Three 18-year-old men were killed and a fourth man the same age injured after the light car they were traveling in crashed through a guardrail and fell into a rice field in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, on Thursday night.

Police received a call at around 10:30 p.m. from a local resident who said that a car was lying in a rice field, Kyodo News reported.

Police said the car crashed through the guardrail on the sidewalk and fell 1.5 meters into the rice field, lying on its driver's side, eight meters away from the sidewalk.

The four men in the car were rushed to the hospital, but three sustained serious head injuries and were pronounced dead upon arrival. The fourth man had minor injuries, police said.

The scene is a straight road with one lane in each direction with good visibility. Police said they will wait until the fourth man recovers to question him about the circumstances leading up to the accident.



© Japan Today
 
 

A huge black barrier to block Mount Fuji from view will be installed in a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.

Construction of the mesh net – 2.5m high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20m – will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town said Friday (Apr 26).

"It's regrettable we have to do this, because of some tourists who can't respect rules", leaving litter behind and ignoring traffic regulations, he told AFP.

It is the latest direct action in Japan against over-tourism after residents of Kyoto's geisha district banned visitors from small private alleys this year.

Record numbers of overseas tourists are travelling to the country, where monthly visitors exceeded 3 million in March for the first time.

Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain, can be photographed from many spots in the resort town of Fujikawaguchiko.

But this viewpoint is particularly popular because the majestic volcano appears behind a Lawson convenience store, which is ubiquitous in Japan.

Due to this visual juxtaposition, "a reputation has spread on social media that this spot is very Japanese, making it a popular photo location", said the town official who declined to be named.

The mostly non-Japanese tourists are overcrowding a stretch of pavement next to the Lawson shop, he said.

After traffic signs and repeated warnings from security guards fell on deaf ears, the town in Yamanashi region decided on the huge screen as a last resort.

The measure is also meant to protect a nearby dental clinic against the onslaught of tourists.

They sometimes park there without permission and have even been seen climbing on the roof of the clinic to get the perfect shot, the official said.

The town wishes it had not come down to this, he said, adding that the current plan is for the screen to be maintained until the situation improves.
Tourism to Japan has been booming since pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted, and the government has been working hard to boost visitor numbers.

But this has not been universally welcomed – including in Kyoto where locals have complained of snap-happy tourists harassing the city's immaculately dressed geisha.

And this summer, hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji will be charged US$13 each, with numbers capped to ease congestion.

Other top destinations worldwide are also struggling with visitor numbers, and on Thursday Venice began charging day-trippers for entry to tackle mass tourism.
 
 

A zoo in Japan has confirmed that a hippopotamus thought for seven years to be a he is, in fact, a she.
  A DNA test was carried out after zookeepers noticed that 12-year-old Gen-chan did not display typical male hippo behaviour.
 Gen-chan arrived in Osaka from Mexico in 2017, and customs documents at the time said she was male.
 "We will keep doing our best to provide comfortable environment to Gen-chan," the zoo said.
 The Osaka Tennoji Zoo confirmed the news about Gen-chan's actual sex in a post published on their website last week.
 The post said Gen-chan first arrived at their zoo from the Africam Safari animal park in Mexico when she was five years old, and was declared as a male.
 The statement said that because Gen-chan was still a calf at the time, they did not question the documents.   But zookeepers got suspicious as Gen-chan got older and they could not visually identify male reproductive organs.
 A spokeswoman for the Osaka Tennoji Zoo told AFP on Tuesday that typical male hippo behaviour that Gen-chan was not displaying included making courtship calls to female hippos, or scattering faeces around while defecating with a propeller-like tail motion in order to mark territory.
 According to the Mainichi newspaper, the zoo's vice director Kiyoshi Yasufuku said: "We recognise the importance of confirming the sex, and we want to ensure that such mistakes will not happen again."
 The zoo confirmed that Gen-chan will not be getting a name change.  
 

The National Police Agency disclosed a plan Thursday to increase the minimum amount of state benefits paid to bereaved families of crime victims.

Under the plan to revise the benefit system, the minimum amount will be raised from ¥3.2 million to ¥10.6 million in principle. The NPA aims to carry out the revision in June after seeking public comments.

In June last year, the government decided to consider raising benefits for bereaved families substantially as many such people have not received enough compensation from perpetrators.

This year, an expert panel of the NPA recommended on April 16 that the state benefits be increased.

Benefits for bereaved families are calculated based mainly on the income of victims before the incident and their age.

If the victim is a young child, however, the minimum amount the bereaved family will receive is ¥3.2 million. The expert panel said that the amount is not enough.

The panel also said that factors other than the victim's income should also be taken into account in deciding the amounts of benefits as bereaved families tend to become unable to work due to a psychological shock and thus suffer financial damage.

According to the NPA, the amounts of benefits for bereaved families determined in fiscal 2022 averaged ¥7,438,000, far below the average of ¥25.14 million for fiscal 2021 paid for fatal accidents by compulsory automobile liability insurance.

The panel requested that the amounts of benefits for crime victims' families be raised to levels matching those of other public benefits.
 
 

The Nagoya District Court on Monday imposed a nine-year prison term and an ¥8 million ($51,700) fine on a 25-year-old woman — who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri” — for swindling three men out of ¥156 million through a romance scam and for selling a manual on how to commit similar acts of fraud.

The defendant, whose real name is Mai Watanabe, spent the money she obtained from the three men on a host whom she fell in love with, with the aim of making him No. 1 in terms of sales at the club where he works in Tokyo’s Kabukicho entertainment district, the court found.

Presiding Judge Yoichi Omura condemned the defendant, saying that “her motive to contribute to the sales of a host is truly selfish, and there is no room for leniency.”

"She took advantage of (the victims') feelings for her," Omura said.
Watanabe pleaded guilty during the trial in December.

“I thought it was fair game to commit fraud for the sake of the host,” Watanabe said when questioned during the trial. But she also showed remorse, saying that she “did something really bad.”

Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Itadakijoshi Riri-chan,” which roughly translates as Sugar Baby Riri, dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.

Itadakijoshi, which literally means girls who receive, refers to young women who date or have sex with older men in exchange for financial benefits. With many such women swindling large amounts of money from men in recent years, itadakijoshi was nominated as one of the top 30 buzzwords of 2023.

Watanabe was charged with defrauding three men in their 50s out of a total of ¥155.8 million in cash between 2021 and 2023, and with helping a 21-year-old woman in Nagoya defraud two men of a total of about ¥10 million in 2022 by selling her a manual titled "A Reference Book for Sugar Babies.”

She was also accused of failing to declare around ¥40 million worth of income over a two-year period through 2022 and of income tax evasion.
Prosecutors had sought 13 years of imprisonment and a ¥13 million fine for Watanabe.

In October, the Aichi Prefectural Police arrested two hosts for knowingly receiving money obtained through fraud from Watanabe.
 
 

The Japanese navy is continuing its search for seven crew in the Pacific Ocean after the apparent crash of two helicopters on Saturday night, which killed at least one crewman. Rescuers have so far recovered the body of one man, as well as black boxes and debris, but are yet to find the others.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mourned the tragedy in parliament on Monday."It is of utmost regret that we lost our personnel as they engaged in very tough, late-night training," he said.It's still unclear what exactly caused the crash, which took place near the Izu Islands, which lie not far from the mainland, about 600km (372 miles) south of Tokyo.   Flight recorders retrieved from both aircraft had not revealed technical problems, Japan's Defence Minister Minoru Kihara said.
 "Firstly we do our best to save lives," Mr Kihara said on Sunday, adding the helicopters had been "doing drills to counter submarines at night".The two helicopters were both carrying four crew during the drills on Saturday night.
 Communication with one helicopter was lost at 22:38 local time (14:38 BST) off the island of Torishima, broadcaster NHK reported,One minute later, an emergency signal was received from this aircraft.   After 25 minutes, the military realised communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area.
 Authorities launched a major search operation using 10 ships and five aircraft to scour the waters.
 "We have a 24-hour operation for the search, which took place all day and all night," a navy officer told AFP news agency.
 Along with the recovery of one man's body, crews found the flight recorders near each other as well as debris including parts of rotor blades.The Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters - based on the Sikorsky Seahawk - mainly operate from naval destroyers.   As there were no other aircraft nor vessels in nearby waters, the navy said involvement of another country in the incident was unlikely.
 Japan has boosted defence spending and deepened cooperation with the US, South Korea and other countries in Asia in response to China's growing assertiveness in the region.
 In April 2023 a Japanese army helicopter with 10 people on board crashed off Miyako island in southern Okinawa prefecture.
 The UH60 helicopter, known as a Black Hawk, had been surveying the local area at the time it disappeared.
 A senior Ground Self Defence Force commander, Lt Gen Yuichi Sakamoto, was among those on the flight. There were no survivors.   The US military also maintains a base on Okinawa, a grouping of islands in the East China Sea about halfway between Taiwan and Japan's mainland.  
 

The government said Monday it was closely monitoring reports that a Chinese professor at a Japanese university has been missing since he took a trip home over a year ago.

Fan Yuntao, 61, "has been engaged in teaching at a university in Japan for a long time, and the matter could concern the professor's human rights," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

"We are closely monitoring" the issue, he said when asked about reports in Japanese media — citing unnamed diplomatic sources — that Fan had been unreachable since visiting China in February 2023.

The sources said Fan was contacted by Chinese authorities before he disappeared, Kyodo News reported. The Yomiuri daily said they may have questioned him.

Fan's employer, Asia University, said he was "on leave" but declined to comment further, citing privacy issues.

Educated at Kyoto University, Fan is a professor of international law and politics, the university's website says.

The reports come just a month after Japan's Kobe Gakuin University said the whereabouts in China of Hu Shiyun, a literature and linguistics professor, were also unknown.

Beijing has sharpened its focus on its nationals abroad in recent years.
In 2019, Yuan Keqin, a professor at Japan's Hokkaido University of Education, vanished after traveling to China for a family funeral. China's foreign ministry later said he had confessed to spying and was in custody.

And in 2013, Zhu Jianrong, a professor at Tokyo's Toyo Gakuen University, was detained by Chinese authorities on suspicion of illegal intelligence-gathering, also after vanishing on a trip home.
 
 

North Korea on Monday fired at least one ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, but no damage was reported as it fell into waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Japanese government said.

The missile, launched in a northeasterly direction at around 3 p.m., is estimated to have flown more than 250 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 50 km before falling near the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to Japan's Defense Ministry.

The South Korean military said it detected the firing of multiple projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the Sea of Japan at around 3:01 p.m.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed related ministries and agencies to gather information and ensure the safety of aircraft and ships, according to his office.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference that Tokyo strongly condemns the missile test as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and has lodged a protest with Pyongyang through diplomatic channels.

"North Korea's series of actions, including its repeated missile launches, poses a threat to the peace and stability of Japan, the region and the international community," the top government spokesman added.

The latest North Korean missile launch comes as Japan, South Korea and the United States have been stepping up their security collaboration to address North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs.

Washington and its East Asian allies have been keeping a close eye on the possible launch of a spy satellite by North Korea, with a U.S. think tank estimating that it could take place by the end of this month at the latest.

Pyongyang has said it plans to launch three spy satellites this year following what is believed to have been its first successful launch in November.

North Korea also on Friday conducted "a power test of a super-large warhead" for the Hwasal-1 Ra-3 strategic cruise missile and test-fired the Pyoljji-1-2 new-type anti-aircraft missile in the Yellow Sea, the country's official Korean Central News Agency has reported.

North Korea's last ballistic missile launch was on April 2, when its leader Kim Jong Un attended a test launch of the solid fuel-powered, intermediate-range Hwasong-16 missile carrying a hypersonic warhead in a Pyongyang suburb, according to the state-run media.
 
 

A van carrying five Japanese nationals was attacked by a suicide bomber and a gunman in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday morning, killing a local security guard and injuring another guard and a bystander as well as one Japanese, according to Pakistani media, police and the Japanese government.

Dawn News TV reported that the security guard died in hospital after he was injured in the attack.

The wounded Japanese national only sustained a minor injury by broken glass, the Japanese consulate in the city said.

The five Japanese, employees of a Japanese company, were traveling from their residences in Zamzama, Clifton, an upscale community in Karachi, to their workplace in the city's export processing zone when the attack occurred, Azfar Mahesar, the police's deputy inspector general told reporters.

He said that the bomber detonated an explosive near the vehicle while his accomplice opened fire. The bomber died in the explosion and the gunman was shot dead by police.

In Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said several Japanese were involved in the incident and that one of them was injured. The Pakistani side did not confirm that information.

The incident follows a suicide bomb attack last month in northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that killed five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver.
 
 
 

The two-time world champion says his last duty for the national team will be the 27 April-5 May Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, People's Republic of China.

Brutally honest as he announced his decision to retire from international badminton on Thursday (18 April), Momota Kento admitted he’s asked himself the question over and over since the career-altering car crash that nearly killed him in January 2020.
What if?

