Latest News

20 Aprile 2026

Panasonic Develops Automated iPS Cell Production System

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–Panasonic Holdings Corp. said Monday that it has developed an automated system for producing induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. The company collaborated with Kyoto University-affiliated CiRA Foundation to develop the new system. It plans to commercialize
20 Aprile 2026

Japan’s Unified Local Polls Likely to Be Highly Competitive

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition parties are seeking to bolster their presence in local assemblies, raising the possibility that unified local elections in spring next year will be highly competitive. The Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito in particular plan
20 Aprile 2026

TEPCO Ends 1st Round of Treated Water Release for FY 2026

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Monday that it has completed the first round of releasing treated water containing small amounts of radioactive tritium from its disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant for fiscal 2026. In
20 Aprile 2026

Japan to Implement Revised Special Heatstroke Alert System Wed.

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s revised heatstroke special alert system will be introduced Wednesday, in response to potential dangerous heat conditions, with operations set to continue until Oct. 21. A heatstroke special alert, never issued since the original system was put in
20 Aprile 2026

North Korea Test-Fires Missiles with Cluster Warheads: KCNA

Seoul, April 20 (Jiji Press)–North Korea test-fired tactical ballistic missiles Sunday to evaluate the power of warheads carrying cluster bombs, the country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Monday. The test-firing by North Korea’s Missile Administration was supervised by North Korean leader
20 Aprile 2026

Knife-Carrying Man Held at Japan Upper House Office Building

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–A knife-carrying man was arrested Monday at the office building for the members of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, in Tokyo. The Metropolitan Police Department arrested the man, who claims to
20 Aprile 2026

4 Japan Researchers among Winners of Physics Prize

Tokyo, April 20 (Jiji Press)–An international team, including four Japanese researchers, has won the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for precisely measuring the magnetic moment of muons, tiny subatomic particles. The announcement was made on Sunday, Japan time. Among the Japanese
19 Aprile 2026

Bear Culled under Emergency System in Japan’s Sendai

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., April 19 (Jiji Press)–An adult bear that appeared in a residential area in Sendai, a major city in northeastern Japan, was destroyed under the country’s emergency culling system Sunday. The bear, which was as tall as about 1.5 meters,
19 Aprile 2026

Bear Spotted in Residential Area in Japan’s Sendai

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., April 19 (Jiji Press)–A bear was spotted in a residential area in Sendai, a major city in northeastern Japan, on Sunday, prompting local authorities to issue a warning to nearby residents. A resident saw the bear near the residential
19 Aprile 2026

Japan, Australia Seek Adherence to Lebanon Ceasefire

Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, on Sunday urged all parties concerned to observe the ceasefire over the fighting between Israel and Lebanon. In a joint statement released on the day to sum
19 Aprile 2026

N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles toward Sea of Japan

Seoul/Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from an area around Sinpo in the east of the country around 6:10 a.m. Sunday, the South Korean military said. The missiles are believed to have
19 Aprile 2026

LDP Less Eager Than JIP on Lower House Seat Cut

Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, are slated to resume later this month working-level talks on cutting the number of the House of Representatives seats by 10 pct. Last month, the
19 Aprile 2026

N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles toward Sea of Japan

Seoul/Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from an area around Sinpo in the east of the country around 6:10 a.m. Sunday, the South Korean military said. The missiles are believed to have
19 Aprile 2026

Compact EV Competition Heating Up in Japan

Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–Competition is intensifying in the Japanese market for electric minivehicles and compact electric vehicles, with Chinese automaker BYD Co. set to join the race this summer. Some industry officials expect greater competition will help revitalize the domestic EV
19 Aprile 2026

Takaichi Actively Engages in Summit Diplomacy over Iran Crisis

Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is actively engaging in summit diplomacy with leaders of other Asian nations and countries in Europe and the Middle East amid the prolonged crisis over Iran. She apparently aims to demonstrate Japan’s presence
19 Aprile 2026

INTERVIEW: TSE Planning New Disclosure Rules for Midsize Firms

Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Stock Exchange Inc. plans to introduce new disclosure rules for midsize companies that have not published specific measures to improve capital efficiency, its president, Ryusuke Yokoyama, has said in a recent interview. Although three years have passed
19 Aprile 2026

N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles toward Sea of Japan

Seoul/Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–North Korea fired several ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan from an area around Sinpo in the east of the country around 6:10 a.m. Sunday, the South Korean military said. The missiles are forecast to have fallen
19 Aprile 2026

N. Korea Launches Possible Ballistic Missile

(The final paragraph should have read, “…eastern province of…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) N. Korea Launches Possible Ballistic Missile Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–An object that may be a ballistic missile has been launched from North Korea, Japan’s
19 Aprile 2026

Japanese Fishers Hit Hard by High Crude Oil Prices

Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)–High crude oil prices reflecting the turmoil in the Middle East have hit the Japanese fishing industry hard, including through surges in costs for fuel and related equipment. The owner of a company in the city of Kesennuma,
18 Aprile 2026

Ex-Death Row Inmate’s Sister Slams Govt Retrial Review Plan

Tokyo, April 18 (Jiji Press)–The elder sister of former Japanese death-row inmate Iwao Hakamata, 90, who was acquitted in a retrial, criticized on Saturday the Justice Ministry’s current bill to reform the nation’s retrial system. Attending a rally held in front of
18 Aprile 2026

Ex-Death Row Inmate’s Sister Slams Govt Retrial Review Plan

Tokyo, April 18 (Jiji Press)–The elder sister of former Japanese death-row inmate Iwao Hakamata, 90, who was acquitted in a retrial, criticized on Saturday the Justice Ministry’s current bill to reform the nation’s retrial system. Attending a rally held in front of
18 Aprile 2026

Japan, Australia to Expand Regional Security Cooperation

Melbourne, April 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles agreed Saturday to expand cooperation between their countries and with like-minded nations for the security of the Indo-Pacific region. In a meeting in Melbourne, the two ministers