Otsuchi, Iwate Pref., May 2 (Jiji Press)–The northeastern Japan town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, declared Saturday that the forest fire that broke out on April 22 has come under control. According to the prefectural government, the fire burned about 1,633 hectares, making

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Eighteen of Japan’s 47 prefectural governors recognize the need to revise the country’s Constitution, a Jiji Press survey has shown. Nine of the 18 governors, including those of Aomori and Osaka, agreed that constitutional revision is necessary. The

Fukushima, May 2 (Jiji Press)–A memorial park dedicated to mourning the victims of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster opened in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Saturday. The Fukushima March 11 Memorial Park was jointly established by the Japanese government

New York, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Jiro Hamasumi, secretary-general of the Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, delivered a speech at the 2026 review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in New York on Friday, saying that atomic bombs

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and 10 members of her cabinet are visiting overseas during the ongoing Golden Week holiday period through next week. During their trips, the ministers are expected to focus on promoting Japan’s economic security,

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Psychological and financial hurdles remain high for junior and senior high school girls in buying emergency contraception three months after it became available over the counter in Japan. Emergency contraception can prevent unwanted pregnancy with a high probability

Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)–Desperately hoping to stop the yen’s rapid depreciation, the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan apparently implemented their first currency market intervention in about two years on Thursday afternoon. Earlier that day, the dollar was trading above

Osaka, May 1 (Jiji Press)–West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, announced Friday a capital and business tie-up with the Resona Holdings Inc. group to make its first foray into the banking business as early as fiscal 2027, starting next April. The

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–The government-backed Japan Bank for International Cooperation said Friday it has signed contracts to provide about 2,221 million dollars in joint loans with commercial banks for the first round of investment projects in the United States that were

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police arrested a 44-year-old man on Friday on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly attacked a high school student with a hammer and fled the scene on Wednesday. By analyzing security camera footage and other information,

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan started releasing on Friday additional state oil reserves equivalent to about 20 days of domestic consumption, amid crude oil procurement concerns brought on by the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The reserves will be

Minamata, Kumamoto Pref., May 1 (Jiji Press)–A ceremony to remember Minamata disease victims was held in the southwestern Japan city of Minamata on Friday, the 70th anniversary of the official recognition of the neurological disorder caused by polluted industrial wastewater. The event,

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are believed to have conducted a yen-buying, dollar-selling market intervention on Thursday night, it was learned Friday. The amount of the intervention has been estimated at around 5-6 trillion yen.

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are believed to have conducted a yen-buying, dollar-selling market intervention on Thursday night, it was learned Friday. The amount of the intervention has been estimated at around 5-6 trillion yen.

Osaka, May 1 (Jiji Press)–West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, announced Friday a capital and business tie-up with the Resona Holdings Inc. group to make its first foray into the banking business as early as fiscal 2027 starting next April. The

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Film commissions, set up by local governments to attract production crews for location shooting of films, dramas and other works, are contributing to local communities, about a quarter century after the first such commission was launched in Japan.

(Typo in 4th para corrected) Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan ranked 62nd among 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, released on Thursday by Reporters Without Borders, or RSF. The ranking was four notches higher than the previous year. But

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi left Japan on Friday afternoon to visit Vietnam and Australia to affirm cooperation in the field of economic security with the two countries’ leaders. During her visit to Vietnam, Takaichi is slated to

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry will establish a secretariat for the disaster medical assistance team, or DMAT, program in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and another in the Kyushu southwestern region within fiscal 2026, which started last month. By creating

Sydney, May 1 (Jiji Press)–A 29-year-old Australian flight instructor and a 24-year-old Japanese student died in a plane crash at an Australian airport on Wednesday, police and others said. A Diamond DA42 twin-engine aircraft carrying the two crashed into a hangar at

Osaka, May 1 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese female prosecutor who was allegedly sexually assaulted by her male boss in 2018 submitted a resignation letter to her office in Osaka on Thursday. The prosecution did not give any concrete response to her request for

New York, April 30 (Jiji Press)–Hiroshima Governor Mika Yokota has highlighted the significance of abolishing nuclear weapons, at an event held on the sidelines of a review conference for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. “The only sure way to prevent the use of

Manila, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have discussed measures to strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries, at a meeting in Manila. Visiting the Philippines as a special envoy of Japanese Prime

Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association May 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 118,582 units Down 5.7 pct Passenger Cars 91,447 Down 4.8 Trucks 27,135 Down 8.9 -Brand- Suzuki 42,559 Down 7.4 Daihatsu 37,776 Down 5.0 Mitsubishi 4,278 Down 13.1 Subaru 1,297 Up

Japan Automobile Dealers Association May 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 255,370 units Up 17.6 pct Over-2,000-c.c. Cars 145,773 Up 13.0 Smaller Cars 77,596 Up 24.9 Trucks 30,959 Up 22.8 Buses 1,042 Up 33.6 -Brand- Daihatsu 2,490 Up 67.7 Honda 27,937 Up 13.5 Lexus

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Inflation in central Tokyo slowed to 1.5 pct year-on-year in April from 1.7 pct in the previous month, the Japanese internal affairs ministry said Friday. The pace of growth in the core consumer price index for Tokyo’s densely

New York, April 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan announced in New York on Thursday that 115 nations and regions have taken part in a joint statement calling for promoting education on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. Tomiko Ichikawa, Japan’s disarmament ambassador, delivered the statement at

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese professional tennis star Kei Nishikori said on social media Friday that he will retire from competition at the end of this season. Nishikori, 36, who was formerly ranked fourth in the world in men’s tennis singles and

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese government advisory panel on Thursday approved a plan to raise compulsory automobile liability insurance premiums by 6.2 pct on average, effective on Nov. 1, the first hike in 13 years. The decision by the Compulsory Automobile

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–The dollar hovered around 157 yen in Tokyo trading Friday morning, after the Japanese currency spiked against the greenback in overnight foreign trading amid speculation of market intervention by Japanese authorities. At noon, the dollar stood at 157.22-23