“I’m not going to lie, after the accident I’ve asked myself, ‘Why me?’” the former men’s world No. 1 told a press conference in Tokyo, where he said his last tournament for the Japan national team will be the 27 April-5 May Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, People's Republic of China.

“Honestly, it was one difficult time after another. But I didn’t want to blame it on the accident. I wanted to try and beat it.

“I had so much support. It’s how I managed to come this far.”
 

Momota Kento: 'I felt I couldn't become world No. 1 again'

The two-time world champion is ranked 52nd overall in the qualifying race for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - seventh from Japan. Only the top two from a National Olympic Committee qualify for the Games, and the Thomas & Uber Cup is the last event to count towards qualification.

Momota said he will continue to play domestically, stay involved in the game by working with juniors and at a grassroots level. But as far as competing for Japan, the 29-year-old will bow out at the Thomas & Uber Cup.

In 2019, Momota won a record 11 titles on the BWF Tour and was named the top men's player. But the following year in January, he was part of a fatal highway accident in Kuala Lumpur he was fortunate to survive.

Momota made his return to competition that December, but has not been the same since. He failed to get out of the group at his home Olympics in Tokyo, and has had just two tour wins since the crash.

“Since the accident in January 2020, there was a lot of hardship,” said the Kagawa Prefecture native who made his international debut 10 years ago.
“I tried so many things but I just couldn’t close the emotional, physical gap between who I used to be and who I am. I felt I couldn’t become world No. 1 again.

“I had eye surgery and I was seeing double. I couldn’t move on the court the way I wanted to, I’d get tired like I never used to. I tried. But I just felt it was no longer possible to keep up with the world’s best players.
“I couldn’t play badminton the way I wanted to.”

Momota didn’t shed a single tear as he spoke for an hour in his usual, controlled tone - the way he used to offer opponents a masterclass at the peak of his powers.

In fact, Momota mostly smiled as he took every question - and that’s the way he prefers to go out.

With a smile, having given it everything he has.

“It would have been easy for me to make this decision on my own, but I had the support of so many people in getting to where I am today. All I know is badminton. In so many ways, I didn’t want to give up for them.

“As a kid, I dreamed of wearing the national team shirt and playing for Japan. Not everyone gets the opportunity I’ve had. I like to think I gave it a proper go in my very own way.

“Ever since I took up badminton, the Olympics has been my dream stage. I was so happy when I made it there. The result was frustrating but even when I’m done internationally, I’ll leave with no regrets.”

Asked what he would like to do now that he’ll have more time on his hands, Momota absolutely smashed it.

“I don’t have a driver’s license. Now that I’ll finally have the time, I hope to finally get one.”
 
 

A court in Japan dismissed a bid by Ainu Indigenous people to reclaim rights over river fishing for salmon, an official said on Thursday (Apr 18).

It was the first court decision on Indigenous rights related to Ainu people, who traditionally lived in what is now northern Japan as well as in territory now part of Russia.

Ainu history includes decades of discrimination and forced assimilation, and Japan did not legally recognise them as Indigenous people until 2019.
Japan's fishery resources protection law in principle bars people from catching salmon in rivers regardless of their ethnicity.

But the plaintiffs said years of established tradition in parts of a river on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido - a key source of livelihood for their ancestors before a 19th-century government crackdown - should make them exempt.

A Sapporo district court spokesman told AFP that their claim had been dismissed.

As it stands, Ainu people can only fish for salmon if they gain approval from Hokkaido's governor for the purpose of passing down their cultural heritage, the plaintiffs said.

In a lawsuit filed in 2020, they also argued that global trends are increasingly in favour of recognising Indigenous rights and identities following a 2007 UN declaration.

The presiding judge said that river fishing, even in a limited way, was not their "inherent" right, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Hiromasa Sashima, a member of plaintiff group Raporo Ainu Nation, had earlier said the ruling was about "fighting to win back rights taken away from our Ainu ancestors".

"It was an unmistakable fact that Ainu ancestors were making a living by fishing", Sashima told reporters following the ruling.

For centuries, Ainu traded with Japanese people fromthe mainland, but Japan's imperial government in 1869 annexed Ainu lands and banned "barbarian" practices like facial tattoos for the community's women.

Ainu were forced to abandon traditional hunting practices, speak Japanese and take Japanese names.

The four-year legal battle has seen authorities dismiss as "legally groundless" the plaintiffs' calls for the reinstatement of fishing rights.
Authorities have also defended the existing fishing regulations as necessary safeguards against the depletion of important resources like salmon.
 
 

Eight people were reported injured on Thursday (Apr 18) after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off southwestern Japan, but there appeared to be no major damage or tsunami.

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 11.14 pm (10.14pm, Singapore time) on Wednesday, was located between the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, the US Geological Survey said.

Japan experiences around 1,500 quakes every year. The vast majority are mild and even larger quakes usually cause little damage.
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said the Ikata power plant in the area was operating as normal.

"No abnormalities have been detected at the Ikata power plant ... and the operation is continuing," it said.

Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed there were no tsunami warnings or abnormalities reported at power plants and said authorities were investigating what other damage may have occurred.
There was no report of deaths directly caused by the quake but regional governments and media reported at least eight minor injuries.

Oita prefecture said two elderly people fell and suffered minor injuries, while local media reported that there were six other small injuries in the Ehime region.

Police and disaster management officials at the Ehime government could not immediately confirm those reports but said they would soon publish a roundup of relevant information.

Local television reported that public water pipes burst at a dozen points in Uwajima city.

In Ozu city in Ehime, at least one landslide blocked a road while falling rocks also blocked some roads in Uwajima city.

The late-evening quake shocked residents of the area.
"I was about to go to bed when I felt the rumbling and knew a quake was coming. Then I felt the kind of jolt that I've never experienced in my life, and it kept shaking for 10 or 20 seconds," a fisherman from the Ehime region told broadcaster NHK.

"I was a bit panicky," he said, adding that some small objects fell over in his house, although there was no major damage.

Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific's "Ring of Fire", Japan is one of the world's most tectonically active countries.

Japan's biggest quake on record was a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea jolt in March 2011 off its northeast coast, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 catastrophe also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan's worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Despite stricter building guidelines, many structures, particularly outside major cities, are old and vulnerable.

This was brought home in the 7.5-magnitude quake on Jan 1 this year that hit the Noto Peninsula and killed more than 230 people, many of them when older buildings collapsed.

On Apr 3, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, killing 16 people and injuring more than 1,100 others, with strict building codes and widespread disaster readiness credited with averting a bigger catastrophe.
 
 

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake, measuring a lower 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, struck off the west coast of Shikoku island on Wednesday night, but authorities reported no link to a potential Nankai Trough quake.

There was no tsunami from the quake, which struck at 11:14 p.m., and reports suggested only minor injuries and damage.

The quake measured a lower 6 — the third highest level — in the Ehime Prefecture town of Ainan and the Kochi Prefecture city of Sukumo.

Striking at a depth of 39 kilometers, its epicenter was in the Bungo Channel, a strait separating the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku.

The temblor left nine people with light injuries in Ehime, Kochi and Oita prefectures, authorities said Thursday morning. Minor damage in some areas, including broken water pipes, fallen streetlights and a landslide on a national roadway, has been reported, but no fires were reported in the quake's aftermath, they said.

Among the injured, a woman in Ainan in her 70s was taken to a hospital after collapsing, according to a local fire department.

No abnormalities have been detected at Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

The Meteorological Agency initially reported the quake as magnitude 6.4, but later revised the figure to 6.6.

Satoshi Harada, head of the agency's earthquake and tsunami monitoring division, told a news conference early Thursday that the magnitude of 6.6 is below the 6.8 threshold that would necessitate an investigation into any relation with a Nankai Trough earthquake.

He added that while this quake doesn’t meet the criteria for further study in that context, the agency will issue updates and convene expert panels as needed.

Harada noted that seismic activity has remained heightened since the quake. The agency has advised residents of areas hit by the quake to be careful of seismic activity and heavy rainfall for the next week or so, as the risk of house collapses and landslides has increased in areas where the tremors were strong.

The quake has prompted anxieties regarding the possibility of an upcoming Nankai Trough earthquake, which typically occurs every 100-150 years, with the last one occurring 70 years ago.

The Nankai Trough, stretching from the Tokai region to offshore eastern Kyushu, is a hotbed of geological tension where the oceanic plate is subducting beneath the continental plate, accumulating strain at the boundary. Major earthquakes and tsunamis are expected when this tension releases suddenly.

"This earthquake was caused by a fault shift within the plate, which is deeper than the boundary between the plates," Harada explained at the conference.

"At this point, we cannot say whether the probability of a Nankai Trough earthquake has increased or decreased due to this event," he said. The agency will continue to closely monitor the region.

Relatively large earthquakes have occurred in the past in the vicinity of the Bungo Channel, including an earthquake with a maximum intensity of upper 5 in Oita Prefecture in July 2015.

According to NHK, this is the first time since 1996, when the current Japanese seismic intensity scale was introduced, that a tremor of a lower 6 or higher has been observed in Ehime and Kochi prefectures.

For those unaccustomed to large quakes, Wednesday night came as a huge shock.

In the town of Ainan, where the earthquake registered a lower 6, the impact was distinctly felt at a local convenience store. Several cup noodles and sake bottles toppled from the shelves.

The clerk described the ordeal: "It started shaking suddenly, then my cell phone's earthquake alert went off. The shaking felt like it lasted a long time, but I managed to hold on by clinging to my desk."

At a nearby Japanese-style pub owned by Keiichi Fujisawa, 50, the tremor caused plates to crash down from shelves. "This was the biggest quake I have ever experienced," he said. "I need to reorganize to ensure nothing dangerous falls next time."

In the city of Seiyo, also in Ehime Prefecture, the quake's intensity was recorded at a lower 5. At a restaurant there, four customers ducked under tables for cover. The owner, a woman in her 80s, expressed her shock.

"It reminded me of the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. I've received several calls checking in on me to make sure I’m safe."
 
 

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is preparing to formally advise Google to change its advertising practices, after an investigation found it imposed anti-competitive restrictions through a partnership with Yahoo Japan, now a subsidiary of Line, Kyodo News reported. 

Kyodo News noted Google submitted a plan to the watchdog to voluntarily change its practices related to a search advertising agreement with the unit. The search giant will not face a fine or punitive measures if the FTC approves its improvement plan.

The companies partnered in 2010, enabling Yahoo Japan to use Google’s search and distribution systems for keyword-targeted adverts, but Google soon demanded the partner stop providing search-linked adverts on third-party sites, forcing Yahoo to change its contracts, Kyodo News wrote.
A probe was commenced by the FTC in 2022, which found the move violated antitrust law by imposing unfair restrictions.

Google’s dominance in online advertising faces scrutiny in a number of countries.

In January, a lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice and eight states claimed the company monopolised the advertising technology market.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority started an investigation into Google’s advertising practices in 2022, accusing it of potentially distorting competition in favour of its own services.
 
 

The number of foreign visitors to Japan soared 69.5 percent from a year earlier to over 3.08 million in March, the first time the tally exceeded the 3 million mark in a single month, boosted by tourists drawn to cherry blossoms and by Easter holidaymakers, government data showed Wednesday.

The amount of money spent by overseas travelers in the country also grew to a record 1.75 trillion yen ($11.3 billion) for the January-March quarter, the highest ever for a three-month period, on the back of a weak yen, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

The report came as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida presided over a meeting of a ministerial council established to promote Japan as a tourism-oriented country.

"We can expect record highs for both arrivals and spending in 2024 if the current pace continues," Kishida said at the meeting.

The annual record of 31.88 million arrivals was logged in the pre-pandemic era in 2019, while the previous monthly high of 2,991,189 arrivals was recorded in July 2019. Visitors spent a record 5.3 trillion yen in 2023.

The largest number of travelers came from South Korea at 663,100, up 13.2 percent from the pre-pandemic level in 2019, followed by those from Taiwan at 484,400, up 20.4 percent, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization's estimate.

The rise in numbers also coincided with this year's Easter holiday taking place in late March. Data showed that travelers from the United States and the Philippines, countries with large Christian populations, rose 64.3 percent to 290,100 and 63.2 percent to 78,800, respectively, compared with the figures in 2019.

As Japan pursues its goal of attracting an annual 60 million foreign visitors by 2030, it faces various challenges, including the negative effects of the tourism boom like littering and traffic congestion.

Kishida instructed relevant ministers to enhance measures to tackle "overtourism," such as by diverting tourists concentrated in urban areas to the country's rural parts.

The number of Japanese traveling overseas in the reporting month jumped 75.7 percent from a year earlier to 1,219,800 but was still down 36.8 percent compared with 2019.
 
 

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake, measuring a weak 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, struck off the west coast of Shikoku island on Wednesday night.

