By the middle of the century, if all goes according to plan, a maglev shinkansen will be in operation between Tokyo and Osaka, reducing a 100-minute trip to just over an hour.As with the current bullet train lines, stations will be built in cities along the way.
But where the train will stop between Nagoya and Osaka has become the subject of a growing struggle between the cities of Kyoto and Nara, both of which see a maglev station as a critical way to boost tourism revenue, not to mention a …

Radioactive cesium was detected in 51 food products from nine prefectures in excess of a new government-set limit in the first month since it was introduced April 1, according to data released by the health ministry Tuesday.
The limit was exceeded in 337 cases, or 2.4 percent of 13,867 food samples examined by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
Cesium exceeding the previous allowable limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram was detected in 55 cases, while the new limit of 100 becquerels was exceeded in 282 cases.
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McDonald’s Japan on Sunday opened its largest store in Japan. The Harajuku Omotesando Branch occupies 795 square meters and seats 328 customers.
It will soon feature a new “Mac Cafe” inside where customers can order coffee made to suit their individual preferences. The cafe is to open in July, ahead of other branches, in an attempt to appeal to a more adult market than usual.

Not so long ago Japan was being portrayed as the deadbeat of the world financial system. Seems there is still some life — and money — in the island empire.
If you want to understand Japan, try watching what people do rather than listen to what they say. More even than in  other parts of the world there is a difference — and  what people do is, of course, a far more useful insight into their true situation. It is interesting therefore to note that as the International Monetary Fund wound down …

The government will launch its Cool Biz campaign again this year on May 1, the same as last year. Prior to 2011, the campaign began on June 1, but it was brought forward by a month last year in a bid to conserve electricity after worries that there would be a power shortage following the March 11 disaster.
The campaign will last until Oct 31, according to the Environment Ministry. During this time, employees are encouraged to ditch their suits and ties for open-necked, short-sleeved shirts.
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Sega’s Super Monkey Ball series is about cute cartoon moneys rolling around in hamster balls collecting bananas. It’s about as kid-friendly as a series can get, so of course Sega, master of understanding what makes its own franchises work, has added “adult” levels to the upcoming PS Vita version of Monkey Ball.
Yup, in these levels the normal floor textures have been replaced by pictures of Japanese bikini model Yukie Kawamura, whose protruding breasts act as obstacles for your adorable hamster ball monkeys. So yeah, basically some burnt out developer at …

A commercial showing members of wildly popular all-girl band AKB48 passing bite-sized candies seductively from mouth-to-mouth is under fire in Japan for encouraging homosexuality.The advertisement, which aired in March, shows the school uniform-clad young women – all in their late teens or early 20s – intimately exchanging the sweet, with the close-up footage slowing as their lips near.
A broadcasting standards watchdog said on Thursday the majority of the 116 complaints it had received in March about commercials concerning young people related to this advert.
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Panasonic will broadcast live a solar eclipse next month over Japan from the top of Mount Fuji, using batteries that are charged at the base using solar power and then carried up to the peak.S
The company will use the event to create publicity for its solar panels and rechargeable portable power units. Panasonic said all video cameras, PCs, and other equipment used for the broadcast will be powered by solar energy. The team will consist of mountain guides and engineers, as well as some participants chosen from the general public.
A …

In another example of Japan getting all the neat stuff first, Sony details a beefy DVR and media storage hub that is compatible with its PlayStation, Vaio, Tablet, and Xperia lines.
The new Sony Nasne tuner and media device, due in Japan on July 19 for 16,980 yen $209, sort of looks like a miniature PlayStation 3. However, dont let the aesthetics fool you: Nasne contains many features the game console lacks, such as a built-in 500GB hard drive for recording content from digital terrestrial or satellite TV broadcasts.
The rear of …

For the young women whiling away their evenings with a cappuccino in hand and a cat on their lap, Tokyo’s “neko cafes” are the ideal place to unwind and soothe their stresses.
“After a long day at work, I just want to stroke cats and relax,” said saleswoman Akiko Harada.
“I love cats, but I can’t have one at home because I live in a small apartment. I started coming here because I really missed having fun with cats and touching them.”
For Harada and others like her, the “neko cafes” of the …