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U.S. Steel said that over 98% of the votes were in favor of the deal under which Nippon will pay $55 per share, an amount that represented a hefty premium when the takeover was announced in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 13, 2024

U.S. Steel shareholders approve $14.9 billion buyout by Nippon Steel

The move takes the merger one step closer to completion even as political opposition to the deal mounts.
By 2050, 10.8 million elderly people will be living alone, making up 20.6% of all households, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research said in a projection that it issues every five years.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 13, 2024

Elderly living alone to make up a fifth of Japanese households by 2025, study finds

The projection came as young Japanese people delay marriage or choose not to have children partly because they cannot afford to do so.
Nao Hibino hits a return to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva during their women's singles match of the Billie Jean Cup tennis qualifying tie between Japan and Kazakhstan in Tokyo on Saturday.
TENNIS
Apr 13, 2024

Osaka not needed as Japan reaches BJK Cup finals for first time

The former world No. 1 was appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020 and won her opening singles game on Friday.
A memorial ceremony was held for the victims of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake on Sunday in the city of Kumamoto.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2024

Kumamoto quake victims remembered eight years on

At the Kumamoto earthquake-remembrance ceremony, participants observed a minute of silence and some laid flowers for the victims.
Construction at Yumeshima island, the venue for the Osaka Expo
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2024

Worries remain one year to go before Osaka Expo

The Osaka Expo will be held for six months from April 13, 2025, on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay.
Cherry blossom viewers at Notokashima Station in Ishikawa Prefecture on Saturday
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2024

Train station in quake-hit town crowded with cherry blossom viewers

Cherry trees line both sides of the station's platforms, creating a stunning sight that has earned it the nickname the "cherry blossom tunnel."
Average age of Japanese chief executives increased for 33 consecutive years to 60.5 last year.
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2024

Japan biz leaders' average age rises for 33rd straight year

As of December last year, the average age of company leaders stood at 60.5 years old. In 1990, the average age was 54.
People applying for My Number cards are likely to be able to present digital IDs as valid identification documents when receiving the card starting next month.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2024

Government plans to allow digital IDs to receive My Number cards

The move is aimed at broadening the scope of acceptable ID methods to encourage students and workers to sign up for the cards.
Miyoko Kusunoki, an official of the board of education in Higashiura, Aichi Prefecture, shows the salt blocks that will be put up for sale on Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2024

Rock salt worth ¥600,000 to be sold on Mercari by Aichi town

Higashiura started selling unneeded items from the town hall on the flea market app this month.
The No. 6 and 7 reactors of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2024

Tepco given OK to move fuel into Niigata reactor

Tepco is set to move fuel into the world's largest nuclear power plant, which has been idle since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Signage for MUFG Bank, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking in Tokyo. A coalition of climate groups filed shareholder proposals with the three banks calling for stricter board oversight of climate-related risks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024

Climate investors target board oversight of top Japan banks: sources

The proposal marks the first time climate groups have targeted bank boards as a way to pressure the lenders on climate change.
Over 75% of financially struggling parents with children newly entering school said they have difficulty preparing money buy uniforms, according to a survey.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 15, 2024

Struggling parents cut living costs for kids' new school life

Over 75% of parents said uniforms were the most challenging expense
Yukio Kani, chairman and global CEO of Jera
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024

Japan’s top power producer Jera considers IPO to fund green push

The Tokyo-based company plans to develop 20 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity by fiscal 2035.
The Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance headquarters in Tokyo. Japan's life insurers will lay out their investment plans for the new fiscal year starting this month.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024

Investment plans for Japan’s insurers will likely favor JGBs

Companies will lay out their plans for the fiscal year starting this month.
Two plaintiffs filed a lawsuit with Osaka District Court in hopes of sparking a wider discussion on the rights of death row prisoners.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 15, 2024

Death-row inmates' lawsuit targeting same-day notifications of executions dismissed

