Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House Foods Group Inc. is considering selling listed subsidiary Ichibanya Co., the operator of the restaurant chain Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, or CoCo Ichi, it was learned Monday. The major food maker is apparently looking to streamline

(Adnkronos) – The Japanese Ministry of Defense has requested a record budget of 8.9 trillion yen for next year, equivalent to approximately 48 billion euros, as Tokyo also focuses on artificial intelligence to accelerate decision-making processes amid growing tensions in the region.

(Adnkronos) – A South Korean court has sentenced the leader of the Unification Church, a secret and influential organization, to two years in prison on charges of bribing government officials, including the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. This was reported

(Adnkronos) – Nepalese authorities are warning of the possibility of new floods, as the water level of the Bhotekoshi river continues to rise, after the devastating floods of Wednesday, August 26. Residents of the affected districts have been asked to pay particular

(Adnkronos) – 15 people are reported missing following the flood that hit Grand Canyon National Park on August 29. The National Park Service announced this, adding that it is working with Arizona (USA) authorities to evacuate people and locate the missing. The

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The leaders from the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito confirmed at a meeting Monday that the three opposition parties will not merge. “In order to expand centrist forces and realize a change

Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Pref., Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The industry ministry Monday asked the city of Hitachiomiya in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, to accept a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. If realized, Hitachiomiya

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s oldest person, Shigeko Kagawa, died Thursday at the age of 115, sources including the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Monday. Kagawa, from the city of Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, western Japan, was born in May 1911. The

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. on Monday started the fifth round of treated water releases for fiscal 2026 from its disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan into the ocean. In the operation, set

Sapporo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura and Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki on Monday agreed to work together to get both prefectures designated as Japan’s secondary capitals. The two governors signed a cooperation agreement to seek secondary capital designations at a

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Prices of 4,923 products from 195 major food and beverage makers in Japan are set to rise in September, with the number of affected items up about threefold from a year earlier, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday. The

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–A Children and Families Agency survey showed on Monday that 35 pct of unmarried young people in Japan have no wish to marry. According to interim results of the survey, about 15,000 of some 43,500 unmarried people asked

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry plans not to impose consumption tax on additional out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs with ingredients and effects similar to those of over-the-counter medicines, Jiji Press learned Monday. The ministry asked that the additional charges be

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese education ministry plans to give elementary and junior high schools more discretion to determine class hours as part of an overhaul of the country’s school curriculum guidelines, it was learned Monday. The plan was included in

“The lead should have read, … “mainly reflecting”…instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Japan’s Industrial Output Up 0.1 pct in July Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s industrial production in July inched up 0.1 pct from the previous month, rising for

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The speed limit on residential roads in Japan with no center lines or maximum speed signs will be lowered to 30 kilometers per hour from the current 60 kph on Tuesday. The measure is aimed at reducing accidents

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent 10-year Japanese government bond issue, a key long-term interest rate, briefly hit a 30-year high of 2.95 pct on JGB selling in Tokyo interdealer trading Monday. According to Japan Bond Trading Co.,

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Medical expenses in Japan for fiscal 2025 rose 2.6 pct from the previous year to a record 49.2 trillion yen, reflecting the country’s aging population and advances in medical technology, according to preliminary data. The expenses paid to

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average briefly lost over 1,500 points to fall below 65,000 on Monday morning, chiefly as semiconductor-related components tracked declines in U.S. tech stocks late last week. At 9:06 a.m., the index of 225 major

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–A decade after Japan launched its Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking to update the diplomatic framework to address an increasingly complex regional environment and emerging economic security challenges, including the need for

Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref., Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Toyohito Ikeda, governor of Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, secured re-election in Sunday’s gubernatorial poll, which was held due to the expiration of his term. Ikeda, 65, ran as an independent candidate endorsed by the Liberal Democratic

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Toyohito Ikeda, governor of Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, is certain to secure re-election in Sunday’s gubernatorial poll, which was held due to the expiration of his term. Ikeda, 65, ran as an independent candidate endorsed by the ruling

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Meteorological Agency issued Level 5 emergency rain warnings for the cities of Fukui, Ono and Katsuyama in the central Japan prefecture of Fukui on Sunday, but later downgraded them. Level 5 is the highest on the

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Business leaders from Japan and South Korea on Sunday launched a bilateral exchange committee to address falling birthrates and population decline, challenges common to both countries. The committee’s secretariat is based at Japan’s Conference for Choosing

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Color photographs of Japan under Allied occupation are vanishing more than 70 years after U.S. service members captured vivid scenes that may hold lost pieces of history. From 1945 to 1952, when Allied forces governed Japan

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Of Japan’s 47 prefectures, 45 regard tracking the location and number of people evacuating in their vehicles during disasters as a challenge, a Jiji Press survey showed Sunday. In large-scale disasters, many people choose to shelter in their

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Meteorological Agency issued Level 5 emergency rain warnings for the cities of Fukui, Ono and Katsuyama in the central Japan prefecture of Fukui on Sunday, before later downgrading them. Level 5 is the highest on the

Tokyo, Aug. 29 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is under scrutiny regarding the country’s commitment to the rule of law following U.S. sanctions against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane, the first Japanese to lead the organization. Initially, Takaichi merely said

Tokyo, Aug. 29 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako sent a condolence telegram to Norway’s new King Haakon VIII over the death of King Harald V, Japan’s Imperial Household Agency said Saturday. The Imperial Family and the Norwegian Royal Family have

Newcastle, Australia, Aug. 29 (Jiji Press)–A 134-year-old former courthouse in Newcastle, Australia, is now a facility of Japan’s Nihon University, with its preserved courtrooms offering students a hands-on lesson in the justice system. Completed in 1892, the former Newcastle Courthouse, distinguished by