated 20% of elderly Japanese will live alone by 2050, presenting challenges for social services.
SocietyDecember 15, 2024
Terumi Tanaka representing the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Nihon Hidankyo group, is seen behind paper cranes, symbol of the fight against nuclear weapons and logo of Nihon Hidankyo, as he gives a press conference in Oslo, Norway

Nagasaki, Hiroshima survivors receive Nobel Peace Prize

Activist group Nihon Hidankyo calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons at Nobel Prize award ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
ConflictsDecember 10, 202401:53 min
Shift Gesamtsendung

Why our brains love immersive art

Immersive art is booming. What's behind the hype surrounding these colorful exhibitions?
Digital WorldDecember 6, 202412:36 min
People take photographs in front of sake barrels at Tsuruoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura city of Kanagawa prefecture on May 3, 2023

Japan's sake added to UNESCO heritage list

Brewers hope the recognition will help revive domestic consumption, which has declined in recent years.
CultureDecember 6, 202401:29 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Rape in India: The added misery of stigma —  Global Us

Peru's new megaport in Chancay — gateway to the world, or China's ticket to South America?
GlobalizationNovember 29, 202426:04 min
REV | CH_MazdaCX80       

Testing the Mazda CX-80

REV tests the Mazda CX-80, a new SUV from the company best known for its compact cars.
Cars and TransportationNovember 26, 202408:25 min
Smoke and fire is seen during a combustion test of an engine for a new small Japanese rocket Epsilon S

Japan's space agency aborts Epsilon S rocket test after fire

The incident is the latest in a string of setbacks for Japan's space program.
TechnologyNovember 26, 2024
Passengers gather near check-in counters at Narita International Airport in Narita, east of Tokyo

Japanese companies react to rise in rude, abusive customers

With businesses reporting a rise in customers threatening workers, famously polite Japan may be becoming less tolerant.
SocietyNovember 23, 2024
A mine tunnel

South Korea to shun Sado mine memorial in Japan

South Korea will not attend a ceremony in Japan to commemorate victims of forced labor, its foreign ministry says.
PoliticsNovember 23, 2024
A group of women leaving Tokyo's Big Sight venue

Japan: Women hopeful on maiden names issue after UN report

The push to allow married women to retain their maiden names is gaining momentum in Japan.
Human RightsNovember 21, 2024
Verteidigungsgespräche zwischen Japan, den USA und Australien in Australien

Japanese troops to start deployments in Australia

Japan, Australia, and the US are enhancing military cooperation in response to China's growing influence in the region.
PoliticsNovember 17, 2024
US President Joe Biden attends the APEC summit

Biden meets allies, warns of 'significant political change'

Joe Biden has tried to reassure leaders of Japan and South Korea as the allies met on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
PoliticsNovember 16, 2024
An old woman takes an order at a cafe table as two patrons look on

Cafe in Japan aims to include people with dementia

A model project in Japan is helping people with dementia to become part of the community again.
SocietyNovember 13, 202405:02 min
Lawmakers applaud as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba elected on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.

Japan: PM Ishiba chosen for new term, despite lost majority

Shigeru Ishiba survived a confidence vote in parliament, even after his LDP lost its majority in snap elections.
PoliticsNovember 11, 2024
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

From water scarcity to dementia — Global Us

Singapore as a role model for the use of water as a resource. How racist is the country music scene in the USA?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 8, 202426:04 min
DW Sendung Sports Life: Nokotta Girl, Sumo Ringerin

Breaking the Holy Ring — women take on Sumo

20 year old Rio Hasegawa lives and practices Sumo in Tokyo. One day she wants to become World Champion.
SportsNovember 8, 202412:33 min
A US Air Force B-1B Bomber flies during a ceremony marking the 76th Armed Forces Day held at Seoul Air Base

US long-range bomber joins air drill with South Korea, Japan

The United States conducted drills with South Korea and Japan, flying a B-1B bomber near the Korean Peninsula.
ConflictsNovember 3, 2024
People at a train station in Seoul watch a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test on October 31

North Korea ballistic missile launch draws condemnation

Japan's Coast Guard and Pyongyang say North Korea has fired what seemed to be a ballistic missile.
ConflictsNovember 1, 2024
Japan Tokio 2024 | Shinjiro Koizumi spricht zur Unterhauswahl

Japan's snap election backfires on ruling party

Japan's prime minister had hoped a snap election would galvanize support. Instead, Japanese voters punished his party.
PoliticsOctober 28, 202402:16 min
Ballot boxes being dumped out for counting in Japan

Japan faces political uncertainty after LDP election rout

Japan's ruling LDP is looking for answers after losing its parliamentary majority in a snap election.
PoliticsOctober 28, 2024
Japanese Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party

Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba vows to stay, despite election flop

Ishiba's gamble on snap elections has backfired. He promised to carry out strict reforms within the longtime ruling LDP.
PoliticsOctober 28, 2024
A man walks past placards ahead of the election in Tokyo, Japan

Japan election: Ruling party loses majority, says NHK

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is facing an election defeat after decades in power.
PoliticsOctober 27, 2024
A police officer takes photographs of an object outside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters in central Tokyo

Japan: Man targets ruling party headquarters with firebombs

The incident comes only days ahead of a general election in Japan.
CrimeOctober 19, 2024
Chinese flag

