The Japanese government's stockpiled rice released through direct contracts with retailers began hitting store shelves Saturday, with consumers flocking to the cheaper products.

Major supermarket operator Ito-Yokado Co and home appliance company Iris Ohyama Inc were the first to start selling the rice at some of their shops, both setting a price tag of 2,160 yen including tax for a 5 kilogram-bag.

At an Ito-Yokado store in Tokyo's Ota Ward, 500 bags of rice sold out in just 30 minutes since its opening at 10 a.m. Other Ito-Yokado stores will also start selling the rice on Sunday or later.

At a home center operated by an Iris Ohyama group company in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, some 250 people lined up before 8 a.m. in the rain to get numbered tickets to purchase the rice.

"It's cheap, and that helps," Mitsuko Matsuura, 71, said, expressing her relief that she was able to purchase the rice. She also said its taste was "not so different" from newly harvested rice.

An 82-year-old man was disappointed that he was not able to make a purchase. "We are a family of five, so it's quite tough. I would like to come again to buy (the rice)."

In the latest effort to bring down the soaring price of rice that has been hitting households, the Japanese government began selling its stockpiles through direct contracts with retailers earlier this week.

Subject to the direct contracts is 300,000 tons of rice from 2021 and 2022.
Ito-Yokado secured 5,000 tons and Iris Ohyama 10,000 tons of the 2022 harvest. Supermarket giant Aeon Co and discount store chain Don Quijote will also start selling the stockpiles they procured from Sunday.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries initially offered reserve rice through auctions. But it switched to selling it directly to retailers in the hope that doing so will be more effective in curbing rice prices.
 
 

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the cyber field.

Meeting in Singapore, Nakatani and Hegseth confirmed that they will work together in aligning the strategic priorities of Japan and the United States, as the administration of U.S.

President Donald Trump prepares the 2025 National Defense Strategy, the first of its kind since the one compiled in 2022 by the administration of former President Joe Biden.

Hegseth has ordered the new strategy to be submitted by the end of August.
According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the two countries are expected to share their recognitions of regional situations as well as priorities in the development of Japan's defense capabilities.

In their meeting, Nakatani explained to Hegseth that Japan's parliament recently passed a law to introduce active cyberdefense designed to prevent serious cyberattacks.
 
 

Japan and the U.S. on Friday agreed to hold another round of trade talks ahead of the G7 summit next month, Japan's top tariff negotiator said, stressing that no deal would be without concessions on all Washington's tariffs, including on autos.

Japan's Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington for 130 minutes in a fourth round of the trade negotiations.

"We agreed to accelerate the talks and hold another round ahead of the G7 summit in June, where the leaders from Japan and the United States are set to meet," Akazawa told Japanese media gathered at the Japanese embassy in Washington.

The U.S. side, led by Bessent and Lutnick, called Friday's talks "frank and constructive."

"Secretary Bessent highlighted to Minister Akazawa the importance of addressing tariffs and non-tariff measures, increasing investment, and working together to address economic security and other issues of mutual concern," a Treasury Department statement said.

Japan faces a 24% tariff rate starting in July unless it can negotiate a deal with the U.S. It is also scrambling to find ways to get Washington to exempt its automakers from 25% tariffs on automobiles, Japan's biggest industry.

Akazawa said Japan's position has not changed that the tariffs are not acceptable and he is "strongly urging" the U.S. to immediately reconsider and drop all the tariffs, including those levied on automobiles, auto parts, aluminum and steel.

"If our requests to do that are met, we may be able to come to an agreement," Akazawa told Japanese media gathered at the Japanese embassy in Washington. "But if that is not possible, then it will be difficult for us to agree to a deal."

Japanese government sources said before the latest meeting that an immediate deal was unlikely, as they would never hastily seal a deal that would not benefit Japan, particularly the automobile sector.

Akazawa declined to give details of the latest discussions, but said trade expansion, non-tariff barriers and cooperation in economic security have been on the agenda at every meeting.

Semiconductor supply chains and rare earths are among economic security topics, he added.
 
 

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck off the coast of Kushiro in Japan's Hokkaido on Saturday, local weather agency said.

The temblor occurred at 5:37 p.m. local time (0837 GMT), originating at a depth of approximately 20 km, said the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.

While slight changes in sea level may be observed along Japan's coastline, there is no concern for significant damage or a tsunami, the JMA said.

Emergency services are monitoring the situation closely, and no immediate reports of injury or structural damage have been issued.
 
 

Core consumer prices in Tokyo climbed 3.6 percent in May from a year earlier, rising at the fastest pace in over two years, official data showed Friday, as the cost of rice remained on a sharp upward trajectory.

The rise in Tokyo's core consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food items, followed a 4.3 percent jump in January 2023, the highest in nearly 42 years, due partly to Russia's protracted war in Ukraine and the yen's depreciation.

The core CPI in Japan's capital, viewed as an indicator of nationwide trends, was driven up by soaring rice prices in May, which climbed 93.7 percent after surging 93.8 percent in April, the biggest year-on-year increase since comparable data became available in 1971.

In early May, the average price of rice, the nation's staple food, reached a record 4,268 yen per 5 kilograms in Japanese supermarkets, roughly double the previous year's level, following a poor harvest, the agriculture ministry said.
 
 

The Japanese government on Friday vowed to explore new overseas markets and provide support for more efficient production as part of efforts to increase rice exports in response to an envisioned long-term contraction in domestic consumption.

In the annual white paper on food and agriculture for fiscal 2024 approved by the Cabinet, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recommends increased rice exports despite the Japanese government recently introducing measures to curb soaring domestic prices, driven in part by shortages.

The report identified China, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan as target markets for exports.

With the popularity of Japanese food booming abroad, the country's exports of agricultural goods reached a record 1.51 trillion yen ($10.5 billion) in 2024, as it sets a target of 5 trillion yen in 2030, the paper said.

To achieve that target, the government wants to increase rice exports, which trended higher to 12.03 billion yen in 2024 -- 27.8 percent above the year before -- through sales at Japanese restaurants and stores.

The government set a goal to boost rice exports by nearly eightfold to 353,000 tons in 2030 from 2024 in its medium- to long-term basic plan for agriculture, released in April.

To bolster productivity for rice exports, the government aims to increase the acreage managed by export-focused farmers with fields of 15 hectares or larger.

It also seeks to reduce the current production costs of 16,000 yen per 60 kilograms nearer to 9,500 yen for exports to help domestic producers better compete with foreign-grown rice, according to the plan.

New farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi also urged rice growers to increase output, despite the government issuing a guideline annually for each major producing region to match expected demand, a step that has led to adjustments in supply. He said last week that even if there is a surplus, rice could be exported overseas or the government could find new ways to market it.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also supportive of increasing agricultural exports, saying in a recent TV program, "Rather than saying, 'We will export if there is a surplus,' we should aim to export from the beginning."

The paper, which includes a chapter dedicated to agricultural exports for the first time, said, "It is essential to shift to earning money in growing overseas markets" as domestic consumption is expected to decline due to the falling population.
 
 

 

Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, has given birth to her first child, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.

In a regular press conference, Naomasa Yoshida, grand master of the Crown Prince's Household, did not disclose the baby's sex or date of birth, but said that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as well as their other children, Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito, are delighted about the birth and are wishing for the happiness of the Komuro family.

The newborn is the first grandchild for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Regarding the timing of the announcement, the grand master said: "This is a matter for a person who has left the Imperial Family, and we had hoped that she would spend her time in a quiet environment. We decided to make the announcement, however, in light of some media reports (about the birth)."

Mako, 33, left the Imperial Family after marrying Kei Komuro, 33, a former schoolmate at International Christian University in Tokyo, in October 2021. They moved to the United States together the following month.

Kei passed the New York state bar examination on his third attempt in 2022 and now works at a law firm there.
 
 

Japan's Emperor Naruhito met with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday.

In the talks, which lasted about 25 minutes, the Emperor shared his delight over the growing amicable bilateral relations, noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

Regarding the planned visit to Laos in November by Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, the president said that he will be honored to welcome the princess. The Emperor replied, "Aiko is also looking forward to it."

They also discussed the 60th anniversary of the first dispatch of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, now JICA Volunteers, to Laos. "Cooperation is very important," the Emperor told the president.
 
 

If you go to Japan, there’s a chance you might meet someone with an unusual name – such as “Nike,” “Pikachu” or “Pudding.”

While still a minority, these names have grown in popularity over recent decades as parents reject traditional Japanese names for something more unique.

But the practice has also drawn criticism – mainly that it’s confusing for hospitals, schools and authorities who don’t know how to pronounce them.
Now the government is cracking down on these so-called “kirakira” names, which means sparkly or shiny. New rules came into effect on Monday that will limit parents from giving their babies names pronounced in unconventional ways.

The news was met with mixed reactions; some social media users argued that kirakira names are an expression of individualism, that they’re fairly harmless and don’t warrant government regulation.

“They’re not children of the nation, right? They’re children of their parents,” one person wrote on X after the announcement.

Many more, however, welcomed the change – lamenting that children with unusual names might face harassment, or at the very least complications in administrative tasks like registrations or banking.

“Why do certain people put kirakira names on their kids? It just causes those kids to be bullied,” one X user wrote. Another joked sarcastically: “Please stop restricting kirakira names. Seeing a child’s name reveals the intelligence of their parents, which is helpful.”


How ‘kirakira’ names work

Japan uses three writing systems – Kanji, which is based on Chinese characters, and two other phonetic systems. Names are typically written in Kanji, and this is where the trouble comes in.

Because these Chinese characters were mixed with the existing Japanese language, each Kanji character can be pronounced multiple ways – some with ten or more ways. You decipher the “right” pronunciation based on context clues and the other characters in a sentence or phrase.

In kirakira names, which became more popular from the 1980s onward, parents often choose a name based on the phonetic sound – wanting their child’s name to sound like “Pikachu,” for instance – and pick similar-sounding Kanji characters.

The problem is that those characters might not usually be pronounced that way – making it hard, or impossible, for a teacher or nurse to decipher how to properly say a child’s name just by looking at its written Kanji form.

Some have drawn parallels to how American parents have, increasingly in the past decade, chosen unusual spellings for common names – such as Ashleigh instead of Ashley, or Catelynn instead of Caitlin.

The Japanese government’s new rules aim to limit this by mandating that only widely accepted pronunciations of kanji characters will be allowed.

Parents will need to include the phonetic readings of their baby names in the registry – and if local officials see that the phonetic sound of a name doesn’t match how its characters are typically pronounced, they may reject the name or request additional paperwork.



The rise of unusual names

This is not the first time strict naming rules have sparked debate in Japan.
Japan still legally requires married couples to share the same surname, unlike most other major economies that have done away with the tradition. Normally, wives take their husband’s name, since same-sex marriages aren’t legal in Japan.

A movement to change the rules around surnames has been brewing, led by women’s rights advocates and those trying to preserve the diversity of Japanese surnames in a nation where a handful of names are becoming increasingly common.

