Jakarta, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–An event featuring “itasha,” or cars decorated with images of manga and anime characters, was held in a suburb of Jakarta on Saturday. The itasha culture originated in Japan and is now increasingly popular in Indonesia, which has

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–With key budget committee meetings at the Diet, Japan’s parliament, set to kick off soon, the fate of embattled agriculture minister Kazuo Yana will likely be the biggest focus. The Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–The newspaper subscription rate in Japan fell below 50 pct for the first time ever, a survey has found. According to the fiscal 2026 survey by the Japan Press Research Institute, the proportion of respondents who have monthly

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–A media association survey has found that the proportion of people in Japan who think the United States is the biggest threat to world peace came to 26.8 pct, the second highest after China, cited by 32.5 pct.

Seoul, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–A Japan-South Korea culture exchange festival was held in Seoul on Saturday, with this year’s event featuring a tuna-cutting show performed by the Japanese side. The performance, using a tuna landed in Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, was held

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court called for the “immediate revocation” of U.S. sanctions against the Hague, the Netherlands-based institution on Saturday. “The escalation in unprecedented use

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–Honda Motor Co. plans to receive supplies of Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s Triton pickup truck produced in Thailand for sale under its own brand, informed sources have said. Honda is expected to sell the Triton in Southeast Asian countries

Washington, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to the need for U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court, in a telephone meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held Saturday. In the phone conversation, the secretary “raised the

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–An experiment by French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur in the mid-19th century had inspired 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Kenso Soai’s research. Discovering a reaction known as the “Soai reaction,” the 76-year-old Japanese chemist, who is

Osaka, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Two people were killed while participating in traditional local festivals featuring “danjiri” floats in two cities in the western Japan prefecture of Osaka on Saturday. The victims, both men, were crushed under floats that overturned when traveling on

Tokyo, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Saturday conveyed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tokyo’s concern over Washington’s sanctions against the International Criminal Court. In 15-minute phone talks, Motegi and Rubio also agreed to continue close communication

Tokyo, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended an opening ceremony for the Japan Games multisport event at the Maeda Arena, an indoor arena, in the northeastern city of Aomori on Saturday. It was the first time for an

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Tomoka Nishiyama, a “joryu kishi,” or female professional shogi player, obtained the right to become a “kishi,” a player under a different professional system for the board game, on Saturday, when she won the “Hakurei” title

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Four Chinese coast guard ships temporarily sailed in Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, on Saturday afternoon, according to the Japan Coast Guard. It was the first time since Sept. 10

Washington, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–The latest U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court may drive a further wedge between the country and the camp of Japan and Europe over international order. On Friday, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump added the

Tokyo, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese public-interest association has established a system to certify “juku” cram schools taking sufficient measures to prevent sexual violence against children, with requirements including the installation of security cameras in classrooms. The move comes ahead of the

Tokyo, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Kenso Soai, co-winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in an interview with Jiji Press on Friday looked back on his research that led to the discovery of the reaction now known as the “Soai reaction.” Soai,

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan and seven other countries on Friday voiced their strong objections to U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands. In a statement issued by their foreign ministers,

Berlin, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–The German government is considering participating in a joint project among Japan, Britain and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet, a government official suggested Friday. This came after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told German Chancellor Friedrich

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane on Friday welcomed the selection of former ICC judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a South African jurist, as this year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. This means that the extremely

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–The International Criminal Court on Friday denounced the United States’ designation of The Hague, the Netherlands-based court as a target of its sanctions the same day. “It is an assault on the rule of law and

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–The International Criminal Court on Friday denounced the United States’ designation of The Hague, the Netherlands-based court as a target of its sanctions the same day. “It is an assault on the rule of law and

The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–The International Criminal Court on Friday denounced the United States’ designation of The Hague, the Netherlands-based court as a target of its sanctions the same day. “It is an assault on the rule of law and

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday expressed her deep concern over the U.S. government’s decision to add the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, to its sanctions list. In a social media post, Takaichi

Bangkok, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku vowed on Friday to make full preparations for a sumo tournament scheduled to take place in Bangkok in June 2027. “We will do our utmost to allow people in Thailand to fully enjoy

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Keiji Furuya, a lawmaker of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, revealed Friday that he had received an email from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi calling Chinese sanctions against him a great honor. Furuya told reporters that he received the

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police arrested a 31-year-old Vietnamese woman by Friday on suspicion of facilitating illegal employment of a Vietnamese man who lacked permission to engage in activities outside his visa status, the police said. Nguyen Thi Huyen, a former

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Top management officials of some of the four major beer makers suspected of a price cartel are believed to have been informed of details of shipping price hikes negotiated among the companies, informed sources told Jiji Press on

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Financial Services Agency on Friday ordered Prudential Life Insurance Co. and Gibraltar Life Insurance Co., both part of the U.S. Prudential Financial Inc. group, to suspend some operations for more than three months over fraud committed by

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–The planned consumption tax cut for food is expected to reduce household financial burdens by about 36,000 yen per citizen, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday. “The tax rate cut will basically be reflected in prices,” Takaichi