Hida, Gifu Pref., June 1 (Jiji Press)–An artificial intelligence-powered system that detects bears and automatically sprays repellent is being tested in the central Japan prefecture of Gifu in response to a rise in bear incursions into populated areas. The system, dubbed AIBeS,

(Last para should have read “… that became the first to make informal job offers …,” instead of as sent) Tokyo, June 1 (Jiji Press)–Recruitment activities, such as job interviews, for college students scheduled to graduate next spring were given the official

Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association June 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 118,003 units Down 2.1 pct Passenger Cars 89,424 Down 2.3 Trucks 28,579 Down 1.6 -Brand- Suzuki 42,124 Down 3.0 Daihatsu 35,928 Down 0.7 Mitsubishi 4,143 Down 19.1 Subaru 921 Down

Japan Automobile Dealers Association June 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 214,994 units Up 5.6 pct Over-2,000-c.c. Cars 120,416 Up 3.5 Smaller Cars 67,070 Up 8.7 Trucks 26,589 Up 6.5 Buses 919 Up 56.8 -Brand- Daihatsu 2,265 Up 22.8 Honda 23,989 Up 7.7 Lexus

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–The parliamentary affairs chiefs of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance have agreed on a deliberation schedule for the government’s draft fiscal 2026 supplementary budget. At a meeting Friday, Hiroshi Kajiyama of

Tokyo, June 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese nonfinancial companies’ combined ordinary profits grew 14.6 pct from a year earlier to 32,627.1 billion yen in January-March, the Finance Ministry said Monday. The rise was driven by growing demand related to artificial intelligence data centers and

Tokyo, June 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly gained more than 900 points to top 67,000 for the first time on Monday morning, supported by expectations for continued U.S.-Iran negotiations over the Middle East situation. At 10:27 a.m., the

Seoul, June 1 (Jiji Press)–South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Sunday told reporters that he and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, discussed a possible bilateral acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA, during their meeting in Singapore on Saturday, South Korea’s Yonhap

Tokyo, June 1 (Jiji Press)–Cannabis abuse is becoming widespread among young people in Japan, especially in Tokyo. In 2025, people in their 20s and younger accounted for more than 70 pct of all those taken into police custody or otherwise processed in

Singapore, June 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi paid attention to wording over China during his latest three-day visit to Singapore for participation in the Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue. In his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue

Niigata, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi won his third four-year term in Sunday’s gubernatorial election in the central Japan prefecture. The 68-year-old governor was backed by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the prefectural chapter of the LDP’s coalition partner,

Kagoshima, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa inspected Eneos Corp.’s Kiire oil storage base in the southwestern Japan city of Kagoshima on Sunday. Kiire is one of the facilities from which state oil reserves were released earlier this year following

Hakui, Ishikawa Pref., May 31 (Jiji Press)–Crested ibises, a Japanese natural monument, were released into the wild in the city of Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, Sunday, marking the first time that such an event was held in the country’s Honshu main

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his daughter, Princess Aiko, watched a university baseball game at the Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Sunday. They watched a game between Waseda University and Keio University in the spring tournament

Singapore, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro affirmed Sunday that talks will be launched on the export of surface-to-ship missiles from Japan to the Southeast Asian nation. Koizumi revealed this in talks with reporters

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his daughter, Princess Aiko, watched a university baseball game at the Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward on Sunday. They watched a game between Waseda University and Keio University in the spring tournament

Silicon Valley, May 30 (Jiji Press)–The death toll from a chemical tank rupture at a plant of a U.S. unit of Japan’s Nippon Paper Industries Co. has totaled 11. Fire authorities in Longview in the western U.S. state of Washington said Saturday

Singapore, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Sunday the recent revisions of the country’s three principles on defense equipment transfers and their implementation guidelines, which have basically made its arms exports possible, are designed to “tangibly strengthen deterrence and

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Moves to launch a new party have emerged among three opposition parties in Japan, Jiji Press learned Sunday. The moves came in the course of talks on the possible integration of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and

Singapore, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Sunday the recent revisions of the country’s three principles on defense equipment transfers and their implementation guidelines, which have basically made its arms exports possible, will help boost deterrence in the region.

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–SoftBank Group Corp. said Sunday that it will develop 5-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center capacity in France at an investment of up to 75 billion euros. This will mark one of the largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry is set to ban the production, sale, possession and use of cannabinol, or CBN, an ingredient derived from cannabis, from June. An animal experiment conducted following reports of apparent health hazards associated with CBN has

Brussels, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Yo Kitamura of Japan won the fifth prize in the cello division of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels on Sunday. In the final selection process joined by 12 cellists, Kitamura, 22, who is from the city

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–With Sunday marking World No Tobacco Day designated by the World Health Organization, experts urge Japan to introduce pictorial warnings about the dangers of smoking on tobacco packages. Many countries require cigarette packages to display images warning of

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling and opposition parties are divided over the government’s draft fiscal 2026 supplementary budget, for which parliamentary debates are set to start Wednesday. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes to have the extra budget enacted quickly. While a

Brussels, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Yo Kitamura of Japan won the fifth prize in the cello division of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium on Sunday. In the final selection process among 12 cellists, Kitamura, 22, who is from the city of

Kyoto, May 31 (Jiji Press)–Nidec Corp. President Mitsuya Kishida has said the major Japanese motor maker will suspend business acquisitions for the time being to focus its efforts on reconstructing the firm rocked by accounting and product quality fraud. Business acquisitions have

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–A total of 10 countries, including Japan, the United States, South Korea and Britain, have issued a joint statement demanding the implementation of sanctions against North Korea, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday. The statement called on a committee

Singapore, May 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed Saturday to further deepen the two countries’ cooperation over China, which is stepping up military coercion. At a meeting in Singapore, they also affirmed a policy

Tokyo, May 30 (Jiji Press)–A large-scale rally was held in Tokyo on Saturday to seek the immediate return home of all Japanese abductees in North Korea. Relatives of those abducted to North Korea decades ago said they wish all victims will come