First names have afforded more room for experimentation – at least, until the latest rules came in.

More and more people have been given unusual names in the last 40 years, according to a 2022 study that analyzed baby names published in local newsletters over the last few

The trend suggests a shift toward seeking “uniqueness and independence” in Japan, the study said – also seen in changes to other parts of Japanese life during that time like family structures and societal values.

Girls in particular saw an increase in kirakira names, it added – perhaps suggesting that parents had a stronger “hope for their daughters to become unique and independent than for their sons.”

Japan isn’t the only country that has seen an upward trend in unusual baby names. A 2016 study found that American parents picked more unusual names between 2004 and 2015, pointing to the culture’s “increasing individualism.”

In China, too, rapid economic growth and upward mobility have meant people today value individualism and autonomy more than previous generations, according to a 2018 study – reflected in the steady rise of parents choosing unique characters in their babies’ names.

Like in Japan, the study found that Chinese girls were more likely to have unusual names than boys – perhaps reflecting different “parental expectations.”

But it’s also common for countries to have rules in place for what names are acceptable. In the US, this is often state-by-state; names in California can only use the 26 alphabetical characters of the English language, which briefly posed a problem when Elon Musk and Grimes named their baby “X Æ A-12.” They eventually changed the name – very slightly – to “X Æ A-Xii.”

In Germany, authorities may strike down a baby name if they find it offensive or potentially harmful to the child’s best interests. For example, they’ve previously barred parents from using “Borussia,” a reference to a soccer team, or “Gastritis,” arguing that the names would “jeopardize the welfare of the child,” according to the official Frankfurt city administration.

Meanwhile New Zealand also maintains strict rules that include bans on references to titles, meaning names like “King” and “Prince” are routinely rejected.
 

 

The Japanese government on Tuesday called on domestic universities to consider temporarily accepting students enrolled at U.S. schools after Washington's move to bar foreign students from Harvard University.

The move to support Japanese and other foreign students studying in the United States came after the University of Tokyo said the previous day it is considering accepting international students from Harvard if they are affected by the U.S. policy.

Kyoto University also said later in the day it is considering accepting international students and young researchers from Harvard University.

The university in western Japan said it has been paying close attention to the situation in the United States and is "making detailed considerations to accept international students who are enrolled at U.S. universities."
 
The Japan Student Services Organization plans to release each university's stance on providing the support, the education ministry said.
 
"We'd like to work with related institutions and make utmost efforts to guarantee education for young people with ambition and talent," education minister Toshiko Abe said at a press conference.
 
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to end Harvard's ability to accept foreign students and force current students to transfer or lose their legal status by deciding to revoke certification for the university's Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
 
But international students are expected to remain enrolled at the university under a temporary injunction by a U.S. federal district court while the legality of the administration's decision is reviewed.
 
Currently, 110 Japanese students and 150 researchers are enrolled at Harvard, according to the education ministry.
 
The ministry will provide a consultation service on the Japan Student Services Organization's website for students studying in the United States.
 
 

Japan’s cooperation in the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the U.S. state of Alaska has emerged as a bargaining chip in the ongoing Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations.

While U.S. President Donald Trump is expecting Japan, South Korea and other countries to participate in the development project, doing so is expected to require over ¥6 trillion, prompting some major trading companies and energy companies to question the profitability of the project.

Strong focus on U.S. side

According to the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC), which is responsible for the project, the plan is to lay a roughly 1,300-kilometer-long pipeline from gas fields in northern Alaska.

Gas from the fields will be transported to the Pacific coast in southern Alaska, from which the gas will be exported to the rest of the world, and 20 million tons of gas are expected to be exported to Asia per year.

At a Japan-U.S. summit in February, Japan agreed to work with the United States to expand imports of U.S. LNG. Trump in March said in an address to the U.S. Congress that Japan and South Korea wanted to partner with the United States on the project. In mid-May, Alaska Gov.

Mike Dunleavy stated that they were discussing a broad range of issues with Japan, South Korea and other countries. The U.S. side has shown strong enthusiasm for the project.

An international LNG conference is scheduled to take place in Alaska in early June, and officials from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have been invited to it. Trump reportedly hopes that Japan and South Korea will express their willingness to participate in the development project at this conference.

The project is estimated to cost as much as $44 billion (about ¥6 trillion). If the project has participants from Asia, which are potential importers of the LNG, this will help reduce the burden on the U.S. side. In addition, Trump places strong emphasis on the project apparently because LNG exports will help reduce the U.S. trade deficit.


Harsh environment

The issue of the Alaska LNG project may seem to have emerged out of nowhere. However, for officials in the energy industry, the project has been discussed for over two decades.

Since the northern part of Alaska where the gas fields are located faces the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, it would be difficult to export gas directly from a port. If a pipeline is laid, it will enable the supply of LNG to southern urban areas through which the pipeline will run.

AGDC aims to start production in 2031. However, the construction of the pipeline will need to be done in a harsh environment as it is supposed to pass over 800 rivers and through three mountain ranges, including Mt. Denali, or Mt. McKinley, which is North America’s tallest mountain.

“I don’t think construction can be completed by 2031,” said a major trading company executive.

Some believe the construction costs could balloon to more than ¥10 trillion due to recent inflation.

Kenichi Hori, president of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., said, “It is necessary to thoroughly examine the economic potential and long-term sustainability of the entire project.”

 

Geopolitical risks

As LNG emits less carbon dioxide when burned than oil, Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan positions it as a realistic fuel for the time being. However, its supply is often influenced by geopolitical risks.

In Arctic LNG 2, an LNG project in Russia’s Arctic Circle in which Mitsui & Co. and other companies are participating, LNG production has been suspended due to economic sanctions against Russia and there is no prospect of LNG being supplied to Japan.

To diversify risk, major trading companies, power and gas companies, and others are working to diversify and expand their interests in Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East and North America.

If the Alaska project becomes operational, LNG could be delivered to Japan in about a week, which is expected to help reduce the number of days required for delivery.
Even so, there is deep-rooted concern regarding the project.

“If we end up buying more expensive energy, it will only result in the public having to bear a greater burden,” said a senior official of the energy industry.
The government and related companies will have to consider this issue carefully.
 

 

Politicians discuss tourism and adapting health system to ageing population
Catalan president, Salvador Illa, met with Yokohama Hideyuki, mayor of Osaka, the third-largest city of Japan.

During the meeting, the two political leaders discussed how to advance the air connection between Osaka and Barcelona, as well as the possibility of promoting tourism between the two territories.

They also addressed how to adapt healthcare systems to an ageing population, a topic of interest for both Catalonia and Japan.  
The meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes.

During the meeting, the Catalan president also presented the Catalan initiatives featured at the World Expo 2025, taking place in Osaka between April 12, 2025, and October 13, 2025.

Catalonia is participating in the event as part of Spain’s Pavilion program and has organized a “Catalan Week.”

With the slogan “Catalonia, a land of innovation and avant-garde,” visitors can learn how to make the quintessential Catalan dish pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato), attend wine masterclasses, learn to paint like Joan Miró, and explore the connections between language and modernist architecture.

Guests will also be able to interact with a brainwave-reading interface that generates personalized artwork, developed by the Catalan public innovation agency Biocat and the company Neuroelectrics.

With the week-long program of activities, Catalonia seeks to raise its profile at this major international event, which brings together nearly 160 countries and has already attracted over five million visitors in just over a month.

On Wednesday, the Catalan president will attend the official opening ceremony.

Hideyuki has been mayor of Osaka, a city with 8.7 million inhabitants, since 2023. Osaka is the second largest city in the Keihanshin metropolitan region, after Tokyo, and has one of the largest GDPs in the world.
 
 

On May 28, at 3:20 p.m., for approximately 45 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia. The summary of the meeting is as follows:

1. Opening Remarks

Minister Iwaya warmly welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn’s visit to Japan and emphasized that Japan and Cambodia are “Comprehensive Strategic Partners” cooperating for international peace and stability, including demining in mine-affected third countries.

He further expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation with Cambodia in realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” based on the rule of law and to maintain and enhance the multilateral free trade system.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed gratitude for Japan as a most trusted friend and Japan’s continuous support to Cambodia since the peace process and expressed his commitment to further developing bilateral cooperation.


2. Bilateral Relations

Both ministers welcomed the port call of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels at Ream Naval Base in April and agreed to further enhance security cooperation. Minister Iwaya expressed Japan’s desire to advance discussions on Official Security Assistance (OSA) and to see port calls of vessels from various countries at Ream Naval Base in the future toward a “more open base.”

The ministers also agreed to cooperate in maintaining and strengthening the multilateral free trade system, taking into account the current global economic situation, and to support the diversification of Cambodia’s economic partnerships.

Minister Iwaya further stated that Japan will promote “three new cooperation approaches” to Cambodia, focusing on social infrastructure development, maritime connectivity, and humanitarian mine action, as well as the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC). Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn expressed his appreciation for Japan’s continued support.

Both ministers agreed to cooperate towards Cambodia's sustainable development and the co-creation of social values, and the promotion of further investment from Japan.

Additionally, the ministers discussed Cambodia’s democratic development.
 

 

3. Regional and International Situation

The ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation for international peace and stability, including triangular cooperation in the field of demining. Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn also highlighted Cambodia's resolve to address transnational organized crime, and both Ministers affirmed their commitment to cooperation in this regard.

Furthermore, both ministers agreed to continue to cooperate on a range of regional and international issues, including Japan-ASEAN cooperation, the situation in Myanmar, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and responses to North Korea.
 
 

With the average price of rice now doubled from the same period last year — reaching more than ¥4,000 for 5 kilograms at supermarkets — much attention is being paid to whether the ministry’s new approach will be effective.

The agriculture ministry’s decision to sell state-held reserves of rice through “discretionary contracts,” in which the government sets the price of the grain, is a drastic change from its previous stance of not controlling rice prices.

With the average price of rice now doubled from the same period last year — reaching more than ¥4,000 for 5 kilograms at supermarkets — much attention is being paid to whether the ministry’s new approach will be effective.

“We will prevent rice prices from rising further, halt the decline in rice consumption and fulfill our responsibility,” Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told ministry officials on Monday. He also set up a special in-house team to tackle rising rice prices.

The standard system of open bidding played a role in driving rice prices higher, as those who made the highest bid would win the auction. Under a discretionary contract, the government can set a low price and decide who gets a contract. This approach also reduces intermediary margins by skipping distributors and wholesalers, which also helps lower prices.

According to a ministry survey, 90% of the about 210,000 tons of rice sold at auction in March was bought by the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-Noh). Only 14,998 tons, or 7.1%, had gone to retailers, as of April 27.

The key element of Koizumi’s new measure is how much faster it can enable distribution through direct sales to retailers.
The ministry started accepting applications for the discretionary contracts on Monday.

A senior official of Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp., which runs discount store chain Don Quijote, told reporters on Monday after he participated in a ministry briefing that the company would apply that day. Pan Pacific International Holdings may limit the amount of rice each consumer can buy and will start selling the rice as soon as possible, the official said.

