The Pigeon Express
The Tokyo Motor Show was cancelled for the first time in its 67-year history due to rising coronavirus cases. The cancellation of the event comes even as the organisers of the Summer Olympics push ahead with their plans. It comes as Japan is expected to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and two […]
Cancelling or postponing the Tokyo Olympics Games probably will not hurt Japan’s economy much but may require the government to offer tailored support for hard-hit small firms, a senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official has said. While the government plans to proceed as scheduled, a renewed spike in coronavirus infections and slow vaccine distribution schemes […]
Japan approved a plan to release more than one million tonnes of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The water will be treated and diluted so radiation levels are below those set for drinking water. Tokyo says work to release water used to cool nuclear fuel will begin in about […]
Hideki Matsuyama won the 85th Masters in dramatic fashion on Sunday, holding off Xander Schauffele down the back nine to become the first Japanese man to capture a major golf title. Matsuyama struck for crucial birdies in a pressure-packed march at Augusta National, hanging on over the final holes for a historic one-stroke victory. Matsuyama […]
North Korea will reportedly drop out of the Tokyo Olympics due to concerns over the coronavirus. The country said it would skip this summer’s Olympic Games to “protect players from the world public health crisis caused by Covid-19,” according to a report published Tuesday in North Korean media DPRK sports, a website on sports affairs. […]
Japan’s famous cherry blossoms reached their peak earlier than ever before this year, with experts suggesting the record-setting date is the result of climate change. Peak bloom was reached on March 26 in the ancient capital of Kyoto, the earliest date since the country’s meteorological agency started collecting official data in 1953 and 10 days […]
A man was fined USD $80 over online abuse directed at a Japanese reality star who took her own life last year. The unnamed man posted messages on Hana Kimura’s social media account about her “awful personality”, and asking “when will you die?” Kamura, 22, was the target of hundreds of abusive tweets from fans […]
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Japan off the coast of Ishinomaki, a city located just 65 miles from Fukushima, the site of a devastating 9.0 magnitude quake 10 years ago. Latest information from USGS shows the earthquake has a depth of 54 kilometers. A tsunami warning was issued earlier Saturday but has now been downgraded […]
No international fans would be permitted to attend the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Japanese authorities told the Olympic and Paralympic committees it was “highly unlikely” that entry to the country could be guaranteed. Organisers said the move now gives “clarity” to ticket holders and helps […]
The creative director of Tokyo’s Olympic ceremonies resigned on Thursday for suggesting a female comedian appear as a pig. Hiroshi Sasaki announced his decision after a report on Wednesday revealed his proposal that Naomi Watanabe, a popular celebrity appear as an “Olympig” wearing pig ears at the opening ceremony. It is just the latest headache for […]
A Japanese billionaire is throwing open a private lunar expedition to eight people from around the world. Yusaku Maezawa, an online fashion tycoon, was announced in 2018 as the first man to book a spot on board the lunar spaceship being developed by SpaceX. Maezawa, who paid an undisclosed sum for the trip expected to […]
Japan has asked China to stop conducting anal swab tests for Covid-19 on its citizens when they enter the country. Some have complained that the procedure caused them “psychological distress”, officials say. China, which has largely brought the virus under control, started carrying out anal swabs in January. “Some Japanese reported to our embassy in […]