JAPAN got their World Cup campaign off to a flying start as they close in on a last-16 qualification spot. A win TODAY against Costa Rica could all but secure their place in the knock-out rounds.

Short and slow, Kimigayo is simultaneously one of the oldest and youngest national anthems in the world. It’s also one of the most controversial. Heavy with a mixture of national pride, guilt, ...

To some they are symbols of national pride, to others icons of a militaristic past. "Kimigayo," the national anthem, and the Hinomaru, the national flag, have been perpetual sources of controversy ...

The Ishigaki city assembly in Okinawa Prefecture recently passed a resolution to ascertain whether children of elementary and junior high school age were taught the “Kimigayo” national anthem in class ...