Los Angeles, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese box-office smash “Kokuho” failed to win the Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling in the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. Hairstylist and makeup artist Kyoko Toyokawa, Kabuki makeup artist Naomi Hibino and Kabuki wig

Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government started releasing its oil reserves Monday to tackle the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. In its first such operation in four years, the government

Naha, Okinawa Pref., March 16 (Jiji Press)–Two China Coast Guard ships entered Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Monday. As the Haijing ships attempted to approach a Japanese fishing boat, the Japan Coast Guard moved

Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have agreed to maintain close communication as tensions escalate in the Middle East, Japan’s Defense Ministry said Monday. During a 30-minute phone call on Sunday night, Hegseth

Ginowan, Okinawa Pref., March 16 (Jiji Press)–People in Okinawa Prefecture are increasingly concerned over a series of cases in which mysterious white foam appeared from manholes near U.S. military facilities in the southernmost Japan prefecture. A civic group has asked the U.S.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, March 15 (Jiji Press)–The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games ended on Sunday, with Japan’s medal haul standing at four. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons declared closed the first Winter Paralympics held at dispersed venues at a ceremony in Cortina

Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)–Major conveyor-belt sushi chains in Japan are stepping up efforts to secure sustainable marine resources amid the harsh situation facing the fishing industry, including continued declines in catch volume and a growing shortage of fishing operators. They aim

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese professional sumo wrestler Wakashimazu, who held the rank of ozeki, the second highest in the makuuchi top division, died of illness on Sunday. He was 69. A native of the town of Nakatane on the island

Seoul, March 15 (Jiji Press)–South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that 211 people, including two Japanese, have been evacuated from the Middle East on a South Korean military transport aircraft. This came after Japan earlier this month transported South Korean nationals from

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan and the United States agreed Sunday to launch a framework in which the two countries will act quickly together to prevent disruptions in the supply of critical minerals. The agreement was reached at a bilateral ministerial meeting

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Suspects in a high-profile 423-million-yen robbery case in Tokyo in January purchased luxury items or repaid debts after the incident, it was learned Sunday. They are likely to have used part of the stolen money, investigative sources said.

Seoul, March 15 (Jiji Press)–South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Sunday that three foreigners, including two Japanese, suffered serious injuries in a fire that occurred at a capsule hotel in central Seoul on Saturday afternoon. According to informed sources,

Miami, March 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan lost to Venezuela 8-5 in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday, marking the first time that the Asian powerhouse, a three-time WBC champion, has missed a semifinal spot in the history of the international

Bangkok, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Nippon Izokukai, a Japanese association of war-bereaved families, has ended its overseas memorial services that lasted more than 30 years, due to the aging of participants. Participants of tours organized by the association visited countries where their family

Miami, March 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan lost to Venezuela 8-5 in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday, marking the first time that the Asian powerhouse has missed a semifinal spot in the history of the international baseball tournament. In the

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Parliamentary deliberations on a bill to establish a national intelligence council in Japan may be tough as the opposition side is worried that activities of the new entity could lead to human rights violations. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru

Seoul, March 15 (Jiji Press)–South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that 211 people, including two Japanese, have been evacuated from the Middle East on a South Korean military transport aircraft. This came after Japan earlier this month transported South Korean nationals from

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese ruling party official on Sunday expressed caution over U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Japan and others to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. “We need to carefully consider the matter as the conflict is

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese ruling party official on Sunday expressed caution over U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Japan and others to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. “We need to carefully consider the matter as the conflict is

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–A growing number of women in Japan are building careers and taking on greater responsibilities in industries long dominated by men, including maritime transportation and construction. A government survey found that, as of 2020, women accounted for less

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at its next policymaking meeting from Wednesday while keeping a close watch on the impacts of escalating Middle East tensions on economic activities and prices. The two-day

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa has called on countries and regions in Asia to diversify energy supply sources amid rising Middle East tensions. In an address at an Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum meeting held in

Washington, March 14 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday urged Japan and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil transportation from the Middle East, amid growing tensions over Iran. The strait has been

Tokyo, March 15 (Jiji Press)–Komeito leader Toshiko Takeya has sounded positive on the party’s integration into the Centrist Reform Alliance, a peer in the Japanese opposition camp, in the future. “We are holding careful talks with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan

Washington, March 14 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday called on Japan and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for oil transportation from the Middle East, amid growing tensions over Iran. The strait has

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)–The umbrella body for labor unions at Japanese electronics makers plans to allow member unions to accept pay scale hike offers from management in the ongoing 2026 “shunto” annual wage negotiations if the proposed levels are 12,000 yen

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling bloc pushed the government’s draft fiscal 2026 budget through the House of Representatives on Friday by taking advantage of its “power of majority” in the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, as Prime Minister

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government held a meeting Saturday with residents of Chichijima, an island in Tokyo’s Ogasawara chain in the Pacific, to explain the possibility of selecting another island in the chain as a final disposal site for highly radioactive

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)–Minister-level finance officials of Japan and South Korea held a meeting in Tokyo on Saturday, sharing concern over the rapid depreciation of the two countries’ currencies. A joint statement adopted at the meeting expressed “serious concern over the

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)–A gathering was held in Tokyo on Saturday ahead of the 30th anniversary of the settlement reached in high-profile lawsuits filed by hemophilia patients who were treated with HIV-tainted unheated blood products. The lawsuits were filed in Tokyo