Osaka, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Prince Hisahito on Thursday inspected the Grand Ring, a huge wooden structure that is a symbol of the ongoing World Exposition in the western city of Osaka. The 19-year-old son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–The Japan International Cooperation Agency plans to abandon its “hometown” project aimed at promoting people-to-people exchanges between African countries and partner Japanese cities, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The decision came after false claims circulated on

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japanese retail prices of rice have turned upward again although new rice harvested this year started hitting the shelves. The average rice price at supermarkets across Japan stood at 4,275 yen per 5 kilograms, up for three consecutive

Japan Department Stores Association Sept. 25 Yr/Yr Change Total 118,285 M. Yen Down 2.3 pct Clothing 26,986 Down 4.0 Personal Articles 22,376 Down 3.6 Sundry Goods 31,370 Down 0.5 Household Goods 4,926 Up 2.1 Foodstuffs 25,320 Up 3.1 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Japan Department Stores Association Sept. 25 Yr/Yr Change Total 413,971 M. Yen Up 2.6 pct Clothing 97,882 Up 2.0 Personal Articles 70,470 Down 0.5 Sundry Goods 97,428 Up 6.0 Household Goods 14,129 Up 0.9 Foodstuffs 104,725 Up 2.7 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Japan Chain Stores Association Sept. 25 Yr/Yr Change Total 1,100,206 M. Yen Up 2.1 pct Foodstuffs 797,922 Up 1.5 Clothing 42,800 Down 1.7 Sundries 82,125 Down 0.3 Furniture and Interior Goods 56,795 Down 3.6 Home Electric Appliances 2,491 Up 2.1 Note: Year-on-year

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–Services producer prices in Japan rose 2.7 pct from a year before in August, up for the 54th straight month, preliminary data from the Bank of Japan showed Thursday. The August services producer price index stood at 111.2

Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–Economy ministers from Japan and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries have agreed to work together to enhance supply chains for products and parts. In a joint statement adopted at their meeting in Kuala Lumpur on

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–Nippon Life Insurance Co. plans to resume running commercials on Fuji Television Network Inc. after a halt since January due to a sexual assault scandal involving former TV personality Masahiro Nakai. “We believe there has been some progress

Chiba, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo Game Show 2025 kicked off at the Makuhari Messe convention center in the city of Chiba, east of Tokyo, on Thursday, featuring a record-high number of some 1,140 exhibitors, including overseas companies. The annual event showcases

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Resona Bank and security company Alsok Co. have agreed to work together on digitalizing local governments’ tax and public services fee collection work. The two signed a cooperation agreement Wednesday with the aim of helping local governments

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan will provide 861 million yen in grant aid to Palestine for health and hygiene initiatives, it has been learned. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the aid will be used to provide health and medical services

New York, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday that it has ended production of the Acura ZDX luxury electric vehicle, developed jointly with U.S. auto giant General Motors Co. The ZDX had been manufactured at a GM plant in

(Adnkronos) – Sadiq Khan has called Donald Trump “racist, sexist, misogynist and Islamophobic” after the US president, speaking from the United Nations stage, criticized the work of the “terrible” mayor of London, claiming that the British capital is heading towards the application

(Adnkronos) – The French inter-union organization has called for a new day of strikes and mobilizations for October 2. The announcement came at the end of talks today in Paris between union representatives and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The Communist Party, the

New York, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that his country will participate in new efforts to tackle the financial crisis of Palestine. “As Palestine is set to be invited as a responsible member of the international community

(Adnkronos) – Russia and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of small-sized nuclear power plants in the Islamic Republic. This was announced by Rosatom, specifying that the agreement was signed in Moscow by the general director of the

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Deep sea drilling research conducted last year by the Japanese vessel Chikyu has been recognized as the world’s deepest scientific ocean drilling by the Guinness World Records, the vessel’s owner said Wednesday. The 980 meters of drilling by

New York, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that his country will participate in new efforts to tackle the financial crisis of Palestine. He was speaking at a news conference in New York after he delivered a speech

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. will release an insurance product next month to help relatively small farmers introduce drones for spraying pesticides and fertilizers, people familiar with the matter told Jiji Press on Wednesday. The Japanese insurer will collaborate

(Adnkronos) – The confidence of German citizens in the government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz is declining. This is according to an Insa poll for Bild, according to which the percentage of skeptics about the possibility of economic growth has risen to

(Adnkronos) – A drone attack on a market in the city of El-Fasher, Sudan, has left at least 15 people dead. A doctor at the local hospital told AFP that the attack “killed 15 citizens and injured 12 others, three of them

(Adnkronos) – In Yemen, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is registering a sharp increase in cases of acute diarrhea in the governorates of Hodeidah and Hajjah. In a single week, starting from September 7, cases increased by 65%, while the humanitarian situation in

(Adnkronos) – The Russian Ministry of Finance has anticipated a VAT increase to 22 percent starting from the beginning of next year, specifying that the extra revenue will be invested mainly in the defense and security sectors. The reduced VAT at 10

(Adnkronos) – Further disruptions are expected for travelers at Berlin airport, with delayed flights, others canceled and long waits, after the cyber attack of recent days. “We have been informed that it may take several days to have a fully functioning system

(Adnkronos) – At least 14 people have died in Taiwan due to the failure of a dam caused by the passage of super typhoon Ragasa. The failure was caused by torrential rains. The waters flooded homes in Hualien, in the east of

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–The five candidates for the Oct. 4 leadership election of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party discussed economic policies in a debate hosted by the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Wednesday. They indicated a willingness to cooperate

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Major opposition parties in Japan can hardly become united to pick a new prime minister, with Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People uncooperative with the opposition leader Constitutional Democratic Party

Tokyo, Sept. 24 (Jiji Press)–Shareholders of GungHo Online Entertainment Inc. voted down on Wednesday a proposal to dismiss director Kazuki Morishita, its president and CEO, which had been put forward by Tokyo-based investment company Strategic Capital Inc. At GungHo’s extraordinary general shareholder

Brasilia, Sept. 23 (Jiji Press)–Brazil marked its first national celebration day for “ikebana,” the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, at its parliament in Brasilia on Tuesday. In January, Brazil enforced a law designating Sept. 23 as the national day of ikebana,