The All Japan Judo Federation is working on a new project to use the sport's techniques to help elderly people avoid falls.

Japan's health ministry says the number of people aged 65 or older who died as the result of a fall has been on rise, with more than 8,800 deaths reported in 2020. That's about four times the number of people in the same age group who died in traffic accidents.

Shinto priests have replaced a sacred rope over the Nachi Falls in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, ahead of the New Year.

The falls are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. A nearby shrine worships the falls as its deity.

NHK's latest opinion poll puts the approval rating for Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's Cabinet at 34 percent. The figure is down by two points from last month.

This is the lowest support rate since the launch of Abe's second administration in December 2012, although a simple comparison is not possible as the survey method has changed.

The Lexus ES is a comfy cruiser, but it's no off-roader. One woman found that out the hard way as she managed to get her car stuck on a median.

Japan's population has decreased for the 9th year in a row, with society continuing to gray.

The Internal Affairs Ministry estimates the total population, including foreign residents, at about 126.1 million as of October 1, 2019.

NHK's latest poll shows that public support for Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's Cabinet is almost equally divided.

NHK conducted a telephone survey between Friday and Sunday of over 2,000 randomly chosen people aged 18 or older. More than 1,200 people responded.

It's been reported that SUPER BEAVER drummer Fujiwara "31-sai" Hiroaki has fallen ill with the novel coronavirus. 

On April 1st, Fujiwara developed a fever and rested at home after consulting a health center. He received the PCR test on the 3rd, and the results came back positive on the 6th.  While his health showing improvement, he is still recuperating at home. Reportedly, fellow member Uesugi Kenta (B) is also currently in poor health and has been ordered to stay at home from the health center. 

A low pressure system and a cold air mass brought snow to wide areas of the Kanto and Koshin regions in Japan on Sunday.

The snow is accumulating even on the plains of southern Kanto, including central Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture.