JAPAN GATE Information portal site in Japan http://jp-gate.com/ SNSの説明 en http://jp-gate.com/images/logo.gif JAPAN GATE Information portal site in Japan http://jp-gate.com/ Japan Confiscates Record 1 Ton Of Dried Cannabis From Vietnam http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwi7bjnaz 2025-08-13T22:23:00+09:00

NHK


 



NHK has learned that Japanese authorities have confiscated about one ton of dried cannabis that was shipped to Tokyo Port from Vietnam.

It is the largest single seizure of illegal drugs in Japan, according to available statistics to date.

The health ministry's Narcotic Control Department has reportedly arrested three Vietnamese nationals for allegedly violating the narcotics control act. They are suspected of conspiring to smuggle cannabis for profit. One of the suspects is 51 years old and a resident of Ibaraki Prefecture.

The department is investigating whether an international drug-smuggling group was involved.

Investigators said Tokyo Customs agents found a large amount of dried cannabis in 200 cardboard boxes on board a cargo ship that had left Da Nang Port in Vietnam. It entered Tokyo Port in June.

The investigators said narcotic control officers tracked the illegal drug while it was being transferred from the port. They confiscated it in the northern Kanto region.

The investigators also said the shipment's intended destination was a company in Osaka City, western Japan.

The amount confiscated is more than double the 452 kilograms of dried cannabis that was seized nationwide by police, narcotic officers and other authorities during 2024.
 
 
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仕事
Japan Mcdonald's Happy Sets Wasted In Pokemon Card Frenzy http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwmr4rxn2 2025-08-13T21:36:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY




 
McDonald's Co (Japan) has found that its campaign to give away Pokemon trading cards with its Happy Set combo meals prompted some customers to buy the meals in bulk solely to obtain the cards for resale, while discarding the food.

The fast-food chain, which revealed the blunder on Monday in a press release, had limited purchases of the Happy Set -- known as the Happy Meal outside of Japan -- to five per person and implemented measures to prevent the reselling of the cards at higher prices ahead of the three-day promotion from Saturday.

But the company admitted that its preparations were "insufficient" and issued an apology. The campaign ended on the first day as many outlets ran out of the cards.

Before the launch, McDonald's had also asked Japanese online flea market operator Mercari Inc to help deal with listings of the trading cards, a highly sought-after collectible item.

The fast-food chain said it will implement stricter measures in the future such as denying entry to people who attempt to buy large quantities of the combo meals.
 
 
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仕事
Japan Eyes ¥100 Bil Budget For Defense Drone Mass Deployment http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641b87yors7 2025-08-13T21:05:00+09:00


JAPAN TODAY



 


Japan is considering earmarking over 100 billion yen for the fiscal 2026 initial budget for mass deployment of defense drones amid the increasingly severe security environment, government sources said Tuesday.

The government may opt to buy low-priced drones made in Turkey, which have been used by Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, so that the aerial devices can be deployed to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces as early as possible, according to the sources.

The plan in the long term, though, is for Japan to eventually pursue domestic manufacturing, the sources said, adding that to promote such production, a scheme to reinforce supply chains of related parts will be created.

The Defense Ministry, which set up a task force in April on how to utilize drones in future combat, is expected to request the budget for the next fiscal year, starting from April, by the end of this month, the sources said.

A senior government official said Japan will pursue the policy of "'preferring quantity to quality' and explore a strategy of establishing superiority with the number" of drones.

The effectiveness of drones was highlighted in the country's Defense Buildup Program, which was drawn up in 2022. According to the program, the SDF will "expeditiously procure various types of unmanned assets" to "accomplish missions while minimizing human loss."

In the current fiscal 2025 budget, 41.5 billion yen was set aside for the deployment of the U.S.-made large drone MQ-9B SeaGuardian for better surveillance operations, and 3.2 billion yen for small offensive drones, amid China's intensifying military activities in the airspace and waters surrounding Japan.

In June, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, submitted a proposal to the ministry, saying that the government needs to prepare for "new styles of combat" utilizing drones, drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine.

With recent Chinese aircraft violations of Japan's airspace in mind, some LDP lawmakers have said that Japan should use drones to deal with such flights.
 
 
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ニュース
One Dead After Yacht And Cargo Ship Collide In Waters Off Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bmhg4n99 2025-08-13T20:58:00+09:00

JAPAN TIMES



 
A yacht and a cargo ship collided in waters off southern Japan on Wednesday, with one person confirmed dead and several others reported missing, officials said.

The captain of a 492-ton gravel carrier reported to the Japan Coast Guard that it collided with a yacht close to Hoto Island in Oita Prefecture, coast guard spokesperson Nanaka Yoshida said.

"We discovered one person at around 10 a.m. and passed them over to emergency services," she said.

According to the Oita Coast Guard Office, the person taken to the hospital was Makoto Yamamoto, 70, from the city of Oita, who was in a state of cardiac arrest before being confirmed dead.

The coast guard is continuing the search for several others who were supposed to be on board the yacht, "but we don't know the details of the yacht or how many were on board," she said.
 
 
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ニュース
S. Korean Pres. Lee to Visit Japan for Summit with Ishiba http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bnuaehcv 2025-08-13T20:22:00+09:00

NIPPON



 
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will visit Japan on Aug. 23-24 to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the Japanese and South Korean governments said Wednesday.

It will be Lee's first visit to Japan since taking office in June.
During Lee's visit, the leaders will reaffirm their commitment to steadily developing bilateral ties as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year. They will also share a dinner.


 
Ishiba and Lee have agreed to continue so-called shuttle diplomacy of reciprocal visits to each other's countries.

In the upcoming meeting, the leaders will aim to strengthen bilateral relations as well as trilateral ties with the United States, mindful of China's hegemonic moves and North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

Lee will visit the United States from Aug. 24 to hold talks with President Donald Trump.
 
 
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ニュース
British Navy Carrier Group Makes Port Call In Japan, 1st In 4 Years http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641btcsorrz 2025-08-12T20:42:00+09:00

KYODO NEWS


 

A British aircraft carrier strike group made a port call in eastern Japan on Tuesday, marking the first such visit in about four years in a show of deeper security cooperation between the two nations.

The aircraft carrier the Prince of Wales docked at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, while the destroyer the Dauntless and the Norwegian frigate the Roald Amundsen berthed at the near-by Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force base.

The three ships from the Carrier Strike Group 25 are scheduled to stay in Japan until Sept. 2, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. It is the second such British naval visit, after Japan hosted an aircraft carrier strike group in 2021 led by the Queen Elizabeth.

The Prince of Wales will move to Tokyo on Aug. 28 and stay there until Sept. 2, while the Roald Amundsen will make a four-day stay in the capital from Aug. 19, the ministry said.

Japan and Britain have been strengthening their defense collaboration in recent years, with a bilateral reciprocal access agreement that simplifies procedures for their forces to engage in joint exercises and disaster relief operations taking effect in 2023.

The two U.S. allies have also been running a trilateral joint project with Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035.
 
 
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ニュース
Competition for Japan Govt Jobs Lowest Ever http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bpmx6dib 2025-08-12T20:04:00+09:00

NIPPON


 

One out of 2.9 applicants passed employment examinations for Japan’s career-track national public servants in fiscal 2025, the lowest rate ever, the National Personnel Authority said Tuesday.

A total of 8,815 people passed the exam, up 1,258 from the previous year, when one in 3.2 applicants passed.

An NPA official attributed the dip in competition to “the number of successful applicants rising in line with an increase in the number of planned hires by each ministry and agency.”

The number of applicants who passed under a new division established in fiscal 2025 to examine judgment and thinking ability came to 1,763, making up around 20 pct of all successful applicants.

Women made up a record high of 47.1 pct of all successful applicants, up from 43.0 pct in the previous year.
 
 
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ニュース
Popular Japanese Character 'Npochamu' Aims For Overseas Expansion http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwtgnjvra 2025-08-12T19:40:00+09:00


JAPAN TODAY





 
Japanese character "Npochamu," marketed as a goofy and rotund yoghurt fairy, is aiming to capitalize on its popularity overseas, with trading house Itochu Corp gaining merchandising rights for countries and regions in Asia and North America.

Npochamu and friend Kimimaro are already a hit among young people in Japan and South Korea, with goods such as charms featuring their likeness dangling from bags on city streets, while clips of their antics have amassed millions of views online.

Created by Japanese illustrator Kawaisouni!, whose moniker comes from an expression roughly meaning "How pitiful!" in English, Npochamu started gaining attention in 2022 after the artist began posting content of the white marshmallow-like figure on social media.

Itochu will develop Npochamu through a Hong Kong-based investee firm that also holds the rights to the Finnish storybook characters known as The Moomins.

The Japanese conglomerate aims to increase the total annual distribution value of Npochamu content to around 150 billion yen ($1.02 billion) by 2029. Its current value is around 10 billion yen.

In Japan and South Korea, a separate Japanese firm holds the rights to and manages the sales of Npochamu goods such as plushies and keychains.

The Japanese government has positioned the export of goods and content like manga and video games as part of its "Cool Japan" strategy for economic growth.

According to government estimates, the amount of such exports in 2022 reached 4.7 trillion yen, rivaling the scale of the steel and semiconductor industries.
 
 
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仕事
Families Mourn 40 Years Since Deadly Japan Airlines Crash http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641biac8bm2 2025-08-12T19:29:00+09:00

RFI



 
On August 12, 1985, the doomed Boeing 747 was around 40 minutes into an hour-long flight from Tokyo to Osaka, when it crashed into a mountain about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest of the capital.

Tuesday saw hundreds of people -- including bereaved families and friends -- hike the trails up to the cenotaph erected on Osutaka Mountain Ridge in the Gunma region where the jet crashed.

Among them was a woman who lost her younger brother in the accident.
"I want to tell him that all of his family members are alive, with his soul on our shoulders", she told broadcaster Fuji TV.
"We're doing our best to live our lives".

They gathered for a solemn ceremony at the foot of the mountain in the evening to offer white chrysanthemums to the deceased and to light candles at a memorial.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that this unprecedented tragedy does not fade away and that its lessons are passed on to the future," Gunma governor Ichita Yamamoto said in his address.

Japan Airlines Flight 123 lost control soon after take-off, with a loud noise heard about 10 minutes into the trip and an emergency declared, before shaking violently and crashing.

The plane was almost full, with many holidaymakers flying back to their hometowns during Japan's "obon" mid-summer festival.

In the end, 505 passengers -- including a dozen infants -- and 15 crew members perished. Just four passengers survived.

Imperfect repairs to the aircraft's rear bulkhead by Boeing engineers seven years earlier -- coupled with JAL's subsequent lack of oversight -- were blamed for the accident.

Numerous, tiny cracks on the bulkhead -- unnoticed on prior flights -- burst, destroying a tail fin, rupturing hydraulic systems and sending the plane hurtling downward.

The world's worst airline disaster was the 1977 runway collision of two 747s on Tenerife in the Canary Islands that left 583 dead.

More recently in Japan, a near-catastrophic collision occurred at Haneda airport between a Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane in January 2024.