There was no threat of a tsunami and no initial reports of injuries or damage from the quake, which struck at 11:14 p.m.

The quake measured a weak 6 — the third highest level — in parts of Kochi and Ehime prefectures. Striking at a depth of 50 kilometers, its epicenter was in the Bungo Channel, a straight separating the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku.

Shaking was felt across a wide swath of western Japan.
No abnormalities have been detected at Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata Nuclear Plant in Ehime Prefecture, NHK reported.
 

 

Taking the plunge to leave a job that doesn’t align with your values is a difficult choice. Yet, Bethany Nakamura’s choice to leave her corporate day job to move to Japan is a testament to the courage it takes to pursue one’s true calling.

After relocating to teach English in the rural countryside of Shikoku for what was meant to be a temporary sabbatical, Nakamura found herself unexpectedly drawn back into design, eventually settling in an akiya (abandoned homes in Japan).

In sharing her story, Bethany, also known as Bitsii, emphasizes the importance of finding value in the things around us. She shares her experience in sustainability and restoring abandoned homes in Japan.
 

How did you get into interior design and eventually move to Japan?

Growing up my dad ran a charity and my mom stayed home to care for us. We often moved in and out of houses, and most of the homes we lived in needed some extra care.

I’d watch my mom patch up these homes and I eventually started to show an interest in it too, especially with paint colors. I honestly hated moving into these houses, but what I internalized from it was that there’s freedom and opportunity to change your home spaces. I concluded early on that I wanted to do interior design.

Simultaneously, I stumbled on a VHS of Hayao Miyazaki’s Tottoro at a flea market. The story stayed with me and my interest in Japan began from that point on. Those two things were important constants in my life—my budding interest in Japan and my knack for design.

I eventually became an interior designer and worked for a big corporate company. Yet, I found myself working on projects that did not align with my values.

As my mother would say, these jobs were not “life-giving.” Being a corporate zombie changed things for me. In the end, I decided to pull from my childhood curiosity to re-kindle my sense of self. This brought me on my path to moving to Japan.

Was the idea of living in an akiya already on your mind before coming to Japan? 

It was just something I had heard about, especially through YouTubers like Tokyo Llama or reading articles about ghost towns. There were also rumors going around that houses were being given away.

Or occasions where if you lived in a house for five years, you’d eventually get it for free. It was all interesting, but I didn’t see myself getting into it. When I eventually arrived in Japan and did get into it, I thought it would be temporary, but it wasn’t.

 

How did you end up living in an abandoned home? 

I had only lived in Shikoku for six or seven months, and at the time I was living in a teacher’s apartment. By chance, through a neighborhood contact, I was given the opportunity to live in a very special house.

I have experience in homeownership, so the idea of taking on a house like this was a little bit daunting. Especially one that I didn’t choose myself. Yet despite my hesitations, I walked into this house and knew right away that I had to stay.

From the concrete floors in the genkan (entryway) area, and the different levels to the overall design, there was something incredibly moving and different about this place.

Learning about the woman who had lived there before made me realize how special this home truly was. I knew I needed to spend time in this space and renovate what needed to be renovated.
 
 

Adopted in October 2015, Japan’s Arctic Policy covered a wide range of topics. These included global environmental issues, indigenous peoples of the Arctic, science and technology, the rule of law, the promotion of international cooperation, the Arctic Sea Route, natural resources development, and national security.

However, for a more comprehensive understanding of Japan’s engagement with the Arctic, one should look at Japan’s Basic Plan on Ocean Policy.

The Plan provides a clearer picture of the evolving thought process behind Japanese policymaking related to the Arctic. The Basic Plan on Ocean Policy is reviewed and updated every five years to ensure its relevance and effectiveness in addressing the evolving maritime issues.

The Arctic first appeared in the Second Basic Plan on Ocean Policy in 2013. This plan outlined three directions for the Arctic: observing and studying the region from a global perspective, increasing international cooperation, and utilizing the Arctic Sea Route.

On April 28, 2023, Japan released its fourth version of the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy, which further demonstrated the country’s growing engagement in the Polar North.

While the fundamental priorities around research, international cooperation, and sustainable utilization remain consistent across the Second and Third Basic Plan on Ocean Policy, the updated policy reveals meaningful evolutions that showcase Japan assuming a more assertive Arctic identity to match its interests with influence. The latest document is currently not available in English, and this op-ed provides a summary of its main Arctic-related content.
 

What’s new in Japan’s Arctic Engagement?

The Fourth Basic Plan on Ocean Policy reaffirms Japan’s commitment to (1) enhancing Arctic research capabilities to guide its Arctic-related decisions, (2) fostering international scientific cooperation, and (3) nurturing the next generation of talent to address Arctic issues.

It underscores the importance of contributing to international forums such as the Arctic Council, and cooperative frameworks with other Arctic states, to help shape rules and norms.

The plan also emphasizes the importance of creating a safe environment for Japanese shipping companies when utilizing the Arctic Sea Route by using satellite data to create sea ice charts, thereby enhancing Arctic navigation safety.

It also encourages the Japanese business community’s active participation in international forums such as the Arctic Economic Council and the Arctic Circle to expand Arctic region economic activities, while prioritizing sustainable Arctic resource development and shipping route use. What are the new elements in this updated version?
 

Research

The latest plan provides more concrete details on developing technologies to strengthen Arctic observation capabilities, including constructing a new ice-breaking research vessel. Scheduled for completion in 2026, the vessel promises unmatched observational capabilities and icebreaking capacity to access remote sections of the Arctic Ocean.

Collaborative projects such as the Arctic Challenge for Sustainability Initiative II (ArCS II) are set to not only accelerate discovery and ensure these insights actively shape Japan’s Arctic agenda in real-time, but also develop human resources who can lead international discussions to solve problems in the Arctic.
 

International cooperation

The fourth version puts more emphasis on adhering to international law principles such as freedom of navigation in the Arctic Ocean, which is aligned with its Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision. The updated document also reflects recent negotiations culminating in a 2021 legally binding agreement.

The agreement, which came into force in June 2021, bans unregulated fishing in Central Arctic Ocean international waters. As an active participant in these talks since 2015, Japan strictly adheres to this treaty on sustainable fisheries management regimen.

This approach balances imminent economic opportunity with long-term conservation needs in the face of warming, acidic waters, and shifting fish stocks.
 

Sustainable utilization

The area of sustainable utilization is particularly exciting as it features the most updated elements in the plan’s fourth version. While it does not address specific natural, technical, institutional, and economic issues related to the route as its predecessors, it provides more detailed strategies to support Japanese shipping companies in utilizing the Arctic Sea Route.

This includes (1) collecting information on the Arctic region and the Arctic Sea Route, and (2) fostering cooperation between industry, academia, and government, with an emphasis on information sharing.

The plan also prioritizes climate change mitigation and Arctic environmental conservation, which is in line with the “Long-Term Strategy for Growth Based on the Paris Agreement” and the “Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures”
 

Conclusion

The Fourth Basic Plan on Ocean Policy reveals a notably more proactive, assertive, and ambitious tone across the main pillars of research, international cooperation, and sustainable utilization than its predecessors.

In particular, with the fourth version further empowering sustainable utilization, Japan cements itself as an engaged steward rather than a bystander across Arctic development to set the standard for the entire region. This nuance shows Japan’s pragmatic understanding of the complex dynamics shaping the 21^st-century Arctic amid climate change and internationalization.

In an age of climate crisis and growing great power competition, Japan faces increasing incentives to engage itself across the Arctic region’s research, governance, and emerging commerce landscape.

As demonstrated in the fourth version, the country asserts itself as an essential partner in stewarding and studying this vital region alongside fellow concerned nations. Both international collaboration and domestic coordination are key vehicles for Japan to match its ambitions with its capabilities in an increasingly busy Polar North.
 
 

 
Japan pledged to pursue strategic and mutually beneficial relations with China in its annual foreign policy report released Tuesday, even as the two countries remain at odds over various issues, while recognizing the importance of dialogue.

The 2024 Diplomatic Bluebook said Japan will promote a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" with China, using the wording last seen in the 2019 report, although the neighboring country poses "an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to build the strategic and mutually beneficial relations at their meeting in San Francisco in November last year.

Tensions remain between the two Asian powers over matters such as the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean since last August.

Rivalry between Japan's close ally the United States and China has also intensified over the Chinese military's provocative activities near Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing sees as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

The report also mentioned "serious concerns" over China's "attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo" and "a series of dangerous acts" in the South China Sea as well as the importance of accelerating trilateral collaboration among Japan, the United States and the Philippines to deal with them.

Beijing expressed its "firm opposition" to the Japanese document, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian saying it contains "cliches of smearing and accusing China, exaggerating the so-called China threat and unreasonably interfering in internal affairs" of the country.

China urges Japan to "correct its wrongdoing, stop stoking bloc confrontation" and work toward the goal of building a constructive and stable Sino-Japanese relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, Lin said at a press conference.

As for South Korea, the bluebook described it as an "important neighboring country" that Japan should cooperate with "as a partner to address various issues of the international community."

"Given the grave security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan and South Korea's close cooperation is needed now more than ever," it said.

Tokyo last called Seoul a partner in the 2010 version, a Foreign Ministry official told reporters, reflecting a significant improvement in bilateral ties since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in 2022.

The two Asian countries have also been strengthening three-way security cooperation with the United States in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs, which the policy paper said pose "serious and imminent threats" to Japan's security.

Japan and South Korea, however, have been at odds over a pair of Seoul-controlled, Tokyo-claimed islets in the Sea of Japan.

In the bluebook, the remote islets, called Takeshima in Japanese and Dokdo in Korean, were referred to as an "inherent territory" of Japan.

The South Korean government lodged a protest against what it says is Japan's "repeated unfair territorial claims" and urged Tokyo to withdraw it immediately.

In response, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference, "We objected (to the protest) as unacceptable based on our consistent stance."

On North Korea, the document said Tokyo "cannot afford to waste" any time in solving the long-standing problem of Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals as the victims' families continue to age, mentioning Kishida's aim to realize an early summit with its leader Kim Jong Un.

On Russia, the report underscored wariness about its move to boost relations with not only China but North Korea, particular concerning North Korean weapons transfers that could worsen the situation in Ukraine as it resists Russian invasion.

To enhance deterrence, it is essential to collaborate with like-minded nations and construct "multilayered networks" that center around the Japan-U.S. alliance, such as those involving Australia, India and NATO members, it added.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
The semi main event of Wrestling World 2024 in Taiwan saw the first ever IWGP Tag Team Championship match in the region, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI defending the gold against Yuya Uemura and SANADA.

YOSHI-HASHI and Uemura squared off to start proceedings, both trading holds and Uemura showcasing his mastery of the essentials, although neither were able to obtain a long advantage until double team offence from Just 5 Guys, including stereo planchas to the outside, gave the challengers the control they sought.

YOSHI-HASHI and Uemura swapped burning chops to the benefit of Uemura before returning to the ring, SANADA then legally entering the match for the first time to continue isolating his opponent.

SANADA would quickly trap YOSHI-HASHI in the Paradise Lock to a great reaction from the Taiwan crowd, but a Head Hunter opened the much needed door to a tag and Goto charged in to take out Just 5 Guys with a lariat and suplex.

Revenge on his mind from their semi-final match in the New Japan Cup a month earlier, SANADA outmaneuvered Goto allowing a tag to Ueumura, who wasted no time in executing a lofty backdrop.

It would be Goto’s turn to retaliate, wiping Uemura out with a decapitating lariat which saw YOSHI-HASHI re-enter the action, however Just 5 Guys dropped the champ with double dropkicks and Just 2 Boots to almost claim the tag titles.

Bishamon would show their tag team excellence, Violent Flash setting the champions up to execute Shoto were it not for SANADA breaking up the attempt and nailing Goto with the Magic Screw. At the 15 minute mark Uemura caught YOSHI-HASHI with a precise enziguri, SANADA instantly following up with a Shining Wizard and Uemura with a Falcon Arrow variant.

A perfect diving crossbody from the top rope next would see YOSHI-HASHI dig deep to kick out before three, and the champion continued to show his spirit as he avoided Ueumura’s Deadbolt Suplex with a thudding lariat.

SANADA and Uemura again sought to work together but this time YOSHI-HASHI was equal to the task, sending SANADA tumbling to the outside before changing everything in an instant by catching Ueumura with a sudden roll-up to pick up the victory and retain the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
 
 

Three Japanese parliamentary by-elections will formally kick off soon, giving voters an opportunity to evaluate the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida regarding its response to a high-profile fund scandal at the nation's ruling party.

The official campaign period is set to start Tuesday for the April 28 by-elections for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.

"I will demonstrate my ability to deal with challenges such as regaining public trust in politics and responding to economic issues and earthquakes," Kishida told reporters during a visit to the southern U.S. state of North Carolina on Friday local time.

With Kishida's term of office as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party scheduled to end in September, the results of the elections are expected to influence the fate of the administration.

