Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–A group of lawyers who studied under International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane have submitted a petition with over 170,000 signatures to the Japanese government, demanding action to realize the immediate lifting of U.S. sanctions on her. “Japan,

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Jera Co. and two other companies said Thursday that they will spend 15 billion dollars to build a large data center for artificial intelligence at a thermal power station in Chiba, a city near Tokyo. The data center

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with former Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and other lawmakers of the Asian country to discuss bilateral cooperation, the president’s office has said. At the meeting in Kyiv on Thursday, Zelenskyy said

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. on Friday began investigating the inside of the meltdown-stricken No. 2 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant by inserting a robotic arm through an opening in the containment vessel.

New York, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. on Thursday posted year-on-year increases in new automobile sales in the U.S. market for the first nine months of this year, as demand for fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Three regional banks based in northeastern Japan–Aomori Michinoku Bank, Bank of Iwate and Akita Bank–are moving toward talks on a management integration. Procrea Holdings Inc., parent of Aomori Michinoku Bank, as well as Bank of Iwate and Akita

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport safety management system, created to prevent accidents caused by human error, mainly in public transportation, marks its 20th anniversary this year. The system requires transport operators to build and continuously improve their own safety management arrangements.

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has urged Iran to show maximum flexibility in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, apparently referring to mediated negotiations between Iran and the United States aimed at ending their

Nagoya, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s medal tally at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games increased further Thursday, with Sotaro Fujiwara, Narumi Tanioka and Rin Maeda clinching gold medals in judo events. Fujiwara, who secured gold in the men’s 81-kilogram category, said, “I’m in

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Science Council of Japan elected Kazuto Kato, professor emeritus at the University of Osaka, as its new president at its general meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, when the council transitioned from a state organization to a special

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp., the parent of discount store operator Don Quijote Co., said Thursday that it has signed a business transfer agreement with Toys “R” Us-Japan Ltd., a major toy retailer. Toys “R” Us-Japan, based

Kyoto, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Michio Kaida, new president of scandal-hit major Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec Corp., pledged Thursday to maintain the company’s listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. At a press conference held at the company’s headquarters in the western city of

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to require corporations to submit information on their beneficial owners, including their names, addresses, dates of birth and nationalities, Jiji Press learned Thursday. The plan is being considered as part of efforts to strengthen

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori, who has announced his retirement from competition at the end of this season, was eliminated from his final tournament, the Japan Open, on Thursday. In a first-round match at Ariake Tennis Park in

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–New vehicle sales in Japan in April-September rose 5.1 pct from a year earlier to 2,292,064 units, industry data showed Thursday. The figure was the highest since April-September 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data from

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–A project team of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party submitted to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday a proposal for measures to restrict speculative trading of condominiums. Takaichi said that her government will steadily work on the matter.

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that the government will draw up an action plan by the end of the year to promote the use of artificial intelligence, which she regards as an accelerator for economic growth.

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government said Thursday it plans to designate the five years beginning in fiscal 2027 as an intensive investment period and identify 17 priority sectors, such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors, in its growth strategy implementation program

Kyoto, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui announced plans Thursday to introduce a dual pricing system for visitors to the Nijo-jo castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the western Japan city, differentiating between locals and others. The admission fee for

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan and Germany on Thursday signed a memorandum of cooperation on the evacuation of each other’s citizens in the event of a conflict or disaster in a third country. The memorandum was signed by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–New Okinawa Governor Genta Koja urged the Japanese government on Wednesday to give sufficient explanation about its defense buildup in the country’s southwest. “I will not unconditionally accept” the defense buildup in the region, including his

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori, who has announced his retirement from competition at the end of this season, was eliminated from his final tournament, the Japan Open, on Thursday. In a first-round match at Ariake Tennis Park in

Paris, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–“Shichiken Hoshi no Kagayaki Sparkling,” a Japanese sake brand of Yamanashi Meijo Co. in Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, won the President’s Award, the top prize, in the sake category at the 2026 Kura Master competition in France on

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Business sentiment among large manufacturers in Japan improved for the sixth straight quarter, partly due to increasing demand related to artificial intelligence and semiconductors, the Bank of Japan’s quarterly survey for September showed Thursday. The headline diffusion index

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The only working ion engine on Japan’s Hayabusa2 unmanned probe, which is on an extended mission to its new target asteroid after bringing samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth in December 2020, has broken down, it was learned

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–A former Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force member admitted to trespassing at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo in March, during the first court hearing of his trial at Tokyo District Court on Thursday. According to the indictment, Kodai Murata,

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government put its active cyberdefense program into operation on Thursday to stop major cyberattacks preemptively. The program involves police and the Self-Defense Forces hacking into servers when they detect signs of a cyberattack, in order to

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Masayoshi Arai has visited South Korea, marking the first visit by a GSDF chief in 17 years, according to Japan’s Ground Staff Office. During the two-day visit, made at the

Kakegawa, Shizuoka Pref., Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Minoru Yasui, new president of Chubu Electric Power Co., pledged Thursday to reform corporate governance following a series of misconduct cases involving its nuclear plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. Yasui met with Masaru Shimomura, mayor

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged more than 2,000 points on Thursday, amid intensified buying of stocks related to artificial intelligence. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section finished