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Toshimitsu Motegi
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 7, 2024

LDP's Motegi vows to promote party reforms after money scandal

"The party takes the problem seriously and I want related lawmakers to work hard so that something like this will never happen again," said Motegi.
A strong earthquake struck southern parts of the Kyushu region on Monday, the Meteorological Agency said.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2024

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

The quake registered up to lower 5, the fifth-highest level on the country's seismic intensity scale, in Nichinan, Miyazaki Prefecture.
Real cash earnings for Japanese workers in February dropped 1.3% from a year earlier, government data has shown.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 8, 2024

Japan’s decline in real wages likely to keep BOJ on hold for now

The latest decline in real wages comes as growth in consumer prices accelerated to 2.8% in February, the quickest pace since November.
Seth Fischer, founder and chief investment officer of Oasis Management, says the fund has been investing in Kao for over four years and engaging with it for nine months.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2024

Activist Oasis reveals 3% Kao stake in battle for change at Japan cosmetics firm

Kao is the world's second-largest cosmetics and sixth-largest personal care product firm by revenue.
Author Hirotada Ototake declares his candidacy for the April 28 House of Representatives by-election in the Tokyo No. 15 constituency during a news conference in Tokyo Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2024

Japanese author Ototake to run in Lower House by-election

Ototake, who was born without arms or legs, says he wants to "help people in need through the power of politics."
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu speaks to reporters at the prefectural government office on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2024

Shizuoka governor to resign over gaffe

Heita Kawakatsu is under fire for a remark viewed as insulting to farmers and others.
A street in Ota Ward, Tokyo, on March 15. In the year through March, bankruptcies mainly rose among small and midsize companies.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 8, 2024

Japan's business failures top 9,000 for first time in nine years

In the year through March, bankruptcies mainly rose among small and midsize companies as they struggled to raise prices to reflect higher costs.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki says authorities are watching exchange-rate moves closely and won't rule out any options.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 9, 2024

Japan warns against excessive volatility as yen slides near fresh lows

The yen briefly hit ¥151.840 to the dollar, within striking distance of the 34-year low of ¥151.975 marked last month.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda has indicated the central bank's debt buying will be dialed back at some point.
BUSINESS
Apr 9, 2024

Japan’s bond market liquidity improves as BOJ loosens its grip

Among the signs of progress, the average bid-ask spread to trade the country’s debt has tightened to the narrowest in at least six months.
Deer that are kept in a fenced-off area in the city of Nara
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2024

Nara Prefecture to expand area for culling iconic deer

The prefectural panel will discuss culling methods and other details to draw up a new protection program in fiscal 2025.
In fiscal 2022, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan fielded 4,024 inquiries concerning online game microtransactions made by students of elementary, junior high and high schools without the knowledge of their parents.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 9, 2024

Watch out for microtransactions in kids' online games, parents urged

Watchdog reports surge in complaints of children racking up unauthorized charges on smartphones using their parents' payment credentials.
Japan will need new nuclear power plants to meet its 2050 net zero goal.
BUSINESS
Apr 9, 2024

Japan needs new nuclear to hit green goals, power sector says

New reactors are needed to help reduce dependence on costly fossil fuel imports and to help boost economic competitiveness.
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu speaks to reporters in the city of Shizuoka on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2024

Shizuoka governor submits letter of resignation over controversial remarks

He initially planned to quit during an assembly session in June, but he has been under pressure to step down earlier.
Riot police approach a site where a murder suspect had barricaded himself in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, on May 26.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 10, 2024

Former Asahi photographer indicted for entering home of murder suspect

The photographer reportedly told the newspaper's internal investigation that he had entered without knowing it was the defendant’s home.
Koki Nagata (right) offers a Buddhist altar to a Noto Peninsula earthquake evacuee in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, on March 29.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 10, 2024

Kumamoto shop owner gives away free Buddhist altars to Noto quake victims

“I hope it will be a source of comfort for those who lost their loved ones and homes," said shop owner Koki Nagata.
The Nishi no Ma room of the State Guest House Akasaka Palace in Tokyo will be opened to the public from Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2024

State guest house room in Tokyo to be opened to public

Sketching events and brass band events are also planned for visitors.
Koichi Wakata holds his final news conference as a JAXA astronaut in Tokyo on March 29.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 10, 2024

Former ISS commander and astronaut Koichi Wakata joins U.S. space firm

Wakata, 60, left the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency at the end of March after staying in space for 504 days.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is interviewed Tokyo on April 5. Kishida left for the U.S. on Monday amid record low poll numbers due to his handling of the political funds scandal that has rocked the LDP.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 10, 2024

Will Kishida dissolve parliament in June?

