Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Pref., Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The mayor of Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, said Friday that the city will put off a decision on whether to accept a literature survey for choosing a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Prices of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets in Japan in the week to Sunday averaged 2,971 yen per 5 kilograms, down 32 yen from a week before and below 3,000 yen for the first time since early

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–With just six months to go before the start of the International Horticultural Expo 2027 in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, protecting visitors from the heat remains a challenge, as the event features many outdoor exhibitions and will run

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Friday that conditions for the central bank’s monetary policy management have changed. “We don’t assume a specific pace for further interest rate hikes,” he told a press conference after the BOJ’s

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s new cabinet will go all out to steadily implement a consumption tax cut and other policies pledged for the February general election, as well as measures stipulated in the coalition agreement reached between

Mutsu, Aomori Pref., Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The mayor of Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, was informed on Friday that Kansai Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co. are interested in using an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in the northeastern Japan

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The reshuffled cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that it will realize a strong economy under a responsible and proactive fiscal policy. In its basic policy adopted at its first meeting, the reshuffled cabinet also

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Friday told the ruling parties that an extraordinary parliamentary session will be convened on Oct. 5. It will be the first Diet session since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The reshuffled cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces some daunting diplomatic challenges, such as responses to a potential rapid pivot in U.S.-China relations. A major goal of the new Takaichi cabinet, launched Thursday, is maintaining a

Taipei, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Taiwan has donated more than 300 million New Taiwan dollars, or 1.5 billion yen, collected from the public to Japan to support areas affected by a massive earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture in July. In a ceremony at the

(The eighth paragraph should have read, “…is still being halted…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) All Kyushu Shinkansen Sections Reopened after July Kumamoto Quake Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Pref., Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–A section on the Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train line

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Koichi Watanabe, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, died Thursday. He was 68. Watanabe was elected to the Lower House five times from the proportional representation bloc of Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core consumer price index rose 1.7 pct from a year before in August, posting a smaller increase for the first time in four months, the internal affairs ministry said Friday. The core CPI, excluding often volatile fresh

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average gained over 1,300 points temporarily in early afternoon trading Friday, after the Bank of Japan ended its two-day policy-setting meeting. At 1:28 p.m., the index of 225 major issues listed on the

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan decided to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to around 1.25 pct, the highest level in about 31 years, at a two-day meeting of its Policy Board that ended Friday. The

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan decided to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to around 1.25 pct, the highest level in about 31 years, at a two-day meeting of its Policy Board that ended Friday. The

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan decided to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to around 1.25 pct, the highest level in about 31 years, at a two-day meeting of its Policy Board that ended Friday. The

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan decided to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to around 1.25 pct, the highest level in about 31 years, at a two-day meeting of its Policy Board that ended Friday. The

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aimed to put herself in a strong position for her ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s next leadership election, scheduled for autumn 2027, through the reshuffles of the LDP leadership team and her cabinet, carried

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–Balancing efforts to secure economic growth and promote fiscal discipline will be a major issue for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet, which was reshuffled Wednesday. The Takaichi government is set to fully start work on the compilation

Tokyo, Sept. 18 (Jiji Press)–The revamped cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to accelerate debates on strengthening the country’s defense capabilities, with the government planning to update its three key national security-related documents by year-end. As further increases in

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–The following are profiles of the new members of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet, reshuffled Thursday: Hisayuki Fujii, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Hisayuki Fujii, 55, joined the Home Affairs Ministry, now the Ministry of Internal

Tokoname, Aichi Pref., Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–North Korean sports minister Kim Il Guk, head of the country’s Olympic Committee, arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture on Thursday for this year’s Asian Games, which will officially kick off on Saturday.

(Adnkronos) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to run for a new term in early presidential elections, thus circumventing the constitutional norm that prevents him from running again at the end of his current term. This was stated today to the

(Adnkronos) – Ireland will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 due to the “terrible and ongoing loss of life in Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian crisis”. The Irish broadcaster RTÉ announced this in a statement. 

(Adnkronos) – Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has announced his resignation following the defeat in the legislative elections, won by the center-left bloc. “It is now up to the Speaker of Parliament to lead the next steps for the formation of a

(Adnkronos) – A Moscow court, on the eve of the Duma elections, confirmed the arrest in absentia of journalist Zhanna Nemtsova, daughter of Boris Nemtsov, a historic Russian liberal figure, former protégé of Boris Yeltsin and later an opponent of Vladimir Putin.

(Adnkronos) – The number of detainees who have died in Israeli prisons since October 7, 2023 – and whose identities have been revealed – has risen to 92, of whom 53 were from Gaza. This was announced by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society,

(Adnkronos) – Magdalena Andersson is set to return to lead Sweden. Four days after the polls closed, the count of the legislative elections confirms the victory of the center-left bloc led by the former social democratic prime minister, who wins 176 of

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday described her second cabinet, which she launched the same day, as one that will make decisions, take on challenges and act. “I will pursue a responsible and proactive fiscal policy to