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20 Maggio 2026

Kukai-Linked Sacred Hall on Miyajima Burns Down

Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Pref., May 20 (Jiji Press)–A hall linked to Buddhist saint Kukai (774-835) on Miyajima Island in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, burned to the ground Wednesday, local police and firefighters said. Firefighters received around 8:30 a.m. an
20 Maggio 2026

Ex-Japan Post Worker Nabbed over Alleged Bribery Case

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Police arrested a 37-year-old former employee of Japan Post Co. on Wednesday over aggravated bribery in connection with a contract for collection services. Nobuyuki Yoneda, who worked at a branch office of the company in Tokyo’s Koto Ward,
20 Maggio 2026

Teenage Suspects in Tochigi Robbery-Murder Were under Threat

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 20 (Jiji Press)–Teenage suspects in last week’s high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, have told police investigators that they had been threatened with the killing of their families and friends if they did not take
20 Maggio 2026

Japan Eyes Financial System Shutdown in Mythos Attack

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese public-private working group is considering actively shutting down financial systems as an option to deal with possible cyberattacks that utilize Claude Mythos, an artificial intelligence model developed by U.S. startup Anthropic, it was learned Wednesday. The
20 Maggio 2026

Nikkei Ends Below 60,000 for 1st Time since May 1

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks fell in Tokyo trading Wednesday, driven lower by rising interest rates globally, sending the benchmark Nikkei 225 average below 60,000 for the first time in about three weeks. The Nikkei index closed at 59,804.41, down 746.18
20 Maggio 2026

Hitachi, Astemo Tie Up to Develop AI for Self-Driving Cars

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese machinery maker Hitachi Ltd. and auto parts maker Astemo Ltd. said Wednesday that they have teamed up to develop artificial intelligence for autonomous vehicles. Hitachi and Astemo, an affiliate of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co., aim to
20 Maggio 2026

Unification Church Liquidator Begins Accepting Victim Claims

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–The liquidator of the Unification Church, a controversial religious group ordered to disband, on Wednesday began accepting claims from victims who were forced to make large donations to the group. Loss claims will be accepted online or by
20 Maggio 2026

3rd Court Finds Japan Lower House Poll Constitutional

Naha, Okinawa Pref., May 20 (Jiji Press)–The Naha branch of Fukuoka High Court ruled Wednesday that the Feb. 8 election for Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the country’s parliament, was constitutional in terms of vote-value disparities. Presiding Judge Hiroaki
20 Maggio 2026

Visitors to Japan Down 5.5 Pct in April

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in April fell 5.5 pct from a year before to 3,692,200, down for the first time in three months, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. Visitors from eight Middle
20 Maggio 2026

Japan to Survey Bear Habitats in Tohoku, Niigata

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Environment Ministry has said it will start surveys in late June on bear habitats and populations in the Tohoku northeastern region and some areas in nearby Niigata Prefecture. The government surveys, announced Tuesday, will cover the six
20 Maggio 2026

Kukai-Linked Sacred Hall on Miyajima Burns Down

Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Pref., May 20 (Jiji Press)–A hall linked to Buddhist saint Kukai on Miyajima Island burned to the ground on Wednesday, local police and firefighters in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, said the same day. According to the authorities, firefighters
20 Maggio 2026

Nikkei Index Ends Below 60,000 for 1st Time since May 1

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks fell in Tokyo trading Wednesday, driven lower by rising interest rates globally, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average ending below 60,000 for the first time since May 1. The Nikkei index closed at 59,804.41, down
20 Maggio 2026

Strong Quake Jolts Southwestern Japan Islands

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Wednesday, measuring upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, on an island in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The temblor with an estimated magnitude
20 Maggio 2026

Japanese Garden Designer Wins Silver-Gilt at British Flower Show

London, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese garden designer Kazuyuki Ishihara won a silver-gilt medal at the Chelsea Flower Show starting in London on Tuesday. “Tokonoma Garden,” by Ishihara, a native of Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, was awarded the second-highest honor in the main
20 Maggio 2026

Japan Calls for Punishment on Shanghai Attack

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has called on China to strictly punish the suspect after two Japanese nationals were injured in an attack at a restaurant in Shanghai on Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Wednesday. Japan also urged
20 Maggio 2026

Unification Church Liquidator Begins Accepting Victim Claims

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–The liquidator of the Unification Church, a controversial religious group ordered to disband, on Wednesday began accepting claims from victims who were forced to make large donations to the group. The claims of losses will be accepted online
20 Maggio 2026

Strong Quake Jolts Southwestern Japan Islands

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Wednesday, measuring upper 5, the fourth-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, on an island in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The temblor with an estimated magnitude
20 Maggio 2026

List of Hiroshima A-Bomb Victims Given Airing

Hiroshima, May 20 (Jiji Press)–A register of people who died from the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 was aired at a memorial park in the western Japan city on Wednesday for its upkeep. City officials took the books out of
20 Maggio 2026

Japan Action on Currency Wins G7 Understanding: Katayama

Paris, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Tuesday that her Group of Seven counterparts showed their understanding on Japan’s recent yen-buying, dollar-selling market intervention. At the just-ended meeting in Paris of the finance ministers and central bank governors of
20 Maggio 2026

Philippine Pres. Marcos to Give Diet Speech on May 28

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will deliver a speech to the Diet, the Japanese parliament, on May 28, it was learned Wednesday. Executives of the steering committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet,
20 Maggio 2026

Japan’s LDP Calls for Mandatory Acquisition of My Number Cards

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has called on the government to consider making My Number personal identification card ownership mandatory. There would be no penalty for noncompliance, according to the proposal compiled Tuesday by the LDP’s Headquarters for
20 Maggio 2026

Nikkei Average Plunges Over 1,200 Points in Early Trade

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly gave up over 1,200 points in early trading Wednesday, slipping below 60,000 for the first time in about three weeks, as investor sentiment was battered by rising global interest rates. At
20 Maggio 2026

Nikkei Average Plunges Over 1,200 Points in Early Trade

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly gave up over 1,200 points in early trading Wednesday, slipping below 60,000 for the first time in about three weeks. At 9:23 a.m., the Nikkei index of 225 selected issues listed
20 Maggio 2026

FOCUS: Osaka Expo Resources Find New Life across Japan

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–More than six months after the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka closed, buildings, artworks, construction materials and equipment from the western Japan city venue are being repurposed in communities across the country. The Japan Association for the 2025
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