New York, May 9 (Jiji Press)–The fifth Japan Parade event to promote Japanese culture was held in Manhattan, New York, on Saturday. About 100 organizations, such as companies, schools and groups of people from various prefectures, took part in the event. Participants

Tokyo, May 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan will fully digitalize the civil litigation procedures May 21, allowing litigants to resolve their disputes online without ever attending court in person. “This is a change that has a great impact and is the centerpiece of the

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Koji Suzuki, the Japanese author known for horror novels including “Ring,” died at a Tokyo hospital Friday. He was 68. In 1990, he made his debut as a novelist with “Rakuen” (Paradise), which won a superior prize of

Jakarta, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Police authorities in Indonesia’s Surabaya have detained foreigners including Japanese nationals for their suspected involvement in fraud, according to Indonesian media reports. The Surabaya authorities announced the development Friday, while the Japanese Consulate-General in the major city in

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–More Japanese local governments are extracting phosphorus from sewage sludge for fertilizer, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on imports amid increasing global prices reflecting the Middle East tensions. Phosphorus, essential for crop cultivation, is imported almost entirely

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese group of forestry organizations launched an online timber marketplace in February to match forest owners with buyers nationwide. About 30 businesses, mainly buyers, had registered on the platform by the end of April, with timber listings

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan still faces a tough road ahead over the construction of a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture, whose completion date has been moved back 27 times. With less than a year to go until the

New Delhi, May 9 (Jiji Press)–The Quad countries of Japan, the United States, India and Australia will hold a meeting of their foreign ministers in New Delhi around May 24 to 26, diplomatic sources said Saturday. The officials are expected to confirm

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Isseikai, a group led by former lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, has opened an office near the parliament building in Tokyo. Ozawa, who lost his seat in the February election of the House of

Osaka, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Nicotine-vaping devices, collectively known as “nicopuff” in Japan, are gaining popularity among young people, although they are unapproved and their sales are prohibited in the country. Nicopuff, which heats a nicotine-containing scented liquid to produce vapor, involves “the

Sapporo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–A group of Ainu indigenous people in Hokkaido, northern Japan, has started a lawsuit demanding that the remains of 279 Ainu ancestors held by a state facility be returned to their descendants. The suit was filed Friday with

Tsu, Mie Pref., May 9 (Jiji Press)–The Mie prefectural government in central Japan is considering not restoring the nationality requirement for its fiscal 2026 employment examinations, officials have said. The prefecture considers the reinstatement unfeasible at least for now, as it is

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–At a time when the Nikkei 225 stock average is hitting record highs, Japanese police are warning of online investment scams, particularly fake websites that display large profits and encourage additional investments. “There are probably victims who are

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s government hopes that US president Donald Trump does not withdraw troops from Germany and elsewhere in Europe amid a widening rift between the Trump administration, Nato allies and other partners in Europe, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday. 

(Adnkronos) – In their talks in Rome on Friday with United States secretary of state Marco Rubio, Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni and foreign minister Antonio Tajani underlined that a “robust” agreement is needed with Iran “to guarantee peace and stability”, foreign minister

(Adnkronos) – The leader of the French Rassemblement National, Jordan Bardella, is reportedly at the center of an investigation launched by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (Eppo) into the alleged misappropriation of EU funds related to “media training” sessions. Politico reports this,

(Adnkronos) – The Virginia Supreme Court today rejected the new electoral map that would have given Democrats an advantage in four House districts, thus inflicting a very tough defeat on the party ahead of next November’s midterm elections.   The Virginia Supreme

(Adnkronos) – The State Department has announced the start of a review of the 53 Mexican consulates in the United States, the latest sign of growing tensions between the Trump administration and Mexico, a close and traditional US partner. The State Department

(Adnkronos) – Iran is still examining the United States’ proposal to end the conflict and will announce its decision “once the evaluation is complete.” This was stated by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei in an interview with Tasnim news agency.  Baghaei

(Adnkronos) – Poland is the first country to have signed, today, an agreement with the European Commission to finance the modernization of its armed forces and the arms industry, receiving a loan of almost 44 billion euros under the Safe program, of

(Adnkronos) – The hostage-taking that occurred on Friday in a bank in Sinzig, western Germany, ended without injuries, but one or more perpetrators managed to escape. German police reported this to AFP.  According to Koblenz police, special forces stormed the building and

Sydney, May 8 (Jiji Press)–New Zealand Defense Minister Chris Penk has announced plans to compare the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s upgraded Mogami-class frigates with Britain’s Type 31 frigates, as replacements for New Zealand’s aging frigates. New Zealand is expected to make a

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Friday paid homage to Leo XIV a year to the day since he became pope, praising the first US pontiff’s “strong commitment to peace” and to dialogue, which he said has given hope to

(Adnkronos) – Italy and the United States are “united by an unbreakable bond” and Rome fully backs diplomacy as “the only way” to de-escalate the damaging Middle East conflict and ensure freedom of navigation, foreign minister Antonio Tajani stated on Friday after

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Sony Group Corp. said Friday that it has reached a basic agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest chip foundry, to form a strategic partnership for the joint development and production of next-generation image sensors.

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group Inc. said Friday that it will complete the repayment of 40 billion yen in public funds injected into its predecessor by the Tokyo metropolitan government ahead of schedule. The parent of Kiraboshi Bank had

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, agreed Friday to strengthen bilateral relations, mainly in the economic field, as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the two nations’ diplomatic ties. In a video

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese and South Korean governments are planning to conduct a joint search and rescue exercise around the second week of June, informed sources told Jiji Press Friday. The exercise is seen to be carried out by Japan’s

(Adnkronos) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he takes “responsibility” for the electoral results of the party he leads, Labour, in England. “They are very bitter, and there’s no way to sugarcoat it,” he declares, speaking to the press, according to

(Adnkronos) – There are “several robbers and hostages inside the bank” in Sinzig, a town in western Germany, halfway between Bonn and Koblenz, where the group of robbers barricaded themselves this morning. Local police announced this, specifying that among the hostages is