Latest News

24 Marzo 2026

Japan Govt OKs Bill for Wider Drone No-Fly Zones

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Tuesday approved a draft revision to the drone law that calls for expanding no-fly zones to within 1 kilometer of important facilities. The expansion is aimed at ensuring sufficient distance for guarding key facilities in
24 Marzo 2026

2 Japanese Women Injured in Car Crash in Seoul

Seoul, March 24 (Jiji Press)–A car veered onto a sidewalk in central Seoul on Monday evening, injuring four people, including two Japanese women, South Korean media reported. In the accident that occurred in the Hongdae district around 7:10 p.m. Japan time, one
24 Marzo 2026

FOCUS: Egypt Advances Education Reform Inspired by Japanese Model

Cairo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Egyptian government is pursuing education reform through special activities outside the regular curriculum, such as class meetings, rotating student duties and classroom cleaning by students–practices that are routine in Japanese schools. Building on experience gained over the
24 Marzo 2026

Nikkei Average Rises over 1,100 Points in Morning

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s key Nikkei 225 stock average briefly climbed over 1,100 points Tuesday morning thanks to easing worries over tensions in the Middle East. At 9:08 a.m., the index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s
24 Marzo 2026

Ainu Craft School Passes On Culture to Students

Kushiro, Hokkaido, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Students in the inaugural class of an Ainu craft school in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, are set to graduate soon, after completing their training to acquire skills of the indigenous ethnic group. At Akan Ainu Craft Center Harikiki,
24 Marzo 2026

WBC Ohtani Jersey Sold for 1.5 M. Dollars in Auction

New York, March 23 (Jiji Press)–A baseball jersey worn by Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani in this year’s World Baseball Classic was sold for 1,500,010 dollars in an online auction, the official website of the U.S. Major League Baseball organization said Monday. The
23 Marzo 2026

Israel Media, ‘US has date for end of war, April 9’

(Adnkronos) – April 9 as a crucial date for the Middle East. An Israeli source cited by the Israeli news site Ynet spoke about it, after Donald Trump’s latest statements. According to the source, it reads, “the Americans have indicated April 9
23 Marzo 2026

Takaichi Vows to Back Up Pay Hikes at Small Firms

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stressed Monday that her government will make utmost efforts to help small companies raise wages. “It is important to spread the pay hike momentum from large companies to smaller businesses in regional areas,”
23 Marzo 2026

Kim Yo Jong Denies Possibility of N. Korea-Japan Summit

Seoul, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, on Monday ruled out the possibility of the country holding a summit with Japan, the Korean Central News Agency reported. At her meeting with U.S. President Donald
23 Marzo 2026

Japan Govt to Consider Stopgap Budget: Takaichi

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that the government will consider compiling a stopgap budget, based on the assumption that its fiscal 2026 regular budget will not be passed by the March 31 end of fiscal 2025.
23 Marzo 2026

Osaka High Court Accepts Appeal over KyoAni Arson

Osaka, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Osaka High Court has accepted an appeal filed by defense lawyers in a high-profile deadly arson attack on a studio of Kyoto Animation Co., it was learned Monday. After being sentenced to death by Kyoto District Court in
23 Marzo 2026

Japanese Companies Offer 5.26 Pct Pay Hikes in “Shunto”

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese companies have offered pay hikes of 5.26 pct on a weighted average basis in this year’s “shunto” spring labor-management negotiations, the first tally by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, showed Monday. The result attested to
23 Marzo 2026

Greece, mega-trial opens for 2023 railway tragedy

(Adnkronos) – The trial has opened concerning the worst railway tragedy in Greece’s history, that of 2023 in Tempe, in which 57 people lost their lives, mostly young people between 15 and 25 years old. This was announced by Afp. Thirty-six people
23 Marzo 2026

JR East’s Freight-Only Shinkansen Train Goes into Service

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, started operating a freight-only Shinkansen bullet train Monday, transporting goods from Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, to Tokyo. The seven-car train, converted from an E3 series passenger train
23 Marzo 2026

Quake Recovery Exhibit Opens in Kumamoto with “One Piece” Tie-In

Kumamoto, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the April 2016 massive earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, a special exhibition showcasing postdisaster reconstruction efforts there has opened in collaboration with the popular manga series “One Piece.” The event at
23 Marzo 2026

Japan DPFP Struggles with Reduced Presence after Election

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese opposition Democratic Party for the People is struggling to maintain its relevance in national politics after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party won a historic victory in last month’s general election. With the ruling bloc holding three-quarters
23 Marzo 2026

Japan Revises Up Forecast for Private Rice Stocks

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s agriculture ministry on Monday revised up its forecast for private rice stocks at the end of June to 2.34 million tons on a brown rice basis, up by 50,000 tons from the estimate as of the end
23 Marzo 2026

Japanese Companies Offer 5.26 Pct Pay Hikes in “Shunto”

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese companies have offered pay hikes of 5.26 pct on a weighted average basis in this year’s “shunto” spring labor-management negotiations, the first tally by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, showed Monday. The result attested to
23 Marzo 2026

Japan Denies Pledge of SDF Support in Strait of Hormuz

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s top government spokesperson on Monday denied that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had promised support from the Maritime Self-Defense Force to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The denial came after U.S. Ambassador to the United
23 Marzo 2026

JR East’s Freight-Only Shinkansen Train Goes into Service

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, started operating a freight-only Shinkansen bullet train Monday, transporting goods from Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, to Tokyo. The seven-car train, converted from an E3 series passenger train
23 Marzo 2026

INTERVIEW: Sumitomo Life Eying 20-B.-Yen AI Investment

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. will invest 20 billion yen in artificial intelligence over the three years from fiscal 2026, aiming to lift productivity, President Yukinori Takada has said in a recent interview with Jiji Press. The initiative is