Close your eyes, and you know where you are: The unmistakable sound of anime voices and the jingle of a completed lap around the electronic track ring through the hall. This is a classic video game arcade in Japan, filled with the sounds long associated with this gaming nation. But open your eyes, and the players are not exactly the teenagers you'd expect to find.
Investors were unable to trade shares in scores of companies listed in Tokyo for several hours Thursday after a computer problem at the city's stock exchange.
A movement to restart two nuclear reactors in Japan is causing a stir. Kyung Lah reports.
U.N. nuclear experts gave a thumbs-up to Japan's planned "stress tests" for its remaining nuclear power plants Tuesday but left Japanese authorities to decide whether the plants themselves are safe.
Japan's population will shrink by a staggering 30% by 2060, according to a new estimate by the country's government.
Tokyo faces the possibility of being hit by a massive earthquake within the next four years, according to Japanese researchers.
Debris from an earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan is making its way across the Pacific Ocean.
When you stand in the center of Japan's exclusion zone, there is absolute silence. The exclusion zone is the 20-kilometer (12-mile) radius around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, an area of high radiation contamination.
Japan posts its first trade deficit since 1980. CNN's Kyung Lah puts it in perspective from Tokyo.
Japan has posted an annual trade deficit for the first time since 1980 after a year of struggling to adjust to a strong yen, a eurozone crisis and the impact of natural disasters.
Workers placed an endoscope into a nuclear reactor at Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant Thursday, marking the first glimpse inside one of the crippled reactors.
"Shame on you, shame on you," shouted protestors, as officials met to discuss plans to restart Japan's nuclear plants for the first time since last year's Fukushima disaster.
Japan on Friday handed over to Australian authorities three anti-whaling activists held aboard a Japanese vessel after illegally boarding the ship to protest Japan's annual whale hunt in Atlantic waters.
Japan holds three Australian anti-whaling activists accused of illegally boarding a Japanese ship. Kyung Lah reports.
Japan is prepared to gradually reduce the amount of oil it imports from Iran, Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Thursday, as the United States seeks to muster international support to put fresh pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program.
Some new mothers in Japan may soon be adding radiation testing of their breast milk to their list of health checkups.
A moderate earthquake rattled northeastern Japan Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.
Japan said Tuesday that it would hand over to Australian authorities three Australian anti-whaling activists being held aboard a Japanese vessel, but that it would press on with its annual whale hunt in the seas near Antarctica.
Almost six months after Japan's women gave the country a much-needed boost by winning the football World Cup, the team was again celebrating after scooping a hat-trick of prestigious awards.
Three Australian activists are being held aboard a Japanese ship Monday after illegally boarding the vessel to protest Japan's annual whale hunt in Antarctic waters.
Money Magazine: Are we the next Japan?updated: Wed Jan 04 2012 18:19:00
There's no shortage of debate as to whether the Obama administration and Congress have done the right things in attempting to avert a debt crisis and revive the stalled economy.
A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the coast of Japan on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
A former member of a Japanese doomsday cult wanted for the murder of a notary official surrendered after nearly 17 years on the run, authorities said Sunday.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta recaps the year in health and medical news.
There's nothing like soaking in the hot springs while soaking in the culture of a place that loves its bathing. If you're traveling first class, why not head to Japan or Iceland to enjoy a country whose people celebrate the waters and can pinpoint their various healing properties?
The Japanese coast guard said Tuesday that it had chased down and arrested a Chinese fisherman it found in waters near southern Japanese islands, taking his boat into custody.
Japan's Prime Minister said Friday that a "cold shutdown" has been achieved at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a symbolic milestone that means the plant's crippled reactors have stayed at temperatures below the boiling point for some time.
The Fukushima nuclear crisis has meant months of sacrifice for many Japanese. CNN's Andrew Stevens reports
The Japanese government has affirmed that $29 million from its budget for post-earthquake and tsunami reconstruction is going toward extra security measures for the country's whaling fleet, angering environmental activists like Greenpeace.