“It’s beneficial for consumers if we retailers participate in the discretionary contracts. We’ll make efforts to put the price at the ¥2,000 level,” the official said.

Rakuten Group, Inc. is considering direct sales through its Rakuten Ichiba e-commerce site. The company hopes to start selling the rice in early June in cooperation with Japan Post Holdings Co., which is Rakuten’s partner in the distribution business.

Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman and president of Rakuten Group, met with Koizumi on Friday and reportedly told the minister that he would make efforts to sell stockpiled rice.

Ito Yokado Co., which is under the umbrella of Seven & i Holdings Co., is one of the major retailers expected to apply for a contract. Aeon Co. is also considering submitting an application.

Rice has to be polished before being sold at stores, and retailers will have to perform this task.

 

“We have to prepare bags for polished rice and rice polishing facilities. The schedule will be tight,” said an official in charge of public relations for a major retailer. It may take them longer to put rice in stores if they have to arrange for other companies to polish the rice.

If the stockpiled rice is distributed from June as Koizumi expects, the average sales price at supermarkets may go down nationwide. Currently, the price is more than ¥4,000 per 5 kilograms, about double the level in the same period last year. If stockpiled rice costing about ¥2,000 appears in stores, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s hopes for an average price at the ¥3,000 level may be realized.

However, the total amount of stockpiled rice sold at the three open biddings and to be sold through the discretionary contracts is about 610,000 tons in total, or less than 10% of the 7 million tons needed annually. It will last households only two months.

Cheap rice sold through discretionary contracts may be popular among consumers. If it goes out of stock, expensive rice distributed through open bidding will remain at stores.

“The current extraordinary high prices will subside when sufficient rice comes into the market,” said Shunsuke Orikasa, chief researcher at the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan and a specialist in rice distribution.

However, Orikasa is skeptical about the long- and mid-term effects of the measure. “There’s no way that retailers and wholesalers will sell rice at a lower price than they paid to buy it,” he said.
 
 

H2O Retailing Corp. has applied to sell 2,000 tons of rice to be released from the Japanese government's stockpile under discretionary contracts, company officials said.

Kansai Food Market Ltd., a subsidiary of H2O Retailing, will sell the rice at its group supermarkets such as Hankyu Oasis Co. and Kansai Super Market Ltd. at prices close to the government's target of 2,000 yen per 5 kilograms excluding tax.

Amid elevated rice prices in the market, H2O Retailing hopes to ease customer concerns by increasing the amount of rice on store shelves.
 
 

Money-losing Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Corp is banking on its latest “e-Power” technology for a turnaround.

A kind of hybrid, e-Power comes equipped with both an electric motor and gasoline engine, much like the Toyota Motor Corp Prius. It’s different from a Prius in that it doesn’t switch back and forth between the motor and engine during the drive.

That means the car always is running on its EV battery, ensuring a quiet, smooth ride.

“Nissan has a proud history of pioneering innovative technology that set us apart,” Chief Technology Officer Eiichi Akashi told reporters on the sidelines of a test drive at its Grandrive course outside Tokyo.

The advantage of e-Power vehicles is that they never need to be charged like EVs do. The owner just fuels up at a gas station and the car never runs out of a charge.

Nissan, which racked up a 670.9 billion net loss for the fiscal year through March, sorely needs a hot-seller, especially in the lucrative North American market. But the U.S. market is proving a big headache for all the Japanese automakers because of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

To achieve a turnaround, Nissan is working on reducing costs, strengthening business partnerships and redefining its lineup. That's where e-Power fits in, according to Akashi.

Yokohama-based Nissan announced earlier this month that it’s slashing about 15% of its global work force, or about 20,000 employees, and reducing the number of its auto plants to 10 from 17, under an ambitious recovery plan led by its new Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa.

Nissan officials did not give a price for the upcoming e-Power models. The only other automaker offers a similar technology is “kei,” or tiny car manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corp.

E-Power is already offered on the Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail model in Europe, and the Note in Japan. The upgraded version will be offered in the new Rogue in the U.S.

Nissan, a pioneer in EVs with its Leaf, which went on sale in 2010, is also preparing beefed up EV models. It's also working on a solid-state battery which is expected to replace the lithium-ion batteries now widely used in hybrids, EVs and e-Power models.

Analysts say Nissan is in danger of running out of cash and needs a partner. Speculation is rife its Yokohama headquarters building will get sold, or one of its Japan plants will be turned into a casino.

Nissan started talks last year with Japanese rival Honda Motor Co. for a business integration but announced in February that it was dropping the talks.
 
 

Ten people sustained minor injuries, and dozens of buildings were damaged in eastern Tokyo on Tuesday after explosions at a construction site, possibly caused by a gas leak, police said.

Gas was detected at the site in Edogawa Ward, where a fragment of a gas cylinder was also recovered. Police believe workers may have struck the cylinder with a drill during piling work for a new apartment building, likely causing the gas to ignite.

An emergency call reporting the sound of explosions was made around 9:35 a.m. A service vehicle caught fire at the site, while workers, nearby residents, and others -- ranging in age from their 20s to 70s -- inhaled smoke and sustained other minor injuries.

Around 40 buildings sustained damage to walls and other parts, with some window glass shattering. The affected area extended up to a 100-meter radius from the site, located near Tokyo Metro's Kasai Station.

Keishi Sudo, a 69-year-old who lives in a nearby apartment, said he heard a boom after hearing someone saying, "It's gas!"

The blast shattered the windows, scattering glass throughout his apartment, and caused an air conditioning unit to fall.

"I don't know how I should live from tomorrow," he said.

The cause of the explosions was initially explained as a leak from a gas pipe damaged by workers, though no pipes were found there.

An investigative source said acetylene gas, which is used to weld metals, may have leaked from the gas cylinder.
 

 

Japan lost its status as the world's top creditor for the first time in 34 years, overtaken by Germany, even as its net external assets rose to a record high, partly due to a weaker yen, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

Japan's gross external assets increased 12.9 percent from a year earlier to 533.05 trillion yen ($3.7 trillion) as of the end of last year, topping 500 trillion yen for the first time, but the total was below Germany's 569.65 trillion yen.

The yen's depreciation boosted the value of Japan's foreign-currency assets, including stocks, bonds and other holdings, when converted into the local currency, the ministry said, adding Germany benefited from a large current account surplus.

Japan increased its net external credit for the seventh consecutive year, with total external assets rising 11.4 percent to 1,659.02 trillion yen, driven by direct investment in the United States by domestic financial institutions and trading houses.

External liabilities also climbed 10.7 percent to 1,125.97 trillion yen, with the ministry saying the U.S. dollar was trading at 157.89 yen as of the end of 2024, up 11.7 percent from 141.40 yen the previous year.

By country and region, Japan ranked as the second-largest holder of net external assets, followed by China with 516.28 trillion yen. The United States, in contrast, had a net external liability of 4,109.26 trillion yen, meaning its foreign debts far exceeded its overseas assets.

Figures for other nations were converted into yen using the foreign exchange rates at the end of last year, as published by the International Monetary Fund, the Japanese ministry said.
 
 

As well as offering UAVs of all types, including fixed-wing, VTOL and Rotary, Hama differs from other drone designers around the world by offering a range of medium-sized aerial UAVs capable of taking off and landing in water like a seaplane.

The Nippose company takes care of development from A to Z: from the concept and design phase to manufacturing and the design of the drone’s piloting software. The latest is the UAV Hamadori seaplane.

Designed for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) or Search and Rescue (SAR) missions over the sea, thanks to its on-board EO/IR gimbal camera, the HAMADORI UAV has the ability to take off and land autonomously on the water, and to communicate with vehicles or other underwater assets thanks to its acoustic communication antenna, making it like a relay between underwater platforms and those on the surface, whether at sea or on land, thus extending its mission possibilities.

“It can communicate with submarines, mines or UUVs, etc., and relay communication between submarine assets and air and ground assets […] a unique point that cannot be achieved with a conventional UAV […] and which could prevent the mobilization of overly large assets such as manned vessels.” said Takenori Hashimoto, head of internotional business development at HAMA.

HAMA claims to be able to integrate other sensors of various kinds into the UAV, thus broadening the range of possible missions. The company representative mentions that it would be conceivable for the UAV to assist in anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare or other missions.

To give itself every chance, the Japan-based company has developed two other versions of the HAMADORI concept. The one shown at the show was the HAMADORI 3000, a number referring to its three-meter wingspan – the smallest version.

Its big brother is the HAMADORI 6000, with twice the wingspan. Finally, HAMA is working on a catamaran version of its drone. The latter design would offer greater carrying capacity and flexibility.

For the moment, only the Hamadori 3000 is operational, and was used to observe the aftermaths of an earthquake off the Noto peninsula. HAMA has not yet entered the military market, however, and hopes to do so soon.

Discussions are currently underway with the Japanese MOD. The 6000 version and the catamaran are still in the prototype phase, the former having had its maiden flight last year, while the latter is still in the assembly phase and should have its maiden flight later this year.

As regards the technical details of the various models, the HAMADORI 3000 is a relatively light drone weighing just 29kg and capable of cruising at speeds of 35 knots with an range of 140km and an autonomy of 2 hours. It can land in seas with waves of up to 2 meters.

The HAMADORI 6000 is a real step up from its little brother. In fact, HAMA has announced an 8-hour autonomy and a flight range of 740km. Its cruising speed will be doubled, and it should be able to land in 3m waves.

Various sensors such as sonar and other oceanographic data collectors could be installed.
 
 

 

A Japanese plane headed from Tokyo to Texas had to make an emergency landing after a passenger tried to open one of its doors during the flight.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Flight 114 was diverted to Seattle hours after taking off on Saturday "due to an unruly passenger", the airline said.

Port of Seattle police told media they had been notified of a man who "attempted to open exit doors during the flight".

The man, who was not identified, was "having a medical crisis" and had to be restrained by other passengers and flight crew, police said.

He was later taken to a hospital. It is unclear if he will face any charges.
"The safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority and we applaud the efforts of local law enforcement for their support," ANA said in a statement.

While the plane was waiting on the tarmac of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a second person was removed from the flight for "unruly behaviour", authorities said.

Flight data shows that the plane made it to its destination, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, on Saturday around 12:40 local time (17:40 GMT) - four hours after its scheduled arrival time.
This is the latest in a string of similar incidents.

In April, a Jetstar flight from Bali, Indonesia was forced to turn around during its journey to Melbourne, Australia, after a passenger similarly tried to open a plane door in the air.

Last November, a man who tried to open the plane door during an American Airlines flight was restrained and tied up by fellow passengers with duct tape.

And in 2023, nine passengers of an Asiana Airlines flight were sent to hospital with breathing difficulties after a man successfully opened the aircraft's emergency exit door prior to it landing at a South Korean airport.
 
 

 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday said Tokyo aims to advance tariff talks with the United States, with the goal of achieving an outcome during the Group of Seven summit next month.

Japan’s top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held a third round of Japan-U.S. talks in Washington on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Kyoto, Ishiba said there has been progress in negotiations, pointing to discussions on trade expansion, non-tariff measures and economic security.

