Midsize firm president shines as principal in film in 60s

Midsize firm president shines as principal in film in 60s

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Aug. 29, 2013 in Tokyo shows Masahiro Yoshino, president of Tokyo-based Media Research Inc. who produced a film titled "Ningen" together with his employees and friends. Yoshino also played the principal character of an elderly man running a company in the film, which broke into the list of nominees for the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Singer Joe Yamanaka dies

Singer Joe Yamanaka dies

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows singer Joe Yamanaka singing the theme song of the 1977 Japanese movie ''Ningen no Shomei'' (Proof of the Man) during the recording of its soundtrack in Roppongi, Tokyo, in July 1977. Yamanaka died of lung cancer on Aug. 7, 2011 at age 64.

''Human chess'' played under cherry blossoms

''Human chess'' played under cherry blossoms

TENDO, Japan - People enjoy watching a ''ningen shogi (human chess)'' played under cherry blossoms in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture, on April 19. The city, known for producing quality shogi pieces, annually hosts the event, in which men wearing medieval samurai attire move as instructed by two players.

More Ho-no-Hana facilities raided over fraud charges

More Ho-no-Hana facilities raided over fraud charges

TOKYO, Japan - Investigators enter Atami Ningen Yuin (Atami hospital to cure human beings), a hotel in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo, used mainly by people traveling tours organized by the Ho-no-Hana Sampogyo religious sect, for evidence of fraud charges no Dec. 4. The Atami hotel is one of 32 facilities in 12 prefectures linked to the religious sect, searched by police in the day.

THE HUMAN VAPOUR

THE HUMAN VAPOUR

THE HUMAN VAPOUR original Japanese title - Gasu Ningen Dai Ichigo THE HUMAN VAPOUR Date: 1960

Murata wins Akutagawa literary award, Ogiwara wins Naoki Prize

Murata wins Akutagawa literary award, Ogiwara wins Naoki Prize

Hiroshi Ogiwara (L) and Sayaka Murata pose with their novels at a hotel in Tokyo on July 19, 2016, after being awarded the Naoki Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, respectively. Ogiwara, 60, won the prize for popular fiction for "Umi no Mieru Rihatsuten" (Barber Shop with View of Sea) while Murata, 36, was given the prize for up-and-coming authors for "Kombini Ningen" (Convenience Store Woman). (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Murata wins Akutagawa literary award, Ogiwara wins Naoki Prize

Murata wins Akutagawa literary award, Ogiwara wins Naoki Prize

Hiroshi Ogiwara (L) and Sayaka Murata pose with their novels at a hotel in Tokyo on July 19, 2016, after being awarded the Naoki Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, respectively. Ogiwara, 60, won the prize for popular fiction for "Umi no Mieru Rihatsuten" (Barber Shop with View of Sea) while Murata, 36, was given the prize for up-and-coming authors for "Kombini Ningen" (Convenience Store Woman). (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Sticker honors skills, talents of temporary housing dwellers

Sticker honors skills, talents of temporary housing dwellers

A group of residents at a temporary housing complex in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in May 2015 shows off a "Maki no Ningen Kokuho" sticker awarded to them for their engagement in making colorful origami paper crafts as souvenirs for volunteers supporting the region's reconstruction after the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster. The recognition system has been launched by a support alliance of the temporary housing residents in Ishinomaki. "Maki no Ningen Kokuho" means living national treasure, Ishinomaki version. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Sticker honors skills, talents of temporary housing dwellers

Sticker honors skills, talents of temporary housing dwellers

Photo taken in May 2015 shows a "Maki no Ningen Kokuho" sticker, which honors people living in temporary housing in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, as a result of the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster, for their skills and talents. The recognition system has been launched by a support alliance of the temporary housing residents in Ishinomaki. "Maki no Ningen Kokuho" means living national treasure, Ishinomaki version. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Singer Joe Yamanaka dies

Singer Joe Yamanaka dies

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows singer Joe Yamanaka singing the theme song of the 1977 Japanese movie ''Ningen no Shomei'' (Proof of the Man) during the recording of its soundtrack in Roppongi, Tokyo, in July 1977. Yamanaka died of lung cancer on Aug. 7, 2011 at age 64. (Kyodo)

Japanese novelist Sayaka Murata

Japanese novelist Sayaka Murata

Undated photo shows Japanese novelist Sayaka Murata. Her work "Kombini Ningen" (Convenience Store Woman), for which she won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2016, has been selected as one of the New Yorker magazine's nine Best Books of 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

''Human chess'' played under cherry blossoms

''Human chess'' played under cherry blossoms

TENDO, Japan - People enjoy watching a ''ningen shogi (human chess)'' played under cherry blossoms in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture, on April 19. The city, known for producing quality shogi pieces, annually hosts the event, in which men wearing medieval samurai attire move as instructed by two players. (Kyodo)

More Ho-no-Hana facilities raided over fraud charges

More Ho-no-Hana facilities raided over fraud charges

TOKYO, Japan - Investigators enter Atami Ningen Yuin (Atami hospital to cure human beings), a hotel in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo, used mainly by people traveling tours organized by the Ho-no-Hana Sampogyo religious sect, for evidence of fraud charges no Dec. 4. The Atami hotel is one of 32 facilities in 12 prefectures linked to the religious sect, searched by police in the day.