Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday that her government will in the future examine the possibility of dispatching the Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz for a minesweeping mission while analyzing the situation of the time.

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Sony Honda Mobility Inc. said Wednesday that it has decided to discontinue the development and sale of its electric vehicles. The move comes as the company has become unable to utilize technologies and assets planned to be

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–The average retail price of regular gasoline in Japan fell 13.1 yen from a week earlier to 177.7 yen per liter as of Monday, marking the first decline in six weeks, the industry ministry said Wednesday. The drop

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday asked the International Energy Agency to make preparations for additional coordinated releases of oil reserves to deal with soaring crude oil prices. Takaichi made the request to IEA Executive Director Fatih

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, at a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday, referred to U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran as “senso,” or war, but later corrected it to “sento,” or fighting, after being questioned by an opposition lawmaker. During the

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday asked the International Energy Agency to make preparations for additional coordinated releases of oil reserves to deal with soaring crude oil prices. Takaichi made the request to IEA Executive Director Fatih

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Anesthetics and medical narcotics used in painless child delivery do not affect babies’ health or drug concentrations in umbilical cord blood, a Japanese study has shown. For painless delivery, designed to reduce labor pain with epidural anesthetic and

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Sogo & Seibu Co. said Wednesday that it will close its Seibu department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward at the end of September. The closure comes as the company failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–The average retail price of regular gasoline in Japan fell 13.1 yen from a week earlier to 177.7 yen per liter as of Monday, the industry ministry said Wednesday. The drop came after the government resumed subsidies for

Hong Kong, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Chinese customs authorities took two Japanese nationals into custody on Jan. 2 at an international airport in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, southern China, people familiar with the case said Wednesday. One of them was released on Feb. 6,

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will urge managers of smaller companies to improve business literacy for their firms’ long-term viability, it was learned Wednesday. In the 2026 white paper on small and medium-sized companies, to be released shortly, the government

Hong Kong, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Chinese customs authorities took two Japanese nationals into custody on Jan. 2 at an international airport in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, southern China, people familiar with the case said Wednesday. One of them has since been released, while

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday asked the International Energy Agency for additional joint releases of oil reserves amid soaring crude oil prices. Takaichi made the request to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in their meeting at

Sakai, Osaka Pref., March 25 (Jiji Press)–Sumo wrestler Kirishima will regain his ozeki status, the sport’s second highest rank, after capturing his third championship in the March grand tournament that ended Sunday, the Japan Sumo Association decided on Wednesday. The decision was

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks jumped on Wednesday amid growing expectations for a ceasefire agreement between the U.S.-Israeli side and Iran. The Nikkei 225 stock average surged1,497.34 points, or 2.87 pct, from the previous day to close at 53,749.62. The broader

Miyazaki, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Former Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru plans to run in the gubernatorial election in the southwestern Japan prefecture to be held ahead of the January 2027 expiration of the incumbent’s four-year term, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–There appears to be only a slim chance that the Japanese government’s fiscal 2026 regular budget will be enacted before fiscal 2025 ends on Tuesday, despite Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s strong push to meet the deadline. The draft

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Sogo & Seibu Co. will close its Seibu department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward at the end of September, company officials said Wednesday. The closure comes as the company failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo District Court on Wednesday found a former Tokyo police inspector guilty of leaking investigative information to a scouting group believed to have illegally brokered the placements of women to sex parlors and hostess bars. Judge Makoto Terao

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday avoided discussing the possibility of deploying the Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed because of the war in Iran. “The situation in Iran is changing every

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara expressed regret Wednesday over the arrest of a Ground Self-Defense Force member who allegedly broke into the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday. “It is truly regrettable that an SDF officer, who

Japan Chain Stores Association March 25 Yr/Yr Change Total 9,661,531 M. Yen Up 1.0 pct Foodstuffs 697,226 Up 0.2 Clothing 36,284 Down 9.3 Sundries 89,235 Up 2.2 Furniture and Interior Goods 45,844 Down 1.3 Home Electric Appliances 2,360 Up 10.7 Note: Year-on-year

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–A Bank of Japan policymaker warned against missing an opportunity to raise interest rates at a monetary policy meeting in January, according to the minutes of the meeting released Wednesday. After its decision to raise the policy rate

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police have opened a website about “tokuryu” anonymous and transient criminal groups, which are involved in “yami baito” illegal jobs and online and other scams classified as special fraud in Japan. The website, launched Tuesday by the

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–There appears to be only a slim chance that the Japanese government’s fiscal 2026 regular budget will be enacted before fiscal 2025 ends on Tuesday, despite Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s strong push to do so. The draft budget

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–More than 90 pct of patients receiving Lecanemab, an Alzheimer’s drug, in hospitals across Japan have been able to continue treatment without strong side effects, a group of researchers in the country said. Lecanemab, developed by Eisai Co.

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has started discussing a possible easing of working-hour regulations, raising concerns among labor officials that work-style reforms introduced in recent years could be rolled back, with employees forced to work

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s key Nikkei 225 stock average briefly gained over 1,700 points on Wednesday morning, as excessive concerns about the Middle East situation receded. Investor sentiment improved amid growing expectations for a ceasefire agreement between the U.S.-Israel side and

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Some market players are speculating that the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are considering the possibility of intervening in the crude oil futures market. The speculation comes as yen selling pressure is increasing amid expectations that

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed with leaders of Malaysia and the Philippines on Tuesday to cooperate in easing tensions in the Middle East. Takaichi reached the agreement in separate phone talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim