Kumamoto, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the April 2016 massive earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, a special exhibition showcasing postdisaster reconstruction efforts there has opened in collaboration with the popular manga series “One Piece.” The event at

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese opposition Democratic Party for the People is struggling to maintain its relevance in national politics after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party won a historic victory in last month’s general election. With the ruling bloc holding three-quarters

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s agriculture ministry on Monday revised up its forecast for private rice stocks at the end of June to 2.34 million tons on a brown rice basis, up by 50,000 tons from the estimate as of the end

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese companies have offered pay hikes of 5.26 pct on a weighted average basis in this year’s “shunto” spring labor-management negotiations, the first tally by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, showed Monday. The result attested to

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s top government spokesperson on Monday denied that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had promised support from the Maritime Self-Defense Force to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The denial came after U.S. Ambassador to the United

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, started operating a freight-only Shinkansen bullet train Monday, transporting goods from Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, to Tokyo. The seven-car train, converted from an E3 series passenger train

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. will invest 20 billion yen in artificial intelligence over the three years from fiscal 2026, aiming to lift productivity, President Yukinori Takada has said in a recent interview with Jiji Press. The initiative is

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks dropped almost across the board on Monday, sending the benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average down over 3 pct for the second straight market day, amid concerns that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could be

Hiroshima, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Hiroshima Castle’s keep in the western Japan city of Hiroshima in the namesake prefecture has closed after 68 years as a museum due to structural aging. The facility, which ended its run on Sunday, is located within Hiroshima

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s parliament Monday approved the government’s appointments of 22 people for key posts at 11 organizations, including two academics deemed reflationists nominated to the Bank of Japan Policy Board. The BOJ picks were Toichiro Asada, emeritus professor at

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Environment Ministry will mandate water utilities, primarily those run by municipalities, to conduct regular inspections for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are potentially carcinogenic chemicals, starting in April as part of new tap water quality

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will consider compiling a provisional budget in the event that the fiscal 2026 regular budget is not passed by the April 1 start of the year, an official said Monday. “We will consider a provisional

Hiroshima, March 23 (Jiji Press)–The western Japan city of Hiroshima returned on Sunday the remains of an atomic bomb victim to bereaved family members, marking the first such handover since May 2023. The city, which suffered a U.S. atomic bombing on Aug.

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average plunged over 2,600 points Monday as mounting tensions in the Middle East, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz, continued to spook investors. At 9:55 a.m., the index of 225 selected issues listed

Tokyo, March 23 (Jiji Press)–Experts are warning about side effects linked to the use of diabetes medications for weight loss, at a time when the injectable drug Mounjaro is gaining popularity for dieting in Japan, especially among women. Although Mounjaro is approved

Yokosuka, Kanagawa Pref., March 22 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, on Sunday agreed to strengthen defense-related communication, starting in peacetime, to improve deterrence. At their meeting at the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Yokosuka base in

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)–People in Japan plan to spend 6,383 yen on average for cherry blossom viewing this year, down 13.8 pct from the previous year, as consumers become budget-minded amid inflation, according to an online survey. “As the cost of

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Sunday that the No. 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, has resumed electricity generation and power transmission to the Tokyo metropolitan area. The resumption came

Shirakawa, Fukushima Pref., March 22 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, has taken the lead in launching a training program aimed at nurturing about 100 foreign workers annually under Japan’s specified skilled worker program amid severe labor shortages in railway

Paris, March 21 (Jiji Press)–Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major powers Saturday issued a statement urging Iran to immediately stop its attacks on neighboring countries that threaten the security of the Middle East and the world. “We call for the

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan may send Self-Defense Forces troops for a minesweeping mission in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, after a ceasefire is established, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Sunday. “A dispatch of SDF troops is

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)–One of the two Japanese nationals detained in Iran was released on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a television program Sunday. The individual arrived in Japan on Sunday morning and is in good health, according

Tokyo, March 22 (Jiji Press)–A growing number of Japanese companies are stepping up efforts to help employees diagnosed with cancer balance treatment with their work responsibilities. Cancer is expected to affect one in every two people in Japan. Cancers that primarily affect

Washington, March 21 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was able to avoid the worst-case scenario of exposing a rift with U.S. President Donald Trump in a summit during her first visit to the United States since taking office last year. But

Tokyo, March 21 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Innovation Party, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, approved its policy agenda for 2026 at its first party convention since becoming the LDP’s new coalition partner last year. After suffering a sluggish

Tsu, Mie Pref., March 21 (Jiji Press)–Local police searched a transport company based in the western prefecture of Hiroshima on Saturday, a day after a truck driver of the firm was arrested over an accident that left six people dead in a

Tokyo, March 21 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi returned home Saturday, following her first visit to the United States since taking office in October last year. The prime minister arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in the afternoon aboard a Japanese government

Washington, March 20 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called on Japan and other countries to help secure the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked by Iran amid escalating regional tensions. European countries, South

Piketon, Ohio, March 20 (Jiji Press)–Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp., on Friday unveiled plans to construct a large-scale artificial intelligence data center in Ohio. The initial investment, including external funds, will reach 500 billion dollars, and the

Washington, March 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited Arlington National Cemetery near Washington on Friday morning and laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The prime minister placed a wreath decorated with red and white flowers imitating the