All 379 people on board the JAL Airbus escaped just before the aircraft was engulfed in flames, but five of the six people on the smaller aircraft died.
 
 
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ニュース
The Shape Of Pocky Is Now Legally Trademarked In Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwpet279v 2025-08-11T21:24:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY



 

Every box of Pocky has a picture of the chocolate-covered pretzel sticks on it, but you could make the argument that it’s sort of redundant. In the 59 years that it’s been on the market, Pocky has become one of Japan’s most beloved sweet snacks, and you’d have a hard time finding someone in the country who doesn’t know what it looks like.

That familiarity runs in the opposite direction as well. Show someone a Pocky stick, outside of its packaging and with the product name nowhere in sight, and the vast majority of people in Japan will still be able to tell you, without hesitation “That’s Pocky.”

That’s been statistically proven, too. In 2023, Pocky manufacturer Glico conducted a survey of 1,036 people in Japan, between the ages of 16 and 79, and more than 90 percent could identify Pocky just by its shape. 

Emboldened by those results, Glico went on to apply for an official, legal trademark for the shape of Pocky, and it’s now been granted one by the Japanese government.

This sort of status, referred to as a 3D trademark, isn’t easy for a food product to obtain. The category is more commonly used for things such as characters or packaging with a uniquely defining shape, which is why you can’t go out and start selling plushies that are an exact match for Mickey Mouse or bottle your upstart soda in bottles that are precisely the same as Coca-Cola’s.

The hurdle for food items to obtain 3D trademarks is especially high, though, given that their shapes are sometimes simply the natural result of a necessary cooking process, not something purposely created by design.
Nevertheless, Glico was able to sufficiently convince Japan’s trademark authorities that Pocky’s shape is distinct and defining to the extent that the product can be sufficiently identified by its shape alone.

The trademark was granted on July 25, though Glico didn’t put out a press release until August.


Ostensibly, this would give Glico the power to block the sale of snacks with the same shape as Pocky from other companies. Following the acquisition of the trademark, a representative for Glico said “Moving forward, we will continue to appropriately protect and utilize our trademarks in order to develop and nurture this brand which has been loved for so long.”

How much this will actually change the landscape of store snack shelves in Japan remains to be seen. With Pocky being popular with fans of Japanese pop culture, and delicious things in general, around the world, there are obvious imitators available in other countries.

However, with Pocky’s 3-D trademark being granted by the Japanese government, it doesn’t really give Glico any significant leverage in halting the sale of copycat snacks overseas, though it would, in theory, bar such products from being imported into and sold in Japan.

Among products regularly sold in the Japanese domestic market, Pocky doesn’t have any exact imitators. The closest facsimile is Toppo, made by competitor Lotte, but its shape has contours that Pocky doesn’t, and Toppo are pretzel sticks that are filled with chocolate, not covered in it, which also gives them a different shape.

Oddly enough, it’s debatable whether or not the 3D trademark for Pocky would apply to the brand’s own coconut flavor, since its crunchy coconut shavings mean it doesn’t conform to the standard “Pocky shape.”
But regardless of how exactly Glico is planning to use Pocky’s 3D trademark, it really does have one now.

 
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仕事
Competition Intensifying Among Chinese Carmakers over EV Sales in Indonesia, Thailand; Japanese Automakers Concerned About Market Share Loss http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwrmjf88p 2025-08-11T20:46:00+09:00

JAPAN NEWS


 

Competition is intensifying among Chinese automakers over electric vehicles sales in Indonesia and Thailand, the No. 1 and No. 3 automobile markets in Southeast Asia.

The increase in competition has been prompted by government incentives in Indonesia and Thailand aimed at boosting their EV industries.

However, the incentives bring few benefits to Japanese carmakers, which excel in the field of hybrid vehicles, raising concerns about a decline in their presence in the markets.


Wuling’s share plummeting

China’s SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. unveiled its Wuling Cortez Darion, a minivan the company plans to market soon, at an auto show near Jakarta in late July. In addition to an EV model of the minivan, the company also announced plans to launch a plug-in hybrid model. The vehicles will be produced at the company’s plant in Indonesia.

In 2023, Wuling held a 41% share of Indonesia’s EV sales, giving it the second largest share. But that figure plummeted to 30% in 2024 after it lost customers to BYD, a major Chinese EV manufacturer that entered the country around that time.

Executive Vice President Vincent Wong has said that Indonesia is the foundation of Wuling’s global strategy, and the company aims to bring back its customers by expanding its product lineup. EV sales in Indonesia in 2024 totaled 43,000 units, an increase of 2.5 times from the previous year.

However, those sales accounted for only 5% of the 866,000 total new vehicles sold that year, with the country’s insufficient charging infrastructure being the primary reason. This has prompted Chinese automakers, including Chery Automobile Co. and Beijing Auto Works, to also focus on non-EV models, such as hybrid vehicles.


Crisis among Japanese makers

In Thailand, EV sales topped 10% of the 573,000 total new vehicle sales in 2024. BYD secured a 40% share of the EV market in the country, boosting its sales by offering large discounts.

In the period from January to June this year, BYD ranked fourth in total new vehicle sales in the country with a 7.8% share, surpassing Mitsubishi Motors Corp. at 4.5%.

Japanese automakers entered the Thai market in the 1960s. In 2010, Japanese automakers had a market share of 92.3%. However, the figure fell below 80% in 2023 and dropped further to 70.6% between January and June this year.

Since 2022, the Thai government has been providing subsidies of up to 150,000 baht, or about ¥700,000, per EV sold to companies that establish new EV production bases in the country. It is also providing other preferential measures, such as corporate income tax breaks.

Many Chinese automakers are focusing on EVs, with BYD vying against Tesla, from the United States, for the top spot in global EV sales.

The companies have entered the Thai market with minimal initial investment and rapidly expanded sales by offering significant discounts, which exceed the subsidies they receive.

In Indonesia, where Japanese automakers had a nearly 90% market share in 2024, EV-boosting policies similar to Thailand’s have also been introduced. There is growing concern among Japanese carmakers that they may also lose market share to their Chinese competitors there in the future, just like in Thailand.

In an effort to counter the competition, Japanese automakers are expanding their lineup of hybrid vehicles in both countries. However, as government support for HVs is limited in the two countries, the automakers have yet to curb their declining sales.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to begin EV production in both countries by the end of the year. Nevertheless, Japanese carmakers lag behind their competitors in bringing EVs to the market.
 
 
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仕事
Japan Asks South Korea To Lift Ban On Japanese Seafood Imports http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bso6tceu 2025-08-11T20:20:00+09:00

KYODO NEWS



 
Japan's farm minister on Monday urged the South Korean foreign minister to scrap restrictions on Japanese seafood imports imposed after the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, held talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Seoul ahead of a possible visit to Japan by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung later this month.

It is unusual for a Japanese farm minister to meet with another country's foreign minister. The talks took place after Koizumi attended a trilateral agriculture ministers' meeting in Incheon with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts earlier in the day.

"I have high expectations that relevant ministries will foster smooth communication toward the swift removal of the ban," Koizumi told reporters after the meeting. He declined to say how Cho responded.

South Korea banned imports of Japanese seafood from Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba prefectures after the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

Seoul also requires eight other Japanese prefectures to provide certificates of radiation inspection.

"Trust in Japanese foods has been fully restored," Koizumi said.
The Japanese and South Korean governments are arranging a visit by the South Korean president for talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, according to diplomatic sources.

In June, China lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in August 2023 when Japan began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, although some restrictions remain.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan School Exits Hugely Popular Baseball Event Over Bullying http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bcan28dt 2025-08-11T19:56:00+09:00

CNA



 


A Japanese high school hit by a bullying scandal has withdrawn from the country's hugely popular summer baseball tournament after a social media frenzy, officials said on Sunday (Aug 10).

The two-week "Koshien" high school tournament is watched by millions on national television each year and has launched the careers of many of Japan's leading players.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish both earned their spurs in the tournament played at Koshien Stadium near the western city of Osaka.

An outcry over alleged violence earlier this year at the baseball team of Koryo High School in the Hiroshima region prompted calls on social media for their withdrawal.

"We have decided to pull out, and will swiftly conduct an overhaul of our education method," Masakazu Hori, the principal of the school in western Japan, told reporters.

It is reportedly the first time that a school has exited mid-tournament over a scandal related to player violence.

Koshien tournament co-organiser, the Japan High School Baseball Federation, on Sunday described Koryo High's decision as "extremely regrettable" and vowed to continue efforts to "eradicate violence, bullying and irrational hierarchical relationships".

Koryo High said on Wednesday that an internal investigation had found a first-year student on the baseball team had been assaulted by four of his senior teammates at their dormitory in January.

Acts of violence included shoving him in the chest and slapping him in the face, with the victim then transferred to another school in March following an apology by his assailants, the school said.

Koryo High reported the assault to the federation, was given a reprimand in March and did not initially publicise the incident.

But emotional social media posts detailing the case went viral earlier this month, triggering an outpouring of anger against the school.

Unsubstantiated information then swirled online about other instances of violence allegedly involving Koryo's baseball team.

Koryo High principal Hori warned Sunday that the posts "include pure speculation not based on facts, and slanders against unrelated students".

"Some of our students have been vilified and chased after, on their way to and from school," he said, adding that even a bomb threat had been received.
 
 
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ニュース
More Of Kumamoto Facing Heavy Rain Emergency Warning http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bvth2cmu 2025-08-11T19:12:00+09:00

NHK



 

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy rain emergency warning for 5 cities and 2 towns in Kumamoto Prefecture.

A heavy rain emergency warning is in effect for the cities of Tamana, Uki, Yatsushiro, Kamiamakusa and Amakusa and the towns of Nagasu and Hikawa.

The JMA says warm, moist air flowing into a front is bringing record precipitation to the prefecture. Bands of heavy rain clouds over Kumamoto triggered a warning of severe downpours.



The JMA advised people to exercise utmost caution


The agency held a press conference earlier on Monday and advised people to exercise utmost caution. An official urged people in areas covered by the warning to immediately secure their safety. He added that people in landslide warning areas should be on the highest alert.

He said: "if you feel that evacuating to designated shelters is unsafe, move to a place away from streams and cliffs, or head to tall buildings that are unlikely to be flooded. Even in places not usually prone to disasters, maximum caution is required."

The JMA has called on people to act swiftly and do all they can to protect themselves.

The agency says heavy rain clouds could continue to develop over Kumamoto in the afternoon. It warns that the risk of disaster could rise quickly.

The agency also says a low pressure system is expected to bring rain to eastern and northern Japan through Tuesday.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan Summer Holiday Travel Rush Underway As Trains, Flights Full http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bhoar4wp 2025-08-09T20:42:00+09:00

KYODO NEWS



 

Japan's summer holiday travel rush got underway Saturday, with many shinkansen bullet train services and flights fully booked as people returned to their hometowns or set off on domestic and overseas vacations.

JR Tokyo Station was crowded from the early morning as all seats on the Nozomi shinkansen bullet train services to the major metropolises of Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka were booked out, with long lines of passengers seeking unreserved seats on other trains.

