SMAP to disband on December 31st

One of Japan's longest-running pop acts is set to disband at the end of the year. The agent for the all-male band SMAP made the announcement early on Sunday.Johnny & Associates faxed a statement to the media, saying SMAP will disband on December 31st.

Tokyo taxis begin 410-yen short-distance trial

The transport ministry has launched a trial in Tokyo offering a lower starting taxi fare to confirm demand for short-distance rides.Forty taxis are taking part in the test through September 15th. The cabs are offering a lower starting fare of just 410 yen, or about four dollars, which covers a little more than one kilometer.

富士山提供免費Wi-Fi / Free Wi-Fi is coming to Mt. Fuji

富士山史上初! 全山小屋で利用可能な無料Wi-Fi
富士山上也能免費上網? 日本電信公司KDDI的AU最近宣布將在富士山上的山小屋、公共設施等49處設置無線基地台，提供免費上網的Wi-Fi服務。雖然目前富士山大部分的登山步道手機都能收到訊號，但有此項免費服務後，外國旅客無須使用額外網路流量、費用就可以上傳照片、影片。

Not so long ago, many would have thought of the idea of using the Internet while climbing Mt. Fuji to be absurd. You're on one of the most culturally significant, naturally beautiful sites in Japan, and you want to take time out to surf the Web? Internet access at a total of 49 locations on Japan's tallest mountain, including all of the mountain huts that provide temporary lodging for climbers.

JR East to fully introduce E235 series on Yamanote Line

East Japan Railway Co., better known as JR East, said Wednesday it will replace the existing E231 series trains with the newly developed E235 series on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo by spring 2020.
Currently, JR East operates one 11-car E235 train on the loop line in the capital.

Tourist trains give passengers taste of local attractions

Tasty local produce, uniquely designed trains and a leisurely ride through the scenic countryside - this is how some train operators are trying to attract passengers and get local economies back on track.
The growing popularity of these train trips has even started a new word to describe the positive economic impact the business brings: "tetsunomics," a play on the words Abenomics and "tetsudo" (railway).

Tokyo's National Museum of Western Art recommended for World Heritage listing

A UNESCO advisory panel has recommended putting the main building of the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo and 16 other buildings designed by Le Corbusier on the world body's list of cultural heritage sites, the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs said Tuesday.

Japan is getting its first full-scale Legoland amusement park

On their travels across Japan, many people skip right by Nagoya, which is kind of a shame. Sure, the capital of Aichi Prefecture may not be able to match the limitless variety of Tokyo or the historical pedigree of Kyoto, but Nagoya has its own set of attractions, such as a beautiful castle and the best chicken wings in the country.

Universal Studios Japan upgrades 'Harry Potter' area

Universal Studios Japan opened new attractions based on the "Harry Potter" film franchise on Wednesday, aiming to log another year of record traffic. Visitors purchasing "magic wands" now can simulate spell-casting at certain sites in the Osaka park's Harry Potter-themed area, such as by calling forth fire or snow with specific phrases and wand movements.

2016年全球大學聲譽排行榜 ／ World Reputation Rankings 2016

泰晤士高等教育（Times Higher Education）公布了最新的全球大學聲譽排行榜, 泰晤士高等教育排行榜的編輯Phil Baty表示，中國、香港、日本和韓國大學的排名都有所進步。亞洲的大學中排位最靠前的仍然是東京大學, 現在看看頭二十大的排名吧～有意留學的朋友要注意！

The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2016 employ the world's largest invitation-only academic opinion survey to provide the definitive list of the top 100 most powerful global university brands. A spin-off of the annual Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the reputation league table is based on nothing more than subjective judgement - but it is the considered expert judgement of senior, published academics - the people best placed to know the most about excellence in our universities.

Luxury sleeper train / ななつ星

Kyushu Railway is resuming tours on a luxury sleeper train following last month's deadly earthquakes in southern Japan, which closed part of the route. The Seven Stars restarts service Saturday with revised routes, after service was suspended April 16 amid continuing aftershocks.

Mt. Fuji info center opens for tourist season

The information center at the 5th station of Japan's iconic Mount Fuji has opened, kicking off the 2016 tourist season. The center offers information in 7 languages.The Yamanashi prefectural government started operations at the center on Sunday. The 5th station on the Yoshidaguchi climbing route is now accessible by bus.

Annual 'Cool Biz' campaign kicks off in Japan

Japan on Monday began its annual "Cool Biz" campaign, which encourages workers to dress more casually to help reduce energy use, with government offices allowing polo shirts, Hawaiian-style aloha shirts and similar attire. Cool Biz allows people to work without their usual neckties and jackets in offices, and has taken root both in the public and private sectors since its launch in 2005.

Japan's largest railway museum opens

West Japan Railway Co. opened the nation's largest railway museum to the public in Kyoto on Friday.
The Kyoto Railway Museum displays 53 train cars, ranging from a steam locomotive to a Shinkansen high-speed train car, in a floor space of about 30,000 square meters.

