Tokyo

Cuddly and cute, but will Japan's

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

They're wide-eyed, brightly colored, and completely adorable. But can Japan's Olympic mascots bring in the cash, in a country where cuddly icons promote everything from regional tourism to local prisons? Japan unveiled three sets of prospective mascots for the 2020 games last year. The winning duo will be announced in February, graduating into a landscape packed with cute and quirky characters.Read more

Japan Olympic boss blasts drink-spiking canoeist

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Japan's Olympic chief has slammed a top canoeist for spiking a rival's drink with a banned substance to scuttle his Tokyo 2020 selection hopes, describing his act as "unthinkable". The Japan Anti-doping Agency last week banned Yasuhiro Suzuki for eight years for putting a prohibited muscle-boosting agent into the drink bottle of fellow sprint canoeist Seiji Komatsu during a domestic competitionRead more

Ex-Wallaby Smith arrested in Tokyo for 'cabbie assault'

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Legendary Wallaby George Smith has been arrested in Tokyo, police said Wednesday, after he allegedly refused to pay his taxi fare and then assaulted the driver. The 37-year-old flanker is suspected of running away from a taxi without paying roughly 10,000 yen (US$90) for the fare near his home in the small hours of December 31, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Police. The driverRead more

Sony unleashes 'intelligent' robot pet

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

As Japan celebrates the year of the dog, electronics giant Sony on Thursday unleashed its new robot canine companion, packed with artificial intelligence and internet connectivity. The sleek ivory-white puppy-sized "aibo" robot shook its head and wagged its tail as if waking from a nap when it was taken out of a cocoon-shaped case at a "birthday ceremony" held in Tokyo. NaohiroRead more

Uniqlo fashions strong profits

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Japan's Fast Retailing said Thursday that sales at its Uniqlo stores abroad had outstripped domestic demand for the first time, as Asia's biggest retailer delivered quarterly earnings that beat market expectations. Driven by a strong performance in China and the wider Asia region, overseas sales at the cheap-chic Uniqlo chain soared by nearly one third to 258 billion yen ($2.3 billion), just beating theRead more

Top Japan canoeist banned for 'evil' drink spiking

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Japan's anti-doping body has banned a top canoeist for eight years after he spiked a rival's drink with a banned substance to boost his own chances of selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Japan Anti-Doping Agency slapped sprint canoeist Yasuhiro Suzuki, 32, with the eight-year ban, the Japan Canoe Federation announced Tuesday, slamming his offence as "extremely evil". AccordingRead more

Sumo champs perform New Year ritual after scandal-hit 2017

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Sumo's three grand champions clapped their hands and stamped their feet in a traditional New Year offering to the Shinto gods Tuesday, as the sport seeks to turn the page on a scandal-hit 2017. Wearing just their traditional white knotted belts -- or "kesho-mawashi" -- with colourful aprons, the "Yokozuna" champions performed the ritual in front of an appreciative crowdRead more

Koi story: priceless Japanese fish make a splash

London - Muslimchronicle

Hand-reared for their color and beauty, koi carp have become an iconic symbol of Japan that can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars and even participate in fishy beauty contests. The nation’s koi carp were brought to the world’s attention when visiting US President Donald Trump was snapped unceremoniously dumping the last of a box of feed into a palace pond in TokyoRead more

Bitcoin: Big in Japan

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Known as "Miss Bitcoin" on Japanese social media, Mai Fujimoto says she invests all of her savings in the virtual currency that has proved a huge hit in Japan. "I convert all my disposable income into cryptocurrency," the 32-year-old tells AFP. "I've been doing this for nearly a year now. I convert all my savings into cryptocurrency instead of puttingRead more

Former president of Japan's Toyota dies

Tokyo - Muslimchronicle

Toyota's former president Tatsuro Toyoda, who helped the Japanese auto giant establish a foothold in North America, has died at the age of 88, the company said Saturday. Toyoda, an uncle of current Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, died of pneumonia on December 30, the firm said in a statement. His funeral has already been held and was attended by close relatives,Read more