Traffic jams snaked along the country's expressways, while travelers at train stations crowded concourses and waiting rooms to shelter from the summer heat on the platforms.

Keisuke Nakagawa, 7, who was returning with his father to Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, from Chiba Prefecture neighboring Tokyo, said he planned to play in the water at Lake Biwa and see his grandparents.

Throngs of people passed through JR Shin-Osaka Station on the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines in western Japan. Karin Takimura, 10, from Utsunomiya city in Tochigi Prefecture, met her father in Osaka before they set off on a family trip to Hiroshima.

"I learned about Itsukushima Shrine in school, and want to go and see it," she said.

Yoko Nishio, 75, and her friends, all wearing matching t-shirts, were headed to western prefecture of Kochi to perform at the yosakoi dance festival there. "We've been practicing since June," she said. "Even though it is supposed to rain, we hope to enjoy dancing."

A malfunction of the E8-series shinkansen trains in June had led to a reduction in the number of direct trains between Tokyo and northeastern Yamagata Prefecture, with regular services resuming only at the beginning of the month.

"It is challenging to make transfers with small children," said Takamichi Okudaira, 36, at JR Yamagata Station on his way home to Sagae in the prefecture with his family after coming from Saitama, near Tokyo. "I am grateful to be able to make it here directly."

Rail operators said Tokaido Shinkansen bookings were nearly full on Saturday morning for bullet trains departing from Tokyo.

While regular trains on the Yamagata Shinkansen are operating normally, the number of extraordinary services has decreased, with operators calling for passengers to spread out their travel dates.

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines flights departing from Tokyo's Haneda airport were fully booked out on routes to Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan, where the new theme park Junglia Okinawa opened last month.

Departure flights from the Narita airport, the other hub serving the capital, were also robust.
 

 
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ニュース
Shigetoshi Kotari Dies Of Brain Injury Six Days After fight in Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bo2g634w 2025-08-09T19:38:00+09:00

RING MAGAZINE



 
 
Shigetoshi Kotari died Friday from a brain injury he suffered during his draw with Yamato Hata on Aug. 2 in Tokyo, according to multiple reports.
 
Kotari, 28, lost consciousness after the conclusion of the 12-round bout for Hata’s Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation junior lightweight title and was rushed to a hospital for emergency brain surgery for a subdural hematoma, which is another term for a brain bleed.
 
Kotari (8-2-2, 5 KOs) and Hata (17-2-1, 16 KOs) fought to a split draw at Korakuen Hall.
 
Kotari, of Nagoya, had won two consecutive eight-round fights by unanimous decision to earn the title shot against Hata.
 
“Rest in peace, Shigetoshi Kotari,” the World Boxing Organization wrote on social media. “The boxing world mourns the tragic passing of Japanese fighter Shigetoshi Kotari, who succumbed to injuries sustained during his August 2nd title fight.

A warrior in the ring. A fighter in spirit. Gone too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, team, and the entire Japanese boxing community.”
 
 
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ニュース
Nearly A Million More Deaths Than Births In Japan Last Year http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641byczfn5d 2025-08-09T19:05:00+09:00

BBC



 

Almost a million more deaths than births were recorded in Japan last year, representing the steepest annual population decline since government surveys began in 1968.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described the demographic crisis of Japan's ageing population as a "quiet emergency", pledging family-friendly policies such as free childcare and more flexible work hours.

But efforts to reverse the perennially low birth rates among Japanese women have so far made little impact.

New data released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed the number of Japanese nationals fell by 908,574 in 2024.

Japan recorded 686,061 births - the lowest number since records began in 1899 - while nearly 1.6 million people died, meaning for every baby born, more than two people died.

It marks the 16th consecutive year of population decline with the squeeze being felt by the nation's pension and healthcare systems.

The number of foreign residents reached a record high of 3.6 million people as of 1 January 2025, however, representing nearly 3% of Japan's population.

The government has tentatively embraced foreign labour by launching a digital nomad visa and upskilling initiatives, but immigration remains politically fraught in the largely conservative country.

The overall population of the country declined by 0.44 percent from 2023 to about 124.3 million at the start of the year.

Elderly people aged 65 and over now make up nearly 30% of the population - the second-highest proportion in the world after Monaco, according to the World Bank. The working-age population, defined as those between 15 and 64, has dropped to about 60%.

A growing number of towns and villages are hollowing out, with nearly four million homes abandoned over the past two decades, government data released last year showed.

The government has spent years trying to increase birth rates with incentives ranging from housing subsidies to paid parental leave. But deep-rooted cultural and economic barriers remain.

High living costs, stagnant wages and a rigid work culture deter many young people from starting families. Women, in particular, face entrenched gender roles that often leave them with limited support as primary caregivers.

Japan's fertility rate - the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime - has been low since the 1970s, so experts warn even dramatic improvements now would take decades to bear fruit.
 
 
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ニュース
Major Japan Newspaper Sues 'Free-Riding' AI Firm Perplexity http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641buap4zma 2025-08-09T18:41:00+09:00

JAPAN TIMES



 
Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, one of the world's biggest by circulation, is suing U.S.-based AI firm Perplexity for allegedly "free-riding" on its content on its search engine.

The lawsuit filed Thursday is one of a slew by media companies worldwide against AI firms using their material and is the first by a major Japanese news organization, Yomiuri said.

It accuses Perplexity of "free-riding on the results of the activities of news organizations, which have invested a great deal of effort and expense."

A spokesman for the paper added that this "could have a negative impact on accurate journalism ... and shake the foundations of democracy."

The lawsuit filed in Tokyo seeks damages of ¥2.2 billion ($14.7 million), equivalent to 120,000 Yomuiri articles used "without permission" between February and June.

It is also seeking damages for lost advertising revenue, saying that Perplexity users click only on its search summaries and not on the newspaper's website, reducing traffic.

The Yomiuri, with a daily circulation of around 6 million — down from over 10 million in 2010 — and some 2,500 reporters, is one of five major daily newspapers in Japan.

Perplexity was not immediately available for comment.
After a lawsuit by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post in October, Perplexity criticized the "adversarial posture" of many media as "shortsighted, unnecessary, and self-defeating."

They "prefer to live in a world where publicly reported facts are owned by corporations, and no one can do anything with those publicly reported facts without paying a toll," it said.

"We should all be working together to offer people amazing new tools and build genuinely pie-expanding businesses."
 



 
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ニュース
Sony Hikes Profit Forecasts After Strong Quarter For Games http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bbbfis29 2025-08-07T22:02:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY



 
PlayStation-maker Sony raised its annual profit forecasts on Thursday, citing strong performance in its key gaming business and a smaller-than-expected negative impact of U.S. trade tariffs.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate said "user engagement continued its strong momentum" in the video game sector.
Its shares surged more than six percent in Tokyo after the announcement.

Monthly active users in June and total gameplay hours on PlayStation consoles in the April-June quarter both increased six percent year-on-year, it said.

It added that "the situation surrounding the additional US tariffs is still fluid, and we intend to continue to monitor it and take action to minimize its impact".

"The impact of the additional US tariffs on operating income is estimated to be approximately 70 billion yen, a decrease of 30 billion yen from the previous forecast."

The company hiked its net profit forecast for the current 2025-26 financial year to 970 billion yen, up from the previous estimate of 930 billion yen.
But even the higher forecast would not top the record net profit of 1.1 trillion yen that Sony logged in the previous financial year.

Atul Goyal, an equity analyst at Jefferies, said ahead of the earnings release that the massively anticipated global release of the game "Grand Theft Auto VI" in May 2026 "could lead to peak game profits" for Sony.

GTA VI, which will be released on the PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's XBox, will be set in Miami-like Vice City and features a playable female protagonist for the first time.

The PlayStation 5, which launched in 2020, is entering a "late" stage of the usual lifecycle for a console, Goyal said.

"Sony's outlook hinges on navigating tariff headwinds near-term, leveraging GTA6's blockbuster potential... and cyclical console risks," he said.

"A sensors spin-off could transform valuation, while music provides steady growth and pictures provides stability."

Music streaming is an important business pillar for Sony, which has an impressive back catalogue and a current roster that includes artists such as Beyonce and Lil Nas X.

The Japanese giant, which saw net profit jump 23 percent on-year in this year's April-June quarter, also raised its operating profit forecast on Thursday.

Sony last month said it had bought a strategic 2.5 percent stake in Japanese game franchise giant Bandai Namco, which owns "Gundam" and arcade classic "Pac-Man", with a view to growing its anime business.

With the 68 billion yen transaction, the companies plan "to create new and emotionally moving experiences for fans", they said in a joint statement.
 


 
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ニュース
Toyota Cuts Forecast For Full-Year Profit http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bo8d2bbo 2025-08-07T21:36:00+09:00

NHK



 
Toyota Motor says US tariff increases would shave almost 10 billion dollars off operating profit for the current fiscal year.

Japan's biggest automaker also said operating profit will probably be 3.2 trillion yen, or about 22 billion dollars, in the year ending March, compared with the previous projection for 3.8 trillion yen, or 26 billion dollars.

Toyota announced the worsening outlook after reporting profit fell in the April-to-June quarter.

Operating profit dropped 10.9 percent in the period from a year earlier. Sales jumped to a record of more than 12 trillion yen or 83 billion dollars for the quarter.
 
 
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ニュース
Crew Member Evacuates F2 Fighter Jet Belonging to Japan’s ASDF; Incident Occurred Over Pacific Ocean http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641b6wx45um 2025-08-07T21:12:00+09:00


JAPAN NEWS



 


A crew member evacuated an F2 fighter jet flying off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture, the Air Self-Defense Force has said on Thursday.

The jet crashed in the Pacific Ocean at around 12:35 p.m. on the day. The crew member was picked up by an ASDF helicopter and taken to hospital. No other damage has been confirmed.

The ASDF is investigating the circumstances of the incident.
 
 
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ニュース
From Heatwaves To Floods: Extreme Weather Sweeps Across Asia http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bx4rworr 2025-08-07T20:49:00+09:00

BBC


 

While torrential rains lash China, Pakistan and parts of India, sweltering heat has enveloped Japan and South Korea as extreme weather claims hundreds of lives in the region.

Climate change has made weather extremities more intense, frequent and unpredictable, scientists say.

This pattern is especially pronounced in Asia, which according to the World Meteorological Organization is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average.

The region has lost $2 trillion (£1.5 trillion) to extreme weather – from floods to heatwaves and droughts – over the past three decades, according to the annual Climate Risk Index survey.


Record heat

Japan marked its hottest day on record on Tuesday, with 41.8C (107F) registered in Isesaki city, Gunma prefecture.

The country had also experienced its hottest-ever June and July this year.
Fifty-six people are believed to have died from heatstroke between mid-June and the end of July, Tokyo's medical examiner's office said earlier this week.

Authorities have suspended some train services over concerns that the heat could warp or deform the rails.

"I'm really concerned about global warming, but when it comes to my daily life, I can't live without turning on the air conditioner," an office worker in Japan told AFP news.

