Tokyo, April 5 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday denied a reported naphtha supply shortage and her reported refusal to attend parliamentary deliberations, complaining about media reports not based on facts. In an X post, Takaichi said there was a

(The sixth paragraph should have read, “To the Middle East,…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) INTERVIEW: Japan Should Lead Efforts toward U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Tokyo, April 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan should take a proactive role in realizing an early ceasefire over

By Sakurako Nakagawa Chiayi, Taiwan, April 5 (Jiji Press)–Futuristic skyscrapers, popular bubble tea shops and lively night street markets–talking of a trip to Taiwan, many would imagine visiting Taipei. However, the southern city of Chiayi, which hosted this year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival,

By Sakurako Nakagawa Chiayi, Taiwan, April 5 (Jiji Press)–Taiwanese artist Wang Wen-chih, who created one of the highlights of this year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival, has expressed hope for cultural exchanges with Japan through art, recalling his experience at art festivals there. For

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–Two elementary school sisters from Tokyo have discovered a rare cicada fossil dating back about 300,000 years by breaking open a rock sold as a souvenir by a museum. The Middle Pleistocene fossil was found by Maho Shinomiya,

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–A liquefied petroleum gas carrier affiliated with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. has become the second Japan-linked vessel that crossed the Strait of Hormuz under a de facto blockade, it was learned Saturday. The ship is the Indian-flagged LPG

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–The second son of Chizuo Matsumoto, former leader of the now-defunct Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government to seek damages for an attempted inspection of his home, Jiji Press learned Friday. The 32-year-old

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–A liquefied petroleum gas carrier affiliated with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. has become the second Japan-linked vessel that crossed the Strait of Hormuz under a de facto blockade, it was learned Saturday. The ship is the Indian-flagged LPG

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–Members of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have voiced opposition to a bill to reform the retrial system that the government is considering submitting. At an LDP meeting to check a draft of the bill, objections were raised

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–An investigative group of lawyers has blasted the University of Tokyo over recent corruption scandals, urging the prestigious national university to reform its governance system. “The self-correcting function is seriously lacking in the organization as a whole,” the

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Self-Defense Forces conducted weapons protection missions 11 times in 2025 to safeguard foreign military ships and aircraft, the Defense Ministry has said. The foreign military asset protection activities were carried out under national security-related laws for the

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Children and Families Agency has established a system to subsidize costs required for procedures to seize salaries and assets to secure child support payments from former spouses. The subsidy system was created in line with the revised

Washington, April 3 (Jiji Press)–The International Monetary Fund recommended on Friday that the Bank of Japan continue to gradually raise its policy rate toward a neutral level to bring down underlying inflation. The BOJ should “continue to move the policy rate toward

Tokyo, April 4 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is planning to consider carefully whether it will ask companies and the general public to cut back on electricity and petroleum product consumption, several government sources said Friday. Amid concerns over a possible prolonged military

(Adnkronos) – The scandal over the misappropriation of European agricultural subsidies has led to multiple resignations at the highest political levels in Greece. The Minister of Civil Protection and Agriculture, as well as an Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, resigned today

(Adnkronos) – Mount Everest guides in Nepal have for years caused intoxication to their clients as part of a scam that generated $20 million in insurance fraud. The Nepalese central investigative office has accused 32 ‘sherpas’ in connection with the fraud, which

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–Crude oil shippments bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, are expected to arrive in Japan from May, Japanese industry ministry officials said Friday. Japan will import crude oil shipped from ports in the United

(Adnkronos) – Donald Trump has proposed a budget for the Pentagon of 1500 billion dollars for 2027, a figure that represents a 42% increase, or 445 billion more, compared to the current budget, already considered colossal. According to what was announced today,

(Adnkronos) – The golf champion Tiger Woods reportedly told an officer he was “on the phone with the president” Donald Trump after the accident on March 27 in Florida, according to a video from the officers’ bodycam. The images, related to the

(Adnkronos) – Public transport in Islamabad will be free for all citizens. This was announced on X by Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, after the government drastically increased fuel prices due to the surge in global energy costs caused by the war

(Adnkronos) – An American pilot was reportedly captured in Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pasdaran, after an F-35 was shot down. This was reported by the Tasnim news agency, while Axios had reported on the downed fighter jet and

(Adnkronos) – Kim Jong-un back in public with his ‘beloved’ Ju-ae. Kim’s daughter strokes a cat in one of the latest photos released by Pyongyang media. Kim visited several businesses about to open in a neighborhood of the North Korean capital. Also

(Adnkronos) – It’s called Pet TV. 24/7 streaming TV for dogs and cats. Conceived in China by tech giant Tencent to ‘fill’ the days of four-legged friends when their owners are away from home. And to keep them glued to the screen,

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Financial Services Agency plans to conditionally ease capital adequacy regulations for banks to encourage investment in companies, Jiji Press learned Friday. The plan is to reduce capital buffers against loss risks while still maintaining fiscal soundness, informed

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–A Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. vessel carrying liquefied natural gas has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently under a de facto blockade by Iran, it was learned Friday. This is likely the first Japanese-affiliated vessel

Osaka, April 3 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese industrial gases supplier Air Water Inc. said Friday that it had overstated its operating profit by a total of 21.2 billion yen over six years from fiscal 2019. Over the scandal, the company also said that

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–A series of fatal accidents and violations involving regenerative medicine have occurred in Japan in patient-paid care, including beauty care and cancer treatment, prompting health authorities to review related systems. Regenerative medicine, which uses cells or genes to

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–An expert panel on Friday broadly approved a draft revision of Japan’s corporate governance code presented by the Financial Services Agency and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The draft urges listed companies to examine whether they are effectively using

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will strengthen its calls for Myanmar to improve the Southeast country’s internal situation following the election of former military chief Min Aung Hlaing as president, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday. “It’s essential

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)–Prices of rice sold from March 23 through Sunday in Japan averaged 3,935 yen per 5 kilograms, down 43 yen from the previous week, marking a seventh straight weekly decline, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The average price