Japan | featured news

NASA and Japan improved our world view this week, or at least our view of the world.

North Korea threatened Saturday to shoot down any Japanese planes that intrude into its airspace, accusing Tokyo of spying near one of its missile launch sites.

Toyota Motor Corp. got 180,000 orders for the new Prius hybrid in Japan in just a month, far surpassing its target of 10,000 vehicles in monthly sales, the automaker said Friday.

The third-generation Prius, which rolled out a month ago, has been a big hit here, partly because of tax-breaks and other new government incentives that are meant to perk growth during the nation's downturn.

Why Go: I confess that I sent this airfare to two Japanese friends before I shared it with you because it’s an amazingly low fare at this time of year. Book by June 30 for travel starting anytime between now and then. What You Get: Roundtrip airfare for $620 ($784, really, with taxes and fees)

Japan's economy recorded its steepest contraction on record in the first quarter, sliding 4%.

The increasing number of swine flu cases in Japan raises the likelihood that the World Health Organization will soon have to raise its pandemic alert level to 6.

Swine flu sickened 21 more students in Japan and Turkey reported its first case of the potentially pandemic virus that's spread to about 40 countries.

Japan's Suzuki Motors avoids a loss in the final quarter, helped by growth in India, but is downbeat on its prospects.

They make hay--especially in Japan.

Latin American workers who have lost their jobs are being offered money to return to their home countries.