Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government said Thursday it plans to designate the five years beginning in fiscal 2027 as an intensive investment period and identify 17 priority sectors, such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors, in its growth strategy implementation program

Kyoto, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui announced plans Thursday to introduce a dual pricing system for visitors to the Nijo-jo castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the western Japan city, differentiating between locals and others. The admission fee for

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan and Germany on Thursday signed a memorandum of cooperation on the evacuation of each other’s citizens in the event of a conflict or disaster in a third country. The memorandum was signed by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–New Okinawa Governor Genta Koja urged the Japanese government on Wednesday to give sufficient explanation about its defense buildup in the country’s southwest. “I will not unconditionally accept” the defense buildup in the region, including his

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori, who has announced his retirement from competition at the end of this season, was eliminated from his final tournament, the Japan Open, on Thursday. In a first-round match at Ariake Tennis Park in

Paris, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–“Shichiken Hoshi no Kagayaki Sparkling,” a Japanese sake brand of Yamanashi Meijo Co. in Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, won the President’s Award, the top prize, in the sake category at the 2026 Kura Master competition in France on

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

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The only working ion engine on Japan’s Hayabusa2 unmanned probe, which is on an extended mission to its new target asteroid after bringing samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth in December 2020, has broken down, it was learned

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–A former Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force member admitted to trespassing at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo in March, during the first court hearing of his trial at Tokyo District Court on Thursday. According to the indictment, Kodai Murata,

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government put its active cyberdefense program into operation on Thursday to stop major cyberattacks preemptively. The program involves police and the Self-Defense Forces hacking into servers when they detect signs of a cyberattack, in order to

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Masayoshi Arai has visited South Korea, marking the first visit by a GSDF chief in 17 years, according to Japan’s Ground Staff Office. During the two-day visit, made at the

Kakegawa, Shizuoka Pref., Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Minoru Yasui, new president of Chubu Electric Power Co., pledged Thursday to reform corporate governance following a series of misconduct cases involving its nuclear plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. Yasui met with Masaru Shimomura, mayor

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged more than 2,000 points on Thursday, amid intensified buying of stocks related to artificial intelligence. The index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section finished

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to cautiously explore ways to improve relations with China, after former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other senior Beijing officials during a recent trip to China. While

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–A Bank of Japan policymaker said at the BOJ’s latest policy-setting meeting that the central bank needs to accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes, a summary of opinions at the Sept. 17-18 meeting showed Thursday. At the

Washington, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan and 27 other countries and regions agreed Wednesday on a comprehensive framework for joint action to address steel excess capacity, calling for monitoring exports through third-party countries to circumvent trade regulations. The framework, adopted at a meeting

Japan Automobile Dealers Association Oct. 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 271,900 units Up 2.5 pct Over-2,000-c.c. Cars 165,208 Up 4.2 Smaller Cars 71,085 Up 0.2 Trucks 34,561 Down 1.3 Buses 1,046 Up 23.1 -Brand- Daihatsu 1,535 Down 12.9 Honda 30,656 Down 2.2 Lexus

Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association Oct. 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 161,783 units Down 0.6 pct Passenger Cars 124,450 Down 2.7 Trucks 37,333 Up 7.0 -Brand- Suzuki 51,792 Down 4.9 Daihatsu 47,748 Up 1.0 Mitsubishi 8,482 Up 44.6 Subaru 1,383 Down

Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association Oct. 1 Yr/Yr Change Total 787,886 units Down 2.5 pct Passenger Cars 606,771 Down 2.5 Trucks 181,115 Down 2.2 -Brand- Suzuki 268,799 Down 3.7 Daihatsu 232,153 Down 6.0 Mitsubishi 34,214 Up 3.2 Subaru 6,448 Down

By Sakurako Nakagawa Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan-India Association Chairman Fumio Kishida, former prime minister, has voiced determination to strengthen bilateral people-to-people exchanges to contribute to peace and development for not only the two countries but also the international community. India’s young

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,