“We will continue to further refine our discussions with the G-7 summit in mind,” he said.

Ishiba on Friday held a 45-minute phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security, diplomacy, and tariffs, and said they exchanged hope for an in-person meeting at the G-7 summit.

On Sunday, Ishiba expressed Japan’s willingness to cooperate in shipbuilding. He said the U.S. has shown interest in the possibility of repairing U.S. warships in Japan and that Japan would like to assist.

He said Japan has an advantage in icebreakers, such as those used on Arctic trade routes, which could become an area of cooperation with the U.S.
In Tokyo, Akazawa on Sunday said the schedule for the next Japan-U.S. talks is being arranged and that he hopes to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during his next visit to the U.S.

Speaking to reporters at Haneda Airport following his return from Washington, Akazawa said an agreement will be reached only when all elements are settled as a package, meaning that until everything is agreed upon, nothing is agreed upon.

“Therefore, I won’t comment on how far we’ve progressed,” he said.
 
 

Aomorikku Cube, Rubik’s Cube puzzles designed with apple skin coloration, sales have begun outside Aomori Prefecture. Instead of solid colors, each side of the cube is patterned on a different variety of apple produced in the prefecture.

The Aomori prefectural government sold the toys in the prefecture from autumn last year, quickly selling out.

Many people voiced their desire to buy the puzzle, so the prefectural government has begun selling them again to promote apples, a prefectural specialty product.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of apple tree planting in the prefecture.

When the Aomorikku Cube is solved, each surface shows an image patterned after a different apple variety. The designs are: Fuji, Jonagold, Sekai-ichi, Kogyoku, Chiyuki and Mutsu.

All of them are red and look very similar. People need to align the pieces of each surface while paying attention to features of the apple varieties, making it very challenging.

In October last year, the toys began to be sold in stores at 11 locations in the prefecture.

They caught on right away and the initial run of 1,000 toys sold out in about 2 months.

According to the prefectural government’s tourism policy division, many people from inside and outside of the prefecture voiced a desire to buy them even after they initially sold out.

The prefectural government decided to sell the toys again starting May 1, this time selling them outside the prefecture as well.

In Aomori prefecture, the toys are available in multiple locations, including a store in Misawa Airport. Outside the prefecture, such retailers as Aomori Hokusaikan Tokyo Store, the prefecture’s antenna shop in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, and A La Ringo Kobe Factory Shop in Hyogo Ward, Kobe, sell them.

They sell for ¥3,300 each, including tax. By May 23, some shops reported their stock of the toys was low.

An official of the prefectural government’s tourism policy division said, “We want people to become familiar with the features of apple varieties and hope the toys will prompt them to visit the prefecture to try the apples for themselves.”
 
 

Businesses in Japan are expanding their use of generative artificial intelligence to human-resources management, including staff training and evaluation.

A subsidiary of precision-machinery maker, Ricoh, started using generative AI this year to train new recruits in sales work.

Staff wear goggles as they pitch the company's products to AI-generated clients, and AI also evaluates their performance.

Kawamura Koji of Ricoh Japan said "This will allow for a significant increase in role-playing and as a result, our staff will be able to communicate better with customers, and listen to their problems as much as possible.

Cable-TV operator JCOM plans to introduce AI to evaluate call-center staff by next March.

AI will analyze interactions between employees and customers for criteria such as clarity of staff explanations, and estimate how the customers are feeling.

A call-center manager said past evaluations were based on assessment of only about 2 percent of conversations, but AI can analyze all staff-client interactions.

She said the technology will help the company grow.
 
 

Japan began sales of government rice stockpiles via direct contracts on Monday, aiming to slash soaring prices after the newly appointed farm minister pledged to bring them down to about 2,000 yen ($14) per 5 kilograms by early June.

The move comes as the government seeks to quell criticism it has been ineffective in preventing rice prices from skyrocketing at a time when inflation is outpacing wage growth and pressuring household budgets.

The government plans to release around 300,000 tons of rice via the contracts with major retailers, such as supermarkets, bypassing the auction system under which farming cooperatives bought most of the previously released rice, limiting the government's influence over prices.
 
"Had we continued as we were, I did not believe we could fulfill people's expectations," farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi told Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries officials in a meeting, which was open to the press.
"We will move at speed and with urgency to dispel the people's concerns," he said.

The stockpiles of rice produced in 2021 and 2022 are to be sold at around 11,556 yen, including tax, per 60 kg and the government will shoulder the cost of transportation to regional areas. Online sales of rice to achieve broader distribution are also under consideration.

Koizumi assumed his post on Wednesday after his predecessor resigned in an uproar over a gaffe in which he said he had never bought rice due to having a surplus that had been gifted by supporters.

The average price of the nation's staple food in Japanese supermarkets reached a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg in early May, roughly double last year's level, due in part to a poor
 
 

The government will launch measures to revive the shipbuilding industry, which has been declining for a long time, according to sources. It will support the private sector in the construction and repair of shipbuilding docks and in starting businesses overseas.

China has an overwhelming share of the world’s shipbuilding market, and economic security concerns are growing in the international community. As the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump regards strengthening the country’s shipbuilding capability as one of its important policies, Japan hopes to promote cooperation with the United States in this area and use it as a bargaining chip in the upcoming tariff negotiations.

The government aims to support the domestic industry and promote cooperation with the United States at the same time. It will include specific measures in its Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform, also known as the “big-boned policy,” and secure the necessary budget.

As for domestic measures, it will support domestic investment, technology development and establishing data infrastructure in the shipbuilding industry through the Economic Security Promotion Law. This is in consideration of the fact that shipbuilding is a dual-use industry, which develops and produces vessels for both private and military purposes.

To strengthen domestic shipbuilding capability, which is currently insufficient to meet the recent increase in demand, the government will support to construct new shipbuilding docks by reviving unused docks and dockyards.

The government will also increase the budget related to green transformation to support the building of ships that include next-generation vessels fueled by blue ammonia. Blue ammonia is produced from fossil fuel in which the carbon dioxide emissions generated during the process are captured and stored.

The government will also help Japanese companies construct large-scale docks overseas and start businesses in those locations.

As for possible Japan-U.S. cooperation, the government is considering a “Japan-U.S. fund for reviving the shipbuilding industry.” It will propose joint construction of blue ammonia ships and vehicle carriers, hoping to utilize Japan’s design capabilities and Japan-made manufacturing parts. It will support Japanese and U.S. companies to construct dockyards in the United States.

Based on the technology of Japanese icebreaker Shirase, it plans to jointly develop and produce new icebreakers and cooperate in repairing warships with the United States. It also aims to establish a supply chain between Japan and the United States to avoid too much dependence on China.

China currently has a 70% share of newly built ships and 90% share of ship repair. Japan had a 50% share of newly built ships in the early 1990s, but currently has only 10%. As Japan depends on China for its supply of ships, its maritime transportation may be affected in a contingency. Japan aims to strengthen its economic security by reviving its shipbuilding industry.

The Trump administration also aims to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry. It has already started to eliminate Chinese ships; the U.S. government said it would collect fees from China-made ships when they enter U.S. ports.

Japan and the United States were to hold their third ministerial meeting about the tariffs on Friday. Japan intends to convey to the U.S. government its intent to cooperate in reviving both countries’ shipbuilding industries, hoping to extract concessions in the negotiations.
 
 

Nissan Motor Co is considering selling its headquarters building in Yokohama to help cover costs related to plant closures and other restructuring efforts, sources familiar with the matter said.

The struggling automaker may also book an additional 60 billion yen in restructuring costs this fiscal year as it pushes ahead with its revamp plans, according to records from a meeting with analysts last week on its latest earning results.

Nissan announced on May 13 that it posted a net loss of 670.9 billion yen in the fiscal year ended March after recording an impairment loss of 460 billion yen and 60 billion yen in restructuring costs under its reform plans.

The carmaker did not issue an earnings forecast for the current fiscal year, as additional restructuring costs and the impact of U.S. tariffs have yet to be factored in, Nissan Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin said at a press conference that day.

Even if it sells its headquarters, Nissan may consider leasing back the office space. But it remains unclear whether the company will ultimately go ahead with the sale as some executives oppose the idea, the sources said.

Japan's third-biggest automaker by volume is in need of funds, having announced that it will shut seven of its current 17 auto assembly plants and cut 20,000 jobs globally.

Pressured by faltering vehicle sales in China and the United States, coupled with a series of U.S. tariffs, Nissan is rushing to streamline its global operations to return to profitability in the next fiscal year.
 
 

Amid nationwide high rice prices, Aichi Prefecture is striving to increase rice production. The prefecture, though, faces a formidable threat from pests, whose damage is intensified by global warming, making it more difficult to combat them.

The prefecture has set its production target for this year at about 131,800 tons — an increase of about 5,400 tons from the previous year and the highest since 2018 — with the aim of using this increased output to bring down soaring prices.

Even now, when farmers across the prefecture are only at the stage of early-season planting, they are already contending with challenges like pest damage, a problem believed to be aggravated by global warming.

On April 11 in Yatomi in the prefecture, employees of YTAgri, a rice farming business owning about 70 hectares of paddies, planted 400 trays of Akita Komachi rice seedlings, anticipating a harvest of about 12 tons in early August.

Last year, YTAgri produced about 336 tons of rice. Ryota Yamaguchi, the representative of the company, said emphatically: “The best way we can help consumers facing this rice shortage is to maximize production. While we can’t instantly expand our planted area, we will dedicate ourselves to boosting yields.”

Aiming to produce 380 tons this year, the company is investing in its paddies, fortifying them through measures like increased fertilization for larger ears of rice and strict pest and disease management. Nevertheless, Yamaguchi worries: “Fertilizer costs are 1.5 times what they were five years ago. Fuel prices are rising too, which is another headache.”

Aiming to hold down spiking rice prices, the central government, which had previously set national production targets, shifted this responsibility to the prefectural level in 2018.

The targets set by the Aichi Prefecture’s agricultural regeneration council, a group established by the prefectural government and producer organizations, were previously on a slight downward trend, from about 131,300 tons each year between 2018 and 2022 to about 129,000 tons in 2023, and then to roughly 126,400 tons in 2024. However, this year’s target is about 131,800 tons, up by about 5,400 tons from last year.

The prefecture reported that last year’s rice harvest was only 124,300 tons as a result of poor growth due to high temperatures and other factors.

Furthermore, the first-ever temporary Nankai Trough earthquake warning, issued last summer, is thought to have intensified the rice shortage by prompting increased household stockpiling.

In addition to impacting rice growth, global warming is posing another problem for producers by contributing to a surge in pests.

The invasive giant apple snail, not native to Japan, poses a significant threat, as it voraciously consumes young, tender rice seedlings within two to three weeks of planting and deposits large, toxic egg masses.

A survey last year by the Aichi Prefectural Agricultural Research Center found the giant apple snail in a record 35.4% of 130 studied rice paddies. In the Mikawa region, some farmers reported planting rice seedlings one day and finding them entirely consumed the following morning.
 

