The mother of late Japanese reality show star Kimura Hana has sued a broadcaster and two production companies in connection with cyberbullying that led to her daughter's suicide.

Hana, a 22-year-old professional wrestler, killed herself in May 2020 after becoming the target of malicious slander on social media for her remarks and conduct on the show "Terrace House," broadcast by Fuji Television.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says Japan must set up a system that clearly shows its counterstrikes are not pre-emptive attacks, when the country faces missile attacks.

Kishida said at an Upper House budget committee meeting on Wednesday that Japan must be fully-equipped to protect people's lives and livelihoods amid rapidly evolving missile and other technologies.

NHK has learned the Japanese government plans to make the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, western Japan, "a laboratory for a future society" to show ways to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The government has worked out a draft of its basic plan for the Osaka, Kansai Expo.

A key gauge of business conditions in Japan has improved for the fourth month in a row, potentially fanning hopes of economic recovery even as the pandemic continues.

In particular, it shows sectors such as the auto industry could be shifting back into gear.

Toyota has been for years one of the biggest OEM supporters of SEMA, the aftermarket advocacy group and show organizer. The SEMA Show has been canceled this year (because 2020) but that doesn't mean the parade of wildly customized cars has ceased. Instead, it's moved to an online format called SEMA 360, giving companies a chance to show off the project cars they've spent all year building.

These days, a customized Toyota is much more likely to be a lifted truck than a slammed Celica or MR2. Capitalizing on the popularity of overlanding, or living out of a self-sustained off-roader, Toyota has created a supercharged Tacoma capable of 370 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque.

Thai people living in Japan have taken to the streets of Tokyo to show support for anti-government protests in their home country.

Protesters have been staging rallies in and around the capital, Bangkok. Their demands include the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and reform of the monarchy.

Honda traveled to the 2020 edition of the Beijing Auto Show to introduce a design study named SUV E:Concept. Electric and connected, it's a preview of an upcoming production model that's being developed for China.

Details about the concept are spectacularly scarce, but the photos released by the company show a sporty two-door model that blurs the line between a shooting brake and a crossover. Its front end is slanted at an angle we normally associate with 1980s BMWs, and it's dominated by thin, swept-back LED headlights and unusually large air dams. Black trim over the wheel arches and the rocker panels adds a rugged touch to the overall look.

Sony Ericsson's pedigree of early Android smartphone launches really set the scene of why so many fans were loyal to the brand. Back in 2010, manufacturers were delivering Android phones in all shapes and sizes, partly why the smartphone space was so interesting. This compares to now where many phones look the same, save for the inclusion of a notch, hole punch or varying bezel sizes.

Word on the street is that Netflix is apparently looking to develop The Legend of Zelda for its streaming platform that could either debut as a TV show or a movie (or possibly both). Nothing official has since been announced, but a report from We Got This Covered has revealed some additional details.

According to the publication, they claim that apparently Netflix is interested in bringing Spider-Man’s Tom Holland on board where he will be taking up the mantle of Link, the main character in the game. While we’ve never really thought about who could play Link before, Holland’s youthful looks certainly makes it seem like he would be a good fit.

There isn't much to discuss on the surface here, but news that Honda is preparing its second electric car is of great interest to us. The company's first EV — the Honda E — is not sold in America, and based on how Honda is framing this car, it won't be sold in the U.S. either.

Honda's teaser image is a preview of a concept car that will be fully revealed at the Beijing Motor Show. Honda says it indicates "the direction of the future mass-production model of the Honda brand's first EV to be introduced in China." The teaser is posted to Honda's global news site, but not its North American site, suggesting even further that this car isn't meant for us.

Sources say a Japanese reality show star who apparently committed suicide had been criticized on social media.

Hamasaki Maria was found dead in her apartment in Tokyo on Wednesday.

A 23-year-old woman who appeared in a popular Japanese reality show has been found dead in Tokyo.

Sources familiar with the situation say Hamasaki Maria apparently committed suicide. Police are investigating.

Toyota will start accepting pre-orders for the facelifted Hilux in the United Kingdom on September 1, prior to the opening of the order books two months later.

"The Autoblog Show" returns to Fios TV this Sunday for its eighth episode, this time featuring some vehicles of old.

We revisit the 1966 Ford GT 40 win at Le Mans and see what the cars look like now at Pebble Beach, and continue with the Shelby theme with a Factory Five Shelby Cobra replica. Finally, we head to the mountains outside Salt Lake City to drive vintage Land Cruisers.