A Japanese high court has ruled that the calculation of earnings a girl with a hearing impairment who died in an accident would have made must be 100 percent based on the average income in Japan. (NHK)

Satoshi Nakagawa, CEO of Tripod Design, has pioneered a groundbreaking technology called "micro energy harvesting," which collects minuscule amounts of electricity from a wide range of everyday materials, including soil, bread, water, and even fruits like tomatoes and apples. (News On Japan)

Fallout continues from a scandal involving a woman and popular TV personality Nakai Masahiro, who is best known as a former member of the disbanded pop idol group, SMAP. (NHK)

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced on January 17th that the average agreed amount for last year's winter bonuses at major private companies reached 891,460 yen, an increase of 4.93% compared to the previous year. This marks the first record high in five years, surpassing the previous peak set in 2019. (News On Japan)

The Japan Foundation has announced a joint research project with a UK research group to investigate the mysterious oxygen produced in the lightless depths of the ocean, known as 'dark oxygen,' which forms through methods other than photosynthesis. (News On Japan)

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Japan Hidankyo), marking the first time in 50 years that a Japanese entity has received the honor. (News On Japan)

This is a large collaborative video in which we explore the mysterious and fascinating topic of Shinobi (ninja) poetry! (Kings and Generals)

A Japan Airlines (JAL) international flight faced a major delay after one of its pilots was found to have consumed alcohol exceeding the allowable limits the night before departure. Investigations by FNN have revealed conflicting accounts between JAL and the pilot involved regarding the decision to proceed with the flight. (News On Japan)

At 5:46 a.m. on January 17, 1995, a powerful earthquake struck Kobe, leaving widespread devastation in its wake. Taisuke Matsuzaki, a city official at the time, began documenting the aftermath using an 8mm video camera. (News On Japan)

In response to a surge in home robbery incidents across the Kanto region, Tokyo has announced plans to allocate 4.7 billion yen in its fiscal 2025 budget to support the installation of home security cameras. (News On Japan)

A global language proficiency study ranked Japan 92nd out of 116 countries and regions, raising concerns about whether Japan needs to improve its English communication skills, especially as it continues to draw international attention. (News On Japan)

A rocket carrying the lunar lander developed by Japanese space venture ispace was successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States. (News On Japan)

Corporate bankruptcies in Japan rose for the third straight year in 2024. It is the highest number since 2013. Rising prices and labor shortages were to blame in many cases. (NHK)

A poetry collection featuring 466 previously unpublished poems by Empress Emerita Michiko will be published on January 15. (News On Japan)

Kobe is set to become the first city in Japan to consider imposing a tax on vacant units in high-rise condominiums. Mayor Hisamoto expressed strong support for the measure, stressing that the city will avoid repeating the situation seen in Tokyo’s Harumi Flag development. (News On Japan)

Chiba's Urayasu City hosted a '20-Year Celebration' event at Tokyo DisneySea on Monday, marking the transition to adulthood for local residents. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has unveiled a plan to start covering up to 1.5 million yen in student loan repayments for individuals hired as teachers or technical public officials in the city starting from April this year. The initiative is expected to launch next year. (News On Japan)

Unused hotel linens, such as sheets, were transformed into wedding dresses for a sustainability-themed fashion show held on Sunday. (News On Japan)

Two women were fatally struck by a train at a railroad crossing in Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, on January 9th, with investigators believing that the women may have accidentally waited for the traffic signal inside the lowered crossing gate. (News On Japan)

Japan Airlines has unveiled an aircraft featuring a sharkskin-like coating. By reducing air resistance with this special surface texture, the airline expects to cut fuel consumption by approximately 119 tons per aircraft annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 381 tons. (News On Japan)