Asahikawa, Hokkaido, May 25 (Jiji Press)–A woman suspected of killing a then 17-year-old high school girl, who died in 2024 after falling from a suspension bridge in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, pleaded not guilty to murder in the first hearing

(Adnkronos) – Over 1.5 million Muslims have arrived in the holy city of Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which this year takes place in a climate of hope for an end to the war in the Middle East. To protect them,

(Adnkronos) – Around 20 people were injured in a luxury shopping mall in central Tokyo after a man sprayed a caustic substance inside. Police and fire department officials reported this. Tokyo police spokesman Yusuke Koide told AFP that a man sprayed a

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition party Team Mirai has drafted a “stopgap” benefits program that would be effective until the planned introduction of a refundable tax credit system. The draft, announced on Monday, calls for providing up to around 60,000 yen

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged to close above 65,000 for the first time ever on Monday, backed by expectations for an end to the fighting between the United States and Iran. The index of 225 selected

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Fifteen people reported throat pain and other symptoms after a pungent odor spread near the Ginza Six shopping complex in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward on Monday, according to the Metropolitan Police Department and the Tokyo Fire Department. At around

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government expressed disappointment on Monday after the latest U.N. conference reviewing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty failed to adopt an outcome document. The failure is “extremely regrettable,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.

Japan Department Stores Association May 25 Yr/Yr Change Total 442,155 M. Yen Up 5.2 pct Clothing 123,062 Up 2.9 Personal Articles 78,511 Up 9.5 Sundry Goods 104,091 Up 10.3 Household Goods 14,282 Up 0.4 Foodstuffs 96,329 Up 0.9 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Japan Department Stores Association May 25 Yr/Yr Change Total 136,099 M. Yen Up 7.4 pct Clothing 37,745 Up 6.0 Personal Articles 25,285 Up 8.6 Sundry Goods 36,241 Up 14.2 Household Goods 5,414 Up 4.8 Foodstuffs 24,774 Up 1.5 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Chinese President Xi Jinping verbally attacked Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over what he calls remilitarization of Japan during his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing earlier this month, it was learned Monday. But Trump defended

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–An Idemitsu Tanker Co. crude oil tanker entered the Ise Bay in central Japan on Monday morning, becoming the first oil tanker to arrive in the country after passing through the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict between

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged past 65,000 for the first time on Monday morning, backed by expectations for an end to the fighting between the United States and Iran. The index of 225 selected issues listed

New Delhi, May 24 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese national in his 60s was found dead after going missing while trekking in a mountainous area in Skardu, Pakistan, according to local media reports. Pakistani authorities unveiled the incident on Saturday. The Japanese man had

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged over 1,900 points on Monday morning to exceed 65,000 for the first time, backed by expectations for an end to the fighting between the United States and Iran. At 9:49 a.m.,

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sent a message of condolence to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang following a gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi Province on Friday. In the message released by

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)–Extreme heat increases the risk of preterm births and can also lead to hospitalizations for childhood convulsions, according to new findings published by research teams at the Institute of Science Tokyo. Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency has released

Kobe, May 24 (Jiji Press)–Police on Sunday obtained an arrest warrant for a 42-year-old man on suspicion of murdering one of the two victims in a suspected murder case at a house in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. The Hyogo prefectural police

Tokyo, May 24 (Jiji Press)–Combined net profits at Japanese listed companies in fiscal 2025 rose 9.0 pct from the previous year to a record 54,713.2 billion yen, according to SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. The figure for the year ended in March hit

Kobe, May 24 (Jiji Press)–Police on Sunday obtained an arrest warrant for a 42-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of murdering one of the two victims in a suspected murder case at a house in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, investigative sources said.

Kobe, May 24 (Jiji Press)–Mamoru Hase, the 70-year-old father of a boy murdered in the 1997 serial attacks on children in Kobe, western Japan, is still trying to find the truth behind the tragedy. “We, the bereaved family, want to know ‘why’

Tokyo, May 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, and the opposition Democratic Party for the People on Sunday expressed their support for the proposed creation of an emergency clause to extend lawmakers’ terms of

Tokyo, May 24 (Jiji Press)–The Imperial Household Agency is making arrangements for Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to visit Kumamoto Prefecture in late September, which marked the 10th anniversary in April of a pair of powerful earthquakes that mainly hit the

Washington, May 23 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during a telephone conversation early this month that there would be delays in the delivery of the US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles to the Japanese side, the Financial

Cannes, France, May 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Tao Okamoto and France’s Virginie Efira won the best actress award in the competition category at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for their roles in the film “All of a Sudden” directed by Japan’s

Tokyo, May 24 (Jiji Press)–Crabs walking sideways originated from an ancestor that roamed the Earth some 200 million years ago, according to a team led by Yuki Kawabata, an associate professor of Nagasaki University’s Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology. Crabs’

Suzhou, China, May 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s trade minister Ryosei Akazawa said Saturday that he had a brief conversation with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meeting in China. Speaking at a press conference after

Tokyo, May 23 (Jiji Press)–A senior official of Nihon Hidankyo, or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, on Saturday voiced his disappointment as an international nuclear nonproliferation conference broke down again. It was “simply regrettable” that the 2026 Review

Tokyo, May 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s education ministry is considering adding new courses to “kosen” technical colleges beyond those in industrial fields, such as agriculture, as well as manga and animation, Jiji Press has learned. In response to many local governments aiming to

New York, May 22 (Jiji Press)–Japanese two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers ranked fifth in Forbes’ annual list of highest-paid athletes that was released Friday. Ohtani’s total earnings stood at 127.6 million dollars for the past year, the highest

Tokyo, May 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito on Saturday visited a special exhibition marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Belgium. The second daughter and the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko