News - Page 4

Niigata, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Classmates of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese national abducted by North Korea decades ago, gathered Thursday at their alma mater in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, praying for her return. The tranquil spring day recalls April 10, 1977, when Megumi’s

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Crown Princess Kiko attended a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the National College of Nursing in Kiyose, Tokyo, on Thursday. The school was established by the health ministry in 2001 to foster nursing staff for the

Sunagawa, Hokkaido, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Hokkaido prefectural government on Thursday apologized and returned a hunting rifle to a 77-year-old hunter following a Japanese Supreme Court ruling finding the revocation of his hunting gun license to be illegal. Haruo Ikegami, head of

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The University of Tokyo will put its hospital under the direct control of the university headquarters by the end of June at the earliest as part of reform efforts following corruption scandals involving doctors at the university. The

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency on Thursday unveiled a model of a handbook to be issued to crime victims in an effort to ease their burden. The NPA instructed prefectural police departments across the country to use the model

Miyazaki, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Former Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru said Thursday that he intends to run in a gubernatorial election in January in the southwestern Japan prefecture. “Miyazaki needs a game changer to stem its decline,” Higashikokubaru, 68, said at a press

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Mizuho Bank said Thursday it will raise its long-term prime lending rate by 0.2 percentage point to 3 pct, its highest level in about 29 years, effective Friday. The move by the Japanese bank comes in response to

London, April 8 (Jiji Press)–A group led by prominent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design a new wing for the National Gallery in London, the museum has said. Kengo Kuma and Associates, together with two British architecture companies, have won the competition

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Ministop Co. on Wednesday posted a third straight year of net loss for the year that ended in February, hurt by the fallout of a scandal involving falsified expiration dates for handmade prepared foods sold by the Japanese

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Local governments along proposed Shinkansen high-speed rail routes in Japan are stepping up efforts to advance plans for lines that have remained in the planning stage for more than half a century, with no progress toward construction. Hoping