TOKYO (AP) — Akihito performed the ‘Shinetsu no Gi’ ritual at Ise Shrine in western Japan as part of the succession process. TOKYO (AP) — Emperor Akihito prayed at a Japanese shrine Thursday (April 18 ...

With its bullet trains; electronic toilets that warm, clean and dry; and hyper-efficient delivery systems that bring online orders to the doorstep within hours, it’s easy to forget that Japan is also ...

Japan's Emperor Akihito is stepping down on April 30 in the country's first abdication in 200 years. He performed a sacred ritual on Thursday to report his abdication to the Shinto gods and start the ...

Don’t miss Okunoin, Japan’s largest and most sacred cemetery, where stone lanterns and mausoleums hunker beneath giant cedar trees. Take a guided evening walk to appreciate its atmosphere and ...

In a mountain town, schoolboys in traditional loincloths keep up a 300-year tradition. The hadaka matsuri festivals, rooted in Shinto tradition,... Japanese 'Naked' Festivals Keep Centuries-Old ...

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Japanese Shinto priests joined forces with an Air Force chaplain last week to bless the newest addition to Yokota’s firefighting fleet in western Tokyo. The Nov. 25 ceremony ...

TOKYO – Emperor Akihito is praying at a Japanese shrine in a ritual to report his upcoming abdication to the Shinto gods. The 85-year-old emperor will retire on April 30 in the first abdication in 200 ...