Osaka, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police arrested a couple in Osaka Prefecture on Monday on suspicion of attempting to fraudulently import rice, disguising the shipment as mung beans. The Osaka prefectural police department arrested Tran Thi Thu Huyen, 36, chief of a

(Adnkronos) – Children whose parents died in the devastating earthquakes that struck Afghanistan a month ago have been taken in by their relatives, whose survival depends on humanitarian aid and whose needs will increase in the coming months with the arrival of

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to revise its action plan for preventing human rights violations linked to corporate activities by the end of the year. A draft of the revised plan designates human rights due diligence procedures and the

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average closed at an all-time high Monday after soaring more than 2,300 points briefly, on expectations for an aggressive fiscal policy by Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo District Court on Monday sentenced a former MUFG Bank employee to nine years in prison for stealing cash and gold from customers’ safe deposit boxes. Prosecutors had sought a 12-year sentence for 47-year-old Yukari Yamazaki, saying that

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan lowered its economic assessment for Hokkaido, while keeping unchanged those for the remaining eight of the country’s nine regions, in a quarterly report released Monday. In the report, the central bank said that the

Osaka, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Two officers from Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force who served with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, spoke about their peacekeeping experiences in a talk event at the U.N. pavilion of the 2025 World Exposition in the

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–With the inauguration of Sanae Takaichi as president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the LDP is likely to shift its focus in coalition talks from the opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) to the Democratic

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–A diffusion index showing the outlook for rice prices in Japan remained above the bullish-or-bearish dividing line of 50 in September, an industry group said Monday. The index stood at 57 in September, down from the previous month’s

Kyoto, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito has made an English speech at the opening ceremony of the 22nd annual meeting of the Science and Technology in Society forum in the western Japan city of Kyoto. On Sunday morning, the Emperor and

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–The dollar climbed above 150 yen for the first time in roughly two months Monday. At 1 p.m., the greenback stood at 150.05-07 yen, up from 147.40-42 at 5 p.m. Friday. The U.S. currency last exceeded the 150-yen

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s newly elected Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi is expected to appoint former Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, 69, to a key cabinet post if she becomes prime minister. Takaichi, 64, elected LDP president Saturday, aims to launch her

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly surged more than 2,100 points in morning trading Monday to hit a record high above 47,000 on an intraday basis. The election of former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, an advocate

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–A local train collided with a parked train at Kajigaya Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, shortly past 11 p.m. Sunday. This resulted in the derailment of the parked train but no one was injured. The

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average surged more than 1,900 points in morning trading Monday to hit a record high above 47,000 on an intraday basis. The election of Sanae Takaichi, an advocate of expansionary fiscal policy, as

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)–Parliamentary debate on securing stable Imperial succession has stalled, because informal talks between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan broke down. A key sticking point is how to treat the

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, who was elected president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday, has decided to appoint Shunichi Suzuki, the current chairman of the LDP’s General Council, as party secretary-general, informed sources said Sunday. Takaichi is also

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Sunday encouraged reporters to value work-life balance, amid the pros and cons of her remark about the issue the previous day. “I’m working, but today is

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi’s election as leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday cast doubt on an early interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan. As food and other prices remain high in the country, some in

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Three unknown storyboards apparently by Osamu Tezuka, dubbed the “god of manga,” have been discovered in the original artwork repository of Tezuka Productions Co. in the city of Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, Jiji Press learned Sunday.

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–In Saturday’s Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi unexpectedly defeated agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff vote. This outcome is largely attributed to support from the intraparty faction led by party supreme

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police have arrested Keita Richard Kusama, a 29-year-old member of boy band “Ae! Group” on a public indecency charge. Kusama is suspected of exposing his lower body around the entrance of a building in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, who was elected leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday, may appoint Shunichi Suzuki, the current chairman of the LDP’s General Council, as party secretary-general, informed sources said Sunday. Suzuki belongs to the only

Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–A Chinese marine survey vessel has been spotted within Japan’s exclusive economic zone off the island of Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture for the fifth time since late last month, Japanese Coast Guard officials said. The Xiang Yang

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, has conveyed concerns among its supporters to Sanae Takaichi, who was elected leader of the LDP on Saturday. Following Takaichi’s win in the LDP leadership election, Komeito leader

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Following Sanae Takaichi’s election as president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday, opposition parties are expected to consider their responses to a parliamentary vote to choose the next prime minister. Speaking to reporters in the eastern

Taipei, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te “exuberantly” congratulated former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi on her victory in the leadership election of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday, calling her a steadfast friend of Taiwan. In a post

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, vowed to focus on efforts to cope with rising prices at her inaugural press conference on Saturday, noting that she will not rule out a consumption tax

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi as its new and first female president on Saturday, making it likely that she will become the country’s first female prime minister. Takaichi, 64, beat agriculture

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, vowed to focus on efforts to cope with rising prices at her inaugural press conference on Saturday, noting that she will not rule out a consumption tax