Niigata, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi won his third four-year term in Sunday’s gubernatorial election in the central Japan prefecture. The 68-year-old governor was backed by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the prefectural chapter of the LDP’s coalition partner,

Kagoshima, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa inspected Eneos Corp.’s Kiire oil storage base in the southwestern Japan city of Kagoshima on Sunday. Kiire is one of the facilities from which state oil reserves were released earlier this year following

Hakui, Ishikawa Pref., May 31 (Jiji Press)–Crested ibises, a Japanese natural monument, were released into the wild in the city of Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday, marking the first time that such an event was held in the country’s Honshu main

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his daughter, Princess Aiko, watched a university baseball game at the Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Sunday. They watched a game between Waseda University and Keio University in the spring tournament

Singapore, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro affirmed Sunday that talks will be launched on the export of surface-to-ship missiles from Japan to the Southeast Asian nation. Koizumi revealed this in talks with reporters

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his daughter, Princess Aiko, watched a university baseball game at the Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Sunday. They watched a game between Waseda University and Keio University in the spring tournament

Silicon Valley, May 30 (Jiji Press)–The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a plant of a U.S. unit of Japan’s Nippon Paper Industries Co. has totaled 11. Fire authorities in Longview in the western U.S. state of Washington said Saturday

Singapore, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Sunday the recent revisions of the country’s three principles on defense equipment transfers and their implementation guidelines, which have basically made its arms exports possible, are designed to “tangibly strengthen deterrence and

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Moves to launch a new party have emerged among three opposition parties in Japan, Jiji Press learned Sunday. The moves came in the course of talks on the possible integration of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and

Singapore, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Sunday the recent revisions of the country’s three principles on defense equipment transfers and their implementation guidelines, which have basically made its arms exports possible, will help boost deterrence in the region.

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–SoftBank Group Corp. said Sunday that it will develop 5-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center capacity in France at an investment of up to 75 billion euros. This will mark one of the largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry is set to ban the production, sale, possession and use of cannabinol, or CBN, an ingredient derived from cannabis, from June. An animal experiment conducted following reports of apparent health hazards associated with CBN has

Brussels, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Yo Kitamura of Japan won the fifth prize in the cello division of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels on Sunday. In the final selection process joined by 12 cellists, Kitamura, 22, who is from the city

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–With Sunday marking World No Tobacco Day designated by the World Health Organization, experts urge Japan to introduce pictorial warnings about the dangers of smoking on tobacco packages. Many countries require cigarette packages to display images warning of

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling and opposition parties are divided over the government’s draft fiscal 2026 supplementary budget, for which parliamentary debates are set to start Wednesday. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes to have the extra budget enacted quickly. While a

Brussels, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Yo Kitamura of Japan won the fifth prize in the cello division of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium on Sunday. In the final selection process among 12 cellists, Kitamura, 22, who is from the city of

Kyoto, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Nidec Corp. President Mitsuya Kishida has said the major Japanese motor maker will suspend business acquisitions for the time being to focus its efforts on reconstructing the firm rocked by accounting and product quality fraud. Business acquisitions have

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–A total of 10 countries, including Japan, the United States, South Korea and Britain, have issued a joint statement demanding the implementation of sanctions against North Korea, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday. The statement called on a committee

Singapore, May 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed Saturday to further deepen the two countries’ cooperation over China, which is stepping up military coercion. At a meeting in Singapore, they also affirmed a policy

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–A large-scale rally was held in Tokyo on Saturday to seek the immediate return home of all Japanese abductees in North Korea. Relatives of those abducted to North Korea decades ago said they wish all victims will come

Singapore, May 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed Saturday to further deepen the two countries’ cooperation over China, which is stepping up military coercion. At a meeting in Singapore, they also affirmed a policy

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to hold summit talks with her, at a national rally held in Tokyo on Saturday to demand the immediate return home of Japanese nationals abducted

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 30 (Jiji Press)–An 18-year-old male high school student was arrested on Saturday for allegedly introducing a boy, 16, who later served as a perpetrator in a high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan. In the case, Eiko

Hiroshima, May 30 (Jiji Press)–The Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organization on Saturday decided the resignation of its head, Toshiyuki Mimaki, 84, at a general meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding. Hiroshi Harada, 86, deputy leader of the

Nagasaki, May 30 (Jiji Press)–Taiwan is set to attend this year’s Aug. 9 peace memorial ceremony in the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki, it was learned Saturday. It will be the second straight year for the self-ruled island to participate in the

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 30 (Jiji Press)–An 18-year-old male high school student was arrested on Saturday for allegedly introducing a boy who later served as a perpetrator in a high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan. In the case, Eiko Tomiyama,

Singapore, May 30 (Jiji Press)–The defense ministers of Japan, Australia and New Zealand at a meeting in Singapore on Saturday discussed New Zealand’s possible introduction of an upgraded model of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Mogami-class frigate. It was the first time

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s internal affairs ministry plans to set a special category under its existing support program for community-based startups, in order to back up projects using artificial intelligence. The ministry aims to promote so-called AI transformation, in which companies

Paris, May 29 (Jiji Press)–The Group of Seven major industrialized countries agreed on common principles to protect underage internet users from harmful content, at a meeting of their digital and technology ministers held in Paris on Friday. The meeting, hosted by France,

Singapore, May 30 (Jiji Press)–The defense ministers of Japan, Australia and New Zealand at their meeting in Singapore on Saturday agreed to strengthen the three nations’ cooperation regarding defense equipment, having China, which is expanding maritime activities, in mind. It was the