Japan Department Stores Association July 24 Yr/Yr Change Total 468,771 M. Yen Up 2.3 pct Clothing 118,918 Down 0.1 Personal Articles 77,392 Up 7.4 Sundry Goods 108,711 Up 10.6 Household Goods 14,600 Down 2.1 Foodstuffs 119,488 Down 2.6 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Japan Department Stores Association July 24 Yr/Yr Change Total 147,178 M. Yen Up 4.4 pct Clothing 36,071 Up 3.8 Personal Articles 25,046 Up 5.0 Sundry Goods 37,160 Up 15.7 Household Goods 5,228 Down 6.3 Foodstuffs 35,107 Down 1.7 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core inflation accelerated for the first time in three months in June as electricity fees and housing repair and maintenance costs rose from the previous month because of higher oil and material prices, the internal affairs ministry

Cairo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Kozo Okamoto, a Japanese Red Army member on an international wanted list as a perpetrator of a deadly shooting attack on an Israeli international airport in 1972, died in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, a Palestinian group said

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Friday reiterated authorities’ readiness to intervene into foreign exchange markets after the dollar approached 164 yen, a fresh 39-year high. “We stand ready to respond appropriately if necessary. This means that we

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan needs to closely watch the impact of the Middle East conflict on the country’s economy before declaring a complete exit from deflation, a government white paper said Friday. The Japanese economy remains on a private demand-led recovery

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly plunged over 2,000 points on Friday morning amid concerns over the situation in the Middle East. At 10:52 a.m., the index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s

Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)–A man identified by The New York Times as an officer of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency who was in charge of operations in Japan to smuggle high-tech goods needed for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left the

Manila, July 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro have affirmed close cooperation between the two nations. At their 30-minute talks held in Manila on Thursday, the two discussed both international and regional issues, including

(Adnkronos) – Over nine since the ceasefire declared between Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers Hamas, food security and child malnutrition persist in the blockaded Palestinian coastal enclave, despite fragile gains due to an increase in humanitarian aid and commercial traffic, three United

(Adnkronos) – Democrats have an 11-point lead over Republicans in a recent poll that records the generic voting trend for next November’s midterm elections. According to data collected by Emerson College Polling, 53% of respondents say they are inclined to vote for

(Adnkronos) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to establish “fast-track courts” to ensure “swift and severe punishment” for officials accused of leaking student exam papers, a move aimed at quelling the “cockroach” youth protest movement shaking the Indian capital. “Nothing

(Adnkronos) – A soldier has died and others were injured following the crash of a military helicopter in the Czech Republic, according to reports from the army and emergency services. “A Venom helicopter crashed at the 22nd Helicopter Base in Namest nad

(Adnkronos) – Sweden intends to accelerate the approval of mining permits and become a leader in the mining sector to help the EU reduce dependence on China, where 70% of global rare earths are extracted. This was explained by Deputy Prime Minister

(Adnkronos) – With the votes of four Republicans who joined the Democratic minority, the House approved a war powers resolution aimed at limiting Donald Trump’s military action with Iran. With 214 votes in favor and 208 against, the resolution presented by Pramila

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Two regional banks in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, are in the final stage of talks on integrating their operations in April next year at the earliest, it was learned Thursday. Iyogin Holdings Inc., which has Iyo Bank as

(Adnkronos) – Bilateral ties, training within the framework of Italy’s 5.5 billion Mattei Plan to propel Africa’s development, combatting illegal immigration, the quest for “sustainable diplomatic solutions” stability and freedom of navigation in the Middle East amid a widening regional conflict were

(Adnkronos) – From geothermal energy to contemporary art, passing through the protection of forests and traditional craftsmanship: Japan looks to its islands as a sustainable development laboratory to face increasingly pressing challenges, from depopulation to climate change. The experiences of Hachijojima, Naoshima

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling and opposition parties intensified their battle Thursday over a bill to create a secondary capital of the country, during talks at the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, or parliament. With the extended

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s currency authorities are struggling to halt the weakening of the yen, as their possible yen-buying market intervention would unlikely have a lasting impact. “Our stance has not changed at all,” Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Thursday morning,

(Adnkronos) – Italy and Senegal enjoy “solid” relations and want to bolster cooperation in the agricultural and food security sectors, agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida and Senegalese counterpart Cheikhou Oumar Ba agreeed at talks in Rome on Thursday that focused on the public-private

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The board of the steering committee at Japan’s House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, decided Thursday to change the English name of the chamber to the Senate. In line with the name change, members of the

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Football Association said Thursday that Go Oiwa will serve as head coach of the Japanese men’s national soccer team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, from an international friendly next March, succeeding Hajime Moriyasu. Oiwa, 54, will concurrently serve

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan will continue efforts to mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs on domestic businesses, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Thursday, marking the first anniversary of the Japan-U.S. tariff agreement. At a press conference on the day, Kihara

Naha, Okinawa Pref., July 23 (Jiji Press)–Four Chinese coast guard ships sailed in Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the city of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on Thursday. The Haijing ships crossed into the Japanese waters at a point around Uotsurijima,

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings Co. and smartphone payment firm PayPay Corp. are considering integrating their customer identification data, it was learned Thursday. Seven & i’s 7iD system is expected to be integrated into the PayPay

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her visiting Solomon Islands counterpart, Matthew Wale, confirmed Thursday that the two countries will strengthen their ties based on Tokyo’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which the Japanese leader has pledged to

Kochi, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Police in Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, have arrested former professional tennis player Rika Hiraki, who won the mixed doubles title at the 1997 French Open, for her alleged involvement in a social media-based fraud case, it was learned

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s government will unveil “a plan and a proposal” to allocate “13-14 billion euros” to “energy-related” measures, using the greater fiscal flexibility granted last month to European Union countries by the bloc’s executive, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday. 

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The mercury rose to as high as 41.1 degrees Celsius in Tenryu Ward in the city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Thursday, hitting the highest level in the country this year, according to the Japan Meteorological