(8th para should have read “… projections on households’ income, assets and composition types be shown …,” instead of as sent) Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, offered Monday the idea of creating an independent fiscal institution, or

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese and South Korean governments plan to hold their first two-plus-two security meeting of vice-ministerial officials from their foreign and defense ministries in Seoul in early May, informed sources said Monday. The planned meeting will mark an

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara expressed hope for an early U.S.-Iran agreement to end their conflict on Monday, after Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement over the weekend. “We hope they reach a final agreement

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition parties on Monday submitted proposals to revise the operational guidelines for the country’s three principles on the transfer of defense equipment and technology, calling for mandatory advance notification to the Diet of arms exports that exceed

Naha, Okinawa Pref., April 13 (Jiji Press)–The site of the U.S. Futenma air base in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa has yet to be returned to Japan, although 30 years have passed since the two nations agreed on the transfer. Tokyo and

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Masaaki Shibuya, mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, on Monday showed his effective tolerance of the Japanese government conducting a literature survey on the feasibility of constructing a final disposal facility for highly radioactive waste on Minamitorishima,

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Wild Japanese deer and boars are expected to spread across most of Japan, except for major urban areas, by 2050, a study by a research team has suggested. The team, including researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture and

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s education ministry plans to conduct a probe of school operator Doshisha over a fatal ship accident that occurred last month during a study trip of a high school run by the organization, it has been learned. On

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, briefly rose to as high as 2.490 pct in Tokyo morning trading Monday. The reading was the highest

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, briefly rose to as high as 2.490 pct in Tokyo morning trading Monday. The reading was the highest

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Top Group of 20 finance officials are expected to discuss the global economic outlook amid the ongoing Iran crisis at their meeting in Washington on Thursday. Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the 20 advanced and emerging

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s education ministry plans to significantly expand financial support for prefectural governments to help make public high schools more attractive to students. The initiative comes after private high school tuition has effectively been made free from fiscal 2026,

Beijing, April 12 (Jiji Press)–A send-off party for Chinese participants in the Japanese government’s foreign youth invitation program was held at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Saturday. Amid strained Japan-China relations, the 24 individuals selected through an open recruitment process will

Oita, April 12 (Jiji Press)–Police on Sunday arrested a 58-year-old man on suspicion of abandoning the body of an unidentified person in a mountainous area of Bungoono, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, around early March. The suspect, Tadafumi Himeno of the city of

Tokyo, April 12 (Jiji Press)–A website that assesses judges across Japan has gained attention for its five-level rating system and detailed commentaries on the rulings they were responsible for. “I want people to easily imagine what kind of person each judge is,”

Tokyo, April 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday sought a one-year timeline for efforts to propose a constitutional amendment. In a speech at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s annual convention in Tokyo, Takaichi, also the party’s president, said, “We

Kyoto, April 12 (Jiji Press)–Police on Sunday found a pair of black sneakers of the same brand as those worn by an 11-year-old boy who went missing in late March in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, investigative sources told Jiji Press. The

Mashiki, Kumamoto Pref., April 12 (Jiji Press)–A memorial ceremony was held in Kumamoto Prefecture on Sunday for the victims of powerful earthquakes that hit the southwestern Japan prefecture 10 years ago. At the ceremony, held by the town of Mashiki in Kumamoto,

Tokyo, April 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday sought a one-year timeline for efforts to propose a constitutional amendment. In a speech at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s annual convention in Tokyo, Takaichi, also the party’s president, said, “We

Tokyo, April 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s SoftBank Corp., NEC Corp., Sony Group Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have taken the lead in establishing a new company to develop Japanese-made artificial intelligence, informed sources said Sunday. The new company will make its high-performance AI

Tokyo, April 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged to press ahead with policies that she concedes could split public opinion, at a ruling Liberal Democratic Party meeting in Tokyo on Saturday. “I will fulfill promises at any cost,” Takaichi, who

Chitose, Hokkaido, April 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan will provide 631.5 billion yen in additional assistance to Tokyo-based chipmaker Rapidus Corp., which is developing next-generation semiconductors, the industry ministry said Saturday. As the company aims to start mass production of 2-nanometer chips in fiscal

Los Angeles, April 10 (Jiji Press)–Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on Friday extended his on-base streak to 44 games dating back to last season, breaking Ichiro Suzuki’s record for the longest such streak by a Japanese player in the U.S.

Tokyo, April 11 (Jiji Press)–Jehovah’s Witnesses and 20 followers of the religious group have filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, seeking to confirm the invalidation of its guidelines on the abuse of children born to parents devoted to a particular religion,

Seattle, April 10 (Jiji Press)–Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki, the first Asian inducted into the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame, was honored with a statue unveiled at T-Mobile Park, the Seattle Mariners’ home stadium, on Friday. The statue depicts Ichiro in

By Sakurako Nakagawa Tokyo, April 11 (Jiji Press)–A major tourism promotion event hosted by the Taiwan Tourism Administration opened in Tokyo’s busy Akihabara district on Saturday. The two-day event, called “Taiyukan 2026,” is being held at Akiba Square, an event space near

Washington, April 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan has gifted the United States 250 cherry blossom trees to mark the country’s 250th anniversary this year, with a planting ceremony held in Washington on Friday. At the ceremony, Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shigeo Yamada

Tokyo, April 11 (Jiji Press)–A man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s were injured after a female acquaintance allegedly stabbed them at the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo on Friday night, local police said. The incident occurred at a restaurant

Seattle, April 10 (Jiji Press)–Japanese baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki, the first Asian inducted into the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame, was honored with a statue unveiled at the Seattle Mariners’ home stadium on Friday. The statue depicts Ichiro in a familiar

Tokyo, April 11 (Jiji Press)–Supply confusion for naphtha, an oil product used to make daily necessities, continues amid tensions in the Middle East, prompting concerns about its widespread impact on Japanese industries and households. Naphtha, along with gasoline, gas oil, and fuel