Speculation has been fueled by comments from Kishida’s fellow Liberal Democratic Party members and the prime minister himself.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida toast during an official state dinner at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2024

Business leaders attend Biden's state dinner for Kishida to deepen ties

Kishida's visit has seen the leaders unveil a number of initiatives to strengthen partnerships and investment in technology.
The pair of Wajima-nuri wooden coffee cups presented to U.S. President Joe Biden from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2024

Kishida presents Noto's Wajima-nuri lacquerware to Biden

The Japanese and U.S. first ladies also exchanged gifts.
The international departure lobby at Haneda Aiport in Tokyo on April 29, 2023, at the start of the Golden Week holidays.
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2024

Golden Week travel plans near pre-pandemic levels as overseas bookings surge

This year's Golden Week marks the first since the government downgraded COVID-19’s classification to the same level as the seasonal flu.
Approval rate for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet hit a new low of 16.6% in April since its launch in October 2021.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 11, 2024

Support for Kishida Cabinet sinks to fresh low of 16.6%, poll shows

The approval rate fell 1.4 percentage points from the previous month, while the disapproval rate climbed 2.0 points to 59.4%.
Writing down feelings of anger, then shredding or throwing the paper away is an effective way to calm down, a study has found.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 11, 2024

Write angry thoughts down and shred them to calm down, Japan study advises

The researchers themselves were amazed at how effective their method seemed to be at reducing anger.
Yoasobi member Ayase (far left) joins U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a toast during a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 12, 2024

A brief history of J-pop stars meeting U.S. presidents

Yoasobi's presence at the White House state dinner catapults the duo to a new strata. It also says a lot about what sound currently rules Japanese music.
The Takashimaya department store in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, where the golden tea bowl was stolen Thursday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 12, 2024

¥10 million golden tea bowl stolen from Tokyo department store

The 24-carat gold matcha tea bowl was stolen from the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district.
Japan's emissions in fiscal 2023 represents a 23% reduction from 2013 levels, but it’s still a way off from the 46% reduction the government has pledged to make by 2030.
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2024

Japan’s annual emissions drop as industrial pollution shrinks

Emissions slipped 2.3% in the year ending March 2023 to 1.085 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the environment ministry said.
Residents of Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, hold a rally in the city on March 20 to oppose the construction of a Ground Self-Defense Force training ground.
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2024

Japan scraps plan for new GSDF training ground in Okinawa

Locals were opposing the plan because the site is close to a residential area.
A guest room at the Muji Hotel Ginza. Ryohin Keikaku, the brand’s parent company, now has a new business called Muji Stay, which brings under one umbrella the retailer’s existing hotels, homes and camps.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2024

Japan’s Muji bets minimalist retail will work for homes and hotels

Muji currently has three hotels — one in Ginza, one in Beijing and one in Shenzhen, with rooms often booked out months in advance
Dolls of Myaku-Myaku, the 2025 Expo's official mascot, at an official store for the event in Osaka on April 2
JAPAN / Society
Apr 12, 2024

Transport becomes most pressing issue one year out from Osaka Expo

As organizers look ahead to recruiting volunteers and planning events for the six-month expo, another concern has emerged: transportation logistics.
Health experts say the beni kōji supplement scandal should not be treated as a one-off incident. Instead, it should be seen as a cautionary tale about how such health food items could pose more risks than benefits.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Apr 12, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma’s slow response to scandal spotlights deeper issues

Health experts say the scandal should be seen as a cautionary tale, and not a one-off incident.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years