In the face of a public backlash against the slush funds scandal involving some LDP factions, the party, in a rare move, has opted not to field its candidates in two of the three elections--one in the No. 15 constituency in Tokyo and the other in the No. 3 constituency in the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki.
 
 

Japan "strongly condemns" Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel and considers it an escalation that will further destabilize the Middle East, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday.

Japan is "deeply concerned," Kishida said after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that began on Saturday evening and continued through to the following morning in response to a recent deadly strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria's capital city of Damascus.

"I have instructed relevant ministries and agencies to gather information and coordinate responses with other countries, including to protect Japanese nationals abroad," Kishida told reporters at his office after returning from his trip to the United States.

Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa also said in a statement released Sunday that Japan "reiterates its determination to continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts in order to prevent the further deterioration of the situation."

An Israeli military spokesman said over 300 drones and missiles were launched from Iran. It is the first direct attack to have been carried out by Tehran on Israeli territory.

"Japan has been strongly urging the parties concerned to calm down the situation as peace and stability in the Middle East is extremely important for Japan as well," the Japanese foreign minister said.

Citing heightening tensions, the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Sunday called on people planning to visit Iran to cancel their trips.

For those in Iran wishing to leave the country, the ministry requested they consider doing so while commercial flights are in operation.

The security situation in the Middle East has sharply deteriorated in the wake of a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel on Oct. 7 last year, triggering an ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that local health officials say has left more than 33,000 people dead.

The latest escalation comes after Iran vowed to retaliate against Israel for bombing an Iranian consulate complex in Damascus on April 1. The attack killed seven Iranian officers, including a top commander, of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
 
 

Starbucks tumblers are some of the most sought-after items around, and Japan has been blessed with a lot of the most desirable varieties.

This trend for spoiling Japanese customers with regional-exclusives shows no signs of stopping, especially now that the chain is releasing a new Cold Cup Tumbler No Filter, which encapsulates the chain’s ethos that “You need a ‘filter’ to make coffee, but you shouldn’t put a ‘filter’ on people’s hearts.”

This celebration of diversity is seen in the tumbler design, which is said to “shine, just like the individuality of people”. The chain hopes the dazzling surface will act as a reminder to “live like yourself” and shine bright, with a colorful star cap on the included straw adding an extra pop of individuality to the tumbler.

Starbucks aims to foster a society where everyone can live like themselves, and people are able to eliminate filters such as assumptions and prejudices in order to simply accept each other.

The “No Filter” initiative, which previously saw the release of other colorful goods such as 2023’s color-changing cold drink cups, aims to draw attention to the importance of inclusivity, and customers who purchase the tumbler will also receive a “No Filter” sticker to help spread awareness.

The rainbow colors on the tumbler and stickers show support for the LGBTQI+ community, and Starbucks hopes the campaign will help to create a place where people can live without filters and feel welcomed and comfortable.

 

The chain will be putting its money where its mouth is too, by directing some of the profits from sales towards its “Rainbow School Project”, which has been helping to promote understanding of LGBTQI+ issues in schools.

The project is now in its fourth year, and has so far held 57 classes, reaching 12,727 young people and educators, with Starbucks employees sharing their own personal experiences and stories firsthand.

With Pride Month in June fast approaching, now is the perfect time to grab one of the new tumblers, and its large 710-milliliter capacity will help you stay hydrated on sunny outings, where its uneven surface will catch the light and reflect its rays on to you and all the people around you.

The tumbler can be purchased at Starbucks stores nationwide while stocks last for 3,050 yen.
 
 

Naomi Osaka was not required to play after team-mate Nao Hibino sent Japan to their first Billie Jean King Cup finals Saturday in a 3-1 qualifying win over Kazakhstan.

Former world number one and four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka was appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020 and won her opening singles game on Friday.

But she did not need to play a second time after Hibino clinched Japan's spot in November's finals in Seville with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) win over world number 50 Yulia Putintseva.

"I didn't play today but it's been an absolute pleasure to be a part of this team," Osaka said in an on-court interview.

"Nao, you saved us."

Osaka, who returned to tennis late last year after giving birth, was appearing in Japan for the first time since playing at the Pan Pacific Open in September 2022.

She beat Putintseva 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) on Friday, hitting 15 aces and no double faults to stake Japan to a 2-0 lead.

Hibino said Osaka had brought presents for her Japan teammates and had been an important presence in the dressing room.

But it was Hibino who took centre stage on the second day's play, fending off four straight match points for Putintseva before coming back to win the third-set tiebreaker.

"I started wondering if it was OK for me to win my match -- there were a lot of fans looking forward to watching Osaka," laughed world number 79 Hibino.

"It was mixed emotions but I really wanted to clinch the win."
It was Hibino's second singles victory of the tie after dispatching Anna Danilina 6-1, 6-0 in under an hour on the opening day.

"I was playing against someone who I have struggled against so I wasn't sure if I could win," said Hibino.

"But the crowd really raised the voltage towards the end of the final set and I wanted to experience what it would be like to win in that atmosphere."

Kazakhstan salvaged a consolation point from the doubles dead rubber when Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva beat Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 11-9.

Kazakhstan were without world number four Elena Rybakina, who lost in the final of the Miami Open last month.
 

 

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized Friday that he was able to convey "future-oriented" messages on relations with the United States during his state visit to the country, the first by the Asian nation's leader in nine years.

"I believe that I could send such messages through several opportunities, including the Japan-U.S. summit" to the American people and the world, Kishida, who is scheduled to leave the United States on Saturday, told reporters.

At the summit in Washington on Wednesday, Kishida agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden to bolster the bilateral security alliance, with China's increasing military and economic assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region in mind.

The two leaders also confirmed the necessity of deepening trilateral cooperation involving South Korea to grapple with security threats posed by China and North Korea, which has continued to develop missiles and nuclear weapons.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's ruling party, however, suffered a crushing setback in Wednesday's general election, dealing a heavy blow to his administration that has expressed eagerness to improve ties with Japan since it was launched in May 2022.

Amid concern that the outcome of the election would affect Japan-South Korea relations, Kishida said the two countries are "critical partners and important neighbors" in tackling global issues, pledging to maintain close communication.

The prime minister will return to Japan on Sunday, with three House of Representatives by-elections to be held on April 28 and his Cabinet's approval ratings at their lowest levels since he took office in October 2021.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Kishida, has come under intense scrutiny after some of its factions neglected to report portions of their income from fundraising parties and accumulated slush funds for years for their members.

Earlier this month, the LDP, which has been in power for most of the period since its formation in 1955, decided not to field candidates in two of the three by-elections, given the party's low support rates.

Speculation lingers that Kishida may dissolve the lower house as early as June for a snap election to restore his political fortunes ahead of the LDP's presidential race around September.

Asked whether he could dissolve the lower house soon, Kishida said only, "I will place top priority on rebuilding public trust in politics and addressing other challenges that cannot be put off. I am not thinking about anything other than that."

On Friday, Kishida visited the site of a battery plant being constructed by Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's largest automaker by volume, in North Carolina, highlighting his nation's contributions to job creation and investment in the United States.

Kishida agreed at the summit with Biden that mutual investment by their countries is important in spurring global economic growth. Toyota's total investment for the plant has climbed to $13.9 billion, with the factory expected to employ more than 5,000 people.

Political experts said Kishida is seeking to showcase Toyota's involvement in the world's biggest economy, given the possibility that Donald Trump, who has criticized the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, could be reelected president in November.

Japanese automakers have been ramping up their production capacity in the United States so that their electric vehicles are eligible for tax breaks offered under the Biden administration, which requires EVs to be built in North America.

Later Friday, Kishida held a gathering with Japanese university students in the United States. He promised to expand economic support for students studying abroad to mitigate the negative impact of the sharp depreciation of the Japanese yen.
 

 

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a much-anticipated visit to Washington on Tuesday that spotlights shared concerns about provocative Chinese military action in the Pacific and at a rare moment of public difference between the two nations over a Japanese company’s plan to buy an iconic U.S. company.

Kishida and his wife stopped by the White House Tuesday evening ahead of Wednesday’s official visit and formal state dinner as President Joe Biden looks to celebrate a decades-long ally he sees as the cornerstone of his Indo-Pacific policy. Kishida will be the fifth world leader honored by Biden with a state dinner since he took office in 2021.

The two shook hands and first lady Jill Biden embraced Kishida’s wife, Yuko. The foursome posed for a photo and briefly toured the grounds before heading to an upscale seafood restaurant, BlackSalt, for dinner.
The Bidens were presenting the prime minister with a three-legged table handmade by a Japanese American-owned company in Pennsylvania.

The president was also gifting Kishida a custom-framed lithograph and a two-volume LP set autographed by Billy Joel. Jill Biden was giving Yuko Kishida a soccer ball signed by the U.S. women’s national team and the Japanese women’s national team.

Ahead of the White House visit, Kishida laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday and stopped by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and met with Microsoft’s vice chairman and president Brad Smith. Biden and Kishida on Wednesday will hold talks and take part in a joint news conference before Biden fetes the Japanese leader with the state dinner in the East Room.

The prime minister has also been invited to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday. He will be just the second Japanese leader to address the body; Shinzo Abe gave a speech to Congress in 2015.

The visit comes after Biden announced last month that he opposes the planned sale of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, exposing a marked rift in the partnership at the very moment the two leaders aim to reinforce it. Biden argued in announcing his opposition that the U.S. needs to “maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steelworkers.”

Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, Biden’s envoy to Tokyo, sought Monday to downplay the impact of Biden’s opposition to the U.S. Steel acquisition to the relationship. Emanuel noted that in February the Biden administration approved a plan that would drive billions of dollars in revenue to a U.S.-based subsidiary of the Japanese company Mitsui for crane production in the United States.

“The United States relationship with Japan is a lot deeper and stronger and more significant than a single commercial deal,” said Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, in a joint appearance at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies with Japan’s chief envoy to Washington. “As we would say in Chicago, you got to chill.”

Nippon Steel announced in December that it planned to buy U.S. Steel for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security.

Shigeo Yamada, Japan’s ambassador to Washington, declined to comment on whether Kishida would raise the Nippon-U.S. Steel deal with Biden.
Kishida at the U.S. Chamber said that American investments in Japan and vice versa would make the “economies more deeply tied and inseparable.”

Smith, the Microsoft vice chairman, announced that the tech company was investing $2.9 billion in Japan over the next two years to expand its cloud computing and artificial intelligence operations there. Microsoft will be working with the Japanese government to improve its cybersecurity capabilities.

“We see this as a critical investment in every Japanese company that we support and the Japanese government as well,” Smith said.

Biden has sought to place greater foreign policy focus on the Pacific even while grappling with the fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the grinding Israel-Hamas war. Last year, Biden brought together Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, a historic summit between leaders of two countries that have a difficult shared history.

Biden has honored Yoon with a state visit and picked Kishida’s predecessor, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, as the first face-to-face foreign leader visit of his presidency.

The administration has been pleased by Japan’s strong support for Ukraine. Tokyo has been one of the largest donors to Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, and Japan has surged its defense spending amid concern about China’s military assertiveness.

Yamada suggested that Kishida would underscore Japan’s support for Ukraine during his appearance before Congress, and lay out why the conflict in Eastern Europe matters to his country. Biden is struggling to get House Republicans to back his call to send an additional $60 billion to Kyiv as it tries to fend off Russia.

Kishida has warned that the war in Europe could lead to conflict in East Asia, suggesting that a lax attitude to Russia emboldens China.

“The prime minister’s conviction is today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s East Asia,” Yamada said.

The Pentagon announced on Monday that the U.S., United Kingdom. and Australia were considering including Japan in the AUKUS partnership, a grouping launched in 2021 that aims to equip Australia with nuclear-powered and conventionally-armed submarines.

Beijing has condemned the AUKUS pact, which it says promotes division and could lead to military confrontation in the region. China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday raised objection to Japan’s prospective new role.

Kishida will stick around Washington on Thursday to take part in a meeting with Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Philippine-Chinese relations have been repeatedly tested by skirmishes between the two nations’ coast guard vessels in the disputed South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard ships also regularly approach disputed Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands near Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is part of its territory and will be brought under control by force if necessary.

“Cooperation among our three countries is extremely important in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and in defending a free and open international order based on the rules of law,” Kishida said Monday before leaving for Washington.

The leaders are expected to discuss plans to upgrade the U.S. military command structure in Japan. There are about 54,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan the leaders announcements on defense will enable “greater coordination in the integration of our forces and ensure that they are optimally postured and linked to other like-minded partners.”

Kishida and Biden are also expected to confirm Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon program as well as its contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp. and the inclusion of a Japanese astronaut in the mission.

The rover, which comes at a roughly $2 billion cost, would be the most expensive contribution to the mission by a non-U.S. partner to date.
 
 

President Biden and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will discuss upgrades to the two countries' alliance that are being felt on this island, which hosts some 70% of U.S. military bases in Japan.