"I don't really know what I should be doing, I'm just desperately getting through each day."

This intense heat is expected to ease a little in the coming days, with some parts of Japan expected to see as much as 200mm of rain in the coming days.
This rain and briefly cooler air will allow some relief from the swelter.

South Korea marked a record streak of 22 "tropical nights" in July where temperatures exceeded 25C.

Last month, the country's emergency services also reported a surge in calls about heat-related illnesses.

Government agencies and workplaces have relaxed their dress codes to help employees work more comfortably and reduce dependence on air conditioning amid the heat.

Parts of Vietnam are also baking in unprecedented heat, with Hanoi recording its first-ever August day above 40C. The capital city has turned into "a pan on fire" in the last few days, Nam, a construction worker, told


Storm season

It's a different picture in China, where floods across the country, from Shanghai to Beijing, have killed many in recent weeks.

Southern China has been battered by heavy rain, and on Wednesday emergency workers raced to clear debris as the region braced for more landslides and floods.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province. The flooded streets are threatening to worsen an outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus in the province.

Such rains are frequent in southern China at this time of the year, but have been enhanced further by tropical storm activity – more especially in the last month.

Just last week, there were three active storms in the west Pacific, whilst prior to June, tropical storm activity was almost non-existent.

Mountainous districts of the capital Beijng late last month were hit by deadly floods late last month which killed dozens including 31 residents in an eldercare home.

Heavy rains are especially deadly in mountainous areas prone to landslides and densely populated areas, where flash floods often catch residents off-guard.

More than 100 people are missing in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand after a cloudburst – an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area – triggered flash floods.

In Pakistan, nearly 300 people, including more than 100 children, have died in rain-related incidents since June. The deluge has also destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings - at least a quarter of schools in the Punjab province have been partially or completely damaged, according to British aid agency Save the Children.

Tuesday also brought more than 350mm of rain to Hong Kong, which reports say makes it the city's wettest August day since 1884.

For context, Hong Kong gets about 2400mm a year, most of which falls in summer between June and August.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan's FY 2025 GDP Growth Projection Lowered to 0.7 Pct http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bsmgg6og 2025-08-07T20:04:00+09:00

NIPPON





 
The Cabinet Office said Thursday that Japan's gross domestic product in fiscal 2025 is expected to grow a real 0.7 pct from the previous year, down from 1.2 pct shown in the government's economic outlook adopted in January.

The new estimate for the fiscal year through March 2026, submitted to the day's meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, reflects downside risks from high tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.S. tariff policy is expected to reduce Japanese manufacturers' exports to the United States and help stagnate the global economy.

The Cabinet Office expects growth in Japan's exports to decelerate sharply to 1.2 pct from 3.6 pct due to slowing demand from abroad. Capital spending by Japanese firms is estimated to expand 1.8 pct, down from 3.0 pct.

Personal consumption is forecast to climb 1.0 pct, down from 1.3 pct, as budget-minded attitudes are deep-rooted amid recent price increases for rice and other food.
 

 
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ニュース
IQM And TOYO To Drive Quantum Computing In Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhw678tcyv 2025-08-06T21:46:00+09:00

EE NEWS EUROPE




 
IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in full-stack superconducting quantum computers, and TOYO Corporation have signed a distribution agreement to accelerate quantum computing adoption for the Japanese market.

With the agreement, Toyo, a leading company in measurement technology and a promoter of technological innovation in Japan, will market and sell IQM Spark, a 5-qubit system, and IQM Radiance, which ranges from 20-qubit to 150-qubit on-premises superconducting quantum computers.

It will also promote the cultivation of specialised talent in quantum computing technology and its societal implementation.

This partnership demonstrates a mutual commitment from both IQM and TOYO to support the initiatives of the Japanese government in achieving its quantum strategy. Among the key goals, the government is aiming at 10 million domestic quantum users by 2030. Backed by significant government investment, the Japanese quantum ecosystem is growing fast.

The partnership further underscores IQM’s commitment to advancing quantum technologies in the APAC region, complementing IQM’s current collaboration with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

“Japan has become one of the major countries in quantum computing, and our partnership with TOYO, a company with a proven track record of serving the Japanese industries with technological solutions, signals our strong commitment to providing our market-leading full-stack quantum computers and advancing the practical application of quantum computing across various industries,” said Mikko Välimäki, Co-CEO of IQM Quantum Computers.

“This partnership represents a significant milestone, highlighting the strong commitment from both companies and the close alignment between IQM’s technological focus areas and TOYO’s business domains.

By leveraging our collective strengths, we will accelerate the deployment of quantum computers at universities, research institutions, and companies across Japan.

Together, we will also nurture the quantum specialists and drive the social implementation of quantum technologies in Japan,” said Toshiya Kohno, President and CEO of TOYO Corporation.

By combining IQM’s quantum technology with its technology and expertise, TOYO is diversifying its business areas and plans to establish a specialised unit dedicated to quantum technology by the end of 2025.

The company aims to pioneer new fields of application for quantum computers and promote the creation of use cases and the development of new business models. Toy will also provide education and research opportunities using actual quantum systems and collaborate with related companies and organisations.
 
 
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仕事
Hiroshima Marks 80th Anniversary Of Atomic Bombing http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641byr9tby5 2025-08-06T21:02:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY




 
Hiroshima marked the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Wednesday, with a call for young people to take on the challenge of building broader support toward ridding the world of nuclear weapons as the survivors age and concerns of nuclear conflict grow.

"Our youth, the leaders of future generations, must recognize that misguided policies regarding...nuclear weapons could bring utterly inhumane consequences," Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said in the Peace Declaration read during the annual memorial ceremony, which took place after Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

"We urge them to step forward with this understanding and lead civil society toward consensus," he said. "We, the people, must never give up."

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in the ceremony that it is Japan's mission as the only country to have experienced the horror of nuclear devastation in war to advance global efforts to realize a world free of nuclear weapons, especially amid increasing divisions over disarmament.

A moment of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., the exact time when the uranium bomb was dropped by the U.S. bomber Enola Gay and detonated over the city on Aug. 6, 1945, in the final stages of World War II, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of the year.

A record 120 nations and regions, along with the European Union, took part in the ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park, located near the hypocenter, according to the city of Hiroshima. Around 55,000 people attended.

Following a controversy last year over whether to invite countries involved in armed conflicts to Japan's atomic bomb commemorations, which are aimed at promoting peace, Hiroshima has shifted from sending invitations to simply notifying all countries and regions of its event.

While Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was absent again this year, its close ally, Belarus, attended for the first time in four years, according to the city. The two countries had not been invited since the start of war.

Palestine and Taiwan also participated in the ceremony for the first time.
The event followed the awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, also known as the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, for its decades-long campaign against nuclear weapons using the testimony of survivors.

But opportunities to hear directly from those who witnessed the atomic bombings are declining, with the combined number of officially recognized survivors of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki falling below 100,000 for the first time. Their average age exceeded 86.

The momentum toward nuclear disarmament has diminished in recent years with growing global instability amid the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and U.S. President Donald Trump's pursuit of an "America First" foreign policy and transactional approach to diplomacy.

Matsui said a belief in some countries that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense "flagrantly disregard the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history."

Criticizing security policies focused on "narrow self-interest" that foment international conflicts, he also urged all world leaders to visit Hiroshima to witness the consequences of atomic bombs and called for nations strengthening their military forces to engage in dialogue aimed at abandoning reliance on nuclear weapons.

Matsui reiterated the city's call for Japan to sign the U.N. treaty outlawing nuclear weapons, saying doing so would comply with the wishes of the atomic bomb survivors, including Nihon Hidankyo.

Japan has not joined the nuclear ban treaty as a complete prohibition would conflict with its policy of relying on U.S. nuclear deterrence.

Ishiba said in his speech that the Japanese government will continue its efforts to "identify concrete measures" that should be taken jointly by nuclear and non-nuclear states, without touching on the treaty, which none of the nuclear powers are part of.

Warning that the risk of nuclear conflict is growing, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres lamented in a statement that "the very weapons that brought such devastation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are once again being treated as tools of coercion."

But he noted that Nihon Hidankyo's Nobel Prize win was a sign of hope, saying in the statement read out by U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu that "countries must draw strength from the resilience of Hiroshima and from the wisdom" of the survivors.

Many survivors braved the intense summer heat to offer prayers and flowers near the cenotaph for the atomic bomb victims, an arch-shaped monument at the park, early in the morning.

Among them was Shinobu Ono, who was just 4 years old when the bomb dropped. Her family home, nestled at the foot of a mountain, was spared from the firestorm, but her father, who had been outside at the time, suffered serious burns to his face.

Now 84, Ono said she was too young to fully grasp what happened at the time but returns every year to honor her family and pray for peace.

"I am grateful for the efforts of those who can share their stories. Since I can't contribute, all I can do is pray," she said. "When I look at what is happening in Ukraine now, it just breaks my heart."

The United States and Russia together possess around 90 percent of all nuclear weapons, while China's arsenal has grown faster than any other country's with around 100 warheads added each year since 2023, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its latest annual report.

Three days after the first atomic bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy," decimated Hiroshima in western Japan, a second one, dubbed "Fat Man," was dropped on Nagasaki in the southwest. Japan surrendered to the Allied forces six days later, marking the end of World War II.
 
 
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ニュース
4 Of Japanese Descent In Philippines Seek Japanese Citizenship http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bxbgdmw2 2025-08-06T20:36:00+09:00

NHK



 
Four people of Japanese descent who say they were left behind in the Philippines in the chaotic conclusion of World War Two have lodged citizenship claims with Japanese courts.

Eighty years on from the end of the war, there are still about 50 such people in the Philippines pursuing citizenship claims in Japan.

They say they were born to Japanese fathers who immigrated to the Philippines before the war and Filipino mothers, but remain stateless due to a lack of documents proving their fathers were Japanese citizens.

A supporting group told reporters on Tuesday the four people, aged 79 to 82, have filed cases in family courts in Tokyo and Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan.

The group says it has assisted in conducting DNA analyses and gathering material to substantiate blood ties between each of the four and their fathers and other relatives.

It says family courts have so far granted citizenship to 324 people of Japanese descent.

Ishii Kyoko, the group's secretary general, says some people are still trying to determine the identity of their fathers, which makes it even harder to find proof of their Japanese lineage.

She said the average age of people pursuing such claims is 83, so time is running out.

One of the four plaintiffs, Takei Jose, is 82 years old. He is scheduled to visit Japan on Wednesday, with support from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He will meet with relatives in Osaka, western Japan.
 
 
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ニュース
Asian Shares Trade Mostly Higher After Stocks On Wall Street Extend Losses http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwxxu3rb9 2025-08-06T19:43:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY




 
Asian shares were mostly higher in muted trading Wednesday, after discouraging signs about the U.S. economy sent Wall Street shares declining, and

Investors are sifting through a slew of corporate earnings reports to assess how businesses may have been affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Among Japanese companies, automakers Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. will report fiscal first quarter results this week, as will electronics and entertainment company Sony Corp.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to finish at 40,794.86. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.8% to 8,843.70. South Korea's Kospi was little changed, gaining less than 0.1% to 3,198.14.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2% to 24,958.75, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.8% to 3,633.99.
U.S. futures were up 0.5%.

