Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The contract amount for the Japanese government’s defense equipment procurement in fiscal 2023 under the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales program, or FMS, totaled about 1.38 trillion yen, more than three times the amount five years earlier, the

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co.’s busy Yamanote Line in Tokyo was halted on all sections for about eight hours on Friday because of a predawn power outage, affecting around 673,000 people. With the service disruption hitting morning rush hour,

(Adnkronos) – The stability of the crucial Artic region “is not a tactical but a strategic issue” which demands political and economic action by Italy and other European Union and Nato members for the West’s security, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said Friday. 

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan is expected to keep its policy interest rate unchanged at its next two-day policy meeting starting Thursday. At the meeting, the Japanese central bank is expected to review market trends, such as the yen’s

(Adnkronos) – Italy “cannot overlook” the crucial raw materials which the Artic region possesses, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday at the presentation in Rome of the government’s strategy for the region.   “With our embassy in Denmark, we are planning

(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday that Italy will send an Italian business mission to the Artic at a conference in Rome to present the government’s strategy for region.  “I believe we need to set up an Arctic business

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni and Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi will continue strengthening their countries’ strategic cooperation across a raft of areas, “all the way to the great global challenges,” Meloni wrote Friday on X after talks in Tokyo with Takaichi.

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of Japan and Italy agreed Friday to accelerate security cooperation, including over next-generation fighter jet development involving the two nations plus Britain, and to strengthen collaboration on economic security, including expanding supply chains for critical minerals.

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp. said Friday it will join a shale gas project in the southern United States. It will invest about 5.2 billion dollars, or some 820 billion yen, to acquire all outstanding shares in Aethon

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Prudential Life Insurance Co. said Friday that more than 100 of its present and former employees have scammed customers out of some 3.1 billion yen. The number of victims of fraudulent deals conducted by those current and former

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] 

(Adnkronos) – The death of a man detained in a federal penitentiary facility in Texas, who died in early January, could be investigated as homicide: the medical examiner who examined him reportedly attributed the death as a preliminary cause to “asphyxia due

(Adnkronos) – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges related to the proclamation of martial law, which he announced in December 2024, after which he was impeached.

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Chubu Electric Power Co. President Kingo Hayashi said Friday that he will resign as Japanese power industry group head over his company’s data manipulation linked to earthquake risks at its Hamaoka nuclear power plant. Hayashi, 65, made the

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga plans not to run in the upcoming election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the country’s parliament, informed sources said Friday. The 77-year-old ruling Liberal Democratic Party member

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, formerly a longtime ally of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Friday that a new party they have created is called the Centrist Reform Alliance.

Washington, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday agreed to boost the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance. Their talks, held at the U.S. Defense Department in the suburbs of Washington,

Osaka, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Osaka District Court on Friday dismissed a request from three death-row inmates for the state to ban executions by hanging. The three, whose death sentences have been finalized, claimed that executions by hanging are against an international treaty

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co.’s busy Yamanote Line in Tokyo was temporarily halted on all sections Friday because of a predawn power outage that occurred due to an apparent problem at an electrical facility. Both the clockwise and counterclockwise

(Redundancy in 3rd para rectified) Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers’ Unions, or JAW, will demand a monthly pay scale hike of 12,000 yen or more in the upcoming “shunto” spring wage negotiations, after achieving the biggest rise

(The fourth paragraph should have read, “…Sanae Takaichi’s…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Japan Farm Minister Visits Paris for Rice Exports Paris, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki has inspected “onigiri” rice ball and Japanese food shops,

Washington, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday reaffirmed close cooperation between their countries under the bilateral alliance. They met for some 50 minutes at the U.S. Defense Department in a Washington suburb.

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called for united action to eliminate barriers facing women seeking leadership roles, at a meeting with female ambassadors to Japan held at the prime minister’s office. Meeting with members of the Group

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Single-story homes are becoming increasingly popular among dual-income families raising children in Japan. With no need to go up and down stairs and room layouts that allow for efficient housework, such homes match the growing emphasis on “time

Washington, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday reaffirmed close cooperation between their countries under the bilateral alliance. They met for some 50 minutes at the U.S. Defense Department in a Washington suburb.

Hanoi, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to work together on developing new artificial intelligence models and preparing related laws. The AI-sector cooperation was included in a joint statement adopted at a meeting of digital

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–In a surprising move, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, which had competed fiercely for many years, have opted to form a new party as a way to break the stalemate facing the two parties. With

Yokohama, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese research team has launched a trial of “anime therapy,” a method in which animated characters provide counseling to young people facing social challenges. The initiative marks Japan’s first use of animation in a therapeutic setting, according

Kiso, Nagano Pref., Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–A farm in the central Japan prefecture of Nagano is working to save a Japanese horse breed called “Kiso uma,” or Kiso horse, with only about 140 such horses remaining in the country. The Kiso horse

(Adnkronos) – The measure to prevent Donald Trump from ordering further military actions in Venezuela was blocked in the Senate after two of the five Republicans who had voted with the Democrats in support of the measure last week changed their position.