Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–A visit by Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, to Iwate and Miyagi prefectures has been postponed as the couple have persistent cold symptoms, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday. They had been slated

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government adopted a bill to tighten the law against the fraudulent use of mobile phones at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, in response to a surge in investment fraud and romance scam cases. The bill calls

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, all opposition parties, agreed on Tuesday to join the National Council on Social Security, a suprapartisan forum to discuss consumption tax relief, starting on Wednesday. The

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks rebounded on Tuesday, after two consecutive sessions of heavy losses, as the international crude oil market fell amid eased concerns about the situation in the Middle East. The Nikkei 225 stock average closed at 52,252.28, up

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government said Tuesday that it will allocate 800.7 billion yen from its fiscal 2025 reserves to take steps aimed at curbing fuel prices. The government will earmark 794.8 billion yen to bolster its fund for subsidies

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday instructed ministries and agencies to draw up measures to ensure stable supplies of petroleum products, such as naphtha, amid the escalating conflict between the U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran. At the day’s

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–An expert panel under the National Council on Social Security, a suprapartisan body to discuss a proposed consumption tax cut and a refundable tax credit system, held its first meeting on Tuesday. The 12-member panel will sort out

Japan Department Stores Association March 24 Yr/Yr Change Total 132,630 M. Yen Up 3.0 pct Clothing 34,326 Up 4.4 Personal Articles 22,153 Down 2.4 Sundry Goods 35,330 Up 8.1 Household Goods 4,572 Down 10.2 Foodstuffs 28,223 Up 1.5 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Japan Department Stores Association March 24 Yr/Yr Change Total 432,015 M. Yen Up 1.6 pct Clothing 109,816 Up 1.6 Personal Articles 69,958 Up 0.4 Sundry Goods 97,943 Up 3.9 Household Goods 12,201 Down 7.5 Foodstuffs 115,850 Up 0.7 Note: Year-on-year changes are

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s consumer price inflation decelerated for the third straight month in February, falling below 2 pct for the first time since March 2022, as government subsidies and a gasoline tax cut pushed down energy prices, a government report

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to designate more underground facilities as temporary emergency shelters that will protect people in case of armed attacks. The country will make maximum use of underground spaces, which are safer, the government said. Some

Washington, March 23 (Jiji Press)–An exhibition of haiku poems and drawings themed on cherry blossoms by Japanese and U.S. elementary school children began at the Japan Information and Culture Center in Washington on Monday. The event, which will run until April 10,

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has begun preparing a stopgap budget in case that its fiscal 2026 budget bill is not enacted by March 31, the end of fiscal 2025, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Tuesday. This will be the

Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan will this month begin prioritizing for heart transplants patients who are at high risk of dying within one month without the procedure. The Japanese Circulation Society and the Japanese Society for Heart Transplantation said Monday that they

New York, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday it will funnel a total of 1 billion dollars into two U.S. plants to expand production of electrified vehicles in the country. The plan is part of Toyota’s broader push to

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

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

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

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

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,

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

(Adnkronos) – The United States Supreme Court appears poised to limit the counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day, a decision that could significantly impact electoral procedures ahead of the midterm elections and would represent a victory for Donald Trump, who

(Adnkronos) – Danish Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is heading towards a possible third term in legislative elections, with polls still indicating her as the dominant figure in national politics, despite a decline in support for her party. On the eve

(Adnkronos) – London police are investigating an online claim made by a little-known Islamist group regarding the fire set to several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer organization in the north of the British capital. The claim was made with a video

(Adnkronos) – Pedro Sanchez will be on an official visit to China from April 13 to 15. This was announced today by the office of the Spanish Prime Minister, without yet providing a detailed program for the mission. This will be Sanchez’s

(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

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,”

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Prices of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets in Japan in the week to March 15 averaged 3,980 yen per 5 kilograms, down 33 yen from the prior week and falling below 4,000 yen for the first time

(Adnkronos) – It is mandatory to provide mobile phone and PC passwords to the Police. Or risk prison. This is happening in Hong Kong where officers can ask for ‘secret codes’ from anyone suspected of violating the controversial “national security” law, enacted

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