Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted a garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Friday, with some 1,400 guests in attendance, including figure skating pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara. The Imperial

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering skipping a visit to war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo during its three-day spring festival that starts Tuesday, informed sources said Friday. Takaichi had rarely missed visiting the Shinto shrine during its

(Adnkronos) – Culture is “a tool of friendship and dialogue among peoples, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani stated during a two-day visit to China aimed at strenghtening economic, political and cultural ties.  “Culture as a tool of friendship and dialogue among peoples.

Osaka, April 17 (Jiji Press)–A regional lender based in the Kinki western Japan region and the parent of another local bank announced a capital and business alliance Friday. Shiga Bank and Senshu Ikeda Holdings Inc., the parent of Senshu Ikeda Bank, based

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign mininster has hailed China’s demand that merchant vessels be allowed to sail freely through the Strait of Hormuz. The critical waterway was effectively closed by Iran in response to US-Israeli strikes since late February which were halted under

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Prices of rice sold at some 1,000 supermarkets across Japan in the week through Sunday averaged 3,873 yen per 5 kilograms, down 60 yen from the prior week and falling for the ninth straight week, the agriculture ministry

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese convenience store operators Lawson Inc. and FamilyMart Co. have reported record operating profits for the year that ended in February, while Seven & i Holdings Co. logged only modest growth. According to their consolidated financial results,

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Police referred a man and a woman to prosecutors Friday on charges of reselling tickets for World Baseball Classic games in Tokyo this year, as well as for the U.S. Major League Baseball Tokyo Series last year, at

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday ruled out the possibility of the government using a planned national intelligence council for political purposes. “We will never order (the council) to gather intelligence for the purpose of benefiting a

(Adnkronos) – Dialogue and multilateral collaboration underpin global stability and economic growth and China can play a “meaningful” role in resolving current international crises including Russia’s occupation of Ukraine and the US-Israel war on Iran, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani argued on

Nantan, Kyoto Pref., April 17 (Jiji Press)–The father of a boy in Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, who was found dead earlier this week after going missing last month has admitted that he strangled the son, investigative sources said Friday. Yuki Adachi, 37,

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani has sent a message of condolence on the passing of former Austria goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who died at the age of 48 after his car was struck by a train near Salzburg on Tuesday.  “Great

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted a garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Friday, inviting some 1,750 people. The guests included gold medalists from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, such as figure

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–SBI Holdings Inc. said Friday it has set up a fund with Cool Japan Fund Inc. to promote Japanese entertainment content overseas. The fund totals 12.5 billion yen, of which 10 billion will be put up by Cool

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted five Japanese oil distributors Friday over an alleged price cartel for gas oil sold to transport and other companies in Tokyo. The office acted in response to a criminal complaint filed

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks fell back Friday due to selling to lock in profits after rising for three consecutive days through Thursday, with the key Nikkei 225 average losing more than 1,000 points. The index of 225 selected issues listed

Washington, April 16 (Jiji Press)–A meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies was held in Washington on Thursday, but it did not produce a joint statement. The G-20 finance officials discussed the impact on

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to have the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, own and operate the successor to the Antarctic research vessel Shirase, officials said Thursday. The current vessel, slated to retire in 2034,

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Justice Ministry said Friday it will set up a panel of experts to set guidelines on civil actions to seek damages for unauthorized use of performers’ voices and images created by generative artificial intelligence. The move is

(4th para should have read “… under a general provision,” instead of as sent) Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country’s parliament, unanimously voted for legislation to set numerical standards for defining dangerous driving resulting

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday ruled out the possibility of the government using a planned national intelligence council for political purposes. “We will never order (the council) to gather intelligence for the purpose of benefiting a

Tokyo, April 16 (Jiji Press)–Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet dipped 0.2 percentage point from the previous month to 59.1 pct in April, a monthly survey by Jiji Press showed Thursday. Takaichi, who took office last October, saw her

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fair Trade Commission filed a complaint against five oil distributors Friday over an alleged price cartel for gas oil sold to transport and other companies in Tokyo. Following the complaint submitted to the prosecutor-general, the Tokyo District

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s industry ministry said Friday that it will provide up to 60 billion yen in aid for a state-of-the-art image sensor plant being built in southwestern Japan by Sony Group Corp. The state aid is intended to help

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Some local governments in Japan have already started their Cool Biz workplace power-saving campaign for the hotter months earlier than usual, amid concerns over energy supplies due to Middle East tensions. On Wednesday, the Tottori prefectural government launched

Nantan, Kyoto Pref., April 17 (Jiji Press)–Dashboard camera footage from a car driven by a father arrested over the alleged abandonment of his son’s body in the western Japan prefecture of Kyoto was partially deleted, investigative sources told Jiji Press Friday. Portions

Washington, April 16 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Thursday that soaring crude oil prices complicate the central bank’s monetary policy. The surge in crude oil prices “poses both upside risks to prices and downside risks to the economy, making

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, gold medalists for the pairs figure skating event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, on Friday announced that they will retire from competitive skating at the end of this season. Collectively known

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Financial Services Agency outlined plans last December to strengthen the management base of regional financial institutions, with the aim of helping regional lenders, including “shinkin” banks, play a bigger role in revitalizing local economies. The measures include

Tokyo, April 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with visiting representatives of some 30 NATO member countries permanently stationed at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Thursday, Motegi and the NATO permanent representatives discussed