Last Thursday, Japan beat North Korea in a World Cup qualifier in Tokyo 1-0 and maintained its perfect start in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Hours after the game, North Korea cancelled the scheduled qualifier against Japan on Tuesday in Pyongyang, giving the news in a letter to the Asian Football Confederation. Kyodo said North Korea was concerned by "a malignant, infectious disease" in Japan, an apparent reference to rising cases of streptococcus... Read more ..read more

Practice and learn many useful vocabularries in CONVERSATION STYLE using なんと書いてありますか。なんという意味（いみ）ですか。英語でなんと言いますか。So this video is useful to practice your HEARING SKILLS and your SPEAKING SKILLS ..read more

There were mixed reactions and perhaps some misconceptions at the premiere of Oppenheimer in Japan: some critics said they were missing any references to attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Has anyone seen it already? ​ The film "Oppenheimer" recently had its premiere in Japan, a nation that still bears the scars of the nuclear weapons dropped 79 years ago. These weapons were invented by the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is often referred to as "the... Click to expand... Read more ..read more

Kyoto is set to unveil its hidden gems during a spring exhibition. From 27 April to 12 May, cultural treasures typically shielded from public view will be showcased across this ancient city and beyond. The Kyoto Heritage Preservation Association organises the event, with The Asahi Shimbun as a special sponsor. ​ Here are some highlights of what you can expect during this captivating exhibition: Rozanji Temple: Located in Kamigyo Ward, this temple was once the... Read more ..read more

Hello, if it possible any information because I think the shape is a little bit strange for tanto. Nagasa is about 22 cm ..read more

23 new words in Oxford English Dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary’s latest update adds 23 Japanese words More than half of the borrowed words relate to cooking, while Kintsugi, the increasingly popular art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer is also included www.theguardian.com ..read more

I saw this yesterday on NHK: What could be more symptomatic of Japan's demographic changes than Oji Papers' decision to switch production from baby napkins to adult diapers? Oji Holdings, a specialist in paper products, said it would stop making children's nappies in September amid a sharp decline in demand. The firm's sales have dropped from about 700m in 2001 to 400m today. Sales of adult diapers have outpaced those of nappies in Japan for over a decade, and recent population statistics... Read more ..read more

I don't want to hijack the thread on Japan's education problems so I've brought the discussion on critical thinking to the Serious Discussion forum. theAlphaDuck said: yes i know what critical thinking is and would argue thus: Science is universal....it is the same subject the world over. Click to expand... Even if it's true that Science is universal, that doesn't have any relevance to whether or not it involves critical thinking. Critical thinking is about deciding what to believe, i.e., it's about weighing up... Read more ..read more

After Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shelved its SpaceJet project, an unsuccessful attempt to produce a regional jet, last year, the government announced yesterday a new draft strategy for the aircraft industry to commercialize a next-generation, low-carbon aeroplane with hybrid or hydrogen-fueled engines as early as 2035. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' SpaceJet (Photo credit: Uema Koji)​ The new proposal, which also calls for exploring hydrogen as a fuel, comes a... Click to expand... Read more ..read more

The BBC had a picturesque feature on Ōzu (大洲), EHime, known as Shikoku's "Little Kyoto". Often referred to as a "little Kyoto" thanks to a similar historical appeal, Ozu was once the capital of the old Iyo feudal domain (much of present-day Ehime prefecture) from 1617 to 1868, and its merchants became wealthy from the production and trade of wax, silk, paper and timber. However, Ozu's economic decline over the past century, like many river towns worldwide, led to decaying heritage sites... Click to expand... Read more ..read more