Two Japanese baseball stars are in the running for the highest pitching honor in the US Major Leagues. Darvish Yu of the Chicago Cubs and Maeda Kenta of the Minnesota Twins are finalists for the Cy Young Award.
The award is given annually to the best pitcher in each league. It is named after the late pitcher Cy Young, who earned 511 wins in his career--the most in MLB history.
Data compiled by Japanese police show the number of suicides among young women has been increasing sharply.
The National Police Agency says 1,854 people committed suicide across the country in August. This was a rise by 251, or 16 percent, from the same month last year.
A global survey exploring Japanese ancestry has shown that younger generations tend to have a strong awareness of their ethnic identity.
The Nippon Foundation conducted the survey last year, receiving responses from about 3,800 Japanese emigrants and their descendants, also known as "Nikkei," in the US, Brazil and other countries.
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.
Health experts in Japan continue to refine the advice they offer in response to the coronavirus outbreak. They're now urging people, especially younger generations, to be on the alert even if they don't show major symptoms.
Japan Community Healthcare Organization President Shigeru Omi said, " We have come to believe that people with mild symptoms play an important role in spreading the virus without knowing it. In particular, young people are unlikely to become seriously ill, making it very difficult to see the danger they may pose to others. As a result, they infect many middle aged and elderly people, putting them at risk."
A centuries-old Kyoto-style lacquerware maker wants to put its softly rounded cups snugly into the hands of younger generations.
The Tsubomi Cup is the product of Zohiko, whose main shop is located in Kyoto’s Teramachi area.