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 fell 0.5% to 6,299.19, coming off a whipsaw stretch where it went from its worst day since May to its best since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.1% to 44,111.74, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7% to 20,916.55.

A weaker-than-expected report on activity for U.S. businesses in services industries like transportation and retail added to worries that Trump’s tariffs may be hurting the economy.

But conversely such indicators raise hopes the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates. That along with a stream of stronger-than-expected profit reports from U.S. companies helped to keep losses in check. The S&P 500 remains within 1.4% of its record.


 
The pressure is on companies to report bigger profits after the U.S. stock market surged to record after record from a low point in April. The big rally fueled criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.

For stock prices to look like better bargains, companies could produce bigger profits, or interest rates could fall. The latter may happen in September, when the Fed has its next policy meeting.

Expectations have built sharply for a rate cut at that meeting since a report on the U.S. job market on Friday came in much weaker than economists expected. Lower interest rates would make stocks look less expensive, while also giving the overall economy a boost. The potential downside is that they could push inflation higher.

Treasury yields sank sharply after Friday’s release of the jobs report, and they haven’t recovered. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.19% from 4.22% late Monday and from 4.39% just before the release of the jobs report. That’s a significant move for the bond market.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 57 cents to $65.73 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 64 cents to $68.28 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 147.66 Japanese yen from 147.61 yen. The euro cost $1.1575, down from $1.1579.
 
 
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仕事
Seven & i to Add 1,000 Stores in Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwwptjy8w 2025-08-06T19:10:00+09:00

NIPPON



 
Seven & i Holdings Co. said Wednesday that it will increase the number of its convenience stores in Japan by 1,000 and open 1,300 new stores abroad by fiscal 2030.

The Japanese retailer plans to increase annual sales from its domestic delivery service through convenience stores by more than 10 times to 120 billion by fiscal 2030.


 
"Seven & i will transform itself into a company focusing on convenience store business," Stephen Dacus, who assumed the post of president and CEO at the company in May, said at a press conference.

The retailer said that up to 3.2 trillion yen in planned investment through fiscal 2030 will be used to finance mergers and acquisitions aimed at supporting the convenience store business as well as store refurbishment.

The company expects its operating profit to reach 3.4 trillion yen in fiscal 2030, up 26 pct from six years before.
 
 
 
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仕事
Suzuki Motor Halts Domestic Shipments Of 5-Door Jimny Nomade http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwxvr8kkm 2025-08-05T21:12:00+09:00

JAPAN TIMES


 

Suzuki Motor has suspended domestic shipments of its five-door Jimny Nomade, the latest addition to its flagship Jimny series of four-wheel-drive compact sport utility vehicles, it was learned Tuesday.

The company had already stopped accepting new orders shortly after its launch due to overwhelming demand, but has not disclosed the reasons behind the latest shipment halt or when deliveries will resume.

Produced in India and imported to Japan, the Nomade was initially targeted for domestic sales of 1,200 units per month. However, within just four days of its launch on Jan. 30, the automaker received approximately 50,000 orders for the model.

In response to the unexpected surge in demand, Suzuki had planned to increase production starting in July with the goal of resuming orders. The company has yet to say how the shipment suspension will affect these plans.
 
 
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仕事
Mercury Hits New Japan Record High of 41.8 C in Isesaki http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641biwbyz69 2025-08-05T20:42:00+09:00

NIPPON



 
The temperature in the eastern Japan city of Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, soared to 41.8 degrees Celsius at 2:26 p.m. on Tuesday, marking a record high for Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The previous record high was 41.2 degrees, marked in the western city of Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, on Wednesday last week.

On Tuesday, temperatures of 40.0 degrees or higher were recorded at a total of 14 locations across five of Japan's 47 prefectures, the highest single-day total since records began.

Temperatures rose to as high as 41.4 degrees in Hatoyama in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, 41.2 degrees in Kiryu in Gunma, and 41.0 degrees in Maebashi, also in Gunma.

This summer, the Japanese archipelago is covered with a double layer of the Pacific anticyclone and the Tibetan high-pressure system, resulting in sunny and extremely hot days in many areas.
 
 
 
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ニュース
Indonesia Exports 11 Tons of Black Tiger Prawns to Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bgt8kwn7 2025-08-05T20:03:00+09:00

TEMPO



 

A total of 11 tons of frozen black tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon) worth Rp2 billion has been certified by the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), through the South Sumatra Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Office, for export to Japan.

The head of the South Sumatra Quarantine, Sri Endah Ekandari, said Japan is one of the primary markets for black tiger prawns with strict food safety standards; hence, it was necessary to meet the prerequisites.

"One of the key requirements for exporting to Japan is ensuring that the prawns are free from White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and implementing the standards of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)," Endah said in a written statement received by Tempo on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

According to Endah, before the commodity was shipped, the prawns had undergone complete quarantine procedures, including paperwork inspection, physical examination, and lab tests. Afterward, the quarantine officers would issue a fish health certificate as a supporting export document.

"The results of the laboratory tests showed that the black tiger prawns are free from WSSV, thus declared safe for consumption and suitable for export," Endah said.

The export to Japan is part of the efforts to support South Sumatran commodities, thus support from all parties, including local and central governments, is warranted.

"The South Sumatra Quarantine is striving to support export acceleration by ensuring biosecurity aspects, fish health, and compliance with the prerequisites of the destination countries, in order to strengthen Indonesia's position in the global export market," said Sri Endah.
 

 
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ニュース
Australia Announces New Warships Will Come From Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641biiw2z9u 2025-08-05T19:44:00+09:00

JAPAN TIMES





 
In a major breakthrough for Japan’s defense industry, Australia announced Tuesday that it will purchase 11 Japanese frigates in what will be Tokyo’s biggest-ever defense contract and a critical step for bilateral relations.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said that an upgraded version of the Mogami-class frigate proposed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) was assessed as the “best able to quickly meet the capability requirements and strategic needs of the Australian Defence Force,” following a competitive bidding process for the 10 billion Australian dollar ($6.48 billion) project.

In Tokyo, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani welcomed the news later Tuesday, telling a news conference that the decision “marks a significant step toward further enhancing security cooperation.”

“The selection is a testament to the trust in Japan's advanced technological capabilities and the importance of interoperability between the Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military,” he said.

MHI was chosen by the country’s National Security Committee as the preferred partner in its decadelong Project Sea 3000 over Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, which had offered its Meko A-200 warship.

Although Marles said that Australia and Japan’s shared concerns over China’s growing military assertiveness “didn't influence” the process, observers had long speculated that Beijing's moves would be a key factor in any decision.

The quasi-allies have been closely coordinating their national security policies in recent years, and the Mogami sales pitch was presented by Japan as a way to further operationalize the partnership through stronger industrial cooperation and interoperability.

“There is no country in the world with whom we have a greater strategic alignment, and that is being reflected in a really blossoming defense relationship,” he said.

The upgraded Mogami class will help secure Australia’s maritime trade routes and northern approaches as part of a larger and more lethal naval surface combatant fleet, Marles said, as it replaces the navy’s Anzac-class warships.

Australia will now proceed with the next stage of the procurement process, as it aims to enter into binding and commercial contracts with MHI and the Japanese government. Those deals are expected to be sealed in early 2026, according to Nakatani.

“Going forward, we will need to continue discussions with the Australian government toward the conclusion of the final contract,” Nakatani said, adding that these talks will include finalizing the price, how to maintain and repair the ships after completion, as well as how to continue production in Australia.

“There are many issues to be addressed,” he said.
The winning bid is likely to be a boon for Japan’s defense industry, but it will also substantially deepen military and industrial cooperation with Australia at a time when the quasi-allies are expanding ties across the board.

For Australia to get the ships as quickly as possible — the first one needs to be in the water by 2029 — the three initial vessels will be built in Japan, while manufacturing of the remaining ships will transition to the Henderson area of Perth, Western Australia, where they will be built by Australian company Austal.

The first warship is scheduled to be delivered in 2029 and become operational in 2030, with the third to enter service by 2034.

Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy confirmed this Tuesday by saying that Tokyo has allocated three production slots for the Australian warships in its established production line.

Nakatani said that Japan’s “proven track record” of building 12 Mogami-class frigates — and its plans to build even more — were key to the winning bid.

“The decisive factor in this decision was our country's production capacity in this field,” he said. “The fact that we have the ability and track record of continuous manufacturing has been a key point, so moving forward, we will prioritize speed and work to meet Australia's needs.”

Nakatani — who also served as defense chief during Japan’s failed bid to sell submarines to Australia in 2016 — said that his ministry had “made every effort to apply the lessons learned from that experience to this contract.”

Beyond the Mogami’s “high-quality” capabilities, he pointed to “the commitment of both the public and private sectors” as crucial to the successful bid.

“We established a joint public-private committee, and relevant government agencies are working together with companies,” he said. “I believe that it is thanks to these efforts that we were able to achieve these results.”

Experts said the decision was a ringing endorsement of Japan’s defense industry and its larger push for the contract.

Tokyo launched a concerted effort from both government and industry that resulted in the joint public-private promotion committee exclusively for this endeavor — an unprecedented move for Japan to support defense export projects.

The Japanese government also explicitly allowed the joint development and production of the frigates to allay concerns about potential transfer restrictions under its strict arms export controls.

At the same time, Tokyo boosted its marketing efforts, releasing English-language videos promoting the Mogami’s strengths in terms of stealth tech, interoperability, manpower efficiency and its evolving unmanned capabilities. It also sent Mogami vessels on several occasions to Australia.

“This is clearly a strategic choice by the Australian government reflecting confidence in the Japanese government, MHI and the wider Japanese defense industry,” said Simon Chelton of the Royal United Services Institute think tank.

While the bilateral relationship has strengthened significantly in recent years, Chelton said that Tuesday’s decision went beyond geopolitics.

The upgraded Mogami “is extremely capable, and it is designed to be interoperable with U.S. partners," he said, adding that the vessels’ need for fewer staff will also help keep life-cycle costs low. The Mogami can be operated with about half the crew of larger, general-purpose destroyers — about 90 crew members — while fulfilling similar roles.

It also meets Australia’s other operational needs, as it can carry large amounts of ordnance, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-defense weapons.

Perhaps most importantly in the bid, Tokyo also succeeded in convincing Canberra of its ability to deliver the first three ships on time.
Conroy said that the Mogami was “the clear winner” in terms of cost, capability and meeting the schedule of delivery.

While the acquisition costs of other designs examined were comparable, the price of the Mogami turned out to be “much lower” over the vessels’ designed 40-year lifespan, he said, adding that the proposal was “the only option” that met Canberra's 2029 delivery timeline.

“Probably the most persuasive factor was Tokyo’s commitment to the project and promises that the first three Australian frigates will be delivered on time,” said Kym Bergmann, editor of the Asia Pacific Defence Reporter and Defence Review Asia magazines.