The two nations are expected to tighten cooperation between their military command structures, and their defense industries, while regional groupings such as the U.S., Australia and the U.K. are considering sharing new defense technologies with Japan.

Kishida's state visit is the first by a Japanese leader in nine years, and will include an address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday and a trilateral meeting that includes Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.   Okinawa, which sits closer to China than to Japan's main islands, is the focus of U.S. and Japanese efforts to beef up defenses in Japan's southwest islands.

Japan has set up missile bases on the main and outlying islands of Okinawa prefecture. And the U.S. established a new unit called the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, or MLR, here in November of 2023.

Marines from the unit plodded through Okinawa's dense vegetation on a recent land navigation exercise. They plot their course with maps and compasses, honing their navigation skills without GPS devices that could give away their location.

That's because they're within missile range of possible adversaries, such as China.

"We view ourselves already well within the enemy's weapon engagement zone," explains 12th MLR Lt. Col. Dan O'Connell. "The importance of 12th MLR is that we are already here, able to be where we need to be."
The MLRs are designed to be agile and stealthy. They've got fewer marines, tanks, aircraft and artillery, but more missiles.

With the missiles, the Marines can try to control chokepoints between islands that separate China from the wider Pacific. So even as China has deployed missiles to keep adversaries away from its shores, the U.S. may try to use its missiles to hem China in.

Plans to reform the Marines over the next decade have met with withering criticism from some U.S. retired generals. They argue that by downsizing, ditching heavy weapons, and focusing on island defense rather than offense, the Marines will no longer be an effective global response force.

They also argue that the Marines are trying to tailor their force to a single theater, the Western Pacific, although Marine leaders insist that the MLRs will work in other environments.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former Marine colonel, says that some military planners think "we ought to just focus on China and step back from these other global commitments." But, as the war in Ukraine has demonstrated, he argues, "when you look at the real world, that's just not possible."   Others worry that enemy missiles could keep the US from resupplying far-flung Marine units. The Marines say they can share infrastructure and purchase supplies from Japanese self-defense forces or civilians.

But that could mean that "there will be less of a boundary between military and civilian life," says Fumiaki Nozoe, a US-Japan relations expert at Okinawa International University. "And it could lead to an increased burden on Okinawa, in either emergency or training situations," he says.
Even as the U.S. and Japan build up defenses on Okinawa, the island's long-running peace movement has been running into difficulty.

Fewer survivors of the WWII Battle of Okinawa, in which nearly a third of the island's population perished, are around to tell their stories.

Polls show 70% of Okinawans feel their prefecture shoulders an unfair proportion of the burden of hosting U.S. military bases. But the ranks of anti-base protesters are aging and thinning.

"Some young people say that, you know, there is no way to kick all the bases out. This is a discouragement to them. They know it's almost not worthwhile to work on this issue," says 84-year-old activist and protest leader Suzuyo Takazato.

Young Okinawans tend to express less concern about the bases.

"Young people don't want to join the movement's sit-ins, but we definitely want to do something for peace," says 26-year-old Nitsuki Karimata, who takes visitors to Okinawan historical sites. "So more people in my generation are engaged in peace studies or peace tourism," she says.

Okinawa was an independent kingdom until Japan annexed it in 1879. The U.S. military occupation of Japan ended in 1952, but Okinawa didn't return to Japanese rule until 1972.

Some Okinawans feel that Japan and the U.S. have colonized and sacrificed them.

"They have used Okinawa as a tool," says Takazato. "So, we don't believe our position [is] always respected equally."

Okinawans have consistently elected governors who represent their views on the military base issue, including the current governor, Denny Tamaki.

"My position is that I accept the current Japan-U.S. alliance," Tamaki says in an interview. "But because U.S. military bases are overly concentrated in Okinawa, I have been telling the Japanese government to reduce the excessive burden imposed by these bases."

But Okinawa International University's Fumiaki Nozoe says that Okinawa's governors are in a tough spot, as the prefecture is one of Japan's poorest.   "The governor must conflict with the central government on the issue of U.S. military bases," he argues. "On the other hand, he or she must ask the central government for cooperation on issues of economic development. That's the dilemma."
 
 

Max Verstappen’s record-breaking dominance in Formula 1 resumed Sunday with his victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, leading almost the entire race on a sunny day in central Japan.

His abrupt breakdown two weeks ago in Melbourne, Australia, looks like a blip in his total command over F1. He was out on the fourth lap when the rear brakes caught fire.

Nothing like that this time.

Verstappen basically led from start to finish except briefly after a pit stop. He was followed across the finish line by Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez — 12.5 seconds behind — and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari. Sainz was 20 seconds off the pace.

The three-time defending F1 champion is again this season’s points leader and now has won 22 of the last 26 races dating from the start of the 2023 season. Only two other drivers have won in that span — Red Bull teammate Perez and Sainz, the winner in Australia two weeks ago.

Responding to a question, Sainz suggested that Verstappen and Red Bull are so dominant that the season might already be over after just four of 24 races.

“I think they are definitely going to have an advantage in the first third of the season until we bring in one or two upgrades,” Sainz said. “But by that time maybe it’s a bit too late with the advantage they might have in the championship.”

Verstappen, of course, said the season would be competitive and suggested Red Bull might struggle in street races.

“It’s still a very long season,” he said. “I don’t want to think about the rest of the season too much.”

A red flag just seconds into the tightly packed first lap when Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo clipped each other on the second turn and crashed out halted the race.

That was basically the only real drama.
“The critical bit was the start to stay ahead and after that the car just got better and better,” Verstappen said later. “It couldn’t have been any better.”

Both Albon and Ricciardo walked away, apparently without serious injuries. The restart was delayed 30 minutes to get the cars off the track and clear debris.

Verstappen, who now has 57 career wins, pushed his season points total to 77 and is 13 clear of Perez on 64. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc follows with 59 with Sainz on 55.

“It’s nice to win, and it’s nice to win here in Japan,” said Verstappen, whose car is powered by a Honda engine. “It’s always an important race for us and it’s great to win here in front of Honda.”

“Melbourne felt like a bit of a hiccup,” he added. “But what we did today is what we want to do and that’s what we aim to do every single weekend.”

Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, driving for the RB team, finished 10th to earn a point.

The next race is the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai in two weeks. F1 has not run there since 2019 with four races called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An F1 sprint race will also be run in China a day before the GP, cutting down practice time on an unfamiliar track.

“It’s going to be quite hectic,” Verstappen said. “We’ve haven’t been there in a while — only one practice session to get into it again. So I think it will be quite interesting.”

Verstappen, Perez and Sainz were all critical of squeezing in the sprint, which cuts out practice time. But they said it might make the weekend more entertaining for fans and drive interest and revenue.

“I think it’s not great,” Verstappen said. “When you have been away from a track for quite a while, you never know what you’re going to experience. It would have been better to have a normal race weekend.”

Sainz added: “I think it’s not a good choice to put the sprint after four or five years absence. We also heard there is resurfacing going on.”

The Japanese GP was run in the midst of the cherry blossom season across the Japanese archipelago. The Suzuka track was built by Honda and is still run by the Japanese car builder. It’s set southwest of Nagoya, Japan’s fourth largest city, in a center of heavy industry.

Verstappen, 26, put down rumors early this week that he might leave Red Bull, maybe for Mercedes.

“From my side, I’m very happy where I am. And, yeah, we want to keep it that way,” he said and even hinted at an early retirement.

“I have a contract with Red Bull until ’28,” he said. “After that, I first want to see if I actually even want to continue. That’s for me the most important.”
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making an official visit to the United States this week. He will hold a summit with President Joe Biden that's meant to achieve a major upgrading of their defense alliance.

He will also join a first-ever summit of the U.S., Japanese and Philippine leaders in Washington to showcase their cooperation in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

The Associated Press explains the significance of Kishida’s visit and the two summits.

The biggest event during the weeklong trip is his summit with Biden on Wednesday. Kishida hopes to further strengthen the alliance as China's influence grows in the Indo-Pacific.

Kishida is also reaching out to the American public to showcase Japan’s contribution to the U.S. economy and ensure stable relations regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election later this year.

Kishida, who has pushed sweeping changes fortifying Japan’s defense capabilities since taking office in 2021, will emphasize that Japan and the U.S. are now global partners working to maintain a rules-based international order, and that Japan is willing to take on a greater international role in security, economy and space to help Washington.

Expanding arms equipment and technology cooperation between the two countries and other like-minded partners is also highly important, Kishida on Friday told selected media, including AP.

Kishida, stung by a corruption scandal, needs a successful U.S. visit to shore up low support ratings at home.

As a state guest, Kishida will be welcomed in a White House arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, a formal state dinner and other official events. He is the fifth state guest of Biden, who has also hosted leaders of India, Australia, South Korea and France, underscoring America’s focus on Indo-Pacific security partnerships.

Kishida is the first Japanese leader to make a state visit since Shinzo Abe in 2015. Abe made a major revision to the interpretation of Japan’s pacifist Constitution, allowing its self-defense-only principle to also cover its ally, the United States.

Defense tops the agenda because of growing worries about threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Chinese coast guard ships regularly approach disputed Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands near Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is part of its territory and will be brought under control by force if necessary.

There are also worries about North Korean nuclear and missile threats and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kishida has warned that the war in Europe could lead to conflict in East Asia, suggesting that a lax attitude to Russia emboldens China.

“While we maintain the Japan-U.S. alliance as a cornerstone, we believe it is important to cooperate with like-minded countries, including the Philippines,” Kishida said.

Biden and Kishida are expected to agree on a plan to modernize their military command structures so they can better operate together. America stations 50,000 troops in Japan. The Japanese Self Defense Force is preparing to restructure so it has a unified command for ground, air and naval forces by March 2025.

Also expected are new initiatives for defense industry cooperation, including co-production of weapons, possibly a new missile, and the repair and maintenance of American warships and other equipment in Japan to help U.S. operations in the western Pacific.

Japan’s possible participation in a U.S.-UK-Australia security partnership to develop and share advanced military capabilities, including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and hypersonics, may also come up.

Kishida and Biden are also expected to confirm Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon program and its contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp and the inclusion of a Japanese astronaut. The rover, which comes at a roughly $2 billion cost, is the most expensive contribution to the mission by a non-U.S. partner to date, a U.S. official said.

Since adopting a more expansive national security strategy in 2022, Kishida’s government has taken bold steps to accelerate Japan’s military buildup. He hopes to show Tokyo is capable of elevating its security cooperation with the U.S. Kishida has pledged to double defense spending and boost deterrence against China, which Japan considers a top security threat.

Japan, working to acquire what it calls a “counterstrike” capability, has purchased 400 U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles. After prohibiting almost all weapons transfers, it has relaxed export guidelines twice in recent months, allowing the sale of lethal weapons to countries from which they were licensed and the overseas sales of a fighter jet it’s co-developing with the UK and Italy.

The changes have allowed Japan to ship Japanese-made PAC-3 missiles to the U.S. to help replace those contributed by Washington to Ukraine.

The first-ever trilateral summit between Biden, Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. comes as the Philippines faces escalating maritime tension with China over their contested South China Sea claims.

Biden wants to show that the three maritime democracies are unified as they face aggressive Chinese action against the Philippine coast guard and its supply vessels off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, according to a senior Biden administration official.

Japan has sold coastal radars to the Philippines and is now negotiating a defense agreement that would allow their troops to visit each other’s turf for joint military exercises.

The trilateral comes eight months after Biden hosted a meeting with leaders from Japan and South Korea at Camp David.

“Cooperation among our three countries are extremely important in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and in defending a free and open international order based on the rules of law,” Kishida said Monday before leaving for Washington.

Kishida also wants to highlight Japan’s economic contributions in the U.S. There is growing uncertainty in Tokyo about U.S. elections, reflected by questions about what happens if former President Donald Trump wins, though experts say there is a bipartisan consensus on a stronger U.S.-Japan alliance.

Kishida will meet with business leaders and visit Toyota’s electric vehicle battery factory under construction for a planned launch in 2025, and Honda’s business jet subsidiary in North Carolina. He will also meet students at North Carolina State University on Friday.

In his congressional speech on Thursday, Kishida said he plans to convey “what Japan and the United States want to hand down to future generations and what we need to do for them.”
 

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 hit Miyazaki Prefecture and other areas in southwestern Japan on Monday but no tsunami warning was issued, Japan's weather agency said.

The 10:25 a.m. quake registered lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the prefecture, with no immediate reports of casualties.

The focus of the temblor was off the eastern coast of Osumi Peninsula on the southwestern main island of Kyushu, occurring at a depth of 39 kilometers, revised from an earlier estimate of 40 km.

The Japan Meteorological Agency earlier estimated the quake's magnitude at 5.2.

No abnormalities were detected at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to the operator Kyushu Electric Power Co.

There were no reports of delays on shinkansen bullet train services, according to Kyushu Railway Co.
 
