Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovic, effectively reached an agreement Friday to introduce a working holiday program between their countries that allows young people to experience life abroad while working. “I hope that

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Friday that the country’s underlying inflation is approaching the central bank’s target of 2 pct. “Underlying inflation is still slightly below (the target) and in the process of approaching 2 pct,”

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Masahiko Metoki of Japan has been re-elected director-general of the Universal Postal Union, a U.N. specialized agency that sets rules for international mail, the Japanese internal affairs ministry said Friday. Metoki, 66, who took office in January 2022,

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Apple Inc. launched its iPhone 17 smartphone series in Japan and elsewhere Friday, adding a super-thin model, the iPhone Air, to its lineup. About 30 people queued at an Apple store in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward to get their

Osaka, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka had drawn 20,037,000 visitors as of Thursday, preliminary data released by the organizer showed Friday. The cumulative number of visitors topped 20 million on Thursday, the Expo’s

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average fell from its all-time high on Friday, following the Bank of Japan’s decision to offload its holdings of exchange-traded funds. The Nikkei average hit a new intraday record high of 45,852.75 in

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday announced her candidacy for the leadership race at Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Announcing her bid for the Oct. 4 LDP presidential election at a press conference, Takaichi, 64, emphasized

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Imperial Household Agency said Friday that it has completed full official records of Empress Kojun, the wife of former Emperor Hirohito, posthumously called Emperor Showa. The agency plans to release all the content of the records Oct.

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner Komeito and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan on Friday confirmed a plan to set up a panel to discuss a refundable tax credit program.

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Junichi Kawai, a gold medalist in Paralympic swimming and chairman of the Japanese Paralympic Committee, will become the next commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency on Oct. 1, the government said Friday. According to the Ministry of Education,

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan on Friday decided to sell to the market exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and Japanese real estate investment trusts (J-REITs) that the central bank had purchased as part of its large-scale monetary easing program. The BOJ

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan decided to maintain the policy of guiding the unsecured overnight call rate, Japan’s benchmark short-term interbank lending rate, to around 0.5 pct, at a two-day Policy Board meeting that ended Friday. The decision was

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Demand for staple rice in Japan is likely to total 6.97 million to 7.11 million tons in the year through June 2026, down slightly or unchanged from the previous year’s real demand, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average plunged over 800 points breifly Friday afternoon following the Bank of Japan’s decision to sell its holdings of exchange-traded funds. At 1:19 p.m., the Nikkei stood at 44,495.46, down 807.97 points, or

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi will hold a press conference on Saturday to announce his candidacy in the Oct. 4 leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, informed sources said Friday. The 44-year-old minister plans to explain

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan decided to keep its monetary policy unchanged at a two-day Policy Board meeting that ended Friday. The board decided, by a vote of seven to two, to maintain the policy of guiding the unsecured

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core consumer price index rose 2.7 pct from a year earlier in August, extending its rising streak to a 48th month, the internal affairs ministry said Friday. Meanwhile, the growth rate shrank for the third straight month,

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) has indicated its full support for the country exercising its right to collective self-defense. The stance was shown in the party’s proposal on national defense and constitutional amendment compiled

Osaka, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Calls are growing in Osaka Prefecture for a review of “minpaku” private lodging services in special zones, with locals annoyed by the behavior of some foreign guests, such as failing to follow trash disposal rules and making noise.

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese banks are opening new types of outlets, such as those specializing in providing individual clients with investment consultations and assistance on setting up accounts, in a reversal of their previous moves to scale down branch networks.

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Self-Defense Forces have been promoting operational integration with the U.S. military over the 10 years since the enactment of Japan’s national security laws. Friday marked the 10th anniversary of the laws, which allow Japan to exercise

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Wednesday night, measuring lower 5, the fifth-highest level on the nation’s seismic intensity scale, in Suwanosejima, an island in the village of Toshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. The temblor, with an estimated

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Wednesday night, measuring lower 5, the fifth-highest level on the nation’s seismic intensity scale, in the island village of Toshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. The temblor, with an estimated magnitude of 4.7,

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–Taiwanese electronic parts maker Yageo Corp. has announced a decision to extend its tender offer for Japanese sensor maker Shibaura Electronics Co. The tender offer was originally slated to end Thursday this week. The extension came as Yageo

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in August jumped 16.9 pct from a year before to 3,428,000, a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The latest figure topped 3 million

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Wednesday night, measuring lower 5, the fifth-highest level on the nation’s seismic intensity scale, in the island village of Toshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. The temblor, with an estimated magnitude of 4.7,

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) at a meeting of executives on Wednesday expelled three member lawmakers critical of its new leadership team. The three–Tadashi Morishima, Hiroki Abe and Takeshi Saiki–had submitted letters of resignation from the

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–Leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are expected to hold a meeting on Friday, it was learned Wednesday. Prime Minister and LDP President Shigeru Ishiba, Komeito chief

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–Nissan Motor Co. is considering using more Chinese vehicle components as part of its cost-cutting efforts, officials of the struggling Japanese automaker said Wednesday. Nissan hopes to curb costs by using general-purpose products from Chinese manufacturers that are

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–A committee of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, said Wednesday that it has decided to recommend that its president, Tomoko Yoshino, should serve a third term. Meanwhile, Hideyuki Shimizu, head of the Rengo secretariat, will step