函館市「五稜郭公園」

五稜郭是日本最後的內戰「箱館戰爭」的舞台，現已開放成為著名的公園，全年有許多遊客造訪。園內的博物館展示著當時的豐富史料，及戰爭時使用的大炮等遺跡。每年春天，1,660株多的櫻花同時盛開，是北海道內屈指可數的櫻花名勝。園區周邊設有美術館，可以欣賞跟函館有相關的美術作品；從「五稜郭鐵塔」可以瞭望五稜郭公園；以及介紹函館和北海道漁業歷史的文化資料館等。

Goryōkaku is a star fort in the Japanese city of Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido. It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo. Goryōkaku was designed in 1855 by Takeda Hisaburō. His plan was based on the work of the French architect Vauban. It is shaped like a five-pointed star. This allowed for greater numbers of gun emplacements on its walls than a traditional Japanese fortress, and reduced the number of blind spots where a cannon could not fire.

1,000 quakes recorded in southwest Japan in 2 weeks

More than 1,000 seismic events had been recorded in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures by Thursday in the two weeks since a magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck southwestern Japan, while over 30,000 people remain evacuated from their homes.The frequency of the seismic events, ranging from minor jolts to the M7.3 quake that occurred two days after the initial April 14 quake, is unusually high as the nation's total last year was 1,842, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, urging people to stay alert for more earthquakes.

日本首架隱形戰機

三菱重工 国産ステルス機「X-2」
三菱重工受日本防衛裝備廳委託設計和製造的隱型戰鬥機的實證機「X2」將在2月進行首次試飛。雖然這是日本的首架隱型戰鬥機，不過採用的最新技術已受到歐美的關注，例如小型化的機身、機動性突出的日本國産引擎以及不易被敵機雷達發現的機身表面等。這有望成為日本防衛産業的商機在全球擴大的契機。

Japan-made stealth aircraft takes to skies for 1st time

With an eye to the future, the nation’s first stealth airplane made its maiden flight on April 22, making Japan the fourth country in the world to successfully fly a manned stealth aircraft. The experimental X-2 jet took off from Nagoya Airport in central Japan at 8:47 a.m. and soared over Nagano and Gifu prefectures. After about 26 minutes, the X-2 landed at the Air Self-Defense Force’s Gifu Air Base in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture.

Sharp 推出機器人手機

「ロボホン」を5月26日に発売
Sharp 宣佈於5月26日推出機器人型手機「RoBoHoN」。售價21萬3840日元。不僅具備通話和簡訊等基礎功能，還可直立行走以及進行人工智慧對話。被鴻海收購之後，Sharp 意在通過新一代家電RoBoHoN東山再起。大家有沒有興趣購買這一部機器人手機呢？

RoboHon: Sharp debuts a tiny cute robot that doubles as a smartphone
If you have always wanted your very own personal robot, you will soon get your wish. Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp has showcased a prototype robot that doubles as a smartphone at the Ceatec electronics show in Makuhari Messe, Japan.

SOS formed by chairs appears on schoolyard

熊本地震の避難所で物資の不足を訴えてます / パイプ椅子で「ＳＯＳ」の文字
A message seeking paper, bread and water is written with folding chairs at Kumamoto Kokufu High School in Kumamoto on April 17. (Jun Kaneko)

人間有情～大量免費住宿支援災民

熊本地震の被災者に「アパマンショップ」が無償で空室物件を貸し出すと発表
正所謂團結就是力量，每當日本發生大地震互相守望精神就發揮出來! 近日，熊本發生大地震，日本Airbnb 和アパマンショップ立即推出了不少0円住宿，目的是可以讓無家可歸的災民提供住宿！免費住宿不少是直至4月20日，希望所有受影響的災民很快便可以重返家園～

Airbnb Japan urges hosts to provide free stays to Kumamoto quake evacuees
People in Kumamoto Prefecture without a place to stay after the major earthquakes of April 14 and 16 may find free lodging through the Airbnb accommodation introduction website, after the firm began asking its roster of hosts on April 15 to open their rooms to disaster evacuees. Those willing to provide free accommodation to evacuees can click on the "I can offer my space for free" button on the right to register or offer their property. Both buttons direct to a page to enter further details.

(速報)熊本再發生7.3級地震 熊本機場關閉 阿蘇山噴火

熊本で再び大地震、Ｍ７．３
日本九州再發生7.3級強烈地震, 造成最少9人死亡, 760人受傷, 廣泛地區受到破壞。是次地震在當地凌晨1時25分發生, 熊本縣及大分縣內不少建築物及橋樑倒塌, 路面塌陷, 有近80人據報被埋在瓦礫中。熊本縣東北的南阿蘇村發生嚴重山泥傾瀉, 村內一棟住宅大樓受破壞, 大樓內有11人受困，熊本機場受損關閉，所有航班停飛。

Japan's Kumamoto rocked by magnitude 7.3 earthquake
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck southern Japan early on Saturday, killing at least 11 people, injuring many more and bringing down buildings, media reported, just over a day after a quake killed nine people in the same region.