Simon Cullen, a former rear admiral in the Australian Navy, said Canberra will be keen to complete negotiations as quickly as possible, targeting completion by the first quarter of 2026.

“Noting the importance of this contract to the Japanese government, I wouldn't anticipate too many difficulties,” he said.

Canberra’s adoption of the Mogami-class will also have the potential to drive future business for Tokyo, especially as Japan is also pitching the warship to other countries such as Indonesia.

“Industrially, this will be a major change for Japan, which has not worked in this way with an international partner before,” Chelton said.

Whether the eased restrictions on the Mogami’s export could prompt Tokyo to offer more exemptions remains unclear, but some experts say such a scenario was not outside the realm of possibility as Japan’s growing defense industry rapidly gains international experience.

“The decision of the Australian government will give the Japanese government and defense industry the confidence to seek more export deals,” said Cullen.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan "Furikake" App to Help Manage Indonesian Kids' Health http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641b473xzoj 2025-08-04T19:44:00+09:00


NIPPON



 

A Japanese organization promoting "furikake" sprinkle seasoning aims to launch an app in Indonesia by the end of the year to help manage the health of children in the Southeast Asian country as well as to improve their academic performance.

After downloading the app via a quick response, or QR, code on furikake product packaging, children will be asked to input such information as their height and weight and do practice drills. If they complete the data input or the drills, or both, they will be able to enjoy Japanese manga on the app, according to the International Furikake Association.

"The data will be provided for free to the West Java provincial government, which lacks enough information about local children's health, for big data analytics to better manage their health," said Shintaro Matsue, head of the association based in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, known as the home of furikake. "The drills will improve the children's basic academic skills," Matsue added.

The association's cooperation is expected to exert favorable effects across various fields, a senior Indonesian food agency official said.

Set up chiefly by food companies in Kumamoto, the organization has already announced a plan to outsource furikake production in West Java and voluntarily supply products made with dried ingredients rich in protein, calcium and vitamins to the provincial government under Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's free school meal initiative.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan Airlines JL4 to New York JFK just returned to Tokyo http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bc228ibm 2025-08-04T19:01:00+09:00

AIRLIVE



 
 
An Airbus A350K to New York was escorted by emergency vehicles when landing back in Tokyo.

Japan Airlines flight JL4 departed Tokyo Haneda today at 18:54 JST to New York JFK Airport (scheduled flight time of 13 hours).

The Airbus A350-1000 (registration JA07WJ) climbed to 29,000 feet but turned around 1 hour and 20 minutes after takeoff due to a possible technical issue.

Pilots contacted ATC to require a return to Haneda Airport. The flight circled for 20 minutes at 16,000 feet altitude to burn/dump fuel before approach to HND.

The flight landed on runway 23 more than 3 hours after departure. The aircraft was met by emergency vehicles and escorted back to the terminal, stand 113.
 
 
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ニュース
Four Workers Dead In Japan After Manhole Fall http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bprkkdob 2025-08-04T18:35:00+09:00

CNA



 


Four workers have died in Japan after falling into a manhole near Tokyo as they inspected sewage pipes, authorities said on Sunday (Aug 3).

The incident comes after a huge sinkhole swallowed a truck driver near the capital in January after a road collapsed because of corroded sewage pipes, sparking a nationwide inspection.

The workers - all men in their fifties - were checking pipes in the city of Gyoda, north of Tokyo on Saturday, when one fell down the manhole, followed by three more who tried to save him, the local fire department told AFP.

The department said rescuers detected hydrogen sulfide - a gas toxic in high concentrations - coming out of the manhole.

But city officials refused to be drawn on the cause of the initial fall.
"Detailed circumstances leading up to the accident are still unknown, so it's too early for us to say anything about our responsibility," a Gyoda city official said on condition of anonymity.

The four workers were retrieved and taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead, according to local media reports.

Around 10 workers were at the scene of the inspection, ordered to clean the pipes of wastewater and sludge if necessary.

In May, Japanese rescuers recovered the body of the dead 74-year-old truck driver, months after he was swallowed by the road collapse in the city of Yashio.
 
 
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ニュース
Canon Opens Semiconductor Manufacturing Systems Factory North of Tokyo; Improving Processes with Nanoimprint Technology http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwdutdkch 2025-08-01T20:02:00+09:00

JAPAN NEWS



 

Canon Inc. unveiled its new factory in Utsunomiya primarily for manufacturing lithography systems, which use light to expose minute circuit patterns onto semiconductor substrates, to the press on Wednesday.

It is the first time for Canon to establish a new semiconductor manufacturing equipment factory in 21 years since 2004. The company is responding to the growing demand for manufacturing equipment due to the rapid expansion of the semiconductor market.

The company has invested ¥50 billion in the new factory, which has a total floor area of 67,518 square meters. It will begin operations in September and aims to reach full capacity in 2027 or later. Combined with the output of the company’s other two factories, production capacity will exceed 300 units per year.

Fujio Mitarai, Canon chairman and CEO, said at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, “The importance of semiconductors is increasing. It is our duty to strengthen our system for the stable supply of equipment.”

Canon sold 233 semiconductor lithography systems in 2024. In terms of unit sales, it holds approximately 30% of the global market share, ranking second behind ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands. However, in the advanced semiconductor sector, ASML dominates the market with its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems.

Canon will produce not only conventional equipment but also “nanoimprint” lithography systems for advanced semiconductors at the new factory.

Nanoimprinting presses circuit patterns onto substrates like a stamp, simplifying the semiconductor manufacturing process compared to conventional lithography systems, offering advantages such as reductions in both production costs and power consumption.

Canon plans to expand into the advanced semiconductor sector through mass production of nanoimprint lithography systems.

Demand for semiconductors is growing due to widespread adoption of AI and other factors. According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), the global market is expected to grow 8.5% year-on-year to approximately $760 billion (approximately ¥116 trillion) in 2026. Some estimates predict the market will reach $1 trillion by 2030.

Japan’s semiconductor manufacturing equipment holds a strong competitive position in the global market. According to the Finance Ministry’s trade statistics, exports in 2024 reached ¥4.496 trillion, setting a record high.
 
 
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仕事
Japan Plans Another Record Hike In Minimum Wage http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhw5e9fcdv 2025-08-01T19:15:00+09:00

REUTERS




 
A Japanese labour ministry panel plans to recommend an increase of about 6% in the national average minimum wage for this fiscal year, for the biggest such jump since at least 2002, the Kyodo news agency said on Friday.

The proposed hike, to about 1,118 yen ($7.43) per hour, would exceed last year's increase of 5% and be the largest since the current system began, the agency added, without citing sources.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration set a target last year of raising the average minimum wage by 42% to 1,500 yen per hour by the end of the decade.

Raising the legally binding minimum wage would boost households' purchasing power, but squeeze profits at small firms that struggle to make ends meet.
 
 
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仕事
Japanese Students Struggle With Description-Type Tests http://jp-gate.com/u/education/w6ng28pmu9aoky 2025-08-01T18:50:00+09:00

JAPAN TIMES




 
The average correct answer rate was as low as 25.6% for description-type questions in the Japanese-language section of the fiscal 2025 national achievement test for junior high school third-graders, the education ministry has said.

Among such questions, students seemed to struggle especially with those asking them to write their thoughts in a way that others can understand.

The fiscal 2025 achievement test for elementary school sixth-graders and junior high school third-graders was held in April, with a total of some 1.9 million students participating from about 28,000 schools nationwide.
This year, the ministry released test results by gender for the first time.

Female students in both elementary school sixth grade and junior high school third grade gave more correct answers to Japanese-language questions than male students. More girls than boys in both grades said that they like, are good at or understand the subject well.

In the mathematics and science segments of the national test, no significant gender gaps were seen in correct answer rates. However, fewer girls than boys said that they like, are good at or understand the subjects well.

These tendencies in mathematics and science were also observed in the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. A ministry official said that the tendencies are believed to derive from multiple factors, including gender-related unconscious bias and biological differences between males and females.

The average correct answer rate for each subject had been released earlier. Among elementary school sixth-graders, the correct answer rate came to 67.0% for Japanese language, 58.2% for mathematics, and 57.3% for science.

Among junior high school third-graders, the rate was 54.6% for Japanese language and 48.8% for mathematics, while the average score in science, calculated with 500 points as the base, was 505.
 
 
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勉強
Japanese Attacked in Suzhou, China, Again http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bgt6vi4f 2025-08-01T18:25:00+09:00

NIPPON




 
A Japanese national was attacked and injured in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, eastern China, on Thursday, officials at the Japanese Consulate-General in Shanghai said Friday.

The person was hit with what appeared to be a rock inside a subway station, and was later treated at a hospital, the officials said.

According to Japan-China diplomatic sources, the victim was a woman and with a child at the time. Local authorities are investigating the case, aiming to apprehend the attacker.

In the same city, a Japanese woman and her child were attacked by a knife-wielding man in June 2024 while waiting for a school bus to a Japanese school. They were injured, and a Chinese woman who was a guide on the bus was killed.

Thursday's incident occurred at a time when anti-Japanese sentiment is seen as rising in China, fueled by recent films and dramas themed on the past war against Japan.
 
 


 
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ニュース
Panasonic Announces New Chief As Its Profits Barely Hold Up http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhw89ytud4 2025-07-31T21:11:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY




 
Japanese electronics and technology company Panasonic has chosen a new chief executive at a group company after eking out a 1.2% rise in its first-quarter profit.

Kenneth William Sain, a former Boeing executive, will replace Yasuyuki Higuchi as Panasonic Connect's president and chief executive in April 2026, the company said Wednesday. Panasonic Connect offers solutions and products for various supply chains, public services, infrastructure and entertainment sectors.

Sain joined Panasonic in 2019 as CEO of Panasonic Avionics.
“Ken is an exceptional leader with extensive global experience and a deep understanding of business and technology,” Higuchi said in a statement.

Panasonic Holdings Corp.’s April-June profit totaled 71.46 billion yen ($483 million), up from 70.6 billion yen. Its quarterly sales declined 10.6% from last year to 1.9 trillion yen ($12.8 billion).

The Osaka-based maker of home appliances, solar panels and batteries for Tesla vehicles kept its full year profit forecast unchanged at 310 billion yen ($2.1 billion), down 15% from the previous year.

Panasonic said the impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs was not yet fully factored in. The company said it will try to minimize the effect on its operating profit with cost cuts and other measures.

Consumer electronics sales were strong in Japan, Panasonic said, while they were also healthy in China, supported by subsidies.

On the positive side, it said demand for AI servers and air-conditioners was expected to grow. But concerns remain about slowing demand for electric vehicles because of U.S. tariffs and the ending of tax credits.

Panasonic also said it’s planning to get its new lithium-ion battery factory in Kansas fully operational later this year, after a delayed start.

Panasonic said in May that it was slashing its global workforce by 10,000 people , half in Japan and half overseas, to become “lean.” The job cuts amount to about 4% of its workforce.
 
