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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paris, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Tuesday warned of risks of Asian countries’ heavy reliance on the Middle East for oil and other products amid the war in Iran. The war’s “impact on Asia, which is dependent on

Kobe, May 20 (Jiji Press)–A mother and her daughter have been found dead and bleeding in their house in the city of Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. At around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Hyogo prefectural police found one woman collapsed near the entrance

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)–The Development Bank of Japan will strengthen its investment operations as part of corporate culture reform, President and CEO Seiji Jige has indicated. “We will transform our corporate culture to conduct long-term lending operations with the mindset of

Andong, South Korea, May 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung have highlighted through their trips to each other’s hometown improved bilateral ties amid the challenging security environment. On Tuesday, Takaichi visited the city of Andong

Washington, May 19 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump has purchased shares in Kura Sushi USA Inc., a unit of Japanese conveyor belt sushi restaurant chain Kura Sushi Inc., for 1 million to 5 million dollars, it was learned Tuesday. His share transaction

Paris, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and top central bankers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations expressed their concerns Tuesday over the impacts of the prolonged Middle East crisis. “We acknowledge that global economic uncertainty has heightened risks to growth

Paris, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and top central bankers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations expressed their concerns Tuesday over the impacts of the prolonged Middle East crisis. “We acknowledge that global economic uncertainty has heightened risks to growth

Washington, May 19 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post Tuesday that excess volatility in foreign exchange rates is “undesirable.” In the post on X, formerly Twitter, Bessent said that he held talks with Bank of Japan

(Adnkronos) – The Chinese ambassador in Tehran reiterated Beijing’s “clear and unequivocal” support for Iran. The Isna agency reports that Zhong Peiwu stated that, “under these circumstances,” it is difficult to distinguish which countries are truly friends of China, adding that “we

Shanghai, May 19 (Jiji Press)–A man carrying a fruit knife attacked three people around noon on Tuesday at a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai World Financial Center, a Japanese-developed office building in the financial district of the Chinese city. According to a senior

Shanghai, May 19 (Jiji Press)–A man with a fruit knife attacked three people around noon on Tuesday at a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai World Financial Center, a Japanese-developed office building in the financial district of the Chinese city. According to a senior

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party will propose establishing a public-private council to promote investment and lending in 17 strategic fields including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, it was learned Tuesday. The proposal was included in a set of recommendations

Paris, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and top central bankers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations expressed their concerns Tuesday that global economic uncertainty is increasing risks to growth and inflation amid the continuing turmoil in the Middle East. Free

(Adnkronos) – In response to reports regarding a confidential request for the issuance of an international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that he would immediately sign an evacuation order for the Bedouin village of