Kobe, June 20 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese prosecution inquest committee has ruled that the prosecutors’ decision not to indict Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito on charges of violating the public offices election law was appropriate. The No.1 Prosecution Inquest Committee in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture,

Tokyo, June 20 (Jiji Press)–Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, 31, said in an Instagram post Saturday that he and his wife, Mamiko, 29, have welcomed their second child. “We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together.

Tokyo, June 20 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Saturday that it has completed the second round of the fiscal 2026 treated water release into the Pacific Ocean from its crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, a day later

Tokyo, June 20 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has released a draft revision of its Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan, indicating its policy of enhancing cooperation with foreign government agencies and AI developers to address risks such as the misuse of AI. The government

Amsterdam, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, currently on a state visit to the Netherlands, planted a cherry tree at a park near Amsterdam on Friday. At a monument in the Cherry Blossom Park for the victims of the

Paris, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki on Friday promoted Japanese rice at a supermarket near Paris. As part of a Japanese food fair held at the supermarket in Claye-Souilly, Suzuki handed out “onigiri” rice balls made from Japanese rice

Tokyo, June 20 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has decided to raise the fees for visas for foreign nationals by revising a related cabinet order. The decision, made at a cabinet meeting on Friday, marks the first revision of the visa fees in

(Adnkronos) – The foreign ministry has cancelled an Italy-United States business forum in Miami on Monday following foreign minister Antonio Tajani’s decision not to travel to the US to attend the event after “offensive” remarks by president Donald Trump directed at premier

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s main private business lobby Confindustria will no longer attend a business forum in Miami next week after comments by United States president Donald Trump aired on Friday in a TV interview that disparaged prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Adnkronos learned

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–A fire on Friday at an elementary school in a densely populated area of Tokyo left 11 people, mainly children, injured. Around 11 a.m., there was an emergency call reporting that “smoke was coming from the music room

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–The leaders and deputy leaders of both chambers of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, Friday broadly approved an outline of a bill to revise the Imperial House Law as part of efforts to secure a sufficient number of Imperial

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda has been discharged from a hospital where he underwent treatment for a liver cyst infection, the central bank said Friday. He had been hospitalized since June 9. Ueda is expected to return

(Adnkronos) – Italy stands ready “to do its part” to bring enduring peace to war-ravaged Lebanon, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday as a ceasefire reportedly began between Israel and militant Shia group Hezbollah as part of a cessation of hostilities

Amsterdam, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, on a trip to the Netherlands as state guests, visited a pediatric cancer center in Utrecht on Friday. The Imperial couple as well as Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima interacted with

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Friday decided to appoint Atsushi Ueno, 61, ambassador to Cambodia, as new ambassador to Indonesia, the post that had been vacant for more than six months. The post remained unfilled after former Ambassador to Indonesia

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani has called off a visit to the United States on Monday due to president Donald Trump’s “serious and offensive” remarks about premier Giorgia Meloni after this week’s G7 summit in France, the minister has announced. 

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport ministry on Friday showed new cost estimates for eight candidate routes for the planned extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line between Tsuruga Station in the central prefecture of Fukui and Shin-Osaka Station in the

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–A vessel carrying three Japanese crew members has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, heading for Japan, meaning that no vessels carrying Japanese nationals remain in the Persian Gulf, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. No health problems

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Junya Ogawa, leader of Japan’s main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, on Friday urged the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito to formally enter negotiations with the CRA on a merger among the three parties. Ogawa separately met

(Adnkronos) – The interim peace accord signed this week between the United States and Iran gives Italy’s economy “some breathing room” but as shipping resumes through the key Strait of Hormuz waterway the cost of oil is set to fall, meaning consumer

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–The dollar rose above 161 yen in Tokyo trading Friday, lifted by expectations for a U.S. interest rate hike. Yen selling accelerated on views that the interest rate gap between the United States and Japan would widen, despite

(Adnkronos) – Italy wants to accelerate “booming” exports to the United States and to reach 700 billion euros worth of global exports annually by end-2027, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday ahead of a Business Forum which he is chairing in

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–A fire on Friday at an elementary school in a densely populated area of Tokyo left 11 people, mainly children, injured. Around 11 a.m., there was an emergency call reporting that “smoke was coming from the music room

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Masahiro Futahashi, who served as deputy chief cabinet secretary for administrative affairs under former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Yasuo Fukuda for a total of four years, died of pneumonia on June 8. He was 84. In 1964,

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Junya Ogawa, leader of Japan’s main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, on Friday urged the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito to formally enter negotiations with the CRA on a merger among the three parties. Ogawa separately met

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average rose 196.57 points, or 0.27 pct, to 71,250.06 in Tokyo trading on Friday, hitting a record closing high for the fifth session in a row. Semiconductors and other artificial intelligence-related issues continued

Otsu, Shiga Pref., June 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese public prosecutors said Friday that they will not seek to prove guilt in a retrial of a man who received a life term for a 1984 robbery-murder in Shiga Prefecture and later died in prison,

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–U.S. artificial intelligence developer OpenAI said Friday that it has begun a trial for displaying advertisements in its ChatGPT generative AI chatbot for users in Japan. The ads will appear on the free version and the Go plan,

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, on Friday enacted a bill to revise the postal privatization and related laws, paving the way for subsidies to preserve the nationwide post office network. The House of Councillors, the upper chamber, adopted the

Tokyo, June 19 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, on Friday ratified acquisition and cross-servicing agreements with the Philippines, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The ACSAs, which facilitate the reciprocal provision of fuel and munitions between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the militaries