Agent Orange ingredients found at Okinawa military dumpsite

Rusting barrels unearthed on former U.S. military land in the city of Okinawa are confirmed as containing chemical precursors to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

Tohoku teens plan thank-you festival in Paris

Some 80 Tohoku teenagers in an OECD-supported educational project will hold a cultural festival in Paris in August to express gratitude to those who supported the region’s recovery, student representatives said Friday. At an education ministry press conference in Tokyo, three students who outlined ...

National

Weeping Hyogo lawmaker hit with fraud charge

The Hyogo Prefectural Assembly files a document falsification charge against a lawmaker whose bawling rant on TV went viral.

National

Crime & Legal

68 stores undergo 'dappo' drug checks in Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Thursday inspected 68 outlets known for selling “dappo” (loophole) drugs, which are not technically illegal but cause effects similar to illegal drugs. The inspections came after a revised ordinance took effect July 1 to prevent the abusive use of ...

World

Over 100 killed in Gaza as rockets fall on Israel

The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s massive air campaign in Gaza topped 100 people Friday as rockets fired by militants reached deeper into Israel — and for the first time in the fighting, struck from neighboring Lebanon. Gaza militants already have fired more than ...

Business

Uniqlo parent cuts forecast again after U.S. denim fails to take off

by Yuki Yamaguchi

Fast Retailing Co., Asia’s biggest clothing retailer, cut its annual profit forecast for a second time this fiscal year after suffering losses at its J Brand premium denim unit in the United States. The maker of Uniqlo casual apparel said net income will probably ...

Asia Pacific

India's Modi faces first test of reform pledges

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced the first major test of his reform credentials on Thursday, when his fresh-faced government presented its maiden budget amid early doubts about his willingness to make unpopular decisions. The budget promised a new era of fiscal prudence and ...

Reference

Reference | FYI

New station to boost Shinagawa's international role

by Masaaki Kameda

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced in early June it will open a new station on the Yamanote loop in Tokyo in time for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. It’s the first station to be added to the line in more than 40 ...