The judge said the plaintiffs' social standing — being death row inmates — doesn't allow them to avoid execution when they are notified.
Takuya Hirai (left), chair of the Liberal Democratic Party's Public Relations Headquarters shows the party's new poster bearing a slogan created by generative artificial intelligence, at the party's headquarters on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

AI creates Japan ruling party's new poster slogan

The LDP will print about 150,000 copies of the new poster and put them up across the country.
Police officers carry out checks on people arriving to listen to a campaign speech in the city of Oita in April last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 15, 2024

Police agency's 'mettle' being tested one year after Kishida attack

The National Police Agency is working with politicians to tighten security at campaign rallies one year after the prime minister was attacked.
OpenAI Japan’s president Tadao Nagasaki speaks at a news conference about the opening of its first Asia office in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2024

OpenAI taps ex-Amazon executive to head enterprise push in Japan

The artificial intelligence darling is opening an office in Tokyo as it releases a custom GPT-4 model catering to Japanese language users.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki warns he’s ready to take action in the foreign exchange market after the yen fell further past ¥154 to the dollar.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 16, 2024

Japan’s tepid warning on yen fuels renewed weakness ahead of IMF

The finance minister’s comments come after the yen set a fresh 34-year low of ¥154.45 following stronger than expected U.S. retail sales figures.
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district

The residents of Tokyo's No. 15 district — which corresponds to the city’s southeastern Koto Ward — will head to the polls for the third time in a year.
Honda has lagged behind European and U.S. competitors such as General Motors and Volkswagen in ramping up EV sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2024

Honda to launch next-generation EVs in China by 2027

The carmaker added that it also planned to roll out a total of 10 Honda-brand EV models in China by 2027.
Newly employed workers of government ministries and agencies listen to a video message by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a training session in Tokyo on April 3.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 17, 2024

Japanese students losing interest in civil service

Public-private job search timing affects student behavior, especially in new graduate hiring.
Police officers issue a warning to a person riding a modified bicycle during a traffic crackdown conducted in Tokyo's Nakano Ward in December.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2024

Police report surge in moped and powered bicycle violations

When questioned, many riders claim to be unaware of the requirement for a license to operate such vehicles.
Entrepreneurs Yusaku Maezawa (second from right) and Takafumi Horie (third from right) attend a study session on fake social media ads and investment scams at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on April 10.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2024

Police warn against investment scams on social media

Scammers are posing as prominent businesspeople to increase credibility and to lure victims into "get rich quick” schemes.
A new problem was reported over Fujitsu's system that allows My Number card holders to obtain copies of residence and other certificates at convenience stores.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2024

Fujitsu given guidance over My Number system problem

The internal affairs ministry demanded that Fujitsu report by May 15 on its investigation into the incident and preventive measures.
Members of the town assembly of Genkai, Saga Prefecture, discuss on Wednesday whether to accept a survey to examine the town's suitability for hosting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2024

Saga town begins discussions on nuclear waste disposal site survey

If approved by the special committee and the full assembly, the town mayor will need to make the final decision on whether or not to accept the survey.
A Tokaido shinkansen. It is unclear whether the snake was venomous or how it ended up on the train, and there was no injury or panic among passengers.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2024

Snake on a train: Discovery of serpent delays Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen

Shinkansen customers can bring small dogs, cats and other animals, including pigeons on board — but not snakes.
Satoshi Harada from the Meteorological Agency explains about the magnitude 6.6 earthquake during a news conference early Thursday.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2024

No link to Nankai Trough quake seen after temblor in Shikoku

There was no tsunami from the quake and reports suggested only minor injuries and damage.
Children give a presentation on volcano studies during a workshop at Tairadate Elementary School in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, in February.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Apr 29, 2024

Raising awareness over Mount Iwate eruption urged as memories fade

Interest in preparing for possible volcanic eruptions is difficult to muster in a nation prone to other natural disasters.
Once one of the country’s biggest employers, Toshiba has been trying to cut costs in its sprawling operations and focus on its infrastructure and digital technology operations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 18, 2024

Toshiba considers cutting thousands of jobs in Japan

The electronics and machinery maker plans to focus resources on its infrastructure and digital operations.

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