Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan will host its first summit with five Central Asian nations from Friday, aiming to deepen cooperation with the resource-rich region and strengthen supply chains. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will chair the two-day meeting in Tokyo and

Nara, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday sought a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun in the western city of Nara in July 2022. In the

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People agreed at a meeting of their tax panel chairs on Thursday to raise the taxable income threshold from the current 1.6 million yen to 1.78

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese internal affairs minister Toranosuke Katayama, who served as co-chief of the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai), died of old age at a hospital in Tokyo on Thursday. He was 90. Katayama, a native of

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and ruling parties decided Thursday to implement a planned income tax hike in January 2027, as part of efforts to secure funding for increased defense spending. The decision, which will be included in the ruling

Nara, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday sought a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the western city of Nara in July 2022. In the 15th hearing of the

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito held a meeting with visiting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday. In addition to the 20-minute meeting, Emperor Naruhito and the Kazakh leader had an hour-long luncheon at the

Washington, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Bipartisan U.S. senators on Wednesday introduced a resolution expressing support for Japan and condemning China’s economic and military pressure amid Tokyo-Beijing tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency. The resolution criticizes Beijing

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling bloc and opposition Komeito on Thursday agreed to pay a monthly fee of 5,200 yen per student to make public elementary school meals free, starting in fiscal 2026. A survey by the education ministry showed that

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Two helicopters of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force were hit by laser beams over Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the GSDF has said. There was no damage to the helicopters or injuries to crew members on

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan is expected to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to a 30-year-high of 0.75 pct on Friday, its first increase since January. Policymakers at the central bank apparently think that companies

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Thursday welcomed the United States’ decision to extend Japan’s import permit for the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in Russia’s Far East. “The extension of an exemption from sanctions has been

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People agreed at a meeting of their tax panel chairs on Thursday to raise the taxable income threshold from the current 1.6 million yen to 1.78

(Adnkronos) – The Russian Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service (FSB) thwarted “a terrorist plot” that targeted an administrative building in Volgodonsk, Rostov region, in southern Russia. The FSB reported this to Tass, adding that they arrested a student with 10

(Adnkronos) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that his government will crack down on hate speech following Sunday’s deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, which targeted a Jewish festival. Fifteen people were killed when two gunmen opened fire during a ceremony

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government conducted for the first time a tabletop exercise under the scenario of a major infrastructure disruption, given an increase in cyberattacks globally. Some 300 people from related government organizations and infrastructure businesses, including electricity and

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co. said Thursday that it will start over-the-counter sales of an emergency contraceptive pill in Japan on Feb. 2, marking the first time in the country that such a pill will be sold without a

Suita, Osaka Pref., Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, showed to the press Wednesday its recently completed facility to preserve its train that crashed in April 2005 to kill 106 passengers and the train’s driver. JR West has

Nara, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese public prosecutors sought a life sentence Thursday for defendant Tetsuya Yamagami on charges of murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun in 2022. In the 15th hearing of the lay-judge trial at Nara District

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese and U.S. officials met online on Thursday to discuss which U.S. projects will receive Japanese funding as part of a trade agreement between the two countries, the Japanese government said. The two sides confirmed that they will

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency aims to submit a bill to tighten rules on drone flights near key facilities based on a report by an expert team released Thursday. The team proposed expanding the no-fly zones to about 1,000

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday approved a government plan to increase state funds provided for the development of Okinawa Prefecture by 500 million yen from the previous year to 264.7 billion yen in fiscal 2026. The

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government and ruling bloc plan to extend a corporate tax break program for companies relocating their headquarters functions from Tokyo’s 23 special wards to regional areas for two years until the end of March 2028, Jiji Press

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. may post a consolidated net profit of 2 trillion yen earlier than the currently expected period of around 2030, President Toru Nakashima has said. On the back of brisk domestic business, the

Iwata, Shizuoka Pref., Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Yamaha Motor Co. plans to release a 125 cc moped model meeting new emissions rules in March, its president, Motofumi Shitara, has said. The company hopes to make sure that “people find it easy to

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Environment Ministry plans to introduce a permit system for scrap yard operations as part of efforts to tighten regulations in the sector, informed sources have told Jiji Press. The permit system is being considered in response to

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Honda Motor Co. plans to reduce vehicle production at some plants in Japan and China from late this month through early January due to a shortage of semiconductors, company officials said Wednesday. In Japan, the company will suspend

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and British Defense Secretary John Healey have shared serious concerns over China’s moves, including a recent joint flight by Chinese and Russian bombers off the Pacific coast. In a videoconference held Wednesday, Koizumi

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The extraordinary Diet session, which concluded on Wednesday, exposed instability in the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October, while her cabinet maintained high approval ratings. During the session, Takaichi occasionally jeopardized her

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–More than half of cases reported to Japanese police of sexual deepfakes targeting those aged under 18 were created with the involvement of students from the same schools as the victims, National Police Agency data have shown. This