NEWSWORTHY
Nations lock horns in Brazil over Japan's call to resume whaling
Pro- and anti-whaling nations locked horns Monday as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) began meeting in Brazil amid outrage over Japan's proposal to end a three-decade old moratorium on commercial whale hunting. Incoming IWC Chairman Joji Morishita said the meeting could determine the future of ...
What would a 40% cut to phone bills mean for Japan's mobile carriers?
Japan's mobile carriers have come under government scrutiny for high phone bills that have helped bring years of enviable profit margins and given them a combined market value of more than $250 billion. One of the most senior figures in government raised the possibility of ...
Mobile phone operators take ¥1 trillion blow after Suga says bills could be cut 40%
Wireless carriers tumbled in Tokyo after the government's spokesman said they have room to cut phone bills by about 40 percent, sparking concern that lawmakers will renew a push for greater competition in a sector dominated by three big players. The declines wiped about ¥1 ...
Foreign visitors to Japan hit 20 million this year at record pace
The number of foreign visitors to Japan has reached an estimated 20 million in 2018 at its quickest annual pace, particularly helped by Chinese tourists, the government said Monday. The figure topped the 20 million mark last Wednesday, one month earlier than the previous record ...
Japan has no interest in trade deal with just U.S., top government spokesman says
One of Japan's top policymakers has indicated that the government will continue to resist U.S. efforts to create a bilateral free trade agreement between the two nations. "Japan is not going to do anything with any country that harms the national interest," said Chief Cabinet ...
TPP negotiators gather in Japan to confirm domestic progress toward full ratification
Chief negotiators from the 11 signatories to the Trans-Pacific Partnership gathered Wednesday in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, to check on their progress with domestic procedures to ratify the pact, amid fears of a trade war. During talks through Thursday, negotiators will also discuss how to welcome ...
Ocean pollution crisis on agenda for next year's G20 summit in Osaka, Yoshihide Suga says
With worldwide concern and political attention rapidly growing over the plastic garbage polluting the world's oceans, Japan has said it will put the environmental crisis on the agenda when it hosts next year's Group of 20 talks, including the leaders' summit in Osaka. "We're going ...
U.S. trade policy toward Japan 'deplorable,' Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga says
Washington's decision to impose trade tariffs on its close allies could have a "grave impact" on diplomatic relations and the world trading system, the government said Monday, describing the situation as "extremely deplorable." Washington found itself isolated at a weekend meeting of G7 finance ministers ...
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga hails return of Okinawa land plots from U.S. military
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga praised the return of land plots formerly used by the U.S. military in Okinawa Prefecture. "This marks a big step toward the reduction of Okinawa's base-hosting burden," Suga said Sunday at a ceremony to celebrate the ownership transfers conducted at ...
46 rescued from forced prostitution or labor in Japan in 2017
Forty-six victims of human trafficking were rescued from forced prostitution or forced labor in Japan in 2017, down slightly from the 50 assisted during the previous year, a government report showed Friday. Of those rescued, Japanese nationals made up the largest share — at 28, ...
With Trump golf outing, will Abe find himself in the bunker or on the green?
Yes, they will hit the links again after all. The question is, will Prime Minister Shinzo Abe find himself in the bunker or on the green when he meets U.S. President Donald Trump this week? After weeks of speculation, Tokyo officially announced Tuesday that Abe ...
Internal documents reveal that 90% of secret Japanese government funds were spent without receipts
The spending documents mark the first public release of details about the covert funds, which are used for intelligence gathering and other activities deemed to be in the national interest.
