In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Autumn in Japan is a season for mountain climbing, and the number of foreign hikers is rising. Police statistics show that more hikers are becoming lost or stranded. To help them out, a Japanese climber is making unique maps that offer firsthand information in both Japanese and English.

American voters are already casting their ballots in early and absentee voting for the November 5 presidential election. In Japan, the US embassy is providing consular assistance to ensure American residents and travelers get their votes in before it's too late.

Hokkaido Prefecture in northern Japan boasts a kingdom for the "sport of kings." The Hidaka region has hundreds of ranches, and they produce about 80 percent of the nation's racehorses. The industry has been gripped by a labor shortage, but help is at hand. A growing number of Indians are joining the community, bringing a wealth of equine expertise. Local residents want to ensure their new neighbors hit the ground running.

From Hokkaido's pristine powder-snow peaks to the neon-lit drinking warrens of downtown Osaka, inbound tourists are flocking to Japan in record numbers. Hoteliers nationwide are making a roaring trade, but the boom is not without its problems. Some areas are struggling to cope with all the attention. Others are still waiting for a piece of the pie.

Kanamori Kei found his creative spark in a paper fold, but he is now leaving people breathless with his computer graphic animations. His short film "Origami" is the first Japanese production to win a Student Academy Award. The work is a paean to his first passion — but more than that, it’s a celebration of the human touch in an increasingly digital world.

Four years since a military coup rocked Myanmar, the fighting rages on. Life is tough as the military, pro-democracy forces, and armed ethnic minority groups remain locked in battle.

The prolonged conflict is casting a shadow over a once-promising economy and putting pressure on younger people, especially those with higher education qualifications whose career and leadership prospects have been all but extinguished. They began fleeing in large numbers after the military announced last year that it was introducing conscription, and many have been making their way to Japan.

South Koreans who secretly loved Japanese pop songs in their youth are reveling in nostalgia amid a revival for Showa-retro tunes from the 1970s and ’80s. Their renewed popularity has sparked an era of Japanese cultural appreciation, driven by middle-aged and older generations of fans who remember the songs’ underground appeal.

As Ukrainian efforts to repel Russian forces divert more men from the workplace to the frontline, short-handed employers are turning to women to pick up the slack, especially in traditionally male-dominated roles.

The overall suicide rate in Japan is falling, to just over 20,000 last year, as a national prevention strategy bears fruit among the adult population. But for one sector of society – children and teenagers – it is a worsening problem, with the loss of 527 lives last year. That figure represents an all-time high among young people.

NHK World anchor Morishita Erika spoke with Okaku Terumi, CEO of grief support and suicide prevention organization Live on. Okaku was 19 when she lost her mother to suicide. She visits schools across Japan to discuss the importance of self-care and mental health.

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol remains defiant against the investigation into his martial law declaration last year, even after his indictment. NHK World's Aoki Yoshiyuki explains the unfolding political crisis.