Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Friday approved the departure of Yasushi Masaki as its ambassador to Indonesia without deciding his successor, creating a highly unusual vacancy for an important diplomatic position for reasons other than illness. The government had

Urayasu, Chiba Pref., Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, formally adopted a plan Friday to demand a pay increase of 5 pct or more in “shunto” annual spring wage negotiations next year. The umbrella body for labor unions

Kobe, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office on Friday indicted Takashi Tachibana, leader of a political group criticizing Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, for defaming a former Hyogo prefectural assembly member who apparently committed suicide. Tachibana, 58, was arrested

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo High Court ruled Friday that Japan’s Civil Code and other provisions that do not recognize same-sex marriage are constitutional. Presiding Judge Ayumi Higashi said that the current legal provisions and the absence of a same-sex marriage system

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese high court branch on Friday rejected injunctions by local residents seeking to halt the operations of aging nuclear power reactors run by Kansai Electric Power Co. in the central prefecture of Fukui. The plaintiffs

Urayasu, Chiba Pref., Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, formally adopted a plan Friday to demand a pay increase of 5 pct or more in “shunto” annual spring wage negotiations next year. The umbrella body for labor unions

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Friday adopted a fiscal 2025 draft supplementary budget with 18,303.4 billion yen in general-account spending to finance an economic package centered on aid for household finances and growth investments. It is the first draft budget

Sapporo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki on Friday announced his support for a planned restart of the No. 3 reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Tomari nuclear plant in the northern Japan prefecture. “The use of nuclear power is a

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan enacted Friday legislation to scrap the provisional tax surcharges for gasoline and diesel fuel in an effort to curb inflation, without specifying alternative sources for government funding. The add-on tax abolition bill passed through the Diet, the

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The share of eligible full-time noncareer-track national public servants in Japan who took paternity leave in fiscal 2024 rose by 5.0 percentage points from the previous year to a record high of 85.9 pct, the National Personnel Authority

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s industrial production in October increased 1.4 pct from a month earlier, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday. The result came against the median forecast of a 0.6 pct fall in a Jiji Press poll

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s seasonally adjusted job availability ratio fell 0.02 point to 1.18 in October from the previous month as companies curbed new hires ahead of rises in minimum wages, the labor ministry said Friday. The number of effective job

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The core consumer price index for Tokyo’s 23 special wards in November rose 2.8 pct from a year before, up for the 51st consecutive month, the internal affairs ministry said Friday. The core index, excluding volatile fresh food

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan will set the amount of legally mandated post-divorce child support at 20,000 yen per child per month, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said Friday. After adopting a ministerial ordinance by the end of this year, the government will

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Revelations that convenience store chain Ministop Co. falsified expiration dates on fresh foods have left its in-store prepared items, most notably its signature handmade “onigiri” rice balls, at a critical juncture. The company has introduced safeguards to prevent

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Prices are slated to rise in Japan in December for 217 food and beverage products from 195 major Japanese makers, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Friday. Prices will rise for products, such as chocolate snacks and miso. The monthly

(Adnkronos) – The foreign ministry and foreign trade agency ICE are holding an Italy-Mongolia business forum in Rome Tuesday as part of drive to diversify markets and forge bilateral partnerships in raft of areas from textiles to infrastructure, renewables and transport, the

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prince Hitachi, the younger brother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and uncle of Emperor Naruhito, turned 90 on Friday. According to the Imperial Household Agency, the prince spends his days with his wife, Princess Hanako, 85, at their

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s Consulate General in Hong Kong and its foreign ministry are tracking the situation in the city, where blazes in seven adjacent tower blocks have killed at least 65, with hundreds of people missing in the deadliest fire in 70

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese government subcommittee on public health insurance on Thursday basically agreed to ask patients for additional payment for prescription medicines whose ingredients and effects are similar to over-the-counter drugs while maintaining insurance coverage for them. Based on

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is considering a plan to raise the fee for issuing a permanent residency permit to as much as 300,000 yen from the current 10,000 yen, it was learned Thursday. The government presented the plan to

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has asked three independent lawmakers to cooperate with the LDP in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, it was learned Thursday. The LDP-led coalition currently holds 230 of the

Oita, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan must raise its policy interest rate at a timing that is not too late and not too early, BOJ policymaker Asahi Noguchi said Thursday. Speaking at a press conference in the southwestern Japan city

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)–The combined global vehicle output of eight major Japanese automakers fell 1.5 pct from a year earlier to 2.22 million units in October, data from the companies showed Thursday. Global production fell 10.9 pct at Honda Motor Co.,