 

Another serious issue is the damage caused by rice stink bugs, which feed by piercing rice ears and sucking their sap around the summer before harvest, leading to blackening and reduced rice quality.

In some areas, the population of these bugs has reached 10 times the normal level. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry explains that this increase stems from a larger number of bugs surviving the winter because of global warming.

JA Aichi Economic Federation reports that the proportion of top-grade rice harvested in the prefecture fell from the usual 80% to 40% for the 2023 and 2024 crops due to rice stink bug damage and other causes.

“Reduced yield and quality directly cut into profits. Although we can’t predict the extent of the damage, we will quickly share information with producers and work with local governments to offer effective pest control guidance when outbreaks occur,” a federation official said.
 
 

 
 
Visitors flocked to a theme park in western Japan on Sunday for the last opportunity to get an up-close look at four giant pandas that are set to be transferred to China.
 
The four female pandas at the park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, are scheduled to be sent to China on June 28, as the contract of a joint project is set to expire in August.

 

 

Sunday is the last day for visitors to be able to see the pandas outdoors. The pandas will then be on view to the public only at glass-enclosed indoor facilities from Monday through June 27, one day before their scheduled departure.
 
A woman in her 20s said that she was close enough to hear the animals munching bamboo, so she felt sad that no one would be able to see them outdoors again.
 
She added that she would like to visit again to see the pandas through glass, before they are sent to China.
 

 

Japan's government plans to improve working conditions for chefs at its overseas diplomatic missions due to intensifying competition for talent as the nation's cuisine grows in popularity worldwide.

More than 6 million yen ($41,000) will be paid annually to chefs under the new scheme slated to start in January, up from the current average of around 4 to 4.5 million yen, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Many serve as live-in chefs at diplomatic establishments, but they will be allowed to opt for rented accommodation with the cost to be covered by the government, the ministry said.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said chefs at overseas missions play "significant roles" in the hosting of foreign dignitaries, and recruiting good staff has "increasingly become harder."

"We expect chefs, as 'food diplomats,' to promote Japanese food more proactively," Iwaya told a press conference earlier this month when he announced the new system.

 

Every overseas outpost should have a chef, and busy locations, including the Japanese embassies in the United States and China, have two. Currently, about a dozen out of some 230 missions have a vacancy, according to the ministry.

The chefs will be contracted for two years and can be extended for one year. Currently, the length of their contracts tends to be open-ended as they are linked to the terms of their higher-ranked colleagues such as ambassadors and consuls general.

The new system is expected to enable the chefs to "draw their career paths more easily," Iwaya said.

Other improvements include adding funds to the chefs' salaries for them to use in bringing their spouses to countries where they work, the ministry said.
 
 

 

 

Families of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea and their supporters held a national rally in Tokyo on Saturday to demand the immediate return of all abductees.

"We really have no time left," a participant said, bearing in mind that Sakie Yokota, 89, the mother of abductee Megumi, has become the only surviving member of the generation of the abductees' parents. Megumi was kidnapped in 1977 when she was 13.

The rally was attended by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
At the beginning of the event, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Akihiro Arimoto, the father of abductee Keiko, who died in February this year. Keiko disappeared in Europe in 1983 when she was 23.

Takuya Yokota, 56, a younger brother of Megumi and head of a group of families of abductees, gave a speech calling for a Japan-North Korea summit.

"We really have no time left. We want the Japanese government to take action so that we can reunite with our family members and siblings who were abducted," he said.

Ishiba emphasized the significance of appealing to the international community to solve the problem.

"We will by all means make a breakthrough. We will make further approaches through various channels," he said, expressing his eagerness to meet directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Megumi "disappeared suddenly," her mother recalled, saying that she had "walked along the beach, searching and crying." She asked for support for the resolution of the abduction issue.

The rally, organized mainly by the family group and an organization supporting such families, brought together about 800 people, including lawmakers. During the event, a resolution was adopted requesting the Japanese government and North Korea to realize the immediate return of all abductees.
 
 

 

The decision was made due to a slowdown in the global emissions reduction trend

Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel has announced some changes to its investment plans for the three-year financial period between 2024 and 2026 due to rising global uncertainty. In this way, the company aims to maintain its financial stability and prioritize economic rationality in the short term, SteelOrbis reports.

Kobe Steel has reduced its investment plan for the period from approximately 950 billion yen ($6.23 billion) to 750 billion ($5.53 billion).

The company will allocate approximately 150 billion yen ($1.05 billion) to decarbonize its operations, compared to the original plan of approximately 300 billion yen ($2.09 billion) due to the slowdown in the global trend towards carbon neutrality.

The Japanese steelmaker intends to reduce its carbon emissions by 30-40% by 2030 compared to 2013 levels and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

To achieve these goals, the company plans to use large-scale innovative electric arc furnaces and ammonia co-combustion technology in blast furnaces starting in 2030.

Kobe Steel also aims to increase the use of scrap, integrate biomass into blast furnaces and implement energy-efficient processes.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Třinecké Železárny Group, the largest steel producer in the Czech Republic, is postponing the completion date of the largest decarbonization investment in the plant’s history.

The main reasons for the delay in the implementation of the EAF are the lack of public support, uncertainty about the future direction of Europe in the rules related to the Green Deal, the current negative situation on the steel market, and unclear import protection rules.
 
 

Japan’s search for a new trainer aircraft has meant that companies were keen to display their trainer aircraft solutions at DSEI Japan.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is in the process of recapitalizing its training aircraft fleet as it seeks to produce pilots for next generation combat aircraft.

JASDF announced earlier this year that it selected the Textron T-6 turboprop trainer, and is starting a search for a jet trainer to replace its existing training fleet.

According to industry executives here at the DSEI Japan expo in Tokyo, Japan is undertaking a survey to look at the aircraft types and training solutions in the market.

This likely includes the joint development of a new trainer aircraft with the US, announced during the US-Japan leaders’ summit in April 2024 to replace the JASDF’s Kawasaki T-4 jet trainers.

Japan’s search for a new trainer aircraft has meant that companies were keen to display their trainer aircraft solutions at DSEI Japan, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) displaying a scale model of its T-X jet trainer concept.

Meanwhile, Boeing is poised to offer the T-7A Red Hawk trainer for any potential Japanese requirement, with Executive Director for Defense and Government Services in East Asia John Suding noting that the type that has been selected for the US Air Force’s own trainer program would be ideal for a US-Japan joint development.

“The training that it [the T-7] will do for the United States Air Force is very similar to the training that Japan does for their air force, and particularly for their fighter fleet with F-35s and F-15s that are being upgraded, so there’s a lot of commonality within the training system,” Suding said.

Italy’s Leonardo also had a presence at DSEI Japan, showing off a cockpit simulator for its M-346 Block 20 at its stand. The JASDF currently sends its pilots on the M-346 at the International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Italy, which focuses on Phase IV Advanced/Lead-in Fighter Training (LIFT) for pilots from several countries including Qatar and Singapore.

The IFTS is a project between the Italian Air Force and Leonardo, and a company spokesperson told Breaking Defense that nine JASDF pilots have already undergone training at the center since Japan started sending pilots over in 2022.

The pilots’ stint at the IFTS lasts approximately six months, and the spokesperson says that the aim is to increase the number to ten pilots per year.

Another company involved in IFTS is CAE, which has an industrial partnership with Leonardo related to aircraft and simulators. CAE has also demonstrated its Virtual Reality-based training capabilities to the JASDF in 2023, putting 30 pilot training cadets at Hofu-kita Air Base where the JASDF conducts basic flying training on the Subaru T-7 turboprop trainer.

CAE’s Principal Technology Officer Gary Eves told Breaking Defense that the results of the demonstration left the JASDF impressed, and the company is continuing to engage with the service as it continues to find a path forward for its future training needs.

This includes an integrated ground-based virtual training that is not dependent on whichever type of trainer aircraft the JASDF selects for its future training program.

“We will work with JASDF’s choice of aircraft. We are not aligned to anyone and can work with all of them and we will guide them through this process,” Eves said.
 
 

 

The government announced plans to introduce more rigorous online screening to root out undesirable foreign visitors and eventually reduce the number of illegal aliens in Japan to zero.

Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki told a May 23 news conference that “strong measures” were needed, citing public disquiet over a barrage of media reports about foreign visitors behaving badly.

The Japanese version of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) that was introduced in the United States in 2009 will be up and running in fiscal 2028.

Canada and New Zealand operate a similar program, and the European Union is planning to introduce its own version in 2026.

The Japanese system consists of seven major policy planks intended to prevent foreign nationals with criminal records from entering Japan as well as to swiftly deport those who have been denied refugee status.

Records show there were 2,122 foreign nationals at the end of 2024 who had received final confirmation for deportation.

One goal of the plan announced May 23 is to halve that number by the end of fiscal 2030, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

Under JESTA, prospective visitors to Japan from 71 nations and regions who are exempted from visas for short pleasure or business trips will have to apply online beforehand.

Immigration authorities will check whether applicants have a criminal record or previously were in Japan illegally.

Those who do not receive authorization will not be allowed to board flights bound for Japan.

The ministry is expected to expand the program to cover those who might arrive by sea to enter Japan.


DOUBTS ABOUT PROGRAM RAISED

Just how effective JESTA will be in reducing the number of illegal aliens is already open to question.

Naoko Hashimoto, an associate professor of international refugee law at International Christian University in Tokyo, accepted that there is a need for policies to reduce the number of illegal aliens.

However, she pointed out that those who end up with that status may not necessarily come from nations that are exempted from visas for short-term visits.

She said the government may be needlessly stirring up public emotions about unruly foreign elements by implementing policies based on impression rather than statistics.

“The number of crimes committed by foreigners has remained the same in recent years and the government has not released figures for the visa status of those arrested,” she added.

Another component of the electronic screening system is to more swiftly process refugee applications, an area in which Japan has been heavily criticized for not allowing more people to settle.

In 2015, the Immigration Services Agency classified refugee applications into four categories. Since 2018, for example, those who ended up in the case B file, meaning they were clearly not refugees, remained ineligible for the “designated activities” visa. 

In 2018, case B applications made up about 20 percent of all applications, but that figure had been reduced to 0.6 percent in 2024.

Agency officials said the sharp decrease may be due to applications being classified as case D, a dumping ground for all others that do not neatly go into the other three cases, rather than case B. As a result, immigration  authorities decided to review how case B applications are decided.

Suzuki said applications that are found to contain erroneous information or were deliberately misused will be swiftly classified as case B to increase the number of individuals denied the designated activities visa. That, in his view, will deter rank dishonesty in filling out applications.

In the past, case B applications concerned people facing economic difficulties or who cited vague unease with the policies of their home government or were not considered in danger of having their rights violated.

Agency officials declined to divulge what the new conditions would be in deciding case B applications on grounds publicizing that information would only lead to more applications submitted with the intention of avoiding a case B decision.