 

Spiraling geopolitical tensions have pushed the world to a “historic turning point” and are forcing Japan to change its defense posture, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told CNN Sunday ahead of a closely watched summit with US President Joe Biden next week.

“As we are witnessing Russia’s Ukraine aggression, the continuing situation over the Middle East, as well as the situation in East Asia, we are faced with a historic turning point,” Kishida said during an interview at his private residence in Tokyo.

“That is why Japan has made a decision to fundamentally reinforce its defense capabilities and we have greatly changed Japan’s security policy on these fronts,” he said.

In the face of mounting security challenges, the prime minister stressed, the Japan-United States alliance is becoming “ever more important,” a view he said he hoped would garner bipartisan support in Washington.

Kishida made the remarks days ahead of his Wednesday meeting with Biden in Washington, where he will also address a joint session of Congress and participate in the very first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States and the Philippines.

The Kishida-Biden summit has been characterized by Washington as a historic opportunity for the two countries to modernize their alliance as both eye regional threats from North Korea’s weapons testing and burgeoning relations with Russia to China’s aggression in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan.

Partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but the defense relationship has expanded under Kishida, who has raised Japan’s profile in global and regional security.



Moving away from pacifist past


Since coming to office in 2021, the prime minister has overseen a sweeping shift in Tokyo’s defense posture, veering away from the pacifist constitution imposed on it by the United States in the aftermath of World War II, to boost defense spending to about 2% of its GDP by 2027 and acquire counterstrike capabilities.

That move is not without controversy, especially in China and other parts of Asia that suffered hugely under Japan’s World War II era militarism.

When asked about that shift, Kishida pointed to the “severe and complex” security environment surrounding his East Asian nation, the world’s fourth-largest economy.

“In our neighborhood, there are countries that are developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and others that are building up their defense capabilities in an opaque way.

Also, there is a unilateral attempt to change the status quo, by force, in both the East China Sea and South China Sea,” he said, in an apparent reference to Chinese maritime aggression related to territorial disputes with both the Philippines and Japan.

Building Japan’s deterrence and response capability is also “essential” for the alliance with the United States, he argued.

“I hope the US will understand this, and that we can work together to improve the region’s peace and stability. I think it’s important to show the rest of the world that the US and Japan will further evolve our collaboration, through my visit,” Kishida said.

Next week’s events will also be a platform for deepening expansion between Japan and another key US regional partner and mutual defense treaty ally, the Philippines.

It comes less than a year after a ground-breaking meeting between the US, Japan and South Korea – with both summits underscoring the centrality of Japan in America’s Indo-Pacific security strategy and the push for increasing coordination with allies and partners amid rising regional tensions.

 

‘Stronger than ever’

Kishida’s visit with Biden next week also comes as both leaders face uncertain circumstances at home.

The Japanese prime minister grapples with dismal approval ratings, primarily following scandals involving his party, and the looming US elections raise the potential of a policy shake up if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House next year.

Both during his administration and in more recent years Trump has repeatedly poured cold water on Washington’s defense and security treaties, something that has rattled allies in both Asia and Europe alike.

Kishida declined to comment on if he was concerned about a return of the former president. Instead, he expressed belief that the importance of the US-Japan alliance was widely recognized “regardless of party affiliation.”

“The relationship between Japan and the United States has become stronger than ever before … Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, I think it is important to make sure that the American people recognize the importance of the Japan-US relationship,” he said.

Since taking office, Kishida has also positioned Japan as a partner to the US not only in Asia, but more globally.

He has championed a view that security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are inextricably linked, while emerging as a staunch backer of Ukraine and closely aligning with G7 countries in its position on Russia.

Those linkages have been close to home for Japan, as Russian and Chinese militaries conduct joint drills in the region and North Korea has now been accused by G7 nations of supplying Moscow with arms for use in its war in Ukraine – raising global concerns about an emerging axis between the three countries who all have tense relations with the United States.

Kishida also noted his government was making “high-level approaches” to secure a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve “outstanding issues” and promote stable relations between the two countries.

Japan, alongside South Korea, is on the frontlines of North Korea’s aggressive weapons testing program, with its test missiles regularly falling into regional waters.

The issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea more than decades ago has also remained an especially emotional point of contention.

Kishida said his government was monitoring exchanges of equipment between Pyongyang and Moscow and pointed to joint China and Russia military drills, describing such cooperation as “concerning, with respect to international order and stability.”

“At the same time, it is important to convey a firm message to North Korea and China that it is important for the peace, stability, and prosperity of the international community to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law,” Kishida said.

“We must also cooperate with them to promote a strong international community, not one of division and confrontation,” he added.

“I believe that it is important to cooperate with the United States and our allies to create an atmosphere of cooperation, not of division and confrontation, to advance the international community.”
 
 

A nine-year-old girl died after she was hit by a train in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, on Saturday.

The incident occurred at around 8:50 a.m. on a crossing on the Joshin Electric line, TV Asahi reported. Police said a witness called 119 and said a girl had been hit by a train after walking onto the crossing. There are no gates and no alarms at the crossing. The girl was declared dead at the scene.

The two-car train was on its way from Shimonita to Takasaki, police said.
Police said the girl was with her grandfather walking a dog at the time and she apparently ran ahead of him onto the crossing.


© Japan Today
 
 

Noto Tetsudo railway in Ishikawa Prefecture resumed train service Saturday along its entire 33.1-kilometer route, which was suspended in the wake of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Temporary restoration work on the 16.8-kilometer section between Notonakajima Station and Anamizu Station was completed, and thus reopening the entire line.

The semi-public corporation, which provides transportation services for the daily lives of local residents, finally resumed all services three months after the earthquake.

Passengers boarded the trains with relieved expressions on their faces.
Since the earthquake struck, the entire Noto Tetsudo line had been out of service because surface of the ground had risen, causing the rails to become uneven and dirt to fly into the tunnels.

At a reopening ceremony held at Anamizu Station shortly before 6 a.m., Noto Railway Co. President Tetsuya Nakata said, “Resuming services symbolizes people’s bonds and hope for the future.”

After the ceremony, the first train of the day departed with local residents on board. Passengers waved to people along the tracks and enjoyed the scenery along Nanao Bay, which was bathed in morning light.

A civil servant in Anamizu Town who rode the train with his family said with a smile, “This station is familiar to us, as my 4-year-old son and I had often come here for fun. I feel happy because the train line has been fully restored. I could see the scenery through the train windows for the first time in a long time.”
 
 

The Transportation Ministry facilitated the process of reprinting sailor documents for Ryan Yudatama Lizar who survived after his ship capsized in the waters of Shimonoseki, Japan.

Lizar is the only survivor of eight Indonesian citizens on the South Korean-flagged Keoyoung Sun Ship that sank.

"After Ryan arrived in Indonesia, we continued to coordinate and quickly facilitate the printing of his sailor documents that were lost when he experienced the sinking ship tragedy last March," the ministry’s Director of Shipping and Marine Affairs Hartanto stated here on Saturday.

Regarding the other seven victims, he said, the Transportation Ministry coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ship manning agencies regarding the fulfillment of their rights.

"We also thank the Foreign Affairs Ministry that has been very cooperative to jointly facilitate the rights of sailors in the Keoyoung Sun ship sinking (incident),” Hartanto remarked.

Hartanto ensured that the transportation ministry will continue to guard, coordinate, and facilitate the fulfillment of the victims’ rights.

“And it is expected that there will be no problems in the future," he added.

Of the eight Indonesian citizens who drowned, apart from Lizar, the Japan Coast Guard confirmed to have found six bodies, while one was still missing for which the search operation was underway.

On that occasion, Lizar, who was present at the Transportation Ministry’s building in Jakarta, commended the assistance process, starting from his return to the sailor document issuance.

"I feel helped by the Ministry of Transportation that has facilitated the search process in Japan until I arrived in Indonesia. I also express my deep condolences over the passing away of my seven fellow crew members," he said.
 

In 1926, when Japanese Emperor Hirohito ascended the Imperial throne, he was revered by millions of Japanese people as a living god. Almost 100 years later, the world's oldest continuing monarchy is sporting a very different look.
 His grandson, Emperor Naruhito vowed to bring the country's royal family into the modern age when he took over five years ago.And on Monday, the royal household took a very definite step into the 21st Century: they joined Instagram.
 The move comes some 15 years after Britain's royals first made their social media debuts.   "The [Japanese] were perhaps the last notable royal family not to fully engage the digital era," notes social media analyst Andrew Hughes.But it was an inevitable move.

The family had made clear their wish to engage with younger generations and stay relevant; and given those subjects increasingly only get content through their phones, the family would also have to go online.
 But for those hoping to get a more authentic glimpse into Imperial Family's day-to-day lives, the 48-hour presence of the @kunaicho_jp account so far might disappoint.

 

Bonsai plants and lots of bowing

"When I heard [they] created an Instagram, I quickly checked it out. But of course the emperor wouldn't post 'today's lunch (heart emoji)' or anything like that," one fan wrote online.
 In the 70 pictures and five videos uploaded across the kunaicho_jp [Imperial Household] profile so far, Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their widely adored only child, the 22-year-old Princess Aiko feature prominently.   But a page divulging personal notes, reflections or even just more candid pictures of the royals this is not.
  The gallery so far is pretty formal in tone - just a round up of royal duties these last few months: public appearances, visits to museums, earthquake sites and meetings in drawing rooms with royals from other lands. There's some bonsai and a lot of bowing. A birthday celebration post shows the Emperor and Empress seated at a low table, smiling for the cameras.
  Instagram influencers go to great lengths to curate the overall look of their grid - for potential new followers to be won over in one glance by a brand that's cohesive and easy on the eye, a definable aesthetic.
 The Japanese royals appear to have one too. A melange of beige and grey.   "The account's posts are extremely dull, the same kind of photos it shares in press releases," says Jeffrey Hall, a Japanese studies lecturer at Kanda University.
  The captions, written solely in Japanese, so far remain just factual recaps of the event shown in photos. Don't expect a casual first name sign-off just yet or any personal musings from the Emperor.
  And while they've seized on the Stories function- the tool usually used by Instagram users to post sporadic flashes of life - it appears so far the Imperial Household officials are just using it to showcase the B-roll of event photographs.
 "I don't think that the conservative officials at the IHA have any intention of providing an interactive or entertaining experience for their Instagram followers," says Mr Hall.

 

Tightly controlled
 Crucially, they've also turned the comments off - a trend emerging out of the corporate world, social media analysts note.
 "It stops any brand damage from those platforming their own causes, hijacking of comments… and basically diluting the content and harming the brand," says Mr Hughes, who teaches advertising and marketing at the Australian National University.
 "They may yet change it but I wouldn't expect that as that would open a can of worms and they have very much seen what happens from overseas examples with other royal families."
 Certainly, while the Japanese royals might be making their online debut 15 years later than the Windsors, the furore over a photoshopped image of the Princess of Wales and her family in recent months would certainly be front of mind.
 After all, this is a royal family whose Chrysanthemum throne rule and lineage trace millennia, a royal house which did not wish to taint themselves with social media for well over a decade.   "Expect a very tight and narrow narrative and content as the Japanese royal family want to reinforce their conservative and safe brand image," says Mr Hughes. "There will be no (Prince Harry's autobiography) Spare-style works emerging or any Photoshopped dramas."
  He notes too that the Japanese have a slightly different relationship with their royals - more reverential, more respectful.
  "They don't need to provide constant content initially, just more a subtle reinforcement of brand and minimising AI and disinformation and misinformation by controlling what is released and discussed. For me, this is smart brand management," says Mr Hughes.
 And while there have been tabloid scandals in the past, the Imperial Household has worked hard to keep the Crown family clean - by and large, they are still viewed by the Japanese populace as morally upstanding role models.
  The family has long used traditional media channels, photography, newspapers and since the Meji period, TV programmes and weekly magazines to get their message across.
  "However, these mediums were often employed to reinforce their positive yet distant image rather than fostering familiarity with the public," says Masafumi Moden, a Japanese Studies lecturer at the Australian National University.
 It seems with Instagram, the family are continuing that strategy.Social media might encourage close-ups, but for the Japanese royal family they're content to remain at arms length.  
 

Japan lifted a tsunami advisory issued for Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday afternoon, after earlier warning of the potential for large waves hitting parts of the prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that rocked Taiwan.

The magnitude 7.7 quake had initially prompted a forecast of waves of up to 3 meters for some areas in Okinawa, with residents strongly urged to evacuate coastal areas. The warning was later downgraded to a tsunami advisory at 10:40 a.m., with the expected height of waves reduced to 1 meter. That advisory was lifted as of 12 p.m.

Tsunami measuring at least 30 centimeters were observed at Yonaguni and Miyako islands, while waves as high as 20 cm also reached Ishigaki Island.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in the southern prefecture, the government’s top spokesman told a news conference, but people were still urged to stay away from the coast.

