Nishinomiya, Hyogo Pref., Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese ocean adventurer Kenichi Horie, 88, said Tuesday he will try to sail solo and nonstop across the Pacific Ocean by yacht next spring. If successful, he will break the world record for the oldest person

(Adnkronos) – Great Britain will announce today a ban on the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This was announced by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden “The Foreign Secretary will make a

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has begun working with an industry group to take steps against malicious businesses among those that collect used goods for sale at secondhand shops, as the reuse market continues to boom. In early July, a

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to assess the impact of antidumping measures introduced by China against a semiconductor material made in Japan, officials said Tuesday. “We will fully examine their impact and respond appropriately to ensure there is no

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The yen surged to a seven-month high past 153 per dollar in Tokyo trading on Tuesday, amid speculation that the Bank of Japan could accelerate its policy interest rate hikes. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at 153.79-80

(Adnkronos) – Yemeni Houthi rebels have targeted oil and military facilities in Saudi Arabia using dozens of missiles and drones, in response to bombings attributed to Saudi forces in Yemen. “Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale military operation,” targeting facilities of oil

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Corporate bankruptcies with liabilities of at least 10 million yen in Japan in August rose 3.1 pct from a year earlier to 830, marking the highest level for the month in 14 years, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. said

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and health minister Kenichiro Ueno on Tuesday confirmed cooperation in improving the country’s life-saving and treatment capability for injured Self-Defense Forces personnel. The defense and health ministries will soon set up a vice-ministerial

Hakui, Ishikawa Pref., Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki has visited Ishikawa, Fukui and Toyama prefectures in the Hokuriku region, central Japan, to assess damage from heavy rain in late August. On Monday, Suzuki visited farmland near the Ouchigata lagoon in

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party decided at a meeting of party executives on Tuesday to give LDP President and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discretion over a renewal of the party leadership. If the government adopts a fiscal 2027

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is preparing to allow North Korean athletes to enter the country for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, government officials said Tuesday. Japan generally prohibits North Korean nationals from entering the country as part

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s land ministry will introduce a program to provide low-interest loans to businesses that renovate vacant houses and offer them as rental housing for families with children and low- and moderate-income households, in a move to facilitate the

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has called on China to withdraw its antidumping measures imposed on imports of a Japanese semiconductor material, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tuesday. “We have strongly protested the measures and requested their withdrawal,” Kihara

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s gross domestic product in April-June grew an annualized 1.4 pct from the previous quarter after price and seasonal adjustments, the Cabinet Office said in a revised report Tuesday. The growth rate was higher than the 1.1 pct

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan logged a current account surplus of 2,988.9 billion yen for July, the first black figure in two months, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday. The July surplus expanded from 2,586.3 billion yen a year earlier, mainly thanks to

Seoul, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–North Korean defense minister Kim Song Gi has released a statement criticizing the Freedom Edge joint military exercise, which Japan, the United States and South Korea started on Monday. North Korea will take strong countermeasures if the United

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The yen has been sharply rallying since the beginning of September amid speculation that the Bank of Japan could accelerate interest rate hikes. The dollar, which traded above 160 yen last Wednesday, temporarily slipped below 153 yen in

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko left for the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Tuesday morning to attend the funeral of the late King Harald V. The couple departed from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport aboard a government

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s inflation-adjusted real wage index rose 2.4 pct in July from a year earlier, up for the seventh consecutive month, as wage growth outpaced slowing inflation, labor ministry data showed Tuesday. Nominal wages per worker, including basic salary

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The yen has been strengthening against the dollar since the beginning of September amid speculation that the Bank of Japan will accelerate interest rate hikes. The dollar, which traded above 160 yen last Wednesday, slipped below 154 yen

By Nobutoshi Kobayashi Commentary Writer Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–After years of decline, applications for Japan’s national civil service examination for career-track positions are showing signs of recovery, with the spring 2026 exam attracting more hopefuls than a year earlier, marking the

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s gross domestic product in April-June grew an annualized 1.4 pct from the previous quarter after price and seasonal adjustments, the Cabinet Office said in a revised report Tuesday. The growth rate was higher than the 1.1 pct

Tokyo, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is exploring opportunities to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during her visit to the United States later this month, hoping to exchange views on China and demonstrate their close relationship ahead of

Yokohama, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–The Yokohama city assembly on Monday unanimously approved the resignation of Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, effective the same day, after he was found to have engaged in workplace harassment. Yamanaka, 53, had submitted his resignation on Aug. 28. A

Tokyo, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–Japan, the United States and South Korea kicked off their Freedom Edge 2026 joint military exercise on Monday with an opening ceremony at the U.S. Air Force’s Yokota Air Base in Tokyo. This year’s exercise, the fourth of

Tokyo, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering keeping Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of her ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in a key post in planned reshuffles of her cabinet and the executive lineup of the LDP, informed sources said

(Adnkronos) – Yemen’s Iran-backed armed group, the Houthis, accuse Saudi Arabia of having carried out attacks in various areas of Yemen. “The Saudi enemy has struck the provinces of Jawf (north), al-Bayda and Marib (center), and Taiz (south-west) with several air raids

Beijing, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Monday that it would require importers of a semiconductor material produced in Japan, including by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., to pay deposits of up to 99.2 pct as part of antidumping measures. The ministry

Tokyo, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–Takeshi Niinami, former chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, or Keizai Doyukai, has criticized Japan’s social trend of labeling people suspected of wrongdoing as guilty before the facts are known. In September last year, the 67-year-old

Tokyo, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–NEC Corp. discontinued developing quantum computer hardware at the end of March, people familiar with the matter said. The Japanese electronics maker apparently judged that continuing to develop quantum computer hardware will not produce the profits expected, given