Osaka, Japan

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Here Are the Most, Least Livable Cities on Earth
This Is the
Most Livable City
in the World
in case you missed it
Jun 25, 2023 12:10 PM CDT

This Is the Most Livable City in the World

Vienna is No. 1 in rankings of 170+ cities worldwide; no US cities make the top 10

(Newser) - Looking to pull up roots and try to make it in an exciting new city? Head to Vienna, deemed the most livable city, or to Canada, where three cities are among the top picks on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index . The EIU based its rankings of more...

Arson Suspected After Fire Kills at Least 19 in Japan

Most of the victims were at Osaka clinic

(Newser) - More than 20 people were feared dead after a fire broke out Friday in a building in Osaka in western Japan, officials say. Police were investigating arson as a possible cause, the AP reports. The fire started on the fourth floor of an eight-story building in the major business, shopping,...

This Is the World's Most Expensive City

Israel's Tel Aviv tops the Economist Intelligence Unit's list

(Newser) - Looking to bust out of this joint and set down roots elsewhere in the world? If you're planning an expat move to one of the cities on the Economist Intelligence Unit's most recent list, you'd better bring some extra cash. Per the BBC , the Economist Group's...

This Is the Most Livable City in the World

Auckland, NZ, takes top spot in Economist's rankings, though Kiwis give honor the side-eye

(Newser) - The pandemic has caused a major upset on the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual list of the most livable cities on the planet. Thanks to their relative isolation from the rest of the world, the island nations of New Zealand, Australia, and Japan all had strong showings in the top...

Olympic Torch Run Hits Bump in the Road

The torch won't be carried through Osaka prefecture's streets due to COVID surge

(Newser) - The Olympics are set to come to Japan in 107 days, but the Olympic torch won't traverse the streets of Osaka prefecture as planned next week due to a COVID surge that had the prefecture governor speaking of the area's medical systems being "on the verge of...

Ghosn, Hidden in Box, Exploited Airport Security Flaw

There was no mandatory check on luggage for private planes

(Newser) - Reports that Carlos Ghosn escaped Japan in a musical instrument box were pretty close to the truth. The former Nissan executive facing charges of financial wrongdoing hid in a large black box designed for concert equipment, with breathing holes poked in the bottom, reports the Wall Street Journal , citing sources...

Store Faces Backlash Over 'Miss Period' Badge

Outcry after Japan's Daimaru debuts badge alerting others to workers' menstrual status

(Newser) - A Japanese department store that says it was trying to help out its female employees is now facing backlash over a uniform accessory. The BBC reports the hubbub is centered on a badge that Daimaru introduced in October to hundreds of workers in its women's wardrobe department. One side...

10 Priciest Cities to Call Home
10 Priciest Cities to Call Home
Mar 19, 2019 11:14 AM CDT

10 Priciest Cities to Call Home

It's a 3-way tie for No. 1—a first in survey's history

(Newser) - Not one, not two, but three cities have for the first time tied for the most expensive to call home in the annual Economist Intelligence Unit survey. Singapore, Paris, and Hong Kong share the distinction. Asian and European cities dominate the list of 10 cities—compiled by evaluating the cost...

Osaka Mayor to San Francisco: We're Done

Japanese city outraged at statue depicting 'comfort women' during WWII

(Newser) - San Francisco has nearly 20 "sister cities" worldwide, fostering goodwill through cultural, educational, and economic exchanges. Osaka was its first, but after more than 60 years—and months of the Japanese city threatening to cut ties —it looks like the split is happening. "I have arrived at...

NYC No Longer Has the Most Super-Rich People

That honor transfers to Hong Kong

(Newser) - Looking to hobnob with the rich but not necessarily famous? Although New York City used to be where you'd be find the largest population of super-rich people in the world, Hong Kong has taken over the top spot this year, CNNMoney notes. That's per a new report from...

3 Dead, 90 Hurt in Osaka Earthquake
3 Dead, Hundreds Hurt
in Strong Japan Quake
UPDATED
Jun 18, 2018 1:33 AM CDT

3 Dead, Hundreds Hurt in Strong Japan Quake

6.1 quake hit Osaka during morning commute

(Newser) - A strong earthquake knocked over walls and set off scattered fires around metropolitan Osaka in western Japan on Monday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 300. A 9-year-old girl was killed by a falling concrete wall at her school, and the two other fatalities were men in...

Cops Finally Catch 'Ninja' Thief, and It's a Surprise
Cops Finally Catch
'Ninja' Thief, and
It's a Surprise
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Oct 29, 2017 12:30 PM CDT

Cops Finally Catch 'Ninja' Thief, and It's a Surprise

Agile crook who eluded police for 8 years is 74 years old, say authorities in Japan

(Newser) - For the better part of a decade, an agile, black-clad thief eluded police in Osaka, Japan, as he pulled off burglary after burglary. But the reign of the crook who came to be known as the "Ninja of Heisei" appears to be over, and it came with a big...

School's Alleged Threat: Dye Hair or Get Out

Japanese student suing over physical, mental anguish

(Newser) - A high school student has filed a lawsuit calling attention to strict dress codes in Japan—but her complaint doesn't actually involve clothes. The 18-year-old says administrators at Kaifukan High School in Osaka threatened to expel her in 2015 if she didn't dye her hair black, then kicked...

The World's 5 Most Disaster-Prone Cities

Asia is apparently especially risky, insurer's rankings suggest

(Newser) - In the wake of Chile's earthquake, the Guardian was wondering which cities were the riskiest to live in from a natural-disaster perspective. So they checked with a source with a vested interest in knowing precisely that: The re-insurance company Swiss Re. Here are the five cities it's most...

Japan Plans 'Backup' Tokyo
 Japan Plans 'Backup' Tokyo 
Nov 5, 2011 7:59 AM CDT

Japan Plans 'Backup' Tokyo

Tiny city would be a place for government to retreat in an emergency

(Newser) - The Japanese government wants to be prepared in case Tokyo gets hit with another natural disaster—so officials have devised a plan to build a miniature “backup” capital around an airport some 300 miles away. This little city would include all the buildings the parliament and ministry need to...

Smile, Japan: The Boss Is Watching
Smile, Japan:
The Boss Is Watching
Jul 11, 2009 2:28 PM CDT

Smile, Japan: The Boss Is Watching

(Newser) - A Japanese rail company is going the extra mile to ensure its employees keep up a sunny disposition. The company is employing computerized scanners that can measure the curvature of employees' mouths to make sure they’re smiling, the BBC reports. A hospital in Osaka and a truck stop will...

PETA Fumes at KFC Offer of Statue to Cubs

(Newser) - The recent recovery of a statue of KFC’s Col. Sanders from a Japanese river is said to have ended a curse on a baseball team there. Which gave the company a clever idea: offer the effigy to the notably hexed Chicago Cubs, Deadspin reports. PETA strenuously objects. “If...

Col. Sanders Gives Hope to Baseball Fans

Recovery of statue from river may lift 'curse' on Japanese team

(Newser) - A statue of KFC founder Colonel Sanders tossed into a river in Osaka, Japan, over 2 decades ago has been recovered, possibly ending the "curse" that's widely believed to be shadowing the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, the Mainichi Daily News reports. Jubilant fans tore the mascot from its...

Suit Claims In-Flight Booze Led to Domestic Violence

Courts must decide if United jet constituted a bar

(Newser) - A couple has sued United Airlines for deliberately serving the husband too much wine on a 2006 international flight, triggering a physical fight with his wife upon landing. The case rides on whether US courts find United beholden to the same liabilities as bars, and if they can preside over...

19 Stories