 
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仕事
In Hiroshima, A Schoolboy Keeps Memories Of War Alive With Guided Tours http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641b6k6ww5i 2025-07-31T20:47:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY



 
Since the age of seven, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki has been offering free guided tours to foreign visitors of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with a mission: ensuring that the horrors of nuclear war do not fade from memory with the passage of time.

Aged 12 now, Shun has conveyed that message to some 2,000 visitors, recounting in his imperfect but confident English the experiences of his great-grandmother, a 'hibakusha' who survived the atomic bomb.

"I want them to come to Hiroshima and know about what happened in Hiroshima on August 6," Shun said in English, referring to the day the bomb was dropped in 1945.


 
"I want them to know how bad is war and how good is peace. Instead of fighting, we should talk to each other about the good things of each other," he said.

About twice a month, Shun makes his way to the peace park wearing a yellow bib with the words "Please feel free to talk to me in English!" splashed across the back, hoping to educate tourists about his hometown.

His volunteer work has earned him the honour of being selected as one of two local children to speak at this year's ceremony to commemorate 80 years since the A-bomb was dropped -- its first use in war.


 
Shun is now the same age as when his great-grandmother Yuriko Sasaki was buried under rubble when her house, about 1.5 km (0.9 mile) from the hypocentre, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died of colorectal cancer aged 69 in 2002, having survived breast cancer decades earlier.

The uranium bomb instantly killed about 78,000 people and by the end of 1945 the number of dead, including from radiation exposure, reached about 140,000. The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9.
Canadian Chris Lowe said Shun's guided tour provided a level of appreciation that went beyond reading plaques on museum walls.

"To hear that about his family... it surely wrapped it up, brought it home and made it much more personal. So it was outstanding for him to share that," he said.

Shun said he plans to continue with the tours as long as he can.
"The most dangerous thing is to forget what happened a long time ago… so I think we should pass the story to the next generation, and then, never forget it, ever again."
 
 
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ニュース
Japan to Discontinue SDF Annual Review Ceremony http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bwgz75sc 2025-07-31T19:26:00+09:00

NIPPON



 
An annual Japanese Self-Defense Forces review ceremony will no longer be held in principle due to mounting SDF duties in an increasingly severe security environment, according to the Defense Ministry.

On Wednesday, the ministry said that it has become difficult to continue the event, which will not be held unless the security environment changes dramatically in the future.

In the review ceremony, hosted in turns by the Ground, Maritime and Air SDFs every autumn, the prime minister, or the supreme SDF commander, gives instructions to the troops gathered from around the country.

It is also designed to help Japanese nationals deepen their understanding of SDF activities.

In the face of increased military activities by China and Russia around Japan, however, the SDF needs to concentrate their personnel on surveillance and other efforts to cope with the situation.

The review ceremony began in 1951, during the time of the National Police Reserve, the predecessor of the SDF.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan Lifts Tsunami Advisory After Russia Quake http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bx7s8ebf 2025-07-31T18:54:00+09:00

RFI


 

Japan's weather office on Thursday lifted a tsunami advisory imposed a day earlier after Russia's Far East was rocked by one of the strongest earthquakes on record.

"There is currently no coastal area for which tsunami warnings or advisories are in force," the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said on its website.
Millions of people were put on high alert in countries around the Pacific Ocean after the 8.8-magnitude quake off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula on Wednesday.

The worst damage was seen in Russia, where a tsunami crashed through the port of Severo-Kurilsk and submerged the local fishing plant, officials said.
Russian state television footage showed buildings and debris swept into the sea.

The initial quake caused limited damage and only light injuries.
Fears of a repeat of the December 2004 tsunami that killed 220,000 people in 11 nations -- the legacy of which was to improve early warning systems -- were not realised.

In Japan, where a massive earthquake and tsunami killed 15,000 people in 2011, almost two million people were ordered to higher ground, but the biggest wave was 1.3 metres (4.3 feet).

The only reported fatality was a woman killed when her car fell off a cliff in Japan as she tried to escape on Wednesday, local media reported.

Japan downgraded its tsunami alert to an advisory later on Wednesday, and waves of up to 0.7 metres were still being observed on Thursday.

"The tsunami warning was lifted at 4:30 pm (0630 GMT) after it was determined that the tsunamis would not grow any larger," the JMA said.

The beaching of four sperm whales on a beach in Japan was initially blamed on the earthquake but officials said the animals had washed up a day earlier.
Local surfer Fumiko Udagawa said that it was the first time that such big whales were washed up in the 20 years she has lived in the area.

"As surfers, we are constantly worried now about the sea water being so warm, even towards winter," the 56-year-old told AFP.

"I wonder if this (stranded whales) is also a result of global warming."
Akira Komatsu, a seasonal visitor, wondered if the whales washing up were a precursor of the quake.

"I heard that earthquakes affect the magnetic condition underwater, and whales detect magnetics," the 61-year-old told AFP.
 
 
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ニュース
Nissan to Stop Production at Civac Plant in Mexico by March 2026 http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwwho7go7 2025-07-30T21:04:00+09:00

JAPAN NEWS



 


Japanese automaker Nissan 7201.T said on Wednesday that the company would stop production at its Civac plant in Mexico by March 2026 as part of its global restructuring plan.

The embattled automaker would integrate vehicle production from its Civac plant to its Aguascalientes complex in Mexico during the current financial year, the company said in a statement.

The announcement comes after Japan’s third-largest automaker said this month it will stop producing cars at two sites in Japan, namely its Oppama plant by March 2028 and Nissan Shatai’s 7222.T Shonan factory by March 2027.

Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said in the statement that Mexico remained a strategic pillar for the company.

“Today, we have made the difficult but necessary decision, that will allow us to become more efficient, more competitive, and more sustainable,” he said.

The automaker first started operations at the Civac plant in 1966, a move that marked its initial expansion outside of Japan. The plant has produced more than 6.5 million vehicles to date, according to Nissan.

Nissan is set to report first-quarter financial results later on Wednesday.
The automaker has been moving ahead with a drastic restructuring aimed at slashing costs and restoring profitability and its performance in key markets such as the U.S. and China.

The plan includes slashing global production capacity to 2.5 million vehicles from 3.5 million and manufacturing sites to 10 from 17.
 
 
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仕事
Japan's 2024 Rice Demand Tops Estimate; Outstrips Supply Again http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bij8tmps 2025-07-30T20:20:00+09:00

JAPAN TODAY



 
Demand for rice in Japan in the year through June was 7.11 million tons, 380,000 tons more than initial government projections made last year, the farm ministry said Wednesday.

With 6.79 million tons of rice produced in 2024, it marks the third consecutive year that demand has exceeded supply, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

While the ministry usually releases its year-ahead projection for domestic demand at the end of July, it has opted not to do so this year for the first time, citing the need to carefully analyze why the previous forecast missed the mark.

Rice prices have surged since summer last year, but the ministry had maintained that supply was sufficient, a stance that contributed to the government's delay in releasing rice from its stockpiles.

Reflecting on this misjudgment, the government now plans to focus on supporting increased rice production to better respond to fluctuations in demand.

By the end of June, the government had released 360,000 tons of its stockpiled rice, effectively covering most of the extra demand with reserve supplies.

Rice inventory in the private sector stood at 1.57 million tons as of the end of June, almost on par with the record low level recorded the previous June.
The government plans to identify and announce the causes behind the recent sharp rise in rice prices at a forthcoming Cabinet-level meeting.

In recent years, the rise has been mainly driven by reduced distribution volumes, due in part to heat damage and pest outbreaks, with some also attributing it to demand from booming inbound tourism.

A perceived rice shortage may have also prompted households and retailers to stockpile supplies, further driving up prices.
 
 
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ニュース
Mercury Hits New Japan Record High of 41.2 C http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641b8hypunt 2025-07-30T19:48:00+09:00

NIPPON




 
The temperature soared to 41.2 degrees Celsius in the western Japan city of Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, around 2:39 p.m. on Wednesday, setting a new national record high, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The previous record was 41.1 degrees, set in the eastern city of Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, in July 2018, and in the central city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, in August 2020.

On Wednesday, sunny weather spread from the Tohoku northeastern to Kyushu southwestern regions, sending temperatures in many areas to or above 35 degrees, the threshold for an "extremely hot" day.

Some areas recorded temperatures of 40 degrees or higher, making the first day in Japan this year with such temperatures.

A number of areas in western Japan renewed their respective high temperature records, including Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, with 40.6 degrees, Maniwa, Okayama Prefecture, with 40.3 degrees, and Nishiwaki, Hyogo, with 40.0 degrees
 
 
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ニュース
Japan On Edge But Prepared For Tsunami After Huge Kamchatka Earthquake http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bkfhs527 2025-07-30T19:06:00+09:00

JAPAN TIMES



 
Towns, villages and nuclear reactors were evacuated and airports shut while office workers rushed to higher floors in coastal cities as Japan came under the threat of tsunamis Wednesday following a massive earthquake in the Russian Far East.

The country was prepared but on edge, with the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami not forgotten and lessons learned from that disaster put into practice. Residents inland went about their business while coastal areas quickly implemented long-planned measures.

Around the world, countries readied for the arrival of the waves following the magnitude 8.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, about 1,500 kilometers from Hokkaido, with alerts being issued for Pacific islands, including Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and Ecuador, and tsunamis more than 3 meters tall said to be a possibility in some places.

By the end of the afternoon in Japan, the biggest waves to come ashore measured 1.3 m, with one death reported and no major damage.

Elsewhere, the situation was much the same, with waves initially weaker than feared.

Officials in Japan warned the public to remain prepared, as tsunamis can be unpredictable and waves can peak long after the first come ashore, while the waves may not have reached areas a great distance from the epicenter.

"Tsunami can strike repeatedly over a long period of time. The waves that come after the first one may be larger, so it is important to continue evacuating until the tsunami warning or advisory is lifted," the Meteorological Agency said.

Each wave has a very long duration, which means it could take around an hour for a single wave cycle to pass, according to the agency, so tsunami activity can be observed over a prolonged period. The risk of high tsunami waves could continue for at least a day.

The strength of Wednesday morning’s earthquake, which occurred at 8:25 a.m., was initially estimated by the JMA and authorities overseas to have been magnitude 8.0. The JMA initially issued a tsunami advisory at 8:37 a.m. but later revised its assessment of the quake’s magnitude to 8.7 and upgraded its tsunami advisory to a warning at 9:40 a.m.

A significant revision of a quake’s magnitude is relatively rare, the JMA said.

The quake, the world’s strongest since the earthquake in 2011, was barely felt in Japan. The intensity registered a maximum of 2 on Japan’s seven-point shindo earthquake intensity scale in five cities and towns in Hokkaido, according to the weather agency.

A 2 reading on the shindo scale means that many people in a quiet place indoors will feel it, while hanging objects will sway slightly.

This century, the only other earthquakes of similar or more powerful intensity have been the 2011 earthquake, the magnitude 9.1 Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004, and the magnitude 8.8 off the coast of Chile in 2010, according to figures from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Wednesday’s Kamchatka earthquake is one of the 10 most powerful to ever be recorded, according to the USGS.

