Tokyo, Jan. 2 (Jiji Press)–Major department stores in Japan started their New Year sales on Friday, the day after 2026 kicked off, offering varieties of “lucky bag” product packages to stimulate buying interest as much as possible amid inflation. Sogo & Seibu

Tokyo, Jan. 2 (Jiji Press)–In a model project by Japan’s internal affairs ministry, municipalities in the countryside are collaborating with university students from urban areas, in order to leverage young people’s ideas for regional revitalization. The project is aimed at securing human

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref., Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–A memorial ceremony for the victims of the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake in central Japan was held in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on the disaster’s second anniversary on Thursday. The ceremony was

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref., Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–A memorial ceremony for the victims of the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake in central Japan was held in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on the disaster’s second anniversary on Thursday. The ceremony was

Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–The New Year’s Greetings ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday, the first day of 2026, with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako receiving greetings from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and others. In the morning,

Beijing, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–China appears to be approaching South Korea to form a joint diplomatic front against Japan amid bilateral tensions triggered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on a Taiwan contingency. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor

Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–In her New Year’s message on Thursday, the first day of 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that she will press ahead with necessary reforms, without fearing change. Noting that the new year marks the 100th anniversary

Kamakura, Kanagawa Pref., Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–Natsuko Nakatani creates “kamishibai” picture shows that bring to life stories drawn from myths and the experiences of people in areas devastated by the major earthquake that struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day 2024.

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–More than 900 applications needed to close family graves have been filed in the Okunoto area of central Japan since it was hit by the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. The pace of applications is 2.5

Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese retailers are competing to offer low-priced goods as consumers continue to keep their purse strings tight amid inflation. While it is increasingly difficult for retailers to differentiate their goods from rivals’ in terms of prices due to

Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)–In his New Year’s message on Thursday, Japanese Emperor Naruhito reflected anew on the preciousness of Japan’s peace today. After recalling the tragedies of World War II last year, which marked the 80th anniversary of the war’s end,

(Adnkronos) – Chinese leader Xi Jinping is ready to maintain “close” contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin for “continuous new progress” in bilateral relations. The official Chinese agency Xinhua reports a New Year’s greeting message from Xi to Putin in which the

(Adnkronos) – Israel’s High Court of Justice has blocked with an interim order the investigation by the State Comptroller and Ombudsman, Matanyahu Englman, into internal responsibilities for the failure to protect against the bloody attacks of October 7, 2023, by Hamas.  

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese business delegation will postpone a planned visit to Beijing, the Japan-China Economic Association said Wednesday. Representatives from the association, the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry were scheduled to

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref., Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–The proportion of households that received additional financial support on top of basic disaster relief for rebuilding homes damaged by the Jan. 1, 2024, earthquake stands at only about 30 pct in six municipalities in the

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–Yomeishu Seizo Co. has canceled preferential negotiation rights it granted to U.S. investment fund KKR to take the Japanese company private, according to the herbal health tonic maker. KKR had planned to launch a tender offer to acquire

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese business delegation will postpone a planned visit to Beijing, the Japan-China Economic Association said Wednesday. Representatives from the association, the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry were scheduled to

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref., Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–Over 18,000 people are still living in temporary housing two years after a massive earthquake in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan left about 700 people dead or unaccounted for. While infrastructure restoration

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has conveyed its concerns to China over its military exercises around Taiwan, Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Toshihiro Kitamura said in a statement released Wednesday. “The recent military exercises conducted by the Chinese military around Taiwan

(Adnkronos) – The first documents for the peace plan will be ready in January. Meanwhile, Ukraine hopes that Donald Trump will agree to send American soldiers to secure the end of the war with Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky reiterates that he is ready

(Adnkronos) – Russia has a new objective in the war with Ukraine. Moscow is trying to isolate the Odesa region from the rest of the country, particularly by conducting attacks against infrastructure. The strategy appears clear, based on information released by Ukrainian

(Adnkronos) – “We have always provided aid to Ukraine and will continue to do so as long as necessary: for us it is a battle for freedom. Then, of course, we hope the war ends as soon as possible, which is why

(Adnkronos) – Chinese military ships and Coast Guard units of the Asian giant mobilized for the large-scale military exercises near Taiwan are leaving the waters around the island. This was announced by Taiwan’s Coast Guard, which is de facto independent, but for

(Adnkronos) – The former minister and presidential candidate for Mas in the last Bolivian elections, Eduardo del Castillo, has been released. He had been detained yesterday as he was about to board a flight from Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz, bound

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party’s loss of Komeito as its coalition partner is causing a headache for the main ruling party, as their electoral cooperation provided the LDP with the votes needed to beat opposition candidates in head-to-head

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration has begun studying legislation aimed at preventing information theft by foreign entities. While the measure has gained support from lawmakers, including opposition party members, concerns remain that the government could strengthen its

Tokyo, Dec. 31 (Jiji Press)–Few members of Japan’s conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party, even those who are considered relatively liberal, dare to openly criticize their ultraconservative leader, Sanae Takaichi, also prime minister, amid unabated high public support for her. Now that the

Tokyo, Dec. 30 (Jiji Press)–Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his Christmas and New Year’s greetings to U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders, but not to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The Russian presidential office on Tuesday announced a list

(Adnkronos) – “China ignores the international community’s expectations for peace and insists on undermining regional stability with military intimidation.” This is the denunciation from Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te (William Lai), as China continues its large-scale military maneuvers around Taiwan, a de facto

(Adnkronos) – Russia claims control of other localities in the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv. According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, Russian media report, Lukyanovskoye, in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Bohuslavka, in the Kharkiv region, are in the hands