“There haven’t been reports of casualties or buildings damaged so far (from Okinawa). Besides that, we are aware of emergency calls regarding traffic in the prefecture,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

“We ask that everyone in the area stay alert to information from local authorities and the Meteorological Agency, as well as from television and radio, and act calmly, without being misled by uncertain information — please do not panic. Help each other and remain calm,” he added.

The massive quake — the largest to hit Taiwan in 25 years — prompted tsunami warnings for the island and knocked out power in some areas of the island’s east, with television footage showing collapsed buildings. Media reports said at least nine people were believed to have been killed and more than 900 injured.

Two buildings were tilted in the city of Hualien and one factory building collapsed in New Taipei City, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. Stones and bricks fell off in multiple places, including at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, and landslides occurred on highways.

​​A hotel reception staff at OLAH Poshtel in Hualien, who only gave her last name as Ou, said there were buildings in the city center that were tilted or collapsed. The hotel also offered a free-cancellation option for reservations until Friday.

China’s state media reported that the quake was felt in multiple cities in Fujian and Guangdong provinces across the Taiwan Strait, as well as in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Jiangxi.

Tsunami warnings were also issued in the coastal areas of several provinces of the Philippines, though these were lifted hours later.

This was the first time a tsunami had been detected in Japan since a powerful earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula area in Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day, with NHK warning viewers earlier via a large banner reading “Evacuate! Run!”

According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, Wednesday’s quake was as big as — if not bigger — than the Noto temblor, registering a magnitude 7.7. The quake had also been recorded as high as a 4 on the 7-point Japanese shindo seismic intensity scale in Yonaguni, which sits just 110 kilometers (70 miles) from Taiwan.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at 8:58 a.m., had registered a magnitude 7.4, originating 18 km south southwest of Hualien, Taiwan, at a depth of 34.8 km, while Japan’s meteorological agency said the quake had a magnitude of 7.7 and occurred at a depth of 23 km.

Even after the tsunami advisory was lifted, people were still urged to continue to stay away from the coast, with the continued likelihood of waves rushing the shore multiple times and the height increasing suddenly, a Meteorological Agency official told a news conference Wednesday morning.

People were urged to stay vigilant, given that the tsunami that resulted from the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake also began with waves that were just a couple of centimeters high.

Given that Okinawa is a tourism hub, and many visitors — both foreign and domestic alike — are unfamiliar with the area and tsunami protocol, Okinawa residents were being asked to help them, if necessary.

At Naha Airport, commercial flights resumed after an earlier suspension Wednesday morning, although throngs of passengers crowded the airport due to delays, NHK reported.

The weather agency also warned that aftershocks — possibly as strong as the initial quake — could continue over several days.

Agency officials noted that there had been a 10% to 20% possibility that a tremor of the same scale could occur within the week, citing past major earthquakes. They said the chances were “especially high” over the first two to three days, and urged residents to stay alert.

Regarding the earthquake in Taiwan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his condolences and intention to offer support.

"We are truly grateful for the heartwarming support we received from our dear friends in Taiwan during the Great East Japan Earthquake and the recent Noto Peninsula Earthquake," he wrote on X. "Japan is ready to provide necessary support to Taiwan, our neighbor across the sea, in its time of need."
 
 

The average retail price of regular gasoline in Japan stood at 174.6 yen per liter as of Monday, up 0.2 yen from a week before, the industry ministry said Wednesday.

The average gasoline price gained for the second straight week, influenced by higher crude oil prices due chiefly to a weaker yen.
The average price climbed in 30 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The biggest rise was 1.9 yen logged in Fukui, followed by 1.8 yen in Aomori and 1.6 yen in Miyagi.

Government subsidies to oil wholesalers held down the nationwide average gasoline price by 23.5 yen.

The average price is expected to show a modest rise next week, said an official at the Oil Information Center of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan. The center conducts the weekly price survey on behalf of the ministry.
 
 

President-elect Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit Japan on Tuesday, shortly after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Japanese Embassy in Indonesia revealed Prabowo’s plans in a brief press statement on Monday. However, the embassy said that the preparation for his visit was still underway, and did not go into details on the Japanese government officials that Prabowo would be meeting.

“We would like to inform you that President-elect His Excellency Mr. Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit Japan on April 2-3, 2024. [We are] currently making the arrangements for his upcoming meetings with the Japanese government officials,” the embassy said via text.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently congratulated Prabowo on his election win, while saying that Tokyo wants to encourage all sorts of bilateral partnerships with Indonesia. Prabowo currently serves as Indonesia’s defense minister and will take over from Joko “Jokowi” Widodo this October. 

Indonesia recently revised its trade pact with Japan, potentially supercharging Jakarta’s exports of its processed seafood and canned tunas.

Aside from robust economic cooperation, Indonesia and Japan are also working on the defense front. As a case in point, both countries signed a deal regarding the transfer of defense equipment and technology in 2021. 

Prabowo is currently in China and will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday evening local time. It is expected that they will talk about the future cooperation between the two countries.

This also marks Prabowo’s inaugural overseas visit since the General Election Commission (KPU) declared him as the winner. According to the Defense Ministry, Prabowo is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Defense Minister Dong Jun on Tuesday.

Prabowo’s visit to China also followed Xi’s congratulatory letter.
“I look forward to meeting you at an early date,” Xi said, while saying that China looks forward to working with Indonesia under Prabowo’s administration.
 
 

Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, began working for the Japanese Red Cross Society in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Monday.

“It was a sobering feeling that I had taken my first step as a member of society,” the 22-year-old princess, dressed in a navy blue suit, told reporters with a smile at around 9:50 a.m. in front of the main gate of the JRCS.

The princess has been assigned to the youth and volunteer division of the JRCS.
 
 

More than eight months (and one Oscar best picture win) after “Oppenheimer” landed in theaters, Christopher Nolan’s historical epic is still finding new audiences.

The film opened over the weekend in its final market, Japan, with $2.5 million from 343 theaters. It placed third on the country’s box office charts after two local offerings, the horror movie “Strange House” and the animated “Haikyu!!” According to Universal Pictures, “Oppenheimer” is the biggest opening weekend of 2024 for a Hollywood release in Japan, surpassing “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” ($1.6 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($1.3 million).
    With these ticket sales, “Oppenheimer” stands at a staggering $965 million globally. It’s a remarkable tally for a three-hour, R-rated drama that mostly takes place in laboratories and the halls of American government. In addition to box office riches, the $100-million budgeted film won seven Oscars, including best picture and director.

It’s not unusual for American-made movies to debut in Japan months later than they do in North America. But before the release of “Oppenheimer,” there was speculation about whether the film would play in Japan at all.

It’s controversial in Japan given the subject matter of the film, which follows the American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) who led the creation of the atomic bombs.

Those weapons of mass destruction were detonated in 1945 over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands of Japanese citizens.

Distributor Toho-Towa, which releases the majority of Hollywood films in Japan, opted to not get involved with “Oppenheimer.” It looked like the movie wouldn’t come to Japan, until last December when Bitters End picked up the film “following months of thoughtful dialogue associated with the subject matter.” Bitters End previously handled the rollout of the Oscar-winning “Parasite” in Japan and is currently playing Japan’s Academy Award-nominated “Perfect Days.”

Compared to Nolan’s prior films, initial ticket sales for “Oppenheimer” were above “Interstellar,” “Batman Begins,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight”; on par with “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Tenet”; and below “Inception” at the same point in their rollout, according to Universal.

“Inception” is the director’s top-grossing movie in Japan with $42 million, while his two most recent releases, “Tenet” and “Dunkirk,” generated $25 million and $14.8 million respectively in the country’s cinemas.
 
 

Health authorities searched a second Kobayashi Pharmaceutical factory in western Japan on Sunday (Mar 31) after the company reported five deaths possibly tied to dietary supplements, an official said.

The inspection in Wakayama prefecture follows one on Saturday in Osaka, expanding the investigation into the drugmaker's use of "beni koji", or red yeast rice.

Osaka-based Kobayashi says it found what appeared to be potentially toxic puberulic acid that could have been produced by blue mould penicillium in Beni-Koji rice produced between last April and October at the Osaka factory.

As of Friday, 114 people had been hospitalised and five had died after taking the supplements, which were marketed as helping lower cholesterol levels, the company said.

The cause of the deaths has not been confirmed, the official of Japan's Health and Welfare Ministry told Reuters.

But "it is suspected that beni koji may be the cause, so we have inspected two factories in two days".

Kobayashi said on Friday it was investigating a suspected link between the products and their effects on the kidney since it received reports of kidney disease linked to the products.

"We will fully cooperate with the investigation so that we can resolve the problems as early as possible," the head of Kobayashi's investor relations, Yuko Tomiyama, told reporters on Sunday in footage shown by public broadcaster NHK.

The health official said the ministry "would join hands with other ministries concerned to do our utmost to resolve the ongoing case while asking Kobayashi Pharma to cooperate as needed in looking into the case".

The factory in Osaka's Yodogawa Ward was closed in December due to ageing facilities and production shifted to the factory in the city of Kinokawa that was searched on Sunday, Japanese media reported.

The government has criticised the company for taking two months to announce the health impacts of its products. Kobayashi began recalling products on Mar 22 after receiving reports of kidney ailments.
Its products are also consumed in other countries.

Japanese media said a case of acute renal failure had been reported in Taiwan. Taiwan's food and drug administration is investigating three "unexpected health reactions" that may be related to imported materials from Kobayashi, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported.

A Chinese consumers association urged consumers to stop using potentially affected products, saying it was concerned about the risk of Kobayashi products, state media reported on Friday.

Japan's health ministry is aware of the Taiwanese cases, the official said, declining to comment further on any international cases.

Kobayashi sells Beni-Koji wholesale to 52 companies, which have conducted voluntary inspections and found no materials requiring medical consultation as of Friday, NHK said. Those companies sell the materials to 173 others, it said.

TV Asahi reported that some 1,800 food makers could be affected.
Beni-Koji contains Monascus purpureus, a red mould used as a food colouring.
 
 

The Japanese and Chinese governments held an expert consultation meeting on Saturday in Dalian, China, regarding the release of treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. The Japanese side said that monitoring results showed no impact on seawater.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry announced the meeting on the same day. Participants from Japan included officials from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s secretariat, the Environment Ministry, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and TEPCO. Participants from China included representatives from several research institutions.

An expert consultation meeting was held online in January this year but was not made public. This is the first time the Foreign Ministry has announced the implementation of such a consultation.
 
 

The man in charge of compensating sexual abuse victims of Japan's most famous pop manager says the scandal goes further than first thought.
  Noriyuki Higashiyama told the BBC he believes there were two more perpetrators at Johnny Kitagawa's agency Johnny & Associates.He believes these individuals are still alive.
 Since a 2023 BBC investigation, nearly 1,000 men have come forward to say they were abused by Kitagawa.
 Higashiyama told the BBC that an internal investigation by the former company in August 2023 had concluded that two people at Johnny & Associates were believed to have sexually abused talent.   He revealed that, to date, he has not contacted the authorities."From a legal standpoint, I don't think we have the authority to do that," Higashiyama says. "But if those involved file a criminal complaint, I imagine we would co-operate as much as possible."
 He says that he does not know if the survivors of abuse by the two perpetrators want to pursue criminal proceedings."I don't even know who they are," he says.
  Johnny Kitagawa, creator of the Japanese boy band phenomenon, died in 2019. At the time, he was celebrated for his contribution to the country's pop culture.
  In the wake of the BBC documentary, an independent inquiry concluded that the music mogul had abused hundreds of boys and young men over a six-decade career.
 Johnny & Associates was dissolved and replaced by a new talent agency called Starto Entertainment and Smile-Up, a company tasked with processing claims of abuse.
 Smile-Up appointed three former judges to a victim relief committee to manage the compensation process.
 Higashiyama, a former actor and Johnny & Associates talent, took on the job as Smile-Up's CEO. He has himself faced allegations of bullying and sexual abuse, which he denies.
    Survivors of Kitagawa's abuse have criticised Smile-Up for having an opaque compensation process and for not acting quickly enough to engage with them. They say it seems to be an ad-hoc system with no defined timeline.
 Akimasa Nihongi is a former Johnny & Associates talent and joined the agency as a 13-year-old with aspirations of becoming a pop star.He went public with his own experience of abuse when he saw the story reported in 2023.
 "I feel like there are still issues that are hidden," he says. For Akimasa and many more like him, there is little semblance of justice. A lawyer representing survivors of Kitagawa's abuse described Smile-Up's process as "a black-box situation".
  Smile-Up has itself cast doubt on some of the allegations. Days after being set up, the agency released a statement saying: "We have received information that there are cases in which people, who are most likely not victims, are telling false stories using the testimony of real victims."Some of the survivors who shared their experiences have faced condemnation and harassment from people online.
 A woman who did not want to be identified says her husband faced death threats and harassment when he shared his story of being abused by Kitagawa.
 "He wanted to reveal everything," she says. "He didn't want future children to be harmed in the same way."   After he spoke out, his personal details were exposed online.Eventually the woman received a text message from her husband telling her that he'd gone to the mountains. It was there that he ended his life."When I found him, it was too late," she says.
 Smile-Up CEO Noriyuki Higashiyama says that he is aware of this case."People have freedom of speech," he says. "I'm not encouraging slander. If it's possible, I would really like to eliminate online abuse."
  After the BBC revealed that Johnny Kitagawa, the godfather of J-pop, spent a lifetime sexually abusing young boys in his talent agency, Mobeen Azhar investigates the aftermath of a predator.

