Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will launch a framework of strategic partnership with the Mercosur trade bloc as early as Saturday to discuss stronger economic ties, it was learned Friday. The government will work to hold the first meeting under

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Fair Trade Commission on Friday recognized bid-rigging by Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, and five other firms regarding inspection work for bridges installed over railroad tracks in violation of the antimonopoly law, ordering them to

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. military has rejected Okinawa’s requests to conduct on-site inspections at U.S. bases in the southernmost Japan prefecture, after per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, were detected around the facilities, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Friday. The

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield, the country’s key long-term interest rate, hit a 26-year high in Tokyo trading Friday in a bond sell-off after the Bank of Japan’s decision to raise interest rates. The yield on

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government kept its basic view on the domestic economy unchanged for a fourth consecutive month on Friday. “The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace, while the effects caused from the U.S. trade policies are

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Sony Group Corp. said Friday it will make Peanuts Holdings LLC, the U.S. company holding the copyright for the popular comic strip “Peanuts,” known for its beloved character, Snoopy, a consolidated subsidiary. The Japanese entertainment giant will

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–In a worst-case situation, up to around 18,000 people would be killed chiefly in Tokyo and its three neighboring prefectures if a powerful inland earthquake with a magnitude of around 7 occurs in the heart of the capital,

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese real interest rates are “very low” even after the Bank of Japan’s decision to implement its first interest rate hike since January, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said Friday. At a press conference following the BOJ’s policy-setting meeting

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Buichiro Kuroda, vice grand steward of Japan’s Imperial Household Agency, will be promoted to grand steward, effective on Wednesday, the government said Friday. Kuroda, 65, will replace Yasuhiko Nishimura, 70, who will step down after six years in

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. President Eisaku Ito has expressed the company’s readiness to support the revival of Japan’s shipbuilding industry by taking the leadership in ship designing and development with its technological prowess. “We can contribute with our

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan on Friday decided to raise its policy interest rate to a level unseen in 30 years, in its first rate hike since January this year. At a two-day meeting from Thursday, the BOJ’s nine-member

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Institute of Science Tokyo is expected to be the second university eligible to receive aid from a Japanese government-financed 10-trillion-yen fund to support universities, according to a report by a government panel released Friday. In the report,

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his New Zealand counterpart, Judith Collins, on Friday agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in the security field amid China’s increasingly hegemonic moves in the Indo-Pacific region. Also on Friday, the Japanese and

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield, the country’s key long-term interest rate, hit a 26-year high in Tokyo trading Friday in a bond sell-off after the Bank of Japan’s decision to raise interest rates. The yield on

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan remains committed to the three non-nuclear principles of not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them and not permitting their entry into the country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday. “The government is firmly maintaining the three

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the latest issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, rose to 2.00 pct in Tokyo trading Friday, reaching the highest level since May 2006. JGBs were hit by

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government and ruling parties are considering convening next year’s ordinary session of the Diet, the country’s parliament, on Jan. 23, 2026, informed sources said Friday. The session is expected to run for 150 days until June 21.

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan on Friday decided to raise its policy interest rate to a level unseen in 30 years in its first rate hike since January this year. At a two-day meeting from Thursday, the BOJ’s nine-member

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The number of criminal law violations recognized in Japan in 2024 rose 4.9 pct from the previous year to 737,679, increasing for the third straight year and returning to almost the same level as 2019, before the COVID-19

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core consumer price index in November rose 3.0 pct from a year earlier, lifted by continued increases in food prices and higher electricity bills, government data showed Friday. The core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food prices,

Toyama, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Loved by many children in Japan for decades for its colorful covers featuring photographs of insects and plants, the Japonica Gakushucho school notebook series has gone through a revamp to now feature illustrations on the covers. Under the

New York, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday condemning North Korea’s human rights violations, including its abductions of Japanese and other foreign nationals. The General Assembly endorsed a similar resolution for the 21st consecutive year. The resolution,

(Adnkronos) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against two judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing them of “illegitimate harassment” against Israel. Haaretz reports that the measures target Gocha Lordkipanidze, a Georgian citizen, and Erdenebalsuren Damdin, of

(Adnkronos) – In a hypothetical duel for the White House in 2028, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would narrowly beat Vice President JD Vance. This is what emerges, for the first time in a poll conducted for The Argument magazine, which gives the young

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Prosecutors in the criminal trial of Tetsuya Yamagami for the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe carefully sought to prove the defendant’s responsibility for the attack, appearing to partly hope to dispel conspiracy theories. Rumors, such

(Adnkronos) – Large-scale drone attack in eastern Sudan. A military source told AFP, accusing paramilitaries. The attacks, according to the source, hit an important power plant, three people were killed, and blackouts are reported in the country, which is the scene of

(Adnkronos) – The march through the streets of Brussels by thousands of farmers from all over Europe to protest against European agricultural policy was broken up following unrest and clashes. Shortly after its start, around 12:30 PM near the Gare du Nord,

(Adnkronos) – As Morocco prepares to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations – with the first match on Sunday 21 – the government has come under fire for its repression of “Gen Z 212” youth protests, with hundreds of demonstrators arbitrarily

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–A senior Japanese government official told reporters Thursday that the country should possess nuclear weapons, given the increasingly severe security environment surrounding the country. The official said, however, that it will be difficult to review Japan’s nuclear policy

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s smartphone software competition promotion law came into full effect Thursday to regulate major information technology companies in the smartphone operating system market. The law prohibits Google LLC and Apple Inc. from blocking the use of other companies’