Police in Japan are searching for an American woman who has been missing for six weeks, they said Wednesday.
Women's tennis stars send messages of support to those affected by Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
The devastating wall of water that struck Japan in March was the result of at least two waves that combined to create a more powerful tsunami, U.S. scientists said Monday.
Workers at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility have discovered a leak of 45 metric tons of radioactive water, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company said in a statement Monday.
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Dec. 5. Here's one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the north coast of Japan Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There was no immediate threat of a tsunami.
Tokyo Stock Exchange, operator of Japan's largest share-trading platform, will merge with the Osaka Securities Exchange, its domestic rival, creating Japan's largest exchange group and bolstering the TSE's position as the third largest in the world by market capitalisation of company listings.
Japanese authorities have halted the shipment of rice from some farms northwest of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after finding higher-than-allowed levels of radioactive cesium, local authorities said Thursday.
Japan's 77-year-old emperor was hospitalized on Sunday, several days after coming down with a fever, a spokesperson with the Imperial Household Agency said.
A rare type of radioactive decay, not a renewed chain reaction, appears to have produced the radioactive xenon gas discovered this week at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, its owner said Thursday.
A Japanese power company restarted a nuclear reactor this week, the first to come back online since a March earthquake and tsunami in the nation.
Japan's nuclear accident continues to rattle residents six months later. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Dec. 6. Here's one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer.
Engineers may be able to complete the shutdown of damaged reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant ahead of schedule, the plant's owner reported Monday.
CNN's Paula Hancocks reports TEPCO's compensation process is getting a less-than-glowing response.
U.S. stocks sold off sharply Monday, as investors continued to scrutinize the eurozone debt deal, but it was an impressive month for the market.
U.S. stocks were poised to open lower Monday, as investors react to Japan's intervention in global currency markets and remain cautious ahead of a week chock-full of economic events.
Marine archaeologists in Japan uncover the remains of a ship from a Mongol invasion fleet dating back to 1281.
An extraordinarily high level of radiation was detected in one spot in a central Tokyo residential district Thursday, prompting the local government to cordon off the small area, local officials said.
Formula One's big-name drivers have spoken of their desire to put on a sporting spectacle which Japan's motorsport fans can enjoy, as the country continues to recover from their devastating earthquake earlier this year.
Japan says it will hunt whales in the Southern Ocean this winter and will send a Fisheries Agency ship to guard its whalers against promised intervention by a conservation group.
Rafael Nadal made a strong start to the defense of his Japan Open crown on Tuesday, defeating wildcard entrant Go Soeda 6-3 6-2.
Supervising News Editors Mark Bixler and Sarah Aarthun -- 404-827-1401
Nine North Korean defectors found near Japan's coast in September were transferred to Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, a Japanese government spokesmen said.
A mystery donor in Japan has left a bag containing 10 million yen ($131,000) in a restroom with a note saying it should be used to help a tsunami-hit area, Japan's Kyodo news agency reports.
The death toll climbed to 10 in Japan as the remnants of former Typhoon Roke raced into the northern Pacific on Thursday, government officials said.
Typhoon Roke makes landfall in Japan, bringing heavy winds and rain. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.
The storm called Roke weakened from a powerful typhoon to a tropical storm Wednesday, but death toll continues to rise in Japan.
Tonga's Rugby World Cup dream is still alive following Wednesday's make-or-break victory over Japan, winning 31-18 for the team's first victory of the 2011 tournament in New Zealand.
There is a possibility that "system information" such as network addresses was leaked from Mitsubishi Heavy servers infected with a virus, the defense contractor said in a statement.
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Saturday morning near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Rugby World Cup hosts New Zealand ran in 13 tries as they recorded a commanding 83-7 victory over Japan in Hamilton on Friday.
Nine possible North Korean defectors who sailed to Japan were moved to a refugee facility in the southern part of the country Wednesday afternoon, according to government officials.
