(The sixth paragraph should have read, “…the Judiciary System Research Commission…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Critical Online Posts Increase over Japan Retrial Reform Tokyo, May 4 (Jiji Press)–Social media posts critical of the Justice Ministry’s attitude are increasing

(Adnkronos) – ‘Revolution’ in advertising in Amsterdam. In public city spaces, hamburgers and SUVs ‘disappear’, culture ‘re-emerges’. The city’s ‘backdrop’ changes, reports the BBC after the ban came into force on May 1st, making Amsterdam the first capital in the world to

(Adnkronos) – Austria has expelled three Russian embassy employees suspected of espionage, with Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Resinger promising a “change of course” in the face of “this security problem”. The Austrian government itself confirmed this to AFP in a statement.  In the

(Adnkronos) – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the stables of the Department for Presidential Affairs, where he inspected the conditions of care for the horses that have been donated to him over the years, according to reports from the Qazinform news agency.

(Adnkronos) – The United States Central Command announced on X that its forces will participate in Operation Project Freedom, announced by US President Donald Trump, to help release ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz. It also stated that “military support for

Canberra, May 4 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Monday expressed “strong concerns” over export restrictions on key minerals, with China’s economic coercion in mind. “We express our strong concerns over all forms of economic

(Removes the “and” before “2.68 million” in the second paragraph from the bottom. A substitute story follows.) Japan Child Population Down for 45th Straight Year Tokyo, May 4 (Jiji Press)–The estimated population of children under 15 stood at 13.29 million in Japan

Singapore, May 4 (Jiji Press)–The dollar moved wildly against the yen in Asian trading Monday, swayed by speculation that Japan may carry out an additional intervention to prop up its currency. The dollar fell from over 157 yen to below 156 yen

Canberra, May 4 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Monday expressed “strong concerns” over export restrictions on key minerals, with China’s economic coercion in mind. “We express our strong concerns over all forms of economic

Tokyo, May 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan is considering digitalizing applications for emergency special loans under its welfare fund program, in a bid to speedily support households struggling financially in emergencies such as natural disasters, Jiji Press has learned. The welfare ministry expects that

Samarkand, Uzbekistan, May 3 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from Japan, China, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday and agreed to strengthen their cooperation in dealing with risks stemming from heightened

Canberra, May 3 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in Australia on Sunday to hold talks with her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Monday. Takaichi and Albanese are expected to confirm cooperation to mutually supply energy resources, in the face of

Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, vowed to advance discussions on revising the Constitution, in her video message to a meeting of proponents of constitutional revision in Tokyo on Sunday, the country’s

New York, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Greg Abel, who succeeded Warren Buffett as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. late last year, said Saturday that the U.S. company will continue to invest in Japanese companies, including general trading firms and insurance group Tokio Marine

Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)–While COVID-19 infections have decreased significantly since Japan downgraded the disease to the same category as seasonal influenza almost three years ago, elderly people and others are still cautioned against the risk of contracting the virus during the

Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)–The first tanker carrying Russian crude oil since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East is seen arriving in Japan as early as Monday, according to Japanese industry ministry and other sources. The tanker

Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is preparing to launch trade talks with the Mercosur trade bloc in South America to conclude an economic partnership agreement, Jiji Press learned Sunday. The move comes as the government believes that it is necessary

Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that Japan strongly hopes that Iran and the United States will soon resume talks and reach a final deal to end their conflict. Motegi spoke with

Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)–During the ongoing Golden Week holiday period in Japan, tourist spots across the country have been affected by water shortages, partly due to low rainfall since last summer. Sightseeing boat and hot spring facility operators and other businesses

Hanoi, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Vietnamese counterpart, Le Minh Hung, agreed Saturday to position economic security cooperation as a pillar of their countries’ bilateral relations, including Japan’s public-private support for Vietnam’s crude oil procurement. Japan will

Hanoi, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday expressed her intention to deepen cooperation for the free and open Indo-Pacific, or FOIP, vision by focusing on three pillars–strengthening supply chains, sharing rules to maintain an economic order, and

Hanoi, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Vietnamese counterpart, Le Minh Hung, agreed Saturday to position economic security cooperation as a pillar of their countries’ bilateral relations, including Japan’s public-private support for Vietnam’s crude oil procurement. At their

Otsuchi, Iwate Pref., May 2 (Jiji Press)–The northeastern Japan town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, declared Saturday that the forest fire that broke out on April 22 has come under control. According to the prefectural government, the fire burned about 1,633 hectares, making

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Eighteen of Japan’s 47 prefectural governors recognize the need to revise the country’s Constitution, a Jiji Press survey has shown. Nine of the 18 governors, including those of Aomori and Osaka, agreed that constitutional revision is necessary. The

Fukushima, May 2 (Jiji Press)–A memorial park dedicated to mourning the victims of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster opened in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Saturday. The Fukushima March 11 Memorial Park was jointly established by the Japanese government

New York, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Jiro Hamasumi, secretary-general of the Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, delivered a speech at the 2026 review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in New York on Friday, saying that atomic bombs

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and 10 members of her cabinet are visiting overseas during the ongoing Golden Week holiday period through next week. During their trips, the ministers are expected to focus on promoting Japan’s economic security,

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Psychological and financial hurdles remain high for junior and senior high school girls in buying emergency contraception three months after it became available over the counter in Japan. Emergency contraception can prevent unwanted pregnancy with a high probability

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Desperately hoping to stop the yen’s rapid depreciation, the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan apparently implemented their first currency market intervention in about two years on Thursday afternoon. Earlier that day, the dollar was trading above

Osaka, May 1 (Jiji Press)–West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, announced Friday a capital and business tie-up with the Resona Holdings Inc. group to make its first foray into the banking business as early as fiscal 2027, starting next April. The