News

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–Toyohiro Akiyama, who became the first Japanese citizen to travel to space in 1990, died Wednesday at his home in the central Japan town of Odai, Mie Prefecture. He was 84. Born in Tokyo, Akiyama joined Tokyo Broadcasting

Hikawa, Kumamoto Pref., Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–An evacuation shelter catering to the needs of pregnant women and families with children has been set up in Hikawa, a town in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, that was hit hard by a major earthquake in

New York, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese conveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain Sushiro will open its first U.S. outlet near Times Square in New York in October, its operator, Food & Life Companies Ltd., or F&LC, said Monday. F&LC President Masahiro Yamamoto made

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will buy back 210,000 tons of rice after it released some of its stockpiles since last year, agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki told a press conference Tuesday. The purchase will cover rice from the 2025 crop,

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Supreme Court plans to examine in the next fiscal year whether generative artificial intelligence can be used in civil trials. On Monday, the top court announced its budget request for fiscal 2027, which included some 60 million

Paris, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was named the winner of a lifetime achievement award on Monday by the Createurs Design Association, an international organization that honors extraordinary achievements in architecture and other creative fields. Kuma, 72, will receive the

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday established the Cyber Security Policy Division within its Foreign Policy Bureau in response to the growing risk of cyberattacks driven by advances in artificial intelligence. The division will be responsible for further strengthening

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency said Tuesday that it will step up its fight against investment and other fraud promising lucrative returns by using generative artificial intelligence technology to enhance information analysis. A group established within the agency the

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Asian Development Bank said Tuesday that President Masato Kanda has been reappointed unanimously for a second term by all 69 member economies. Kanda’s new term runs for five years beginning on Nov. 24. He was the only

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese nonfinancial companies’ combined ordinary profits in April-June rose 24.6 pct from a year earlier to a record 44,666.8 billion yen, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday. Their profits rose for the seventh consecutive quarter, with manufacturers’ ordinary profits