Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Tuesday denied claims that the national anthem performance by a Ground Self-Defense Force sergeant at a Liberal Democratic Party convention constituted a political act. At the ruling LDP’s annual convention held Sunday,

Nara, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Stains have been found on the “Bussokuseki” stone imprint said to be of Buddha’s feet, a Japanese national treasure at Yakushiji Temple, a World Heritage site in Nara, a city in western Japan, Nara prefectural police said Tuesday.

(Adnkronos) – Italy reaffirms its support and vows to bolster humanitarian aid for “brother country” Lebanon and to work for dialogue with Israel, which it accuses of “unacceptable” attacks against civilians, foreign minister Antonio Tajani stated after a visit to Beirut on

Kyoto, April 14 (Jiji Press)–The body found in the mountains of Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, on Monday has been identified through DNA analysis as that of an 11-year-old missing boy, investigative sources told Jiji Press on Tuesday. Yuki Adachi, a student

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Seven Bank aims to introduce its next-generation automated teller machine around 2029, ahead of the initially planned 2030, its president, Masaaki Matsuhashi, said in a recent interview. “We have to change our mindset to shorten our development cycle

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese government survey in 2025 showed Tuesday that 4.5 pct of respondents in the country often or constantly feel lonely, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous year. The share of people who often or constantly feel

Naha, Okinawa Pref., April 14 (Jiji Press)–Four China Coast Guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters off the coast of the Senkaku Islands in the city of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on Tuesday. This was the first intrusion by Chinese government ships of Japanese

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, at a House of Representatives plenary meeting Tuesday kicked off deliberations on a bill to establish a disaster management agency. The agency, which is set to serve as the government’s command center for disaster

Nara, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Traces of something like a liquid have been found on the “Bussokuseki” stone imprint of Buddha’s feet, a Japanese national treasure at Yakushiji Temple, a World Heritage site in Nara, a city in western Japan, Nara prefectural police

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average gained nearly 1,400 points on Tuesday, reflecting improved investor sentiment amid hopes for continued peace talks between the United States and Iran. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo

(Adnkronos) – What transits the Strait of Hormuz (infographic) 

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport ministry said Tuesday that tighter portable charger restrictions during flights will be introduced April 24, following a string of incidents involving such devices on airplanes. Under the new rules, each passenger will be allowed to bring

Yokohama, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Police Searched offices of a construction firm and a subcontractor on Tuesday over a recent fatal accident during construction work at JFE Steel Corp.’s East Japan Works in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Toa Corp., which was contracted

Mashiki, Kumamoto Pref., April 14 (Jiji Press)–People on Tuesday paid tribute to the victims of a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck mainly Kumamoto Prefecture 10 years ago. In the town of Mashiki in the southwestern Japan prefecture, around 40 town officials,

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese companies are bracing themselves for a longer-term crude oil price surge after the United States and Iran failed to reach a deal to end their ongoing military conflict. Companies plan to accelerate moves to diversify their supply

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, at a House of Representatives plenary meeting Tuesday kicked off deliberations on a bill to establish a disaster management agency. The agency, which is set to serve as the government’s command center for disaster

Yokohama, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday that it plans to equip 90 pct of its future vehicle models with artificial intelligence-based automated driving technology. This plan is included in the company’s long-term vision released on the day. The vision

Osaka, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Nine economies, including Japan, Russia and China, began their annual talks on saury fishing quotas in the North Pacific on Tuesday, with Japan seeking to reduce the quotas in light of declining saury stocks partly caused by overfishing.

Kumamoto, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Efforts to restore Kumamoto Castle, a landmark in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto that was damaged in a pair of powerful earthquakes a decade ago, are still ongoing. While repair work has been completed on the castle’s

Mashiki, Kumamoto Pref., April 14 (Jiji Press)–People on Tuesday paid tribute to the victims of a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck mainly Kumamoto Prefecture 10 years ago. In the town of Mashiki in the southwestern Japan prefecture, its mayor, Hironori Nishimura,

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government approved a bill this month to amend legislation, including the Civil Code, with the aim of revising the adult guardianship system and allowing the use of digital wills. The proposed changes, based on recommendations from

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–It is becoming even more uncertain whether some 40 Japan-linked ships trapped in the Persian Gulf will be able to leave the area through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transport waterway, in the near future. After

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average climbed over 1,400 points Tuesday morning, reflecting increased hopes for an easing in Middle East tensions. At 9:39 a.m., the index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions in fiscal 2024 fell 1.9 pct from the previous year to a record low of about 1,046 million tons in terms of carbon dioxide, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. The decline reflected an increase

Tokyo, April 14 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is planning to present to a ruling party meeting Wednesday a modified draft of a bill aimed at revising the country’s retrial system, it has been learned. Initially, the government considered proposing the revised draft

(Adnkronos) – ”No country” has the right to close Hormuz and block maritime traffic passing through the Strait. This was stated by Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations. “In accordance with international law, no country

(Adnkronos) – “I don’t know if the president thought he was being funny or was under the influence of substances or what other possible explanation I can give for this shameful blasphemy.” Thus, an important American evangelical commentator, Megan Bahsam, speaks for

(Adnkronos) – Federal Judge Darrin Gayles has dismissed the $10 billion defamation lawsuit that American President Donald Trump had filed against the Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch over an article about an obscene birthday letter addressed to Jeffrey Epstein.

Tokyo, April 13 (Jiji Press)–Private-sector members of a key Japanese government panel Monday underlined the need for the government to drastically review its budget compilation process to realize “responsible yet aggressive” fiscal policy advocated by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The private-sector members

(Adnkronos) – Dialogue is needed between United States and Iran to de-escalate the widening Middle East conflict and achieve “a peaceful solution”, Italy said on Monday after over 12 hours of talks in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad ended on Sunday without agreement