The ICU’s Hashimoto pointed out that the move to expand the number of case B decisions would lead to an increase of illegal aliens, thereby contradicting the program’s stated goal.

Another aspect of the plan will be to increase government funding to allow immigration marshals to escort deportees back to their native land.

Individuals who have made at least three failed refugee applications or have a record of committing major crimes would be covered under the program.
Authorities said 249 deportees were escorted back to their homeland by air

marshals in 2024. They said the government is seeking to double that figure in three years.

“I have doubts as to whether the plan to improve immigration control will be an effective strategy in the medium- to long-term,” Hashimoto said.
 
 

Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food.

Aeon Co. will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ($20) for 4 kilograms. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5 kilograms, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 percent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May.

The company already launched a blend of U.S.- and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado Co. and Seiyu Co. have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand.

Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices.

"The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase," Aeon Executive Vice President Mitsuko Tsuchiya told a recent press conference.

Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organization arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period.

Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the U.S.-grown rice by Aeon "historic" for American farmers, given Japan is a "country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality."

"Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers," Glass said.

The average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets from May 5 to May 11 was a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks.

The level remains around two times higher than the previous year, partly due to a poor harvest in the summer of 2023.
 
 

The Japanese government on Thursday started a revamped gasoline subsidy designed to cut prices by 10 yen ($0.07) per liter to help ease cost-of-living pressures for consumers ahead of an upcoming parliamentary election.

Under the previous scheme introduced in January 2022, the government had subsidized wholesalers to keep regular gasoline prices at around 185 yen per liter, but will now provide a fixed sum regardless of prices, which have recently dropped below that benchmark.

The government subsidy aims to reduce the wholesale gasoline price by 7.40 yen per liter in the first week, a targeted 5 yen effective decrease from a week earlier when crude price fluctuations are taken into account. It then aims to reduce the price by at least 1 yen weekly until it is 10 yen lower by mid-June.

Price reductions are expected to flow through to gas stations in two to three weeks, taking into account inventories, it said.

No end date has been decided for the program, but with around 1 trillion yen allocated to the subsidies, they could last until the end of March 2026.
The reintroduction of the subsidies comes ahead of the House of Councillors election slated for the summer.
 

 

Bank Indonesia (BI) has announced that the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) payment method will be available in Japan and China starting August 17, 2025.

BI Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta stated that regarding the rollout in Japan, BI has agreed on a series of technical steps up to the sandbox trial stage with the Japanese payment system authority, beginning in mid-May 2025.

"We hope that if there are no major obstacles, we can officially launch outbound QRIS on August 17. This means Indonesians travelling to Japan will be able to make payments by scanning QR codes there," she said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Progress has also been made in cooperation with China. China's UnionPay International and the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI) have agreed to finalize business, technical, and operational arrangements.

Four national switching service providers—PT Rintis Sejahtera (Rintis), PT Alto Network (Alto), PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis (Artajasa), and PT Jalin Pembayaran Nusantara (Jalin)—have signed an agreement with UnionPay International to proceed with system development and sandbox testing.

"We hope the trials can also be conducted on August 17," she added.
Meanwhile, regarding cross-border QRIS cooperation with India, Filianingsih noted that ASPI and NPCI International India are still in the technical discussion stage.

She also mentioned that cross-border QRIS collaboration with South Korea is currently under industry-level review and finalization by ASPI and the Korean Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute.

In addition, Filianingsih said that discussions have been initiated with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.

Currently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is promoting a program to enable digital payments for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, particularly from countries with large pilgrim populations, such as Indonesia.

"Later this month, we expect to hold intensive discussions with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia," she stated.

Filianingsih explained that the main challenge in implementing cross-border QRIS lies in the differing institutional structures of payment systems in each country.
Cross-border QRIS cooperation must begin through coordination with the payment system authority, but not all countries place their payment system authority under the central bank, as Indonesia does.

As a result, BI must first assess the authority structure of each partner country, adjust regulatory frameworks, and align payment system infrastructures. Only then can cooperation proceed to involve industry players and system testing (sandbox).

At the same press conference, BI Governor Perry Warjiyo emphasized that the development of cross-border digital payments is guided by three core principles: national interest, inter-authority synergy, and support from industry players.

This approach is outlined in Indonesia’s payment system blueprint, which incorporates international cooperation as a key element of the national strategy.

"There are stages where industry stakeholders will engage directly. Once aligned with national interests and industry agreements, implementation will be carried out across all players," he explained.

So far, cross-border QRIS payments have been successfully implemented in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
 

Four decades ago, Hiroko Suzuki's father threaded the needle of a U.S. trade war by pushing the family auto-parts business into newer niche products.

Now, tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are so sweeping they threaten her own attempt to diversify the 78-year-old company into medical devices.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the U.S. tariffs, including 25% on automobiles, a "national crisis" for the world's fourth-largest economy. Japan's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, headed to Washington on Friday for a third round of talks.

The worry is evident at companies like Kyowa Industrial, a maker of prototype parts and race-car components based in Takasaki, north of Tokyo. Kyowa, which employs 120 people, was among six auto suppliers that told Reuters they were concerned about their ability to withstand the tariff pressure on Japan's car industry.

"What in the world are we going to do?" Suzuki, Kyowa's third-generation president, recalled thinking when the tariffs were announced. "This is going to be bad."

The problems Kyowa and other auto suppliers face illustrate a decades-long shift in Japan, which no longer floods the world with chips and consumer electronics and is reliant on an auto industry threatened by intense Chinese competition. That marks a contrast with the 1980s, when the U.S. slapped trade barriers on a rising Japan and its then-barnstorming exports.

This report, which is based on interviews with a dozen people, including industry executives, bankers and senior government officials, provides a first-hand account of how one firm is grappling with the uncertainty, and details the deepening squeeze on the automotive supply chain at a time of profound disruption.

Kyowa and thousands of other small manufacturers comprise an auto-supply network that has for decades pursued a "monozukuri" (literally, "making things") approach to production. That culture of incremental improvement and assembly-line efficiency, based on methods developed by Toyota, helped make Japan a juggernaut.

But the shift to battery-powered smart cars has meant software, in which EV makers such as Tesla and China's BYD excel, has become a bigger selling point.

Kyowa started developing neurosurgery instruments in 2016 after Suzuki, now 65, realised the rise of EVs would eventually hammer demand for engine components. It began selling the instruments in the U.S. last year, only to find that Trump's tariffs also applied to medical devices.

Kyowa doesn't export auto components to the U.S., but Suzuki worries automakers will force suppliers to cut prices to offset tariffs. So far, that hasn't happened to her.

One Subaru Corp supplier said his company may have to start looking for partners expanding outside the U.S.

Major automakers have largely offered muted support for suppliers since Trump's tariff announcements. Last month, Toyota, Nissan and Ford  sent letters to the U.S. arms of some Japanese suppliers asking for cooperation in the face of tariffs, according to copies reviewed by Reuters, without offering specifics.

The letters haven't been previously reported.

Nissan told suppliers they should stick to previously agreed prices. It said it was "not obliged" to bear the costs of tariffs but that it would shoulder some of the hit for up to four weeks to help secure its supply chain. It added that it could later seek to recover any support payments to suppliers.

Reuters couldn't determine how much support, if any, Nissan extended. The automakers haven't sent follow-up letters, according to two suppliers, who allowed Reuters to review the correspondence on condition of anonymity.
Nissan told Reuters it was working with suppliers to mitigate the tariff impact and contain costs, including through localisation.

Toyota said it would seek to protect its suppliers, dealers, and employees while maintaining customers' trust as it navigated the uncertainty created by the tariffs. Ford told Reuters it was working with suppliers to assess their exposure and potentially reconfigure processes and sourcing.

In its letter, Toyota said it understood the "complexity and financial burden some suppliers are facing" and asked suppliers to identify and share mitigation measures. Toyota would work with suppliers "in good faith", it said.

Some Toyota suppliers, including Denso, have not given earnings forecasts for the coming year, citing uncertainty.

Julie Boote, an analyst at research firm Pelham Smithers Associates, said the trade war posed an "emergency" for Japan's auto industry that would hasten consolidation.

"In order to survive, these automakers will have to work together," she said.

 

SQUEEZED ON COST

Japanese manufacturers traditionally put pressure on smaller suppliers to lower prices, said Sayuri Shirai, a former Bank of Japan board member who is now a professor at Keio University.

If the tariffs remain in place in the longer term, it would spell more damage for regional economies hollowed out by demographic decline, she said.
The risks for Japan are already clear. The economy shrank in the first quarter, and Tokyo has compiled emergency economic measures to ease the pain of tariffs.

"Automobile exports are just too important to Japan for a 25% tariff to stay in place," said David Boling, a former U.S. trade official who is now a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group.

Boling said the U.S. is unlikely to go below the 10% it agreed with Britain.
Trump introduced a 25% tariff on automobiles and later a 24% tariff on all Japanese goods. The latter was slashed to 10% for 90 days, which runs out in July.

Akazawa, the trade envoy, on Tuesday said Japan was sticking to its guns and wanted tariffs eliminated. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the negotiations.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the Trump administration wanted trading partners to align with U.S. efforts to achieve "fairness and balance in our trading relationships and protect U.S. economic and national security."

Two senior Japanese officials told Reuters Japan's auto industry was increasingly looking like a laggard and needed to use the tariffs as an opportunity to implement sweeping changes to catch up with EV rivals.

In a statement, the trade ministry said that regardless of U.S. tariffs, Japan's auto industry needed to respond to significant changes in the competitive environment.

Japan's top auto suppliers, called Tier 1, procure parts from Tier 2 suppliers, and so on down the chain. At the bottom are firms that can be little more than neighbourhood workshops grinding out a single part.

Government officials have previously urged smaller companies to innovate and consolidate, to gain scale.

At regional lender Ashikaga Bank, an automotive industry team supports some 200 companies, around 80% of which are Tier 2 or lower suppliers. A member of the team not authorised to speak publicly said they worried tariffs would lead to higher vehicle prices and a decline in Japanese car sales in the U.S., hitting the bank's clients.

Shinichi Iizuka, president of Toa Kogyo, a suspension maker in Subaru's hometown of Ota, near Takasaki, said the tariff burden will likely be shared by consumers, car dealers, automakers and suppliers.

Some 70% of Subaru's car sales are in the U.S., where it relies on both local manufacturing and imports. On Monday, Subaru said it would raise prices on several U.S. models.

Subaru CFO Shinsuke Toda this month said it was willing to talk with suppliers about sharing their burden, adding the situation remained unclear.


IT'S PERSONAL

Suzuki's drive to diversify Kyowa Industrial into medical devices mirrors the pivot made by her father during the 1980s trade friction, when Kyowa ditched mass production of less-profitable auto parts to focus on higher-margin prototypes and racing-engine components. Suzuki took over in 2000 and her father died in 2013.

Before Trump's tariffs, Suzuki had planned to build a U.S. track record in sales of medical equipment to smooth entry into other markets. With the advent of the U.S. trade barriers, she said her team considered moving production to the U.S., where costs are high, or shifting the sales focus to Asia.

