Kushiro, Hokkaido, June 17 (Jiji Press)–A district court in Hokkaido sentenced the president of a local sightseeing boat operator to five years in prison on Wednesday over a deadly boat sinking in the northernmost Japan prefecture in 2022. Kushiro District Court found

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–The next session of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting will be held in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, around summer next year, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Wednesday. At the gathering, the Japanese government aims to exchange

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Nissan Motor Co. said Wednesday it will release new models of its Kicks compact SUV on Thursday, its first redesign in six years. The Japanese automaker aims to revitalize its sales with the strategic vehicle, which has sold

Toyota, Aichi Pref., June 17 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp.’s new president, Kenta Kon, vowed Wednesday to maintain the company’s policy of creating “ever-better cars,” championed by Chairman and former President Akio Toyoda. “We are becoming a company that is able to keep

Taipei, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Noodle chain Sukesan Udon, which originated in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, will open an outlet in Taipei, Taiwan, on Thursday, its first overseas branch. Sukesan Co., the operator of the noodle chain and a unit of major

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Tourism Agency said Wednesday that it plans to enable local governments to effectively ban “minpaku” private lodging services through ordinances if such operations pose a threat to the local living environment. The measure is aimed at

(Adnkronos) – Iraqi’s energy sector, exports, and new opportunities for investment and collaboration by Italian companies were at the centre of “very positive” talks Wednesday between Italy’s envoy Niccolo Fontana and Iraqi oil minister Bassem al-Abadi, the embassy wrote on X.  “Very

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan and Oman agreed Wednesday to maintain close communication to ensure free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy shipments. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi,

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department served a fresh arrest warrant on the president of an information technology firm Wednesday on suspicion of killing an executive of the company. Katsuya Mizuguchi, 49, is alleged to have murdered Takeshi Kamiyama, 54,

(Adnkronos) – Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who was diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis causing respiratory difficulties, has undergone a “successful” lung transplant. The royal house announced this. “We are pleased that everything has progressed well so far.

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in May dropped 3.6 pct from a year earlier to 3,559,900, marking its second consecutive month of decline, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The number of Chinese visitors

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–The Kanazawa branch of Nagoya High Court ruled Wednesday that February’s election for Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, was constitutional in terms of vote-value disparities. With the ruling, 14 high courts and branches throughout

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Opposition Sanseito on Wednesday submitted a bill to establish a Japanese government agency to coordinate policies related to foreigners across ministries and agencies. The bill, introduced in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, calls

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–About 10 cargo vessels of Nippon Yusen K.K. remain stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Takaya Soga, president of the major Japanese shipping firm, said Wednesday. “The situation is

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police have arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly using smartphone payment app PayPay to defraud electronic money from an individual, people familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. The suspect, Masanobu Kimura, a resident of Sapporo, a city

Nago, Okinawa Pref., June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Ministry notified Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday that it has started pouring earth and sand in a new area east of Cape Henoko in the southernmost prefecture for the planned relocation of a U.S. military

(The third paragraph should have read, “…its Audit Committee…” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) CDP Lawmaker under Fire over Remarks on Japan SDF Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)–Chikage Koga, a lawmaker of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan,

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average and the broader TOPIX index both hit record closing highs on Wednesday, backed by a fall in crude oil prices following the U.S.-Iran agreement to end their conflict. The Nikkei average closed

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–More than half of national government employees in Japan do not want to relocate for work, the National Personnel Authority said on Wednesday, underscoring growing resistance to the long-standing personnel practice in the country. A survey conducted by

Toyota, Aichi Pref., June 17 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp.’s new president, Kenta Kon, vowed on Wednesday to maintain the company’s policy of creating “ever-better cars,” established by Chairman Akio Toyoda. “Together with my colleagues, I want to continue to pursue, think about

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s three megabanks have said they will raise their annual interest rates on ordinary deposits to 0.4 pct from the current 0.3 pct, effective Aug. 3, following the Bank of Japan’s recent decision to raise interest rates. MUFG

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Retail prices of chicken and eggs in Japan in June rose to their highest levels since the agriculture ministry started collecting data in August 2003, the ministry said on Tuesday. The national average price of chicken rose 1

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan logged a customs-cleared trade deficit of 378.6 billion yen in May, slipping back into the red as costly replacement purchases of crude oil and naphtha boosted the value of imports amid Middle East tensions, the Finance Ministry

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core machinery orders rose 8.7 pct in April from the previous month after seasonal adjustment thanks to robust orders related to semiconductors, the Cabinet Office said Wednesday. Private-sector orders excluding those for ships and power equipment, closely

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, enacted a bill Wednesday to revise the Civil Code to overhaul the country’s adult guardianship system for people with dementia and others. The House of Councillors, the upper chamber, approved the bill at a

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan plans to support reconstruction in areas battered by the Middle East conflict following a final agreement between the United States and Iran to end fighting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Wednesday. “After a final agreement is

Evian, France, June 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas including economic security and advanced technology development. The two leaders also discussed issues in Asia, including North Korea’s

Amsterdam, June 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, currently on an official visit to the Netherlands, arrived at the Royal Palace Amsterdam on Tuesday afternoon. The Imperial couple were greeted by Dutch royal officials upon their arrival at the palace.

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese businesses are stepping up efforts to promote “human capital management,” responding to government calls to regard human resources as capital and maximize their value in order to enhance medium- to long-term corporate value. A key focus is

Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)–International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi will visit Japan for four days starting Tuesday next week in connection with the release into the sea of treated water from the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in