Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Income inequality in Japan was the largest in 2023, reflecting an increase in elderly households earning less than working-generation households, a welfare ministry survey showed Tuesday. The Gini coefficient, a common measure of income inequality ranging from zero

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police on Tuesday dismissed a 43-year-old inspector who was arrested for allegedly leaking investigative information to a group believed to have illegally brokered women it scouted on the street to sex parlors and hostess bars across Japan.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government decided at a meeting of related ministers on Tuesday to consider ending the current subsidy program for large-scale solar power plants in fiscal 2027 amid growing concerns about environmental impacts. The government has promoted solar

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party plan to postpone the formulation of the sixth basic program for promoting gender equality, initially scheduled to be compiled by the end of the year, Jiji Press learned Tuesday.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The impact from the separation of the payload fairing was stronger than usual in Monday’s failed launch of the No. 8 H3 rocket, it was learned Tuesday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, reported this at a

(Adnkronos) – Donald Trump has ordered nearly 30 ambassadors from diplomatic posts around the world to return to the United States within a few weeks, a move that, according to the American foreign service union, is unprecedented in the history of US

(Adnkronos) – Russia has sent weapons and military personnel to Madagascar, in support of Michael Randrianirinaha’s military junta, which seized power last October following a coup, denounced the President of the National Assembly, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, former opposition leader. A Russian military plane

(Adnkronos) – The United States government has announced a bonus worth 3,000 dollars and paid travel for undocumented foreigners who agree to leave the country before the end of the year. “Undocumented immigrants should take advantage of this opportunity and self-deport, because

(Adnkronos) – At least five people are victims of the plane crash that occurred in the waters off the American state of Texas, where a Mexican Navy aircraft engaged in a humanitarian mission crashed. Eight people were on board the plane, the

Taipei, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The mother of a Thai girl who was forced to work illegally at a massage parlor in Tokyo was repatriated to Thailand on Tuesday, Taiwanese immigration authorities said. After leaving her daughter in Japan and traveling from Thailand

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Daiwa Securities Group Inc. plans a pay hike of about 5 pct for its employees for the business year from next April, President Akihiko Ogino said in a recent interview. The company also plans to raise the

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan ranked 28th in labor productivity in 2024 among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, falling by two notches from the previous year, reflecting sluggish economic growth, according to a survey by

New York, Dec. 22 (Jiji Press)–Suntory Global Spirits Inc. will halt production of its bourbon whiskey Jim Beam for a year at its distillery in the U.S. state of Kentucky amid falling demand, it was learned Monday. The weak demand followed U.S.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association on Tuesday urged the government to consider appropriate protection of content, saying that news articles have been used by generative artificial intelligence without permission. The request was included in a written

Sakai, Osaka Pref., Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Sharp Corp. aims to increase the proportion of its home appliances sold overseas to nearly 70 pct in five years, to make up for a decline in domestic sales, President and CEO Masahiro Okitsu said

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Tuesday released a package of measures to eliminate serious lithium-ion battery fires by 2030, following a series of ignition incidents involving the batteries whose use is spreading fast. In the package, drawn up by central

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit Japan as a state guest from Feb. 8 to 10, the Japanese government said Tuesday. It will be the first Japan visit by a UAE president

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The number of children on waiting lists for “gakudo hoiku” after-school care facilities in Japan fell by 1,356 from a year before to 16,330 as of May 1, the first decline in four years, the Children and Families

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government at a cabinet meeting Tuesday adopted a comprehensive strategy on regional revitalization designed to realize a strong economy, a goal set by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration. The strategy, which covers five years from fiscal

Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese nongovernmental organization is giving medical assistance on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, where deadly floods have caused heavy damage with many local residents still evacuated. According to the Indonesian disaster countermeasure agency, the total number of

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has a “free hand” over whether to intervene into the foreign exchange market to stem the yen’s recent rapid depreciation, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Tuesday. Katayama told a news conference that the government will

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Tuesday adopted a new cybersecurity strategy for the next five years, stipulating the creation of a system enabling the police, the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces to work together in neutralizing critical attacks.

Japan Chain Stores Association Dec. 23 Yr/Yr Change Total 1,096,343 M. Yen Up 2.8 pct Foodstuffs 749,647 Up 2.7 Clothing 58,593 Up 1.5 Sundries 104,511 Up 3.9 Furniture and Interior Goods 69,100 Down 3.6 Home Electric Appliances 4,242 Up 5.1 Note: Year-on-year

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese government bodies including the Immigration Services Agency on Tuesday proposed capping the combined number of foreign workers with specified skilled worker status and under a planned new skill development and employment program at 1,231,900 through the end

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–As prices keep rising, 98 pct of struggling families with children in Japan said they have been suffering economic hardship since the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey by nonprofit organization Kidsdoor shows. “We want the central and local governments

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government at a cabinet meeting Tuesday adopted its first basic plan on the development and utilization of artificial intelligence. The basic plan stipulates that Japan will “create reliable AI” while balancing technological innovation and risk management,

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Debate over reforming Japan’s retrial system has intensified following the landmark acquittal in October 2024 of Iwao Hakamata, now 89, who was wrongfully convicted of a 1966 murder and spent about 48 years in custody. It took 43

Washington, Dec. 22 (Jiji Press)–Bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a draft resolution condemning China’s “coercive actions against Japan” that followed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency. While urging China to “cease its

Kobe, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The prefectural police department of Hyogo, western Japan, has sent papers on nine male officers to public prosecutors for alleged illegal gambling at online casinos. On Monday, the police department imposed penalties on the nine officers, such as

Seoul, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–South Korean President Lee Jae-myung may visit China and Japan next month, it has been learned. In a television program Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said that work is underway for Lee to visit China as