Exiled Chinese in Japan encounter the long arm of Beijing

Dozens of Chinese who have settled in Japan say they are the target of threatening phone calls and messages.
Freedom of SpeechOctober 15, 2024
Chinese police and security check a delivery rider who arrived with what appeared to be a bouquet of flowers at the entrance of the Japanese embassy in Beijing

Attacks on Japanese citizens in China stir security concerns

Japanese nationals have become increasingly jittery over visiting China following a series of violent attacks.
SocietyOctober 11, 2024
People offer prayers at the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Anti-nuclear group wins 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

Nihon Hidankyo represents the survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
ConflictsOctober 11, 202402:18 min
View into a deep shaft, a man in blue wearing a hard hat looking down into it

Japan's 'underground temple' protects Tokyo from floods

Faced with an increased risk of flooding due to climate change, Tokyo is modernizing its flood protection systems.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 6, 20248 images
An aerial view taken from a helicopter shows a crater from an explosion after a likely WW2-era bomb exploded

Japan airport restarts flights after WWII bomb blast

Flights resume at a Japanese airport after a World War II bomb exploded seconds after a passenger jet taxied past it.
HistoryOctober 3, 2024
Shigeru Ishiba speaking at a podium

Japan: Election looms as key test for new PM

PM Shigeru Ishiba must convince the public that the economy is safer in his hands. If he fails, his rule may be brief.
PoliticsOctober 2, 2024
Shigeru Ishiba, the 65th prime minister of Japan

Japan's Shigeru Ishiba confirmed as prime minister

The 67-year-old replaces outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
PoliticsOctober 1, 2024
Ishiba speaks at a press conference at LDP headquarters in Tokyo.

Japan: Incoming PM Ishiba to call snap election for Oct. 27

Japanese stocks fell on Monday as incoming PM Shigeru Ishiba called for snap elections on October 27.
PoliticsSeptember 30, 2024
Giant panda Shin Shin eats bamboo at Ueno Zoo

Fans bid farewell to Tokyo pandas before return to China

Over 2,000 people lined up outside of the zoo hours before the final appearance of pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 28, 2024
Japan | Der ehemalige Verteidigungsminister Shigeru Ishiba ist Kandidat für die Präsidentschaftswahlen

Former Defense Minister Ishiba set to become Japan's new PM

Fumio Kishida said he would not stand again after financial and political scandals rocked his party.
PoliticsSeptember 27, 202401:41 min
Shigeru Ishiba casts his ballot in Tokyo in the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership election on September 27

Shigeru Ishiba to be Japan's next prime minister

Shigeru Ishiba won the race to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
PoliticsSeptember 27, 2024
Iwao Hakamada

Japan acquits world's longest-serving death row prisoner

A man who was sentenced to death in 1968 — and spent most of his life on death row — was cleared of all charges.
Law and JusticeSeptember 26, 2024
Ships sailing near China on August 16

Japan sends warship into Taiwan Strait for first time

Japan's media said that Tokyo sent a warship to patrol the Taiwan Strait, which China claims to hold jurisdiction over.
ConflictsSeptember 26, 2024
Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square in China

China test-fires ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean

Australia has asked for an explanation of the ICBM test, while Japan claims it did not receive a warning from China.
ConflictsSeptember 25, 2024
Chichi-jima Island of Ogasawara archipelago, a remote part of Tokyo

Japan: Tsunami advisory lifted after earthquake

After a strong earthquake, Japan issued a tsunami advisory for the remote Izu and Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo.
CatastropheSeptember 24, 2024
This aerial photo shows the flooded Kawarada river and submerged area after heavy rain in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan

Floods, landslides ravage central Japan after heavy rains

Unprecedented rainfall caused flooding in central Japan, leaving at least one dead and eleven missing.
CatastropheSeptember 22, 2024
People push a car in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture on September 21

Japan: Heavy rains trigger evacuation in quake-hit region

Rivers have burst their banks in a region still recovering from a devastating earthquake earlier in the year.
CatastropheSeptember 21, 2024
Justin Marks, Hiroyuki Sanada, and the team of “Shogun” accept the award for Outstanding Drama Series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater.

Emmys: Japanese-language show 'Shogun' breaks record

Japanese-language historical drama "Shogun" smashed Emmy records, winning 18 trophies at the 76th edition of the awards.
ArtsSeptember 16, 2024
Japan China Militär

More than a dispute over islands — Japan's fear of China

China's growing military might and aggressive foreign policy have prompted Japan to massively increase military spending
ConflictsSeptember 16, 202406:45 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Japan's fear of China — Global Us

Japan eyes China’s growing ambitions with concern. Plus: How can waste landfills be made more climate friendly?
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 13, 202426:04 min
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the nation's founding anniversary ceremony on September 9

Kim Jong Un vows to ready nuclear force for combat with US

Experts say North Korea is likely to perform provocative weapon tests ahead of the US presidential elections.
PoliticsSeptember 10, 2024
JSK Robotics Laboratory I Robot

A robot at the wheel

Researchers at the University of Tokyo are testing how well humanoid robots can drive.
Cars and TransportationAugust 31, 202401:08 min
Bottles of perfume on sale at a department store in Yokohama, Japan

Japan's youth break tradition by embracing perfume

Once seen as unnecessary in a culture that famously enjoys bathing, perfumes are finally trending among young Japanese.
SocietyAugust 30, 2024