Waves up to 60 centimeters high were observed in Hokkaido and Kuji in Iwate Prefecture a little past 1 p.m., more than two hours after the first round of waves arrived on Japanese shores. Waves 10 cm to 50 cm high were recorded along wide areas of the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Later in the day, waves of 1.3 m were reported in Kuji.

If a tsunami coincides with high tide, the combined effect can cause sea levels to rise even further beyond the current tide level, the Meteorological Agency said, urging people in affected areas to exercise continued vigilance.
A JMA official pointed out that when the Kamchatka Peninsula was hit by a magnitude 9.0 quake in 1952, 1 m waves arrived on Iwate’s shores nine hours later, followed by smaller waves.

The official noted that waves gradually increase in size and then gradually become smaller, which is why the JMA believes tsunamis will continue for at least a day.

The latest warning and advisory information can be confirmed on the Meteorological Agency website.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged residents in the affected areas to evacuate to higher ground or other safe locations, and instructed authorities to provide accurate information to the public and implement necessary measures in coordination with local municipalities.

The government has requested that authorities start transferring evacuees from temporary shelters to better-equipped facilities and take necessary measures to help them prevent heatstroke, Ishiba told reporters Wednesday evening. Japan recorded its highest ever temperature of 41.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

A task force was set up at the Prime Minister’s Office at 9:40 a.m.
According to local reports, authorities issued evacuation orders for 1.9 million residents in coastal areas across the nation. The town of Urakawa, Hokkaido, issued a level-5 warning, the highest, to 10,463 people in nearly 5,000 households, warning them of imminent danger.

Ibaraki Prefecture issued evacuation orders to residents in the coastal cities of Takahagi and Hitachinaka and the village of Tokai. The city of Wakayama also ordered 175,000 people in 88,000 households in coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground at 11 a.m.

By the early evening, some of the tsunami warnings along the Pacific Coast had been downgraded to advisories.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference Wednesday morning no damage had been reported on land or at sea. Three highways were blocked, and the operations of 41 railway lines were temporarily halted, he added.

In the Shiraoi district of Hokkaido, a woman in her 60s fell and got injured as she was seeking shelter, Hayashi said Wednesday afternoon. A woman in her 50s died as her car went over a cliff as she was heading to an evacuation site in the city of Kumano, in Mie Prefecture, according to news reports.

The runway of Sendai airport, in the Tohoku region, was temporarily closed.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. ordered staff working at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant to evacuate and confirmed that they evacuated to higher ground.

It has also confirmed that the process used to treat radioactive water before it is released into the ocean has not been affected. The utility has manually halted operations in line with protocols.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a slew of warnings and advisories for U.S. islands in the Pacific and the west coast of the United States following the earthquake. A tsunami advisory was put in place for much of the U.S. west coast from the Mexican border up through parts of Canada and Alaska. Hawaii and Guam were placed under warning status.

The USGS recorded the magnitude of Wednesday morning’s earthquake as 8.8, occurring at 8:24 a.m. at a depth of 20.7 km, with its epicenter 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia.

Two earlier earthquakes, registering magnitude 7.0 and 7.5 respectively, occurred off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula on the afternoon of July 20.

Minori Yoshida, 31, who works at a bank in the coastal city of Kushiro in Hokkaido, was among those who evacuated to the city's disaster management building after the tsunami warning was issued.

“Around 9:40 a.m., we received an alert that a tsunami could arrive by 10 a.m.,” Yoshida said. “Following company instructions, I evacuated to the fifth floor of the disaster management building.”

By around 10 a.m., roughly 50 people had gathered, she said, including local residents, nearby office workers and tourists. That number grew to about 100 by 10:30 a.m. A similar shelter was also set up on the fourth floor.

Yoshida added that her home is not located on high ground, so had she been there at the time, she would have needed to evacuate elsewhere. For now, her company has instructed employees to remain at the shelter until the warning is officially lifted. “I do worry that a stronger earthquake or tsunami could come,” she said, “but I’m grateful there’s a designated evacuation site close by.”

While the tsunami warning remained in effect and unease lingered, the atmosphere inside the shelter was relatively calm, Yoshida said. Bottled water was being distributed, restrooms were open and many evacuees passed the time chatting with acquaintances.

“There’s still some anxiety, especially with talk that a second wave could be larger than the first,” she said. “But at the moment, I’m not overly worried.”

In western Kushiro, roughly 100 people, including the clerks of local shops and people living in the vicinity, sought safety in the higher floors of a building of a local telecommunications company, said 67-year-old Tsutomu Ota, an executive at the company. The building is designated as a temporary evacuation site. As of 2 p.m., two-thirds of them had left, given the relative stability of the situation.

Traffic had also slowly resumed, with a number of cars heading to the outskirts from the city center.

“People will gradually go back to their activities once the alert is lifted,” said Ota.

Kuniyoshi Katsu, who runs an architectural firm in Ishinomaki, a coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture that was devastated by massive tsunamis on March 11, 2011, was sheltering on the third floor of his office in the heart of the city’s shopping district as of noon Wednesday.

“We’ve evacuated to the upper floors of our building,” Katsu said. “Other nearby shop owners have also moved to higher levels in their buildings.”
Disaster warning broadcasts were being issued regularly over the city’s loudspeaker system, providing updates on the situation, he said.

At around 10 a.m., police had restricted access to the bridge leading toward the port, but those traffic controls appear to have been lifted.

“All the shops are currently closed, waiting for the tsunami warning to be lifted,” he added.

Minori Suzuki, 29, was at her guesthouse in central Hachinohe, a coastal city in Aomori Prefecture, when she heard the tsunami alert on her phone. The guesthouse is a safe distance from the coast, but throughout the morning, she offered her support to one of her neighbors, a French woman in her 20s, who was alarmed by the situation. Maps and information on areas at risk are often unclear on apps and websites, she added.

Suzuki is welcoming a family of foreign tourists to her guesthouse this evening and said she’ll make sure to inform her guests of the warning and the locations of evacuation centers as soon as they arrive.

“Information in English is so scarce in these situations,” she said.
 
 
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ニュース
Japan Local Govts without Tax Allocations Up for 4th Straight Year http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhw95otvsc 2025-07-29T20:24:00+09:00

NIPPON



 


The number of local governments that are able to operate their finances without tax allocations from the state thanks to their abundant tax revenues increased for the fourth consecutive year, Japan’s internal affairs ministry said Tuesday.

In fiscal 2025, such local governments totaled 85, up by two from the previous year, reflecting the growth of local tax revenues backed by robust corporate performance.

On Tuesday, the ministry decided the amounts of fiscal 2025 ordinary tax allocations to be given to respective local governments with the aim of supplementing shortages in their financial resources. Internal affairs minister Seiichiro Murakami reported on the allocations at the day’s cabinet meeting.

Of the country’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo is the only one not to be given tax allocations. The remaining nonrecipients are cities, towns and villages.

The town of Kikuyo in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, which hosts a plant of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s leading semiconductor contract manufacturer, became a nonrecipient for the first time.
 
 
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仕事
Toyota Chairman Willing To Import Firm’s U.S.-Made Vehicles To Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/business/rt3wzhwjrbyih6 2025-07-29T19:48:00+09:00

ASIA NEWS NETWORK


 

As a result of the agreement, U.S.-made passenger cars whose safety is secured under Japanese standards can be imported without undergoing additional safety tests. Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Toyoda’s remark is based on this aspect of the deal.

Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda told reporters on Saturday in Hita, Oita Prefecture, that he is willing to import to Japan the company’s vehicles manufactured in the United States in the wake a Japan-U.S. agreement in bilateral tariff negotiations.

“There are many car models that are not sold in Japan,” Toyoda said.
Although he declined to name specific models to be imported to Japan, it is believed that he is considering the Camry sedan, which is no longer manufactured and sold in Japan, and pickup truck models.

As a result of the agreement, U.S.-made passenger cars whose safety is secured under Japanese standards can be imported without undergoing additional safety tests.

Toyoda’s remark is based on this aspect of the deal.
If Toyota imports its own products manufactured in the United States to Japan, it is possible that the trade deficit with the United States will be reduced.

Because the range of choices will increase as a result of the tariff agreement that makes it easier to import U.S.-made cars, “It’s good for consumers,” Toyoda said.
 


 
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仕事
LFC And Kodansha Create Unique Shirts For Pre-Season Fixture In Japan http://jp-gate.com/u/news/ryu641bxefnr8t 2025-07-29T19:10:00+09:00


LIVER POOL FC


 

Liverpool’s players will wear unique, special-edition shirts for Wednesday’s pre-season fixture with Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.

Created alongside the club’s official publication partner, Kodansha, the Reds’ jerseys for the game at Nissan Stadium will include names and numbers on the back that are inspired by the art of calligraphy.

The expressive characters to be used for each shirt have been produced in collaboration with Riu Akizuki, a renowned Japanese calligrapher.

“The style for the names and numbers on the tour shirts is Shodō. ‘Sho’ means writing and ‘dō’ means pathway,” explained Akiko Kamiya, the deputy director of Kodansha Ltd, who has overseen this project.

“Japanese has a lot of words with ‘dō’ or pathway in them, such as judō. Shodō is a writing pathway where we use a brush, ink and Japanese paper.
“We put the brush into the ink and then draw the word in a continuous movement, putting our thoughts and our emotions into the word.

“Once you put your brush on the paper, you can’t go back. Shodō is not about drawing a character beautifully. It’s not always perfect but it’s not simply about making letters look beautiful – it’s about writing with intention.

Every stroke carries the writer’s feelings, rhythm and presence in that very moment.

“Shodō does not seek perfection or symmetry. Instead, it finds beauty in movement, balance, space and sincerity.”

Akizuki prominently deploys ancient characters and kana script in her work, which has featured in magazines, books, television, films, commercials and clothing.

Her distinctive creation for Liverpool’s shirts this week will be on display for the world to see when Arne Slot’s side complete their 2025 tour of Asia by facing Marinos.

“This piece is more than just east or west, or writing versus drawing,” said Kamiya. “It is a quiet gesture of respect, imagination and connection – delivered from Japan to Liverpool.

“Each letter and number, unique in form, resonates with the others. Together, they speak with quiet strength and harmony – just like a team.

“We are very happy with the result and excited to see the players wearing the shirts. It is a historical moment for us.

“This is something that really shows off our partnership. Of course there is a sponsorship element involved, but Liverpool really encourage us to get involved and the club returns a lot to us, so it is a very good circle.

“Liverpool has a unique history but they are always trying to do something new. Kodansha also has more than 100 years of history too but we want to do something challenging every time and I think that is a reason why this project has worked.”

The latest venture comes after LFC and Kodansha collaborated on a new collection earlier this year that brings together football culture and Japanese manga artistry.

Launched in April, it includes a mix of clothing and accessories and features manga-style panels that represent real moments from Reds history, capturing the drama and emotion of the game.

And this summer, these items will debut in Japan – available for fans to buy online here and at a retail pop-up store at Jinnan Plaza Building, 1-15-5 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.
 

 
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ニュース