120,000 still displaced after Japan’s 2011 tragedy

TOKYO • Japan paused yesterday to mark six years since a deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster devastated its north-eastern coast, as more than 100,000 people remain unable or unwilling to return home. The 9.0-magnitude quake, which struck under the Pacific Ocean on March 11, 2011, and the tsunami it spawned left about 18,500 people

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Life in plastic, it’s fantastic: Japan’s ‘fake food’ looks tastier than real food

They may look good enough to eat, but Japan’s mouthwatering food replicas are only for show as restaurateurs compete for the attention of hungry customers. They’re common sights in this food-obsessed nation, with everything from sudsy beers and perfectly glazed sushi to hamburgers and deep-fried pork cutlets, known as tonkatsu, on display. Making fake food

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Japan cabdrivers get tips on where they’re needed from AI

NTT Docomo has conducted successful field trials of a taxi dispatch system that uses artificial intelligence to predict demand for rides, the company announced Friday. Taxi companies could dispatch cars more efficiently, give their drivers more business, and make customers wait less. The Japanese wireless carrier worked with a leading taxi company to train the

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Shimane police to kick off martial arts classes for foreign tourists

In a move to spread martial arts and increase trust in Japanese police officers, Matsue Police Station here will open judo and kendo classes in March aimed at foreign tourists. The force is hoping the classes will also have one other benefit: improving police officers’ English skills. Interested participants can apply for the about one-hour

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