Higashiyama says he has spoken personally to almost 200 people who have come forward with claims of abuse.
  "I hope it will help to mend their hearts, even just a little. I consider that to be my role. My main focus is to meet with survivors."
 He admits that he has no formal training or experience in counselling or helping survivors of sexual abuse.
 Smile-Up is organising and funding counselling for those who have come forward. "We are thinking of doing that indefinitely," Higashiyama says.
 Subsequent to revelations in the BBC investigation, Kitagawa's place in Japanese pop culture has shifted in the public consciousness.   Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has faced increasing pressure to reform sexual abuse legislation.
 The age of consent in Japan shifted from 13 to 16, after multiple rape acquittals in 2019 caused a national outcry.
 And public discussion following last year's investigation into Kitawaga has resulted in more men speaking publicly about the abuse they experienced.
 However, some survivors of abuse feel that despite their testimonies, justice continues to be elusive.
 Akimasa believes it is important that survivors are supported in reaching closure. In his view, this is something the new incarnation of Johnny & Associates has so far failed to deliver.   "I want them to take responsibility. I think this is the biggest post-war sexual assault case in Japan. We shouldn't let it fade away as if it's a temporary problem. It's important to keep a record as part of Japanese history."  
 

Leukaemia survivor Rikako Ikee will compete for Japan in the 100m butterfly at the Paris Olympics after missing out on an individual place at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Three-time world champion Daiya Seto will swim the men's individual medley after Japan's 27-member team for the Paris Games was announced by the country's Swimming Federation on Wednesday.

An 18-year-old Ikee was named MVP of the 2018 Asian Games after claiming six golds and two silvers, and was expected to be one of the stars of the Tokyo Olympics.

In early 2019, a few months after those triumphs, she was diagnosed with leukaemia and spent around 10 months in hospital.

She only returned to competition in August 2020 and completed an incredible comeback by winning the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly at the 2021 Olympic trials.

Her times were not fast enough to qualify for the individual events in Tokyo but the performances gained her selection for both freestyle and medley relay teams at her home Olympics.

Now 23, Ikee secured her place in the 100m butterfly by just 0.01sec at Japan's trials earlier this month as she held off the fast-finishing Matsumoto Shiho to finish second in 57.34sec.

"In the end I think it was my long arms that won the touch," Ikee was quoted as saying by Olympics.com.
"I think God was on my side today."

The race was won in an impressive 56.91sec by 17-year-old Haiari Mazuki, one of several talented Japanese teenagers in the team.
Also heading to Paris are Mio Narita, 17, in the women's individual medley and Tomoyuki Matsushita, 18, who swims the same event for men.

"I'm glad lots of veterans and young talent made it to the national team this time," Daichi Suzuki, the swimming federation chief, was reported as saying by Japan media.

"I hope to see them on the podium with Japan's national flag on their shoulders in Paris," he added.



© 2024 AFP
 
 

Japanese drug maker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical says two more people have died after taking its health supplements that contain "beni-koji" ingredients. "Beni-koji" is rice fermented with red yeast.

Thursday's announcement brings to four the number of people who died after taking the supplements. More than 100 others have been hospitalized after developing kidney problems.

The company says one of the newly identified two took the supplements around 2021, and the other in early 2022.

Their families reported that they showed possible symptoms of kidney disease.

The company says products manufactured from April through December last year may contain an "unintended substance" that caused the deaths and illnesses. It has launched a detailed investigation.

The city of Osaka on Wednesday issued an administrative order to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to recall three types of "beni-koji" supplements.
 
 

Japan plans to upgrade five airports and 11 ports, designating them for use by the country's defense forces and coast guard in case of military emergencies, a government source said Wednesday, with concerns lingering over China's maritime assertiveness and a potential conflict over Taiwan.

Nearly half of the 16 commercial facilities, which include Naha and Nagasaki airports, are located either in Okinawa Prefecture or the southwestern main island of Kyushu, apparently reflecting Japan's efforts to beef up defense around its far-flung southwest islands.

The plan is expected to be approved soon at a meeting of related ministers, paving the way for the project to commence in the next fiscal year starting April. An allocation of 35 billion yen ($230 million) is anticipated for the first year.

Longer runways and aprons are expected to be built at the designated airports for use by fighter jets and transport aircraft. Ports will need docks that can accommodate destroyers and other large ships.

The Japanese government stipulated in its National Security Strategy endorsed in 2022 the need to enhance the functions of public infrastructure, such as airports and seaports, so that the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard can better respond to the protection of its nationals and deployment during contingencies.

While the upgrade of the facilities could benefit locals by enabling their use for commercial logistics, tourism, and disaster response, concerns remain that the sites could become targets of armed attacks in contingencies.

The SDF and coast guard will also use the sites to conduct exercises.
Local governments that manage the designated facilities will sign documents with the central government regarding their use by the SDF and the coast guard in routine operations and emergencies.

The five designated airports are located in four prefectures -- Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Miyazaki, as well as Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Of the 11 ports, five are in the northern main island of Hokkaido, home to many SDF units, four are in Kagawa and Kochi prefectures in the western main island of Shikoku, and one each in Fukuoka and Okinawa prefectures.

In recent years, Japan has been reinforcing the defense capabilities of remote islands in the southwest amid tensions over the Senkaku Islands, a group of Tokyo-controlled uninhabited islets in the East China Sea that China claims and calls Diaoyu.

A contingency over Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, is also concerning for Japan, a U.S. security ally, given the self-ruled island's proximity to Japan's southwestern islands.
 
 

A man has died following an accident involving his suit jacket getting caught in an escalator at a station in Ibaraki Prefecture, police said Wednesday.

The staff of Mito Station found Mamoru Suzuki, a 72-year-old resident of Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, collapsed but still conscious at around 9 p.m. Tuesday, with the back of his jacket ensnared in the escalator's handrail, according to the local police.

Suzuki later fell unconscious and was confirmed dead at the hospital he had been transported to. The cause of his death remains undetermined, and the police are reviewing the station's security camera footage.

He was found near the escalator's exit, which connects the station platform to the ticket gate area. The escalator was moving at the time.
 
 

A Japanese nappy maker has announced that it will stop producing diapers for babies in the country and, instead, focus on the market for adults.
  Oji Holdings is the latest firm to make such a shift in a rapidly ageing Japan, where birth rates are at a record low.
 Sales of adult nappies outpaced those for infants in the country for more than a decade.
 The number of babies born in Japan in 2023 - 758,631 - was down by 5.1% from the previous year.
 It was also the lowest number of births on record in Japan since the 19th Century. In the 1970s, that figure stood at more than two million.
 In a statement, Oji Holdings said its subsidiary, Oji Nepia, currently manufactures 400 million infant nappies annually. Production has been falling since 2001, when the company hit its peak - 700 million nappies.
 Back in 2011, Japan's biggest diaper maker, Unicharm, said its sales of adult diapers had surpassed those for babies.   Meanwhile, the adult diaper market has been growing and is estimated to be worth more than $2bn (£1.6bn). Japan now has one of the world's oldest populations, with almost 30% of them aged 65 or older. Last year, the proportion of those aged above 80 surpassed 10% for the first time.Oji Holdings also said it would continue to make baby diapers in Malaysia and Indonesia where it expects demand to grow.
  A shrinking population, the result of both ageing and plummeting birth rates, has become a crisis for Japan, one of the world's largest economies. But the Japanese government's efforts to address these challenges have met with little success so far.
  Increased spending on child-related programmes and subsidies targeting young couples or parents don't appear to be boosting birth rates. Expert say the reasons are complex, ranging from lower marriage rates and more women joining the workforce, to the increased costs of raising children.
 "Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said last year, adding that it was a case of "now or never".
 But Japan is not alone. Fertility rates have also been dropping in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, the last of which has the lowest birth rate in the world.   China too saw its population fall for the second year in a row in 2023 and, like Japan, has introduced various incentives to boost birth rates. But an ageing population and the impact of a decades-long one child-policy, which ended in 2015, are creating demographic challenges in China too.  
 

North Korea on Tuesday rejected any further contact or negotiations with Japan and said a summit meeting between its leader Kim Jong Un and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is not in its interest, according to the country's state-run media.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of the North Korean leader, clarified Pyongyang's stance in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, a day after revealing Kishida has conveyed his intention to meet Kim Jong Un "as soon as possible."

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said in February that a visit by Kishida to Pyongyang would be possible if Japan does not make the issue of past abductions of Japanese nationals an obstacle, according to KCNA.

North Korea claims the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by its agents in the 1970s and 1980s has already been settled, and Kim Yo Jong, in her statement Monday, urged Japan to change its stance on the matter.

Later Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's top government spokesman, dismissed that idea as "totally unacceptable."

Kishida stressed the importance of summit talks to secure the return of the Japanese abductees said "nothing has been decided so far on whether a summit will be realized."

Tokyo officially lists a total of 17 Japanese nationals as abductees.
 

 

Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to sell future next-generation fighter jets that it’s developing with Britain and Italy to other countries, in the latest move away from the country’s postwar pacifist principles.

The contentious decision to allow international arms sales is expected to help secure Japan’s role in the joint fighter jet project and part of a move to build up the Japanese arms industry and bolster its role in global security.

The Cabinet also endorsed a revision to Japan’s arms equipment and technology transfer guidelines to allow coproduced lethal weapons to be sold to countries other than the partners.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the changes are necessary given Japan’s security environment, but stressed that Japan’s pacifist principles remain unchanged.

“In order to achieve a fighter aircraft that meets the necessary performance and to avoid jeopardizing the defense of Japan, it is necessary to transfer finished products from Japan to countries other than partner countries,” Hayashi told reporters, adding that Tokyo will follow a strict approval process for jet sales. “We have clearly demonstrated that we will continue to adhere to our basic philosophy as a peaceful nation,” he said.

Japan has long restricted arms exports under the country’s pacifist constitution, but has rapidly taken steps to deregulate amid rising regional and global tensions, especially from nearby China.

The decision on jets will allow Japan to export lethal weapons it coproduces to other countries for the first time.

Japan is working with Italy and the U.K. to develop an advanced fighter jet to replace its aging fleet of American-designed F-2 fighters, and the Eurofighter Typhoons used by the U.K. and Italian militaries.

Japan, which was previously working on a homegrown design to be called the F-X, agreed in December 2022 to merge its effort with a British-Italian program called the Tempest. for deployment in 2035. The joint project, known as the Global Combat Air Program or GCAP, is based in the U.K.

Japan hopes the new plane will offer advanced capabilities Japan needs amid growing tensions in the region, giving it a technological edge against regional rivals China and Russia.

Because of its wartime past as aggressor and the devastation that followed its defeat in World War II, Japan adopted a constitution that limits its military to self-defense. The country long maintained a strict policy to limit transfers of military equipment and technology and ban all exports of lethal weapons.

Opponents have criticized Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government for committing to the fighter jet project without providing an explanation to the public or seeking approval for the major policy change.

To address such concerns, the government is limiting exports of codeveloped lethal weapons to the jet for now, and has promised that no sales will be made for use in active wars.

The government also assured that the revised guideline for the time being only applies to the jet and that it would require Cabinet approval to do so. Potential purchasers will be also limited to the 15 countries that Japan has signed defense partnership and equipment transfer deals with.
Recent polls suggest that public opinion is divided on the plan.

In 2014, Japan began to export some nonlethal military supplies, and in a latest move last December, it approved a change that would allow sales of 80 lethal weapons and components that it manufactures under licenses from other countries back to the licensors.

The change cleared the way for Japan to sell U.S.-designed Patriot missiles to the United States, helping replace munitions that Washington is sending to Ukraine.

In its decision, the Cabinet said that the arms export ban on finished products would hinder efforts to develop the new jet, and limit Japan to a supporting role in the project. Italy and the U.K. are eager to make sales of the jet in order to defray development and manufacturing costs.

Kishida sought Cabinet approval before signing the GCAP agreement in February, but it was delayed by resistance from his junior coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito party.

The change also comes as Kishida is planning an April state visit to Washington, where he is expected to stress Japan’s readiness to take on a greater role in military and defense industry partnerships.

Exports would also help boost Japan’s defense industry, which historically has catered only to the country’s Self Defense Force, as Kishida seeks to build up the military. Despite its effort over the past decade, the industry has still struggled to draw customers.