Kumamoto, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Kumamoto Prefecture said Thursday it has revised down the death toll from the major earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture on July 28 to 38 from 39. The prefectural government determined, based on a doctor’s opinion and

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said Thursday that it will launch an H3 rocket carrying a Mars moon exploration spacecraft on Oct. 20. The No. 10 H3 rocket is scheduled to blast off from JAXA’s Tanegashima

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Financial Services Agency is considering setting up an office to serve as a control tower for inspections of financial institutions, following a series of scandals at regional credit cooperatives, Jiji Press learned Thursday. Related expenses will be

Seoul, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile on Thursday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said. The apparent ballistic missile is believed to have already fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, the ministry said. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Paths to strengthen regulations on political donations from corporations and organizations in Japan remain unclear, as ruling and opposition parties are wide apart over the matter. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party plans to continue prioritizing reducing seats in

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–The Asian Games are returning to Japan for the first time in 32 years, with the 2026 Games slated to kick off on Sept. 19 in the central prefecture of Aichi. The 16-day regional sporting event will be

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Aeon Co. said Thursday it has set up a committee of outside experts to investigate a fatal blast that occurred at a shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture shortly after last month’s earthquake in the southwestern Japan prefecture. The

(Adnkronos) – Four workers have died after being hit by a train at Shin-Kanuma station, north of Tokyo. “When rescuers arrived, three workers were still trapped under the train, while one was on the platform,” a fire department spokesman told Afp. According

(Adnkronos) – Seoul – “North Korea is estimated to possess between 80 and 120 nuclear weapons.”   Afp reports that “South Korea’s defense minister stated this Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump claimed the North possesses 57.”  Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers:

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Four male workers in their 50s and 60s died on Thursday after being hit by a limited express train at a station in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan. The accident happened around 10:45 a.m. at Shin-Kanuma Station

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Services using facial recognition technology are expanding in Japan, allowing, for example, touchless or ticketless entry through train station gates and payments at shops without the need to take out a wallet or a credit card. Expectations are

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Four male workers in their 50s and 60s died on Thursday after being hit by a limited express train at a station in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, according to authorities. Around 10:45 a.m., an emergency call

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s trade deficit quadrupled in July from a year before as the country boosted oil imports from the United States to diversify its energy supply away from the Middle East, the Finance Ministry said Thursday. The country posted

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Three former Japanese lawmakers on the opposition side are planning to form a new political organization soon to bring together liberal forces and protect Japan’s pacifist Constitution. Of them, Hiroshi Kawauchi and Tomoko Abe will become co-leaders of

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to seek a record 8.9 trillion yen in its budget request for fiscal 2027, up from 8,845.4 billion yen for the current fiscal year. The amount of spending, however, is likely to swell further

Washington, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)–A U.S. Department of State spokesperson Wednesday voiced hopes that Japan and other allies will terminate their support for the International Criminal Court. “We expect our allies to end their support for the ICC, which represents a threat

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–The dollar fell below 158.50 yen in Tokyo foreign exchange trading Thursday morning, reflecting a drop in U.S. long-term interest rates. At 10 a.m., the dollar stood at 158.39-41 yen, down from 159.16-17 yen at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s education ministry plans to upgrade its portal site for foreign children learning Japanese in fiscal 2027, amid a rise in the number of those needing language instructions in the country, Jiji Press has learned. The portal site,

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government plans to mobilize more than 370 trillion yen in combined public- and private-sector investment by fiscal 2040, aiming to lift Japan’s nominal economic growth above 3 pct and real growth above 1

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–An international group of researchers, including those from Japan’s Iwate University, has said that cats likely identify one another by distinguishing the unique types and ratios of fatty acids when they smell their urine. The team’s findings were

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–An inauguration ceremony for the Japanese team for the upcoming Asian Games was held in Tokyo on Wednesday, a month ahead of the start of the quadrennial sporting event. Akari Fujinami, a wrestler, who is set to serve

New York, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)–U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “seriously concerned” about U.S. sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday. The United Nations regards The Hague-based court as “a key pillar of international criminal

Uki, Kumamoto Pref., Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Teams of teachers mobilized from across Japan are supporting schools in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, which was hit by a powerful earthquake last month, before they reopen after the summer break. Drawing on their past

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese securities companies are providing elementary school students with opportunities to learn about the economy and financial systems during the summer holiday period. At an event held by SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. at its branch in Tokyo’s

Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese securities companies are providing elementary school students with opportunities to learn about the economy and financial systems during the summer holiday period. At an event held by SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. at its branch in Tokyo’s

(Adnkronos) – Seven people have died, including Italian Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan Vascones, in a helicopter crash that occurred today in Kenya, near Mount Ololokwe, in Samburu County. Six tourists and the pilot were on board the aircraft. The

(Adnkronos) – Gaza health authorities have identified Dana al-Jamasi, a 13-year-old girl, among those killed today in an Israeli attack on a Hamas police post in Gaza City. ‘The Times of Israel’ reports this.  

Tokyo, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, on Wednesday agreed on the importance of ensuring free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without additional costs. In their strategic

(Adnkronos) – At least 100 people have died in the collapse of a gold mine on the border between Cameroon and the Central African Republic. The incident occurred around noon on Tuesday in Zamboyé, about 50 kilometers from the city of Baboua.

(Adnkronos) – The official death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Colombia on August 10 has risen to 312 dead and 4,380 injured. 290 people are still missing, according to updated data released by the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management