Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Business sentiment among large manufacturers in Japan improved for the sixth straight quarter, partly due to increasing demand related to artificial intelligence and semiconductors, the Bank of Japan’s quarterly survey for September showed Thursday. The headline diffusion index

New York, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–U.S. magazine Time has selected Shoko Kawata, the 36-year-old mayor of the city of Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, who is believed to be the first sitting female local government chief in Japan to take maternity leave, for its

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average jumped on Thursday morning, surpassing 68,000 for the first time since Aug. 18 amid continued buying of major artificial intelligence-related issues. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Immigration Services Agency on Thursday tightened requirements for foreigners to obtain permanent residence by revising its guidelines, requiring applicants to maintain annual income above the average for Japanese households and possess a certain level of Japanese-language proficiency.

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Regional management organizations, which empower residents to take the lead in tackling local challenges, are becoming increasingly common across Japan. There were 8,587 such organizations nationwide in fiscal 2025, up 394 from the previous year. RMOs are expected

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Mongolian counterpart, Damba Batlut, agreed to advance defense cooperation between their countries in a meeting at the Japanese Defense Ministry in Tokyo. In Wednesday’s meeting, the two also confirmed their intention

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Business sentiment among large manufacturers in Japan improved for the sixth straight quarter, the Bank of Japan’s “tankan” survey for September showed Thursday. The headline diffusion index for large manufacturers’ current business conditions rose to plus 24 from

Nagoya, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Hayato Kondo won judo gold in the men’s 60-kilogram event, while his younger sister, Mitsuki, also secured gold in the women’s 48-kg event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday. “The fact that I was able to

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Sogo & Seibu Co.’s Seibu department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward closed its doors Wednesday, ending its 58-year history. Despite the rain, many customers visited to bid farewell to the department store that has long been one of

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–A supervisor failed to give advance instructions on the positions of railway lookouts and evacuation locations, in violation of internal safety rules, in an August accident that killed four workers during weeding operations at a station in Kanuma,

Kumamoto, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Kumamoto Prefecture on Wednesday to comfort people affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture in late July and to thank those engaged in relief and support activities,

Kyoto, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Scandal-hit Japanese motor maker Nidec Corp. said Wednesday that it suffered a consolidated net loss of 564.6 billion yen in fiscal 2025, against a revised net profit of 84.6 billion yen for the preceding year. The red ink

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to highlight in her upcoming policy speech before parliament her resolve to make all-out efforts to promote economic growth and create a society where people can have hope for the future,

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition party Komeito decided Wednesday to appoint former party policy chief Mitsunari Okamoto as its new leader. Okamoto, 61, will assume the post at a party convention on Saturday, in line with the expiration of the term

Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Pref., Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The mayor of Hitachiomiya in Ibaraki Prefecture said Wednesday that the eastern Japan city will accept a literature survey for choosing a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants in the country.

(Adnkronos) – Everyone is talking about Zhou Hongxu. A face that has been in the spotlight, but until now shrouded in mystery. Now that his name, after Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House, has begun to circulate worldwide, after he ‘came

(Adnkronos) – The Council of the European Union has defined its position on the remaining part of the “Omnibus X” simplification package, as announced in a press release. The objective of the package, on which co-legislators intend to reach an agreement with

(Adnkronos) – The United States and Coalition partners formally concluded Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’ in Iraq today. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell announced this, explaining in a note that the orderly withdrawal of forces and equipment from Erbil airbase marks the end of

(Adnkronos) – U.S. President Donald Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “a friend” and downplayed concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal, stating: “as long as I’m here, everything will be fine.” Trump made these remarks yesterday after a reporter asked him

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo District Court on Wednesday found that human voices are subject to protection under publicity rights, which allow celebrities to monopolize the commercial value derived from their names and portraits. The court ruled on the first lawsuit in

Kumamoto, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Kumamoto Prefecture on Wednesday to comfort people affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture in late July and to thank those engaged in relief efforts and support

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan needs to strengthen local government systems to address labor shortages, new internal affairs minister Hisayuki Fujii said in an interview on Wednesday. Small local governments are particularly affected by labor shortages, said Fujii, who took office on

Mito, Ibaraki Pref., Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for stalking and murdering his former girlfriend in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, in December. Citing the more than 40 injuries found

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–New Japanese Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tatsunori Ibayashi on Wednesday pledged to respond to heavy rain and other natural disasters with a sense of urgency. Disaster response is an “urgent issue,” Ibayashi said in an interview

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo District Court on Wednesday found that human voices are subject to protection under publicity rights, which allow celebrities to monopolize the commercial value derived from their names and portraits. The court ruled on the first lawsuit in

Mito, Ibaraki Pref., Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for stalking and murdering his former girlfriend in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, in December. During earlier hearings, both prosecutors and the

Kyoto, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Nidec Corp. suffered a consolidated net loss of 564.6 billion yen in fiscal 2025, which ended in March this year, the scandal-hit major Japanese motor maker’s securities report showed Wednesday. The red ink came as the Nidec group

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. military is planning to bring a Typhon mobile intermediate-range missile launcher to its Kadena Air Base in Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa as early as mid-October for storage there. The Japanese Defense Ministry is seeking understanding

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Toys “R” Us plans to stop operating stores in Japan, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Toys “R” Us-Japan Ltd., based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, currently runs a total of some 150 Toys “R” Us

Kyoto, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec Corp. is considering the sale of its electronic component subsidiary, Nidec Components Corp., informed sources said Wednesday. The parent company is in talks with U.S. investment fund Carlyle over a deal expected to