Japanese news in English, 60 words at a time

Japanese news in English is thinner than it looks.

The English-language Japanese press is a fraction of the domestic one, and what does get translated skews to whatever an international audience is assumed to care about. Read only that and you get a version of Japan assembled for outsiders.

shortnews.be reads The Japan Times and The Mainichi in English and NHK in Japanese, then summarises to 60 words. The NHK line matters: it means domestic stories reach the feed whether or not an English desk decided they were worth translating that day.

Japan gets its own tab, next to Belgium. Same format, same length, same lack of click-bait — one swipe from the Belgian news you also need to keep up with.

Today from Japan

The Mainichi · entertainment

Japan's latest Godzilla film sets live-action opening-day record

Toho Co. said its latest Godzilla film, “Godzilla Minus Zero,” generated 910 million yen ($5.75 million) on its opening day in Japan. The result marks a record for a live-action Godzilla rel…

The Japan Times · tech

Tokyo police to introduce AI-based accident reconstruction system

Tokyo police will introduce an artificial-intelligence system to reconstruct traffic accidents. It will combine three-dimensional spatial data collected at crash sites with footage from secu…

The Mainichi · world

Democrat James Talarico flips a US Senate seat in Texas, shocks GOP

Democrat James Talarico won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas on Tuesday, defeating Republican Ken Paxton and shifting the seat from Republican to Democratic control. The victory gives Democrats a…

The Mainichi · politics

Japan-US alliance essential regardless of midterm results: gov't

Japan’s top government spokesman said Wednesday that the country’s alliance with the United States remains essential for global peace, regardless of America’s midterm election results. Speak…

The Japan Times · politics

Talk of Germany joining GCAP fighter program grows, but Japanese concerns persist

Discussion about Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is gaining momentum, while concerns in Japan remain. Officials in Tokyo fear bringing in another partner at this stage…

The Mainichi · crime

S. Korean arrested for exporting cars worth 220 mil. yen to Russia

A 36-year-old South Korean national has been arrested in Matsue, western Japan, on suspicion of illegally exporting vehicles to Russia. The vehicles were worth approximately 220 million yen.…

The Japan Times · politics

Japan unlikely to raise cap for foreign workers despite labor shortages

Japan is unlikely to raise its cap on foreign workers, despite continuing labor shortages. Kimi Onoda, the minister overseeing policies concerning foreign nationals, said demand for a specia…

The Mainichi · health

No. of Japanese newborns rises for 1st time in 11 yrs in Jan.-June of 2026

Japan recorded 320,458 babies born to Japanese nationals in the first half of 2026, according to figures covering January through June. The total was 0.4 percent higher than during the same …

The Mainichi · crime

Principal, clerk used their 37 mil. yen to cover fee shortfalls in Kyoto Pref.

The Kizugawa Municipal Board of Education in Kyoto Prefecture said on Nov. 2 that a school principal and an administrative clerk had used 37 million yen of their own money to cover shortfall…

The Mainichi · entertainment

Dice, mahjong precursor cards found in 1281 Mongol invasion shipwreck

Researchers have found objects believed to be dice and “koppai” playing cards in a shipwreck linked to the 1281 Mongol invasion of Japan. Matsuura’s education board announced the discovery o…

The Mainichi · politics

Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, to become first Muslim senator

Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s open Senate race. El-Sayed was a progressive favorite during the bitter campaign, and his victory will m…

The Mainichi · world

N. Korea sees 'no need' for dialogue with US, raps hostile policy

North Korea said Wednesday that it sees “no need” for dialogue with the United States. Pyongyang criticized what it called Washington’s hostile policy and a U.S. accusation involving the cou…

What we read

NHKThe Japan TimesThe Mainichi

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