Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government supplied antiviral drug Avigan from its stockpiles to Britain on Friday in response to a hantavirus outbreak, health minister Kenichiro Ueno said Monday. Britain has accepted passengers of a cruise ship where the outbreak occurred

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government Monday presented a draft plan to create industry clusters in 10 regions, spotlighting semiconductors and green transformation, or transition to clean energy, to lure large-scale corporate investment and revive local economies. The plan, presented at a

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the latest issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, the benchmark long-term interest rate in the country, briefly climbed to 2.8 pct in Tokyo trading on Monday, its highest level in 29 years, amid inflation concerns.

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said Monday it is considering investing in Rakuten Bank, a unit of e-commerce giant Rakuten Group Inc. Mizuho Financial, one of Japan’s three megabank groups, aims to invest in Rakuten Bank by autumn, when

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–The scope of benefit recipients under a proposed refundable tax credit program is a key issue in discussions at a Japanese nonpartisan council due to differences in eligibility criteria sought by each party. It is uncertain whether an

Silicon Valley, May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese chemicals maker Resonac Holdings Corp. will step up efforts to develop cutting-edge semiconductors at a newly opened joint research hub in Silicon Valley, Hidehito Takahashi, the company’s CEO, said in a recent interview. Takahashi said Resonac

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan has released a booklet publicizing its official development assistance in collaboration with a popular Japanese overseas travel guide series. In partnership with the Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook, known as “Chikyu no Arukikata” in Japanese, the Foreign Ministry published

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the latest issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, the benchmark long-term interest rate in the country, briefly climbed to 2.8 pct in Tokyo trading on Monday, its highest level in 29 years, amid inflation concerns.

Sakura, Tochigi Pref., May 18 (Jiji Press)–Documents with the address of an elderly woman killed in last week’s high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, along with precious metals, were stolen from the house of her second son in April, investigative

Tokyo, May 18 (Jiji Press)–Bank lending to Japan’s real estate sector remains at a record high, driven by rising property prices, especially in urban areas, which have prompted not only major banks but also regional lenders to expand their loan portfolios. According

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police on Sunday arrested a 28-year-old man and his 25-year-old wife in connection with a robbery-murder incident targeting an elderly woman in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, believing that they were handlers who gave instructions to

Osaka, May 17 (Jiji Press)–Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said Sunday that he intends to run in the next gubernatorial election in the western Japan prefecture on the condition that a referendum on the so-called Osaka metropolis plan be held before his current

Matsuyama, Ehime Pref., May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 76th National Tree-Planting Festival in Matsuyama, the capital of the western Japan prefecture of Ehime, on Sunday. It was the first time the prefecture has hosted the event

Seoul, May 17 (Jiji Press)–A South Korean presidential office spokesperson said Sunday that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be welcomed with treatment equivalent to that for a state guest during her two-day visit to the country from Tuesday. Takaichi will hold

(The third paragraph should have read, “…country…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) (Update) Possible Handler Arrested in Tochigi Robbery-Murder Case Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police on Sunday arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with a robbery-murder

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police on Sunday arrested a man in his 20s in connection with a robbery-murder incident targeting an elderly woman in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, believing that he was the handler who gave instructions to the

Tokyo, May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s opposition parties are set to grill Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over plans to compile a fiscal 2026 supplementary budget aimed at addressing rising crude oil prices and inflation amid continued turmoil in the Middle East, during a

Tokyo, May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s opposition parties are set to grill Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over plans to compile a fiscal 2026 supplementary budget aimed at addressing rising crude oil prices and inflation amid continued turmoil in the Middle East, during a

Tokyo, May 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency plans to introduce a new food-labeling system that will enable consumers to scan quick response, or QR, codes on processed food packages to access detailed product information, including ingredients, on a webpage. After drawing

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police arrested three more 16-year-old boys in connection with a robbery-murder incident targeting an elderly woman in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, it was learned Saturday. The number of those arrested rose to four in total.

Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–The student body organizing the University of Tokyo’s May Festival said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday that all events of the school festival scheduled for the day have been canceled following a bomb threat. The festival was

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police arrested three more 16-year-old boys in connection with a robbery-murder incident targeting an elderly woman in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, it was learned Saturday. The number of those arrested rose to four in total.

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., May 16 (Jiji Press)–Tohoku Electric Power Co. said Saturday that it has halted the No. 2 reactor at its Onagawa nuclear power plant in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Miyagi for inspection, following the detection of a trace of

Ozu, Ehime Pref., May 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Saturday afternoon visited the city of Ozu in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, and met with people affected by a massive rain disaster that hit the region in 2018. During

Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–An executive of U.S. startup Anthropic has vowed to cooperate with Japan on its responses related to Claude Mythos, the company’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence model. At a meeting in Tokyo on Friday with Masaaki Taira, chairman of the

Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, or Zen-Noh, has said that it will raise fertilizer prices for autumn use, distributed from June through October, by up to 14.5 pct compared with spring fertilizers distributed through this month.

Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese lawmaker Renho, who previously served as executive deputy leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, has lost an election for the leadership of the party’s Tokyo chapter. The 58-year-old member of the House of Councillors,

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police arrested two more 16-year-old boys in connection with a robbery-murder incident targeting an elderly woman in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, it was learned Saturday. The two boys–a high school student and a self-proclaimed high

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., May 16 (Jiji Press)–Tohoku Electric Power Co. said Friday that it will halt the No. 2 reactor at its Onagawa nuclear power plant in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Miyagi for inspection, following the detection of a trace of

Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–Yume, an Akita dog gifted to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Japan, has died, the presidential office said. The Kremlin in Moscow said in a written response on Friday that the female dog born in April 2012 died