The announcement of Carolina Shiino, an ethnic Ukrainian woman, as Miss Japan 2024 has ignited a lively debate in the country, shedding light on persisting racial barriers and perceptions of Japanese identity. Crowned with tears of joy on Monday, the 26-year-old model, who relocated to Japan at the age of five and was raised in Nagoya, expressed the challenges she faced in gaining acceptance as Japanese.... 

When it comes to fast trains, Japan takes top honors thanks to German brilliance and Japanese precision. A trailblazing maglev, short for ‘magnetic levitation’, train has set a world speed record during a test run near Mount Fuji, clocking over 600kph (373mph). The new record comes less than a week after the seven-car train clocked 590kph, breaking its own 2003 record of 581kph. The maglev hovers... 

The skyline of Osaka, Japan The Japanese government is considering unparalleled counter-measures to withstand the inevitable earthquakes and tsunamis awaiting Japan in the future. Experts propose preparation of emergency government offices in the country’s five major cities. ­One of the main anti-earthquake emergency measures proposed by the Central Disaster Prevention Council is a recommendation...