Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Commission fees paid by local governments to intermediary website operators for Japan’s “furusato nozei” hometown tax donation program reached 11.5 pct of the donated amount in fiscal 2024, an internal affairs ministry survey showed Tuesday. The ministry plans

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese household spending fell 2.9 pct in March from a year earlier in inflation-adjusted real terms, as consumers cut food spending amid inflation concerns linked to the war in Iran, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday. The average

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–A Bank of Japan policymaker at the latest monetary policy meeting said that it would be possible for the central bank to raise its policy interest rate as early as its next policy-setting meeting in June, according to

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, briefly rose to as high as 2.545 pct in Tokyo interdealer trading Tuesday morning. The reading was the

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will make official visits to the Netherlands and Belgium as state guests from June 13 to 26. The schedule was decided at a cabinet meeting Tuesday. The Japanese Imperial Family has long-established

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is moving forward with efforts to strengthen its intelligence capabilities, a centerpiece of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s policy agenda. As a first step, the government plans to establish a national intelligence bureau as early as

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will make official visits to the Netherlands and Belgium as state guests from June 13 to 26. The schedule was decided at a cabinet meeting Tuesday. The Japanese Imperial Family has long-established

Funahashi, Toyama Pref., May 12 (Jiji Press)–A local railway operator in central Japan has been selling the right for people to have their originally created music played in its trains, as part of local revitalization efforts. In a project launched in response

New Delhi, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan and India in the second round of bilateral economic security dialogue have agreed to further facilitate cooperation in the field. In the talks held in New Delhi on Monday, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi and

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Asian investment fund MBK Partners is set to acquire major Japanese aluminum can maker Altemira Holdings Co. for about 117.5 billion yen, it has been learned. MBK Partners has already passed Japanese authorities’ prior screening required under the

(Adnkronos) – Moscow has approved the new history education model to be implemented over the next five years, based on what Vladimir Putin requested in two decrees in 2022 and 2024. War veterans will be called into schools to share their frontline

(Adnkronos) – Italy should stay within the World Health Organisation, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday as it spearheads efforts to contain a hantavirus outbreak on Dutch cruiseship MV Hondius with passengers from 23 countries on board. Three passengers have died

(Adnkronos) – “Although the public health risk from the virus currently remains low, it is important that international health efforts ensure the safety of everyone, including passengers and crew of the cruise ship Mv Hondius”, on which an hantavirus outbreak has been

(Adnkronos) – The proposal Iran presented to the United States, which suggests ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, is “legitimate and generous.” This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, adding that Washington continues to support unreasonable and

(Adnkronos) – China has declared itself ready to collaborate with the United States to pursue “greater stability” globally, in view of this week’s meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. “High-level diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic role in China-US relations,” said Foreign

(Adnkronos) – Six former passengers of the cruise ship where an Hantavirus outbreak occurred – four Australians, one person with permanent residency in Australia, and one New Zealander – will be quarantined in Australia for at least three weeks, in a facility

(Adnkronos) – A French citizen tested positive for Hantavirus after being evacuated from the MV Hondius. This is the first confirmed case of Hantavirus in France, as confirmed by Health Minister Stéphanie Rist in an interview with France Inter. ”Her condition worsened

(Adnkronos) – Italy and Bulgaria want to strengthen their already “very solid” relations and to collaborate more closely at European level, especially in the areas of European Union competiveness, efficiency and managing migration, foreign minister Antonio Tajani wrote Monday on X after

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A former employee of a unit of security company Alsok Co. has been arrested on suspicion of stealing money from automated teller machines he was assigned to manage, it was learned Monday. The Tsukiji police station of Tokyo’s

Nagoya, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday it will build its fourth factory in India, planning to start production there in the first half of 2029. At the new plant in an industrial area in Maharashtra, western India, the Japanese

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, called for raising Japan’s public and private investment in research and development to 50 trillion yen in fiscal 2040, in its strategic proposal released Monday for realizing a science and technology-oriented nation.

(Adnkronos) – Europe “must continue to play a central role” in negotations to end the war in Ukraine, and ‘it cannot be Russia that chooses who should represent the European side,” Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday, according to sources

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–The number of Asian black bear sightings in Japan in fiscal 2025 came to 50,776, marking the highest figure since comparable data became available in fiscal 2009, provisional data from the Environment Ministry showed Monday. The total for

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese soccer star Kaoru Mitoma injured his left leg during a English Premier League match on Saturday, dealing a setback to the Japanese men’s national soccer team just one month before the start of this year’s World Cup.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki, May 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which suffered U.S. atomic bombings in the closing days of World War II, will take differing approaches toward Taiwan again this year over their annual peace ceremonies to commemorate victims of

(The final paragraph should have read “… In fiscal 2023…”) Members of Key Govt Panel Call for Accelerating Energy Investments Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Private-sector members of a Japanese government panel on Monday called for accelerating investments in the energy sector to

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A tanker carrying crude oil from Azerbaijan is expected to arrive in Japan as early as Tuesday, the industry ministry said Monday. This is Japan’s first oil import from Central Asia since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese automaker Subaru Corp. said Monday that it expects to report a consolidated net profit of 90 billion yen for the fiscal year that ended in March, down from the previous estimate of 125 billion yen. The projection

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Three major Japanese shipping companies have projected net profit falls for fiscal 2026, due to rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East. Nippon Yusen K.K.’s annual net profit is forecast to decrease 7.9 pct from

Hiroshima, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A Japan-hosted international conference to discuss the peaceful use of Antarctica opened in Hiroshima on Monday, attracting attention particularly on whether an environment conservation agreement can be reached amid surging tourism. Bringing together roughly 400 government officials and