Japanese Coast Guards found a small wooden boat Tuesday morning drifting off Japan's western coast with nine men, women and children on board claiming they are from North Korea, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, take time to rekindle a spirit of giving many of us felt in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks by donating your time to a worthy cause. We are challenging you to volunteer 11 hours to impact your own world, right now. This year we watched a tsunami hit Japan, tornadoes ravage the Southeast and Midwest, and a famine in the Horn of Africa put 750,000 people in danger of imminent starvation. There is no better time to honor the past by making an impact on the present.
TEPCO's Toshio Nishizawa discusses the progress being made in the stabilization of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Kyoko Ogawa wore the brave face the world associated with Japan's tsunami survivors.
The death toll from Talas, which swept across western Japan, has risen to 38, local authorities said Tuesday morning.
The death toll from Typhoon Talas, which swept across western Japan, has risen to 29, local authorities said Monday.
Naoto Kan has quit as Japan's PM. Seijiro Takeshita discusses whether the job is a poisoned chalice.
In his acceptance as elected leader of the ruling Democratic Party, Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda likened his nation's political plight as a snowball falling fast downhill.
An environmental group on Monday urged the incoming Japanese prime minister to delay the start of school near a nuclear plant crippled by a massive earthquake and tsunami six months ago.
Japan's nuclear safety agency will be placed under the control of the country's Environment Ministry, a top government official announced Monday in a move stemming from the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
Three Japanese lawmakers were denied entry at a South Korean airport Monday after they announced they would attempt a visit to an island near disputed territory in what Korea calls the East Sea and Japan calls the Sea of Japan.
Global investors have lost confidence in the economic recovery -- and for good reason.
European stocks closed sharply lower Monday, as action to bolster faltering eurozone nations couldn't overcome concerns about Standard & Poor's downgrade of U.S. debt. Asian markets also finished the session lower.
For the third time in a year, Japan's government has intervened in the yen, its unit of currency, according to Japan's finance minister.
High levels of radiation have been found at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.Edit Instructions:
Japan-based Hitachi is known by global customers for making TVs. But on Wednesday, the company said it is considering ending its television production operations in Japan.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Sunday morning off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Japan announced Tuesday that all beef detected with radiation higher than government safety standards will be destroyed as the probe into beef contaminated from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant expands.
The FIFA Women's World Cup set two new records for number of tweets sent per second on Sunday.
Japan's women's soccer team returns home after winning the World Cup. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.
Workers in Japan scrambled Monday to build a protective covering over a damaged nuclear reactor ahead of an approaching powerful typhoon, an energy company spokesman said.
Japan wins on penalty kicks after tying the U.S. twice, once in regulation and then in overtime.
"We're focusing on our game. This is going to be very exciting to watch," midfielder Lauren Cheney tells PEOPLE
Japan's victory in the Women's World Cup gives a disaster-weary nation a boost. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.
Fans of the U.S. women's soccer team react to the 3-1 win over France in the semifinals. CNN's Richard Roth reports.
CNN's Nadia Bilchik talks to T.J. Holmes about the amazing win that got the U.S. into the finals.
FRANKFURT, Germany -- Three thoughts after Japan beat the U.S. 3-1 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie in the Women's World Cup final:
A reactor at Japan's Ohi nuclear plant will be shut down following problems with an emergency cooling system, Kansai Electric said Saturday.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a close look at how the Japanese government has handled the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
A call for stiffened safety rules at American nuclear plants after the March disaster in Japan got mixed reviews from both the industry and its critics Wednesday.
Japan felt another strong earthquake early Sunday Morning, placing the area around the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in further jeopardy.
Local government officials criticized Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his cabinet Thursday for giving mixed signals over the resumption of nuclear power plants shut down since the March 11 earthquake.
Japan will conduct "stress tests" on all its nuclear plants, officials said Wednesday.
For years Japan has embraced "setsuden" --"saving electricity" -- during the country's hot summer months.
Japan's economy has been deeply shaken by a string of disasters, according to fresh numbers from the Bank of Japan released Friday, but there might be some early glimmers of hope.
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