Hiroshima, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A Japan-hosted international conference to discuss the peaceful use of Antarctica opened in Hiroshima on Monday, attracting attention particularly on whether an environment conservation agreement can be reached amid surging tourism. Bringing together roughly 400 government officials and

(Adnkronos) – Italy wants to see “action” from Russia to end its over-four-year-long invasion of Ukraine, not “words”, foreign minister Antonio Tajani stated on Monday after president Vladimir Putin said he believed the war may “be coming to and end”, hours after

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Ruling and opposition parties agreed Monday to hold the first debate between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and opposition party leaders during the ongoing session of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, on May 20. Opposition parties with 10 or

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani will on Wednesday give an opening address at a signing ceremony at the foreign ministry for a series of Roots Tourism iniatives, according to a ministry statement.  Speeches are also set to be made by

New York, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A Meiji Co. biscuit snack that was discontinued in Japan more than 40 years ago has become a hit overseas. The Hello Panda snack is currently sold at stores in the United States and other countries outside

(2nd para should have read “… join talks …,” instead of as sent) Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to send officials to Russia as early as the end of this month chiefly for protecting Japanese business assets in the

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday left open the possibility of her government calling for energy savings, amid supply concerns linked to the war in Iran. “We won’t rule out any possibility and will respond flexibly” to

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average finished lower on Monday after hitting a new record intraday high in the morning, as buying followed gains in U.S. high-tech issues late last week. The index of 225 issues listed on

Niigata, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A private high school in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, one of whose students was killed in a microbus crash last week said Sunday that it had arranged buses through Kanbara Tetsudo Co., a local bus operator, multiple times

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan has no plans at present for a meeting between the Japanese and Russian foreign ministers, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Monday. The comments by Kihara came at a press conference after Moscow suggested that the two

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday left open the possibility of her government calling for energy savings amid supply concerns linked to the war in Iran. “We will not rule out any possibility and will respond flexibly”

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan is not currently in a situation where there would be a major domestic impact in the wake of a hantavirus outbreak confirmed on a cruise ship during a voyage in the Atlantic Ocean, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru

Washington, May 10 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday that he will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Tuesday during a trip to the East Asian nation. Bessent is

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly rose over 600 points to hit a new record intraday high on Monday morning thanks to purchases following gains in U.S. high-tech issues late last week. At 9:21 a.m., the index

Niigata, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A private high school in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, one of whose students was killed in a microbus crash last week said Sunday that it had arranged buses through Kanbara Tetsudo Co., a local bus operator, multiple times

Washington, May 10 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday that he will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Tuesday during a trip to the East Asian nation. Bessent is

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese national who disembarked from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius arrived in Britain on Monday aboard a charter flight arranged by the British government, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. The individual is “in good health,” according

Washington, May 10 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday that he will visit Japan from Monday for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama the following day. The U.S. and Japanese officials

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)–Convenience stores in Japan, long an essential part of daily life, are seeking to serve as disaster response hubs that help sustain nearby residents in times of major natural disasters. By leveraging their nationwide store networks, convenience store

Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref., May 11 (Jiji Press)–Passengers of a train running in Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, on Sunday complained of a foreign odor, and a woman was sent to hospital. Around 4:35 p.m., a fire department received an emergency call reporting

Washington, May 10 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said on X, formerly Twitter, that he will visit Japan from Monday for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama the next day. Bessent is expected to

Tokyo, May 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan will consider whether to call China a “threat” in the upcoming revision of its three major security-related documents by year-end. Tensions between the two Asian countries have increased markedly since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s parliamentary remarks on

Tokyo, May 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan is diversifying shipping routes for crude oil from the Middle East as the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues. Some tankers were confirmed to be heading for Japan, avoiding navigation through the strait. Japan is

New York, May 9 (Jiji Press)–The fifth Japan Parade event to promote Japanese culture was held in Manhattan, New York, on Saturday. About 100 organizations, such as companies, schools and groups of people from various prefectures, took part in the event. Participants

Tokyo, May 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan will fully digitalize the civil litigation procedures May 21, allowing litigants to resolve their disputes online without ever attending court in person. “This is a change that has a great impact and is the centerpiece of the

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Koji Suzuki, the Japanese author known for horror novels including “Ring,” died at a Tokyo hospital Friday. He was 68. In 1990, he made his debut as a novelist with “Rakuen” (Paradise), which won a superior prize of

Jakarta, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Police authorities in Indonesia’s Surabaya have detained foreigners including Japanese nationals for their suspected involvement in fraud, according to Indonesian media reports. The Surabaya authorities announced the development Friday, while the Japanese Consulate-General in the major city in

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–More Japanese local governments are extracting phosphorus from sewage sludge for fertilizer, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on imports amid increasing global prices reflecting the Middle East tensions. Phosphorus, essential for crop cultivation, is imported almost entirely

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese group of forestry organizations launched an online timber marketplace in February to match forest owners with buyers nationwide. About 30 businesses, mainly buyers, had registered on the platform by the end of April, with timber listings

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan still faces a tough road ahead over the construction of a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture, whose completion date has been moved back 27 times. With less than a year to go until the