Given the uncertainty around Trump's announcements, Kyowa is in talks with potential distributors in Singapore and Hong Kong, Suzuki said.

Around 70% of Kyowa's business still comes from automakers, while chip-equipment makers and Japan's space program contribute to the remainder. It supplies most Japanese car makers, General Motors and parts for Formula One race cars.

Annual sales are a modest 2 billion yen ($14 million). Still, Kyowa is larger than three-quarters of the roughly 68,000 companies that make up Japan's auto-supply chain, according to research firm Teikoku Databank.

For Suzuki, trade friction is also personal, given her deep affection for the U.S. She grew up listening to rock music on U.S. armed forces radio, learned English and went to university in America. She remembers seeing Aerosmith live at their first concert in Japan.

"Japan and America have a long history of friendship. I hope they can find a solution," she said.
 
 

Japan's new agriculture minister pledged on Friday to quickly move rice from government stockpiles to store shelves where they would be offered at prices significantly lower than current levels, seeking to stem a consumer shift to cheaper, foreign brands.

Soaring rice prices, due in part to crop damage from extreme heat and additional demand from a boom in tourism, have become a major concern for Japanese consumers as well as the government with upper house elections set for July.

The government has been releasing some of its stockpiled rice since March but that has yet to translate to lower supermarket prices.

"The abnormal surge in prices that we're seeing now could accelerate the shift away from domestically produced rice in Japan," Shinjiro Koizumi told a press conference. "We're already seeing supermarkets buying directly from the United States despite having to pay tariffs... We have to quash this abnormal situation and speed is of the essence."

Japan has historically been reluctant to encourage imports of rice, seeking self-sufficiency for its most basic food and putting up high tariffs to protect local farmers from competition.

Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, took up his post just two days ago. His predecessor, Taku Eto, was forced to resign after angering voters by saying he had never had to buy rice thanks to gifts from supporters.

Koizumi said he aimed for stockpiled rice to reach store shelves for under 3,000 yen per 5 kg by early June. That compares with an average price of 4,268 yen in the seven days to May 11, double the same period a year earlier.

Nationwide consumer price index (CPI) data on Friday showed soaring rice prices accelerating overall food inflation to 7.0% in April, from 6.2% in March.

Koizumi also met with Rakuten Group CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, who said the online retail giant was prepared to support the government's efforts.

Upon taking office, Koizumi immediately terminated the auction method of releasing emergency-use rice and said the government would instead sell via discretionary contracts.

The government first released rice from its emergency stock in March through two auctions for 210,000 metric tons, but as of late April, only about 7% had reached retailers due to a complex and time-consuming processing and distribution scheme.

Koizumi said the ministry plans to outline a basic framework for how the new process would work next week.

Questions remain over how the government would select whom to sell to and at what price. It is planning to release 100,000 tons every month through July.
 
 

Japan's National Police Agency said Thursday it will review rules to switch driver's licenses from other countries to Japanese ones following a recent series of accidents by foreign drivers.

The agency plans to require those seeking to switch to a Japanese driver's license to submit a copy of their residence certificate in Japan as a standard requirement while also considering increasing the number of questions on the knowledge test.

Under current rules, short-term visitors in Japan can obtain Japanese licenses by listing hotels or other accommodations as their address.

While both knowledge and driving skill checks are currently required, examinees can pass the knowledge test by answering seven out of ten questions correctly, with about 90 percent passing, a rate some lawmakers have criticized as "too easy."

Japanese citizens who live abroad will not be required to show residence certificates to convert their foreign licenses but must provide other proof of residence while in the country.

 

"Accidents have been increasing among foreigners who obtained licenses under the (current conversion) system," Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, said at a press conference. "We will draw up a revised plan and take the necessary steps."

According to the agency, the number of conversions from foreign licenses to Japanese ones has been growing recently, rising by about 12,000 to 60,010 cases in 2023 from a year earlier.

On Sunday, two Chinese men were arrested over an alleged hit-and-run that injured four elementary school boys near Tokyo last week. The driver was suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.

A Peruvian man was also arrested Monday after he allegedly drove his car the wrong way on an expressway in central Japan, collided with multiple vehicles and injured four women.

Both drivers had Japanese licenses converted from foreign licenses, according to investigative sources, and held certificates of residence, according to the National Police Agency.

"There have been cases where a license was issued during a two-night, three-day stay," Itsunori Onodera, policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, said at a party meeting Tuesday, adding that "serious incidents threatening the safety and security of people living in Japan are happening."

"We will consider (measures) by working closely with relevant ministries and agencies," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.
 
 
 

Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday unveiled its new RAV4 to the world, with plans to launch the model in Japan before the end of FY2025.

The RAV4 had its beginnings in 1994, when sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were positioned as off-road vehicles. It pioneered the crossover SUV genre for both on-and off-road driving.

Launched in 2019, the fifth-generation RAV4 was developed to further enhance its unique appeal as a model for new lifestyles. It was developed on the concept of a "Robust Accurate Vehicle with 4 Wheel Drive" as a sophisticated blend of the power and utility of an SUV.

It also adopted a new platform based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), Toyota's structural innovation within the automobile manufacturing process. It delivered responsive driving performance with maneuverability and stability for any road surface.

Toyota said that under the concept of "Life is an Adventure," this sixth-generation RAV4 seeks to become a vehicle that allows any driver to enjoy an active lifestyle.

The driving experience has been advanced with a newly developed hybrid system that enhances acceleration. 

The key to advancing vehicle intelligence is Arene, Toyota's first software development platform. By utilizing Arene, Toyota aims to achieve a greater level of safety and peace of mind, as well as enrich the mobility experience to make the new RAV4 a companion that fits seamlessly into various lifestyles, whether in urban living or outdoor adventures.
 
 

Japan’s inflation-adjusted real wages fell 0.5 pct in fiscal 2024, which ended in March, from the previous year, down for the third straight year, the labor ministry said Thursday.

Although historic pay increases were achieved in this year’s “shunto” spring wage negotiations in the country, wage growth remained slower than inflation.

Earlier this month, the government set a goal of achieving real wage growth of some 1 pct annually in the five years through fiscal 2029.

While the pace of decline in real wages slowed from a fall of 2.2 pct in fiscal 2023, price hikes for food items such as rice and daily necessities have put pressure on households.

It is uncertain whether the government will be able to achieve the goal, also reflecting persistent uncertainty surrounding the global economy due to the high tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump.

In fiscal 2024, nominal monthly wages per worker, including base salary and overtime, rose 3.0 pct to ¥349,388 on average, up for the fourth successive year and marking the steepest increase in 33 years, thanks to the results of the shunto wage talks and higher minimum wages.

Still, the county’s real wages failed to outpace inflation as the consumer price index excluding imputed rent, used to calculate real wages, grew 3.5 pct.

Meanwhile, a real wage index calculated for international comparison using the overall CPI, which includes imputed rent, was unchanged from the previous year, coming out of negative territory for the first time in three years.
 
 

Tokyo on Thursday lodged a protest with Israel after the Israeli military fired what it called warning shots at a group of diplomats, including Japanese, visiting the Palestinian territory of the West Bank.

Speaking during a session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Upper House, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the incident was "truly regrettable" and "should never have happened."

Iwaya said Toshihide Ando, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, relayed Tokyo's protest to Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen, adding that the Japanese Embassy in Israel lodged a protest with the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Israeli troops on Wednesday fired shots at the group of diplomats, who were inspecting a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin. The military said it fired warning shots.

The Israeli side has told the Japanese side that it was relieved no one was injured in the incident, Iwaya said.

He added that Israel also said the Palestinian authorities had failed to provide information on the delegation's visit in advance.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, speaking a news conference, said Japan has strongly urged Israel to provide a full explanation and prevent a recurrence.
 
 

As Japan's biggest defence exhibition kicked off this week, visitors got a close-up look at a model of its futuristic "railgun" that its makers hope will be able to shoot down hypersonic missiles.

Instead of gunpowder, railgun technology uses electromagnetic energy to fire a projectile along a set of rails at ultra-high velocity.

The round will then in theory destroy the target, which could be an enemy ship, drone or incoming ballistic missile, solely with its vast kinetic energy.

Other countries, including the United States, China, France and Germany, are also developing the technology, but Japan's navy in 2023 claimed a world first by test-firing a railgun on a ship.

"A railgun is a gun of the future that fires bullets with electrical energy, unlike conventional artillery," an official from the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) within Japan's Ministry of Defence told AFP.

"It is expected that threats that can only be dealt with by railguns will emerge in the future," said the official, who did not want to be named.

The three-day DSEI Japan Conference defence fair, which began on Wednesday, comes as Japan adopts a more assertive defence policy and looks to sell more military equipment to other countries.

In particular, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Germany's Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are competing for a major contract to supply the Australian navy with new warships.

Winning the multi-billion-dollar Project Sea 3000 contract to supply Australia with Mogami-class frigates would be Japan's largest postwar military export order, according to Japanese media.
 
 

 
Not only rice but most daily commodities have increased in price, which has diminished the popularity of the Japanese government.

Over 100 years ago in Japan, a shortage of rice and a steep rise in its price caused a great uproar for about a month. This has been called the Kome Sodo, or rice riots. Although Japan at the time was not a democratic country, the turmoil adversely affected politics, causing the government of the day to fall.

Present-day Japan is not the same country it was a century ago, and nothing like a desperate clamor for food will happen. But it is true that not only rice but most daily commodities have increased in price, which has diminished the popularity of the government.

An opinion poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun in September showed that more than 90% of respondents felt that rising prices were a burden on households. Those who felt so gave Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba a low approval rating.

This should be no surprise. At least as far back as the French Revolution, which broke out amid fierce inflation, people suffering severe price increases have been apt to feel anger and distrust toward their governments. Even in recent years, we have seen similar situations in various countries.

After the start of the war in Ukraine and economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, a sharp increase in energy and food prices put the world economy in turmoil, damaging the political standing of world leaders, especially in 2023 and 2024, and leading to changes in short-lived governments.

A simple illustration of this pattern is the lineup of national leaders attending the annual Group of Seven summit. At the three summits through 2019, before the pandemic, only two of the leaders were replaced.

But, 11 months after the latest G7 summit, held in June 2024 in Italy, only French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni still remain in their positions.

The other five leaders had been criticized for not dealing with inflation, with some being defeated in their national elections, while others gave up on reelection bids and stepped down because they felt less likely to win.

One of those was then U.S. President Joe Biden, who met a fate similar to that of his predecessors Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, both of whom were in office during the oil shock era of the 1970s and failed in their bids to win another term.

In Japan, too, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito suffered severe setbacks in the House of Representatives election held in October 2024. In addition to issues of money in politics, many voters held the LDP administration responsible for economic hardship caused by rising prices.

However, inflation is triggered not only by domestic policies but also by exogenous factors such as wars in distant lands, which are beyond the realistic control of governments not a party to them, making it unfair for opposition parties to place the blame for inflation on the incumbent administration.

