Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Monday denied media reports claiming that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drank alcohol before skipping an online summit of the Group of Seven major nations in October. The reports are “based on

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–All Nippon Airways and Vietnam Airlines signed Monday an agreement to pursue a joint venture as they seek to meet growing travel demand between Japan and Vietnam across business, tourism and work. The unit of Japan’s ANA Holdings

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will provide a coastal radar system to the Philippine navy as part of its grant aid cooperation program aimed at providing defense equipment and supplies to like-minded countries, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. It will

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department has arrested an unemployed Chinese man for allegedly operating an unauthorized mobile phone base station in central Tokyo in violation of Japan’s radio law. The suspect, Yu Hai, 31, a resident of Tokyo’s Kita

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party decided Monday to reprimand four of its Diet members, including former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, for abstaining from Friday’s parliamentary vote on a consumption tax cut bill. The four also included former LDP

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s composite index of coincident economic indicators rose 0.7 point from the previous month in September, up for the first time in two months, the Cabinet Office said in a preliminary report on Monday. The coincident index, which

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Four Chinese coast guard vessels entered Japanese waters on Monday off the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. This was the first entry by a Chinese official ship into Japan’s territorial waters around the

Kumamoto, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–The city government of Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Monday certified a woman who died following a major earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture in July as a disaster-related death, the first such recognition linked to the tremblor.

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks rebounded on Monday as investors bought back a wide range of shares following a significant sell-off late last week. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average climbed 1,340.73 points, or 2.33 pct, to 58,775.50, posting the first

Yokohama, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–An exhibition of sculptures made by 18 artists from Japan and Vietnam, named “Dialogues,” is currently being held in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, until Wednesday, in line with top Vietnamese leader To Lam’s visit to Japan.

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese business leaders and Vietnamese leader To Lam discussed deepening relations between the two countries to strengthen supply chains during a meeting in Tokyo on Monday. Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, said, “We

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Mitsui Chemicals Inc. said Monday that it will acquire major semiconductor material maker JSR Corp. The Japanese chemical giant will purchase JSR shares from government-backed Japan Investment Corp., the parent of the target company. The Development Bank of

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan bought 7,975.6 billion yen for dollars in foreign exchange market intervention on July 30, the Ministry of Finance said Monday. This was the largest single-day yen-buying intervention conducted by Japanese

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average rebounded sharply on Monday morning, after plunging last week amid a sell-off that mainly hit semiconductor-related issues. The index of 225 major stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section rose

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average rebounded sharply on Monday morning, after plunging last week amid a sell-off that mainly hit semiconductor-related issues. At 11:06 a.m., the index of 225 major stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Tetsuya Higa, former mayor of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, who accepted construction related to the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air base, died at his home in the city Friday. He was 99. A Nago native, Higa

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan bought 7,975.6 billion yen for dollars in foreign exchange market intervention on July 30, the Ministry of Finance said Monday. This was the largest single-day yen-buying intervention conducted by Japanese

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–The body of a woman has been found in a forest in central Japan, based on a statement by an unemployed man who was arrested for allegedly confining her. The police department of the central prefecture

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government-backed shift from savings to investment is gaining steady momentum. Fueled by the expansion of the Nippon Individual Savings Account, or NISA, a tax-exemption program for small-lot investments, stocks and investment trusts make up a growing share

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–The leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has sent letters to four party lawmakers, including former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, asking them to explain their abstention from a vote on a consumption tax cut bill on Friday,

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, jolted Aichi Prefecture and other parts of central Japan on Sunday, injuring 22 people. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–A national rally calling for the immediate and collective return of all Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago was held in Tokyo on Sunday, attended by about 800 people, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “The parents

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–Hopes for an early Japan-China summit are fading, a year after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s parliamentary remarks regarding a possible contingency over Taiwan angered Beijing. While Tokyo has reiterated that it will stick to the position it

Hanoi, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–Top Vietnamese leader To Lam expressed hopes for closer ties with Japan in an interview with Japanese public broadcaster NHK ahead of his visit to the country starting Sunday, the state-run Vietnam News Agency reported. The general secretary

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, jolted Aichi Prefecture and other parts of central Japan on Sunday, injuring 21 people. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the

(The second paragraph should have read, “…neighbors Aichi,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Strong Quake Jolts Aichi Pref. in Central Japan Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese

Baku, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–Some fans of popular Japanese television drama “Vivant” have been flocking to Azerbaijan, hoping to see with their own eyes where the second season of the hit series was filmed. The country on the western shore of the

Tokyo, Nov. 8 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake measuring up to upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, struck Aichi Prefecture in central Japan on Sunday. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake with an estimated magnitude of

Tokyo, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)–Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed an additional order for assets held by Japan Tobacco Inc. in Russia to be placed under the temporary management of a Russian company. The assets targeted by the new order include

Tokyo, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)–Ritsuko Nakayama, a legendary Japanese professional bowler who helped spark Japan’s bowling boom in the 1970s, died Saturday at the age of 84. According to the Japan Professional Bowling Association, Nakayama had been receiving medical treatment for an