Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
osakalatest news & developments
High waves triggered by Typhoon jebi are seen at a fishing port in Aki, Western Japan. (Kyodo/Reuters)

Japan evacuates major airport after typhoon wreaks havoc

At least ten people were killed, and hundreds more injured by Typhoon Jebi as it raked through the major manufacturing area around Osaka

Japan’s summit of ambition

Climbing Mount Fuji is best done in July and August, when you may see more than just blackness and clouds, writes Sean O’Toole.

Japan’s biggest slum is nation’s dark secret

All it takes is a short train ride to be transported from the affluent streets of central Osaka to the grinding poverty of Japan’s biggest slum.

Boland javelin star ready for world final

Young Boland javelin thrower Robert Oosthuizen will have the time of his life in Sunday’s javelin final at the 11th World Athletics Championships in Osaka. It took only two…

Gay joins exclusive three-gold club

Tyson Gay joined an exclusive club on Saturday in Osaka, Japan, by becoming only the third man ever to win three gold medals at a single world championships, overshadowing…

Gay lands historic sprint double

Tyson Gay romped to the 200m world title on Thursday, giving him a rare sprint double at the World Athletics Championships. He joined an exclusive club that includes fellow…

No luck for SA sprinters in Osaka

South Africa’s woes continued on Tuesday at the 11th World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, when sprinters Morne Nagel and Christiaan Krone failed to get past the first…

Powell admits giving up in 100m final

Jamaican world record holder Asafa Powell admitted on Monday that he gave up during his world 100m final showdown with new champion Tyson Gay. ”When I saw I wasn’t in gold medal…

Kenya’s Kibet wins World Championship marathon

Luke Kibet of Kenya won the marathon in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 59 seconds on Saturday, claiming the first gold medal of the 2007 track and field World Championships. Mubarak…

Diamonds just icing on Japanese cake

In the mood for an extra-rich dessert after Christmas dinner? A Japanese department store is offering a cake layered with 100 diamonds — for a cool 100 million yen…

Laughter may well be the best medicine

It’s been said laughter is the best medicine, but no one has yet proved it. Now a Japanese scientist is unlocking the secrets of the funny bone, which he believes can cheer up…

After conquering Earth, instant noodles head to space

After conquering Earth, instant noodles have now headed into space with Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, who brought a new zero-gravity version aboard the United States space…

Headless and speechless, but agile

If you’re the kind of person who spends hours on build-it-yourself radio-controlled models, you’ll love the Robovie-M walking robot. For the rest of us, well, it seems like more…

Cautious Opec looks set to keep oil curbs intact

Opec oil producers kept the heat under strong crude prices on Wednesday as ministers arrived in Japan for a meeting that looks likely to keep stiff output limits in place. Opec…