Japan’s consumer prices in fiscal 2024 rose 3% from the previous year. Because the Japanese economy had been in lingering deflation for more than three decades, inflation started later than in other countries. Also, rising labor costs due to a decline in the working-age population will surely continue to bump up prices.

Ishiba’s administration has no immediate and easy remedy to counter structural inflation without worsening economic conditions. I am sure that Ishiba is afraid of criticism from voters that he lacks an effective economic policy. He has given up on his longtime policy regarding budget discipline. So far, his administration has done nothing but expand government expenditures to ease the grievances and fears of the people.

Another challenging factor is the unpredictable tariff policy of the U.S. government led by President Donald Trump. The policy may be negotiable, but the Japanese government should brace for Trump’s flip-flopping, which has been happening very often.

Now, Ishiba’s minority government consisting of the LDP and Komeito seems to have no other option but to concede to louder voices from the opposition demanding lower tax burdens, even though some economists argue that tax cuts and cash handouts are not desirable ways to deal with inflation. Nearly all parties have been swayed by an economic populism that focuses on short-term benefit.

This is not unique to Japan, but it is not too much to say that it is deplorable that so many politicians are downplaying the serious truth that Japan has huge financial deficits and that large-scale tax cuts will be paid for by future generations that are becoming smaller than the ones preceding them.

The immediate political situation, with the House of Councillors and Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly elections both to be held this summer, has reinforced this tendency.

One of Ishiba’s mentors was Kakuei Tanaka, who served as prime minister from 1972 to 1974 and struggled with skyrocketing prices after the oil shock.

To counter this inflation, Tanaka introduced sweeping tax cuts and expanded social security spending, including pension benefits and medical costs for the elderly. Unfortunately, Tanaka’s measures to stimulate demand made consumer prices even higher in 1974.

The Tanaka-led LDP conducted a vigorous campaign for the upper house election, but the party was defeated. Although the Tanaka administration had a solid majority of seats in the lower house, his popularity had been damaged by a money scandal and he was forced to resign a few months later.

This demonstrates that those who take incorrect measures against inflation to simply please voters are likely to lose on both fronts.

In contrast to Tanaka, who had been a leader of a large faction in the LDP, Ishiba has a weak political base. No one knows how long he can remain in office. In any case, he or his successor will be haunted by the possibility of a 21st-century version of Kome Sodo.

If that happens, all they can do is to choose whether to be criticized for a lack of strategy or to concede to populist policy and repeat the costly mistakes of 1974.
 
 

The monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan hit a record high in April amid the cherry blossom season, a Japan National Tourism Organization report showed Wednesday.

The number of inbound visitors is estimated to have risen 28.5 pct from a year before to 3,908,900 in April, topping 3.9 million for the first time for a single month.

Demand for travel to Japan, especially from China, Hong Kong, the United States and Australia, surged as cherry blossoms bloomed in many parts of the country. The reporting month also included Easter holidays.

By country or region, the number of visitors from mainland China jumped 43.4 pct to 765,100, followed by 721,600 visitors from South Korea, up 9.1 pct, 537,600 from Taiwan, up 16.9 pct, and 327,500 from the United States, up 43.1 pct.

The record monthly figure "seems to be attributed to brisk demand in China for visiting Japan and an increase in the number of flights," Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa said at a press conference.
 
 

Japan’s agriculture minister was forced to resign Wednesday because of political fallout over recent comments that he “never had to buy rice” because he got it from supporters as gifts.

The resignation comes as the public struggles with record high prices of the country’s traditional staple food.

Taku Eto’s comment, which many Japanese saw as out of touch with economic realities, came at a seminar Sunday for the Liberal Democratic Party, which leads an struggling minority government.

The gaffe could be further trouble for the party before a national election in July. A major loss could mean a new government or could mean Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba would have to step down.

“I made an extremely inappropriate remark at a time when consumers are struggling with soaring rice prices,” Eto told reporters after submitting his resignation at the prime minister’s office. Eto’s resignation was the first under Ishiba’s leadership that began October.

The government has released tons of rice from its emergency stockpile in recent months, but the latest agricultural ministry statistics show little impact from the move. Some supermarkets have started selling cheaper imported rice.

Eto also sought to clarify the comments that got him in trouble. He said he does actually buy white rice himself and was not living on rice given as gifts. He said the gift comment referred to brown rice, which he wants people to become interested in because it can reach market faster.

Ishiba appointed popular former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of a former prime minister, to lead the ministry, noting his experience in agriculture and fisheries policies and enthusiasm for reforms.
Koizumi told reporters Ishiba instructed him to do everything to stabilize the rice supply and prices to address consumer concern.

“I was told to put rice before anything,” Koizumi told reporters. “At this difficult time, I will do utmost to speedily tackle high rice price that people feel and worry in everyday life.” He said he shares consumers’ concerns as he feeds his children packaged instant rice sometimes.

Ishiba, also a former farm minister, said he wants to strengthen Japan’s food security and self-sufficiency. He has proposed agricultural reforms, including increased rice production and possible exports, though critics say he should urgently fix the ongoing rice problem first.

Noting the rice situation, Ishiba said he suspects the rice price surge is “not a temporary but a structural problem.”

“It may not be easy to find an answer,” he said, but repeated his pledge to do the utmost to ease consumers’ difficulties and to reform rice policies.

Koizumi said the measures so far have proved ineffective and that he will speed the effort as soon as he formally takes office later Wednesday.

Party leaders plan to further grill Ishiba at a party leaders’ debate at parliament scheduled later in the day.

Japanese rice demand has decreased over recent decades as people’s diets have diversified, but rice remains a staple food and integral part of Japanese culture and history.

“Rice is the stable food for the Japanese. When its prices are rising every week, (Eto’s) resignation is only natural,” said Shizuko Oshima, 73.

The shortfall started last August on panic buying following a government caution over preparedness for a major earthquake. The supply pressure eased after the autumn harvest, but a shortage and price increases hit again early this year.

Officials have blamed the supply shortage on poor harvests because of hot weather in 2023 and higher fertilizer and other production costs, but some experts blame the government’s long-term rice production policy.

The unprecedented release from emergency rice stockpiles was seen in part as an attempt to figure out distribution problems. The government has denied there is now a rice shortage, but officials say it’s a mystery why rice is not reaching consumers.

Some experts say the rice shortage could be serious but it’s difficult to trace rice as its distribution route has become so complex since the end of government control in 1995.
 
 

Back in 2005, Starbucks gave fans in Japan a new way to enjoy their drinks, by releasing a new “chilled cup” series of ready-made beverages exclusively available at convenience stores.

Now, 20 years later, there’s a new chilled cup coming our way to celebrate the arrival of summer, and it’s called Strawberry Crush Milk.

The design on this one is particularly beautiful, with a bold strawberry pattern layered over a vibrant red gradient to express the “luxurious taste of abundant strawberries”. Sparkly embellishments add an extra layer of luxury to the look of the drink, which is said to contain the largest amount of strawberry fruit ever used in a Starbucks Chilled Cup.

 

The strawberries are enhanced by the sweetness of condensed milk, providing creamy smoothness to balance out the tartness of the fruit. With a gorgeous flavor that’ll brighten your day, this beverage is said to quench your thirst while lifting your mood during the heat of summer.

The chilled cup series aims to make the Starbucks experience easily accessible, with the brand message being “Where will you Starbucks today?”

The answer to that question, in terms of this particular variety, is FamilyMart, as that’s the chain that has exclusive selling rights to this drink, where it will be rolled out at branches across the country from May 20, priced at 250 yen.
 
 

Nissan Motor Co on Monday told employees at its signature Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture that reports of its planned closure were not definitive, according to some workers at the factory.

The struggling Japanese automaker was reported on Saturday to be considering shuttering the plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan plant of its unit, Nissan Shatai Co, in Hiratsuka, raising uncertainty over the future employment and treatment of the workforce.

The country's third-biggest automaker by volume said last week that it will shut seven vehicle plants and cut 20,000 jobs globally after logging a net loss of 670.90 billion yen for fiscal 2024.

Nissan pioneered electric vehicle production at the Oppama plant, which has an annual production capacity of around 240,000 vehicles and employed 3,900 people, including researchers, as of the end of October last year. The Shonan plant builds commercial vehicles.

The prefectural government held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss offering consultation and reemployment services in reaction to the potential closures.

"If they really do close, it will have a huge impact on employment and the economy," Kanagawa Gov Yuji Kuroiwa said at the meeting. "We will consider our options from a multitude of angles."

Following the discussions, Kuroiwa told reporters that Nissan contacted the prefecture on Saturday after the initial reports. Nissan officials visited the prefectural office on Monday to inform it that nothing has been decided.

The prefectural government conveyed to Nissan its hope that the automaker will endeavor to limit the consequences of its actions.

During a regular press conference on the same day, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji emphasized the importance of the more than 60-year history of the Oppama plant and said he hoped it would be "restored to its former brilliance."

Nissan officials also visited the city on Monday.
 
 

Japan has temporarily stopped importing chicken meat and eggs from the city of Monte Negro, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, following the confirmation of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the city.

Japan’s imports of live chickens from the whole Rio Grande do Sul state have also been suspended, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Monday.

In 2024, Japan imported 1.16 million tons of chicken meat, with Brazilian chicken accounting for just under 40 pct of the total, at about 450,000 tons.

About 10 pct of live chicken chicks and 5 pct of chicken eggs imported to Japan come from Brazil.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday reprimanded the farm minister for claiming he never buys rice because he gets it free, provoking the ire of consumers facing soaring prices.

Japan's government has released some of its emergency stockpile of the grain in recent months, with agriculture minister Taku Eto weeks ago lamenting the "hardship" experienced by consumers.

But addressing a gathering over the weekend, Eto said he has "never bought rice myself because my supporters donate so much to me that I can practically sell".

Eto's comment hit a nerve in a nation where the price of the much-loved grain has nearly doubled year-on-year, according to figures published in April.

The prime minister described the remarks as "extremely unfortunate".
"The agriculture minister's job now is to provide solutions to the soaring rice prices. I expect him to offer solutions," Ishiba told journalists as he arrived at his office.

Eto on Monday explained that he had exaggerated, incurring the wrath of his wife.

"She told me that she does go buy rice when a stockpile of donated rice runs out," Eto said, adding "it's not like our family is living entirely off of rice gifted to us".

On Tuesday, he said he had spoken to Ishiba and that he would continue as farm minister.

"The prime minister gave me very tough words but...also gave me warm words and told me to show the results of what I started," Eto said.

"I am the one who decided the releases of the reserved rice. With your permission, I would like to continue until I can fulfil my responsibility."

Factors behind Japan's rice shortfall include poor harvests due to hot weather in 2023 and panic-buying prompted by a "megaquake" warning last year.

The agriculture minister's gaffe was criticised as "extremely inappropriate, out of touch and intolerable" by Junya Ogawa, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

"If not properly dealt with, his remarks are serious enough to raise the question of whether he should step down," local media including public broadcaster NHK quoted him as saying.