Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Consumer sentiment in Japan declined in March, down for the first time in three months, amid growing tensions over Iran, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Thursday. The seasonally adjusted consumer confidence index, which measures sentiment among households

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday avoided clarifying whether Japan will participate in the November meeting of signatories to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Meeting with Takaichi at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo,

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Sumo Association decided Thursday to demote former yokozuna grand champion Terunofuji, now stablemaster Isegahama, and cut his pay by 10 pct for three months over his violence toward a wrestler in his stable. At the day’s

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan and eight other nations have called for peace in Lebanon in light of Israel’s continued attacks on the Middle Eastern country despite a two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. “We call upon all sides

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is set to delay the submission to the Diet, or parliament, of a bill aimed at amending the country’s retrial system, initially scheduled for this week. The move came as the government sees the need

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling parties on Thursday proposed establishing a constitutional amendment drafting committee soon within the Commission on the Constitution in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. At the first debate of

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Fast Retailing Co., the owner of Uniqlo and other casualwear brands, said Thursday that its consolidated revenue rose 14.8 pct to 2,055.2 billion yen in September-February from a year earlier, hitting a record high for its fiscal first-half

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Nearly 80 pct of Japanese firms are experiencing negative impacts from the ongoing crisis over Iran, a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. showed Thursday. Of the 7,196 companies surveyed, 5,665 firms, or 78.7 pct, responded that they

(Adnkronos) – Today is a day of national mourning in Lebanon after the Israeli raids that yesterday pounded the Land of Cedars on the same day as the announcement of the truce between the USA and Iran. “A day of national mourning

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is set to delay the submission to the Diet, or parliament, scheduled this week of a bill aimed at amending the country’s retrial system. The decision on the postponement was conveyed to the ruling and

(Adnkronos) – The White House is studying a series of punitive measures for some Atlantic Alliance countries that, according to Donald Trump, responded negatively to his requests for help within the framework of the unilateral military campaign he decided to launch against

(Adnkronos) – North Korea announces, after yesterday’s launch of a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan, that new weapons are under test: an electromagnetic system, a carbon fiber projectile, a mobile short-range missile system, a tactical ballistic missile with a cluster

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Seven & i Holdings Co. said Thursday that it will postpone the initial public offering of its U.S. convenience store chain unit, 7-Eleven Inc., until at least fiscal 2027. The Japanese retailer had previously planned to take the

(Adnkronos) – An immersive museum event in Tokyo is bringing “yokai,” supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, to life, offering visitors a fantastic experience that allows them to admire historical artworks thanks to cutting-edge visual and 3D technologies. The “Yokai Immersive Experience Exhibition

Niigata, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Classmates of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese national abducted by North Korea decades ago, gathered Thursday at their alma mater in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, praying for her return. The tranquil spring day recalls April 10, 1977, when Megumi’s

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Crown Princess Kiko attended a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the National College of Nursing in Kiyose, Tokyo, on Thursday. The school was established by the health ministry in 2001 to foster nursing staff for the

Sunagawa, Hokkaido, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Hokkaido prefectural government on Thursday apologized and returned a hunting rifle to a 77-year-old hunter following a Japanese Supreme Court ruling finding the revocation of his hunting gun license to be illegal. Haruo Ikegami, head of

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The University of Tokyo will put its hospital under the direct control of the university headquarters by the end of June at the earliest as part of reform efforts following corruption scandals involving doctors at the university. The

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency on Thursday unveiled a model of a handbook to be issued to crime victims in an effort to ease their burden. The NPA instructed prefectural police departments across the country to use the model

Miyazaki, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Former Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru said Thursday that he intends to run in a gubernatorial election in January in the southwestern Japan prefecture. “Miyazaki needs a game changer to stem its decline,” Higashikokubaru, 68, said at a press

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Mizuho Bank said Thursday it will raise its long-term prime lending rate by 0.2 percentage point to 3 pct, its highest level in about 29 years, effective Friday. The move by the Japanese bank comes in response to

London, April 8 (Jiji Press)–A group led by prominent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design a new wing for the National Gallery in London, the museum has said. Kengo Kuma and Associates, together with two British architecture companies, have won the competition

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Ministop Co. on Wednesday posted a third straight year of net loss for the year that ended in February, hurt by the fallout of a scandal involving falsified expiration dates for handmade prepared foods sold by the Japanese

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Local governments along proposed Shinkansen high-speed rail routes in Japan are stepping up efforts to advance plans for lines that have remained in the planning stage for more than half a century, with no progress toward construction. Hoping

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has decided to add 17 airports and ports to its list of designated facilities to allow the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard to use them from peacetime onward as part of efforts to

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Calls for a supplementary budget have already begun to grow among Japanese ruling and opposition parties, following the enactment of the government’s fiscal 2026 budget this week. The annual budget includes 1 trillion yen in reserve funds, but

(Adnkronos) – Germany rejects the accusation of interference in the Hungarian elections, launched against EU countries by JD Vance precisely during the American Vice President’s visit to Budapest a few days before the crucial vote for Donald Trump’s iron ally, Viktor Orban.

(Adnkronos) – Hezbollah has ”the right to respond” to the attacks launched by Israel on Lebanon today, in which at least 89 people lost their lives, while another 720 were injured on the first day of the ceasefire agreement reached by Iran

(Adnkronos) – The death toll from Israeli attacks across Lebanon today is rising. According to Beirut’s Ministry of Health, at least 112 people have died and 837 are injured, Al Jazeera reports.  

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko on Wednesday lodged a protest with Japan over a Japanese firm’s investment in a Ukrainian defense-related company that handles interceptor drones. The protest came during a meeting between Rudenko, who is in