Naha, Okinawa Pref., July 24 (Jiji Press)–The “Dairyuchu” dragon-shaped pillars at Shuri Castle in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, currently undergoing restoration after being destroyed by a fire in 2019, were shown to the media on Friday. The pair

Karuizawa, Nagano Pref., July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, vowed to lead efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains, in a document adopted on Friday to wrap up its summer seminar in the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, central

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will study the “quantitative management” of foreign residents, or managing their ratio to the country’s population, it was learned Friday. At a meeting of related ministers on the day, the government decided to set up

Singapore, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Koichi Hagiuda, executive acting secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Desmond Lee, chairman of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party, on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two parties. The signing took

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology said Friday that about 54 pct of the rare earths collected off Minamitorishima, Japan’s easternmost island, were medium and heavy rare earths, which are essential for high-tech products. The agency,

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, on Friday enacted a bill to ease the requirements on appointing poll watchers for national referendums on amending the Constitution. The bill to revise the national referendum law was approved by a majority vote

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Temperatures in the Tokai central Japan region hit 40 degrees Celsius or higher for the fourth straight day on Friday, tying the longest such streak recorded in the country, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The mercury reached

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani will open a high-level segment of the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution to end the long-running conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, which will take place at the foreign ministry on Wednesday, according to

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese frozen food maker Nichirei Corp. said Friday that it has fully resumed operations, lifting order restrictions imposed following a cyberattack. The cyberattack-related disruptions in logistics and other operations are expected to be resolved in about 10

Matsuyama, Ehime Pref., July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese regional lenders Iyogin Holdings Inc. and Ehime Bank, both in the western prefecture of Ehime, said Friday that they have reached a basic agreement to integrate their operations next April. Through the integration, Iyogin Holdings

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to set no upper limits on spending requests related to growth investments under budget request guidelines for fiscal 2027, which starts next April, officials said Friday. Agencies will be allowed to make such requests

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s trade ministry said Friday that it has set up a working group to examine measures for stockpiling oil products, including naphtha, and diversifying crude oil procurement sources. The working group will discuss mid- and long-term strategies in

(Adnkronos) – China announced today that it has added 14 European Union entities to its export control list, banning them from accessing Chinese dual-use goods, both civilian and military, in response to the new sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia over

(Adnkronos) – 40,000 people have been evacuated from the very popular Cap-Ferret peninsula, by land and by sea, due to the “largest fire of the season”, according to the Interior Minister, which is devastating the forest in Gironde but also in the

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s opposition parties agreed Friday to block a vote on a bill to create a secondary capital, demanding assurances that a local referendum will not coincide with local elections. Deliberations on the bill were held by the Special

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The average life expectancy rose by 0.25 year from the previous year to 81.35 years for Japanese men in 2025 and by 0.2 year to 87.33 years for Japanese women, a health ministry survey showed on Friday. The

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Prudential Life Insurance Co. and Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. said Friday that a total of 2.42 billion yen in claims for compensation sought by 447 clients over fraud involving employees had been acknowledged as of July 8. The

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday that it was “regrettable” that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration introduced a new tariff rate of 12.5 pct on imports from Japan. The new tariffs, imposed at rates of up

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–A suprapartisan study group of Japanese lawmakers Friday proposed using artificial intelligence and digital technology to promote reform measures for the Diet, the country’s parliament. The proposal was submitted to Eisuke Mori, speaker of the House of Representatives,

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday that his country will not change its policy toward Russia, after a brief meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Manila on Tuesday. “There are no changes in Japan’s policy

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks slumped Friday on resurgent concerns over turmoil in the Middle East, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly giving up more than 2,000 points. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government said Friday it has named Kazuya Hara, director of cabinet intelligence, as head of a new national intelligence bureau, effective on July 31. Hara, 58, will assume the position that is on par with that

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s revised Imperial House Law, aimed at securing a stable number of Imperial Family members, was promulgated Friday, paving the way for it to take effect on Oct. 24. The revised law, enacted on July 17, allows male,

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to reinforce the Immigration Services Agency to strengthen the oversight of foreign nationals in the country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday. Japan needs to strengthen its crackdown on illegal overstayers and make

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency said Friday that it will temporarily designate the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima as a no-fly zone for drones during the Aug. 6 annual peace ceremony commemorating the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of the

Washington, July 24 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. government on Friday imposed new 12.5 pct tariffs on imports from Japan and dozens of other trading partners under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, claiming that their import controls against goods produced through forced

Washington, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Excessive fluctuations in the yen are “undesirable,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in a semiannual report released Thursday. “While global factors such as financial market volatility and oil prices have likely affected the yen, excess volatility in the

Japan Department Stores Association July 24 Yr/Yr Change Total 468,771 M. Yen Up 2.3 pct Clothing 118,918 Down 0.1 Personal Articles 77,392 Up 7.4 Sundry Goods 108,711 Up 10.6 Household Goods 14,600 Down 2.1 Foodstuffs 119,488 Down 2.6 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Japan Department Stores Association July 24 Yr/Yr Change Total 147,178 M. Yen Up 4.4 pct Clothing 36,071 Up 3.8 Personal Articles 25,046 Up 5.0 Sundry Goods 37,160 Up 15.7 Household Goods 5,228 Down 6.3 Foodstuffs 35,107 Down 1.7 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core inflation accelerated for the first time in three months in June as electricity fees and housing repair and maintenance costs rose from the previous month because of higher oil and material prices, the internal affairs ministry