Tokyo, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–Orix Buffaloes pitcher Yoshihisa Hirano, who has earned a total of 258 saves in Japanese and U.S. career, will retire at the end of this season, the Japanese professional baseball team said Sunday. The 42-year-old right-hander has played

Nagasaki, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–About 250 people gathered and offered prayers at a memorial mass held at Urakami Cathedral in the city of Nagasaki on Sunday, which marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city. At

Nagasaki, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–High school students in the city of Nagasaki who serve as peace ambassadors and work on a campaign to collect signatures for nuclear abolition held a rally on Sunday, the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of

Nagasaki, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki in this year’s peace declaration on Sunday reiterated the atomic-bombed city’s call for the abolition of nuclear weapons, describing them as an absolute evil. The theory of nuclear deterrence, advocated mainly by nuclear weapons

Osaka, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–The No. 3 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, has stopped automatically after an alarm went off, the company said in the small hours of Sunday. While the cause

Tokyo, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Environment Ministry plans to draw up guidelines in fiscal 2027 to help foster reliable reuse companies so that consumers can buy and sell used items with a sense of safety. As disputes between customers and some malicious

Nagasaki, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–A hibakusha survivor of the atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city of Nagasaki has said that world leaders should work to avoid wars instead of war preparations as she is concerned that global reliance on nuclear deterrence

Tokyo, Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has started considering reshuffling her cabinet and the executive lineup at the Liberal Democratic Party possibly in September, with the treatment of Shunichi Suzuki, current secretary-general of the ruling party, believed to be

Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Pref., Aug. 9 (Jiji Press)–A space for children to play was set up at an evacuation shelter in Kumamoto Prefecture after a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern prefecture on July 28 forced nurseries and after-school care services to suspend

Hikawa, Kumamoto Pref., Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Volunteers have fully started their activities in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, which was hit hard by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake late last month. While the prefectural government initially called on volunteers to refrain from visiting

Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Pref., Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Prince Hisahito, the son of Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, took part in preparing breakfast Saturday morning during the Nippon Scout Jamboree event in the town of Jinsekikogen in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan.

Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its ally, the Japan Innovation Party, face a challenge of resolving a sense of distrust on both sides nearly 10 months after they formed a governing coalition. The JIP has made tough

Kumamoto, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Generative artificial intelligence is increasingly utilized to assist relief efforts in the wake of a powerful earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, late last month. Meanwhile, AI is believed to have been used to create fake videos that

Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–A roughly two-minute video of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to earthquake-stricken Kumamoto Prefecture on Monday has sparked controversy, with some saying that it is like a promotional video for the country’s leader. The video was created

Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Three major brewers in Japan posted year-on-year growth in consolidated revenue in January-June, on the back of strong sales of beer and other products, according to their earnings reports released Friday. Suntory Holdings Ltd. saw its revenue increase

Jakarta, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–A number of Indonesians have names inspired by Japanese manga and anime, with 16 people, for example, confirmed to be named “Doraemon,” the name of an earless robotic cat and a lead character of the blockbuster anime series

Osaka, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–The prefectural and municipal governments of Osaka, western Japan, have adopted a plan to realign the prefectural capital’s current 24 wards into four special wards under the so-called Osaka metropolis administrative reform project. The decision was made at

Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Amusement parks across Japan, including Tokyo Disney Resort, are raising their admission fees to offset rising labor, electricity and other costs and ease overcrowding during peak seasons. As of last month, 32 of the 101 amusement park facilities

Jinsekikogen, Hiroshima Pref., Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–Prince Hisahito, the son of Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, took part in preparing breakfast Saturday morning during the Nippon Scout Jamboree event in the town of Jinsekikogen in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan.

Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Foreign Ministry has protested against a South Korean maritime research vessel’s activities in Japan’s exclusive economic zone near islets in the Sea of Japan claimed by Tokyo and effectively controlled by Seoul. Masaaki Kanai, director-general of

Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–A report from an expert panel under Japan’s Justice Ministry stipulates that the right of voice should be protected in the same way as that for portraits. The panel has discussed issues related to civil liability over the

Kumamoto, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, late last month has increased by one to 39, the prefectural government’s disaster response headquarters said Saturday. Of the total, 36 people died directly due

(Adnkronos) – Mexico and Peru have re-established diplomatic relations, interrupted last November at the initiative of Lima, which had accused the government of Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum of interference in internal affairs. The foreign ministries of the two countries announced this in

Tokyo, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)–Frozen food maker Nichirei Corp. on Friday lowered its net profit projection for the year through December to 20.4 billion yen from 25.2 billion yen, due to costs related to a recent cyberattack and turmoil in the Middle

Sapporo, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)–Sapporo District Court on Friday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for his role in a high-profile group assault case in the northern Japan prefecture of Hokkaido in 2024. The life sentence for Yuto Kawaguchi, who was 18

(Adnkronos) – Turkey has clarified that the defense pact signed in Jeddah with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan “is not directed against any particular country”. This was stated on X by the Turkish Presidency’s Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran after the signing of

(Adnkronos) – Spanish police announced they had dismantled what they described as one of the largest criminal networks involved in migrant trafficking across the Mediterranean, arresting 78 people and seizing 18 high-speed boats. According to a statement, the network allegedly used the

(Adnkronos) – In the last day, Russian attacks have caused at least nine deaths and 89 injuries across Ukraine. This was reported by the country’s regional authorities. Moscow’s forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk region almost 80 times, killing five people and injuring sixteen

Hiroshima, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)–Prince Hisahito, the son of Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, offered flowers at a cenotaph for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Friday, a day after the 81st anniversary of the U.S.

Tokyo, Aug. 7 (Jiji Press)–Japanese tax authorities on Friday dismissed a 25-year-old official for allegedly defrauding a wealthy elderly woman he was auditing of a large amount of cash and evading taxes on gambling winnings obtained with the stolen money. The Kantoshinetsu