All About Japan

TOKYO

SoftBank Fails to Declare Billions in Income

Japanese tax authorities have found that SoftBank Group Corporation failed to declare about 40 billion yen in income for the business year through March 2019.

Shibuya Public Restrooms Get Designer Makeover

The Nippon Foundation is collaborating with the ward and 16 world-renowned architects and designers to transform 17 public lavatories.

Tokyo Subway Going Antimicrobial

Workers at Tokyo Metro are now applying an antimicrobial surface coating to their trains to fend off the coronavirus.

Tokyo On High Alert for Coronavirus

Tokyo officials have raised the four-stage COVID-19 alert to its highest level, since the Japanese capital saw more than 100 new cases for the seventh straight day.

Record 1,000 New Coronavirus Cases in Japan

Japan sees a record number of new cases of novel coronavirus in one day, hitting over 1,000 for the very first time.

Saliva Testing for COVID at Japanese Airports

Japan’s government will nearly double the coronavirus testing capacity at international airports such as Haneda by introducing antigen examinations using saliva samples whose results take only about an hour.

Akihabara Landmark Sega Arcade Closing

Electric Town says goodbye to Sega Building 2, an arcade that has been a landmark of the area for 17 years.

Keep Your Mask On, Even After the Food Arrives

Japan’s pseudo-Italian restaurant chain Saizeriya has come up with a way for customers to dine out while still wearing their masks.

Tokyo Station's New Shopping Center

August 3 marks the opening of a gigantic in-station commercial facility featuring 153 shops and restaurants at the iconic Tokyo Station!

Japan to Abolish Seal-Stamping System

Bad news for fans of Japanese seals! Japan is looking to do away with its custom of physical seal stamping and come up with a digitized process.

New Hotel Embraces Its Ikebukuro Home

A new hotel embracing minimalism celebrates the neighborhood it's in, Ikebukuro.

Shinjuku Station's New Permanent Installation

Artist Tomokazu Matsuyama is the talent responsible for the new artwork adorning Shinjuku Station.

Japan Approves Second COVID-19 Treatment

The use of dexamethasone to treat people infected with the novel coronavirus has been approved as the second drug that doctors can now prescribe to COVID-19 patients in the country.

AI Bartender Serving Up Age-Based Craft Beers

Electronics maker NEC has used artificial intelligence to come up with craft beers reflecting the characteristics of age groups. The AI analyzed some 300 magazines from a 40-year-period to propose beer tastes for people in their 20s to 50s.

New Daily High of Coronavirus Cases in Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported a new daily high of 286 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Japan’s capital on Thursday.

More Foreign Than Japanese Residents in 2019

The Tokyo area welcomed more new foreign residents than Japanese citizens last year, marking the first time for the foreign population to increase faster than the Japanese one for the area since the ministry began separating such demographic data in 2012.

Kitamura Shop Like Theme Park for Camera Fans

Kitamura Camera's new location, which just opened in early July 2020, hopes to become a one-stop-shop for amateur and professional photographers alike. And Spoon & Tamago has the scoop!

Tokyo Excluded From Go To Travel Campaign

Japan’s government will go ahead with a domestic travel campaign starting July 22, but has excluded Tokyo due to a growing number of new cases of coronavirus. Travelers and firms participating in the travel subsidy program will also need to abide by a li

Patients With COVID-19 Antibodies Found Immune

The results of Japan’s large-scale antibody test show all eight patients who had antibodies against the novel coronavirus were immune to COVID-19.

Tokyo's Giant Olympic Rings Removed

The Tokyo Olympic Games organizers have removed the giant Olympic rings at Odaiba Marine Park for maintenance.

know-before-you-go