Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan at around 4:27 p.m. on Tuesday, measuring up to 7, the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale. The quake struck at a depth of about 10 kilometers

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s key Nikkei 225 stock average slumped again on Tuesday as heavy selling hit artificial intelligence- and semiconductor-related stocks. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section closed at 62,364.92, down 2,566.27

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–The amount of domestic rice consumed as a staple food in Japan in the year from July 2025 hit a record low of 6.83 million tons on a preliminary basis in terms of brown rice, it was learned

Sapporo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors have sought a 30-year prison sentence for a teenager in a high-profile group assault case in which a 20-year-old university student died in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, in 2024. During Monday’s hearing at Sapporo District Court in the

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Immigration Services Agency will hire 226 more employees to bolster its operations amid an increase in foreign residents in the country, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said Tuesday. Through the addition of 176 immigration inspectors and 50 immigration

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government released human resources reform plans Tuesday, including expansion of the reduced working hours program for national public servants. Specifically, the government will consider allowing its regular employees to cut working hours for health reasons and

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Chinese automaker BYD Co. on Tuesday released its first electric minivehicle designed exclusively for the Japanese market. The new model, named Racco, starts at 2,145,000 yen. This means that the vehicle is available at as low as 1,995,000

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has decided to present the People’s Honor Award to retired speedskating star Miho Takagi at the prime minister’s office on Aug. 4, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tuesday. During a press conference, Kihara emphasized

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency said Tuesday that it has certified four food banks, which collect surplus food from companies and others for free supply to organizations working to support people in need. It is the first time that

Naha, Okinawa Pref., July 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Coast Guard searched Doshisha International Senior High School on Saturday following the fatal capsizing of two small boats used in a school study trip in Okinawa Prefecture, the school operator said Tuesday. The JCG’s

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Tuesday drew up a package of emergency measures for crime prevention, including a proposal to consider attaching GPS equipment to stalkers to prevent them from approaching victims. Authorities such as the National Police Agency aim

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday emphasized her readiness to decide on the proposed two-year consumption tax cut for food items. “I will make a decision when I have to,” Takaichi, also president of the ruling Liberal

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Consultations by victims of sextortion are rising in Japan. A portmanteau of “sex” and “extortion,” sextortion describes a situation in which individuals experience physical and emotional control or face financial demands by perpetrators weaponizing sexual images taken without

Osaka, July 28 (Jiji Press)–International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane has asked Japan for cooperation to counter the pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for ICC member countries to withdraw from the court based in The Hague, the Netherlands. “Japan is

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks came under heavy selling pressure on Tuesday morning, with the benchmark Nikkei average briefly losing more than 3,000 points. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section finished the morning

Fukushima, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s new chairman, Keisuke Yokoo, has emphasized the firm’s determination to continue supporting Fukushima Prefecture more than 15 years after an unprecedented triple meltdown at its tsunami-stricken nuclear plant in the northeastern Japan

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Momentum is building in both Japan’s ruling and opposition parties to support medical institutions offering confidential childbirth services and to establish a system in which only designated hospital staff would have access to a mother’s identity. For women

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese suprapartisan council gave up reaching a consensus Monday on a proposed two-year consumption tax cut for food items, leaving a decision up to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. At the day’s meeting of a working group under

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks came under heavy selling pressure Tuesday morning, with the benchmark Nikkei average losing more than 2,600 points. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section stood at 62,307.83 at 9:32

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–Outgoing British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom has underscored her confidence about deeper bilateral relations under the new administration of her country. “I expect that relations with Japan under (new British) Prime Minister (Andy) Burnham will continue to

(Adnkronos) – Hamburg police are planning strengthened security measures for the Pride events taking place this weekend in the northern German city, following the attack that caused one death and 29 injuries in Berlin. A police spokesperson announced that law enforcement is

(Adnkronos) – The 31-year-old man who was arrested and attacked, armed with two knives, three women in Paris, Porte de Clichy, “made incoherent statements”. This was stated by the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez, updating on the attack that occurred at

(Adnkronos) – Chad has announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the Court’s effectiveness is “limited” and uneven. “This decision is the result of an in-depth analysis of the functioning of the International Criminal Court since

(The fourth paragraph should have read, “…a work in his Detective Galileo series…”, instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Popular Japanese Novelist Keigo Higashino Dies at 68 Tokyo, July 27 (Jiji Press)–Popular Japanese author Keigo Higashino, known for his mystery

Tokyo, July 27 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese labor ministry panel failed to reach a conclusion Monday on a hike in the country’s minimum wages for fiscal 2026. The Central Minimum Wages Council, which advises the labor minister, will hold another round of meetings

Tokyo, July 27 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that her administration will shortly submit to parliament a bill proposing a consumption tax cut on food products. At a press conference after an extended session of the Diet, the country’s

Tokyo, July 27 (Jiji Press)–An expert committee of Japan’s Justice Ministry broadly approved a draft report Monday on civil liability for the unauthorized use of the voices of famous individuals through generative artificial intelligence. The report said that voices would be subject

Tokyo, July 27 (Jiji Press)–Fukuoka High Court on Monday ordered the prefectural government of Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, to pay damages jointly with the Japanese government over the wrongful conviction in a 1985 murder case in Kumamoto. Presiding Judge Takeshi Okada overturned a

Tokyo, July 27 (Jiji Press)–Popular Japanese author Keigo Higashino, known for his mystery novels, died of colorectal cancer in the early hours of Thursday. He was 68. Higashino, a native of the western prefecture of Osaka, published his first novel, “Hokago” (After-School

(Adnkronos) – The Sudanese army has regained control of an important highway connecting the capital Khartoum with the strategic city of El-Obeid, which is a logistical hub of great importance in Central Sudan, two military sources told AFP today.  The advance pushed