The Japanese government on Sunday announced a decision to expand a Japan-South Korea cooperation framework aimed at reducing emissions of methane from natural gas development projects.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's industry minister Yoji Muto and Yoshitaka Ito, minister for the 2025 World Exposition, on Sunday visited the event's venue in the western Japan city of Osaka for the first time since they took office recently.Από τον 時事通信社

In a policy shift, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday unveiled a plan to refrain from giving his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's official endorsement to some members involved in its slush fund scandal in the upcoming general election.Από τον 時事通信社

The growing popularity in Japan of "spot work" staffing arrangements, which enable people to work short hours such as during their free time and be paid the same day, has led to an increase in schemes defrauding operators of related platforms.Από τον 時事通信社

A Japanese ruling party official on Sunday showed a plan for the government to compile after the upcoming general election a large-scale supplementary budget for fiscal 2024 featuring funding for measures to cope with rising prices.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's Cabinet Office will conduct as early as this fiscal year a survey on stockpiles at facilities around the country that are designated to be used as temporary shelters in times of disasters.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's recent remark signaling opposition to interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan has taken the financial market by surprise, as he had been viewed as a proponent of rate hikes.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's industry ministry has released a report listing challenges facing bookstores in the country, including low profit margins and fierce competition with online stores.Από τον 時事通信社

Prominent Japanese food critic Yukio Hattori, who also appeared on television as a cooking program commentator, has died, it was learned Saturday. He was 78.Από τον 時事通信社

A rally to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was held in Tokyo on Saturday, ahead of the first anniversary Monday of the start of the large-scale armed conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas in the Palestinian territory.Από τον 時事通信社

Former elementary and junior high school classmates of Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped by North Korea more than 45 years ago, held a charity concert Saturday, when she turned 60, in the hope of reuniting with her at an early date.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's new industry minister Yoji Muto on Saturday inspected the meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan for the first time since he took office earlier this month.Από τον 時事通信社

The leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the junior member of the ruling bloc, separately visited on Saturday the Noto Peninsula, which was heavily damaged by torrential rain in late September, nearly nine months after a powerful earthquake struck the region Jan. 1.…

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Saturday attended the general opening ceremony of the Japan Games sports festival in the southwestern prefecture of Saga.Από τον 時事通信社

A 25-year-old man from Pakistan is aiming in Japan to support so-called young language carers from abroad, or children who interpret for family members who cannot speak Japanese.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's transport ministry plans to support the installation of manually operated gates as well as fences at Class 4 railway crossings, which do not have alarms or barriers, from fiscal 2025 in order to boost the safety of such dangerous crossings.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday visited the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, which was hit hard by the Jan. 1 earthquake and heavy rain in September.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese professional baseball pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano said Saturday that he will seek to join a U.S. Major League Baseball team as an international free agent this offseason.Από τον 時事通信社

An object looking like an unexploded bomb has been found in a residential area in Tokyo, with nearby residents temporarily urged to stay away from the site of the discovery.Από τον 時事通信社

Eleven Japanese nationals and five foreigners have fled Lebanon for Jordan aboard a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force C-2 transport aircraft, the Japanese government said Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is planning in principle for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to officially endorse lawmakers involved in the party's "slush fund" scandal in the upcoming general election, it was learned Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's three major business lobbies on Friday submitted their economic policy requests to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on Tuesday.Από τον 時事通信社

The Tokyo metropolitan assembly unanimously passed an ordinance on Friday to ban the harassment of workers by customers, effective on April 1 next year, the first such ordinance in Japan.Από τον 時事通信社

The Japan Meteorological Agency is stepping up its public relations activities to raise awareness of the "tsunami flag," which warns beachgoers to evacuate when a tsunami wave is forecast to arrive.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings Co. is considering selling its superstore operations, including struggling unit Ito-Yokado Co., at an early date, people familiar with the matter said Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Honda Motor Co.'s N-Box minivehicle was the top-selling car in Japan in the April-September period, keeping the title for the third straight fiscal first half, industry data showed Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's transport minister Tetsuo Saito said Friday he has instructed checks for unexploded shells at three domestic airports on top of Miyazaki Airport, where a World War II U.S. bomb exploded on Wednesday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, plans to set the viewer fee for its online program distribution at 1,100 yen per month, the same as the fee for its terrestrial broadcasting service, people familiar with the matter said Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is set to hold a debate with leaders of other parties at the Diet, Japan's parliament, on Wednesday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday pledged to redouble efforts to regain public trust in politics that has been eroded by a slush funds scandal involving his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is still confirming facts over alleged fund reporting irregularities at his now-disbanded faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a government official said Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday instructed his cabinet to compile an economic package partly to support households hit by soaring prices.Από τον 時事通信社

By Adriana ReineckeΑπό τον 時事通信社

Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies condemned on Thursday Iran's large-scale missile attack against Israel in the strongest terms.Από τον 時事通信社

The Bank of Japan should maintain its policy of raising interest rates gradually, International Monetary Fund spokesperson Julie Kozack said Thursday.Από τον 時事通信社

Two Japanese nationals have fled Lebanon and arrived in Cyprus on a ship chartered by the Japanese government, the government said Thursday.Από τον 時事通信社

Two new Japanese ministers and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda agreed Thursday to maintain a 2013 government-BOJ statement aimed at pulling the country out of deflation.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan Airlines said Thursday it will coordinate airfares and flight schedules with Garuda Indonesia, starting around April next year.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese toy maker MegaHouse Corp. said Thursday it will put on the market the world's smallest Rubik's Cube product.Από τον 時事通信社

An idea has emerged within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party to ban party members involved in the high-profile slush funds scandal from running in the proposed Oct. 27 general election for both a constituency seat and under the proportional representation system.Από τον 時事通信社

Police in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, placed a 24-year-old man, Rikiya Morita, on a public wanted list Thursday for allegations including his involvement in a robbery resulting in injury this week.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's transport ministry will require passenger ships operating in cold water to carry life rafts from next April, it was learned Thursday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese chipmaker Rapidus Corp. said Thursday that it will set up a research and development center for the semiconductor assembly process at a Seiko Epson Corp. factory in Chitose, Hokkaido, northern Japan.Από τον 時事通信社

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday sought cooperation from other opposition parties in unifying candidates for constituencies in the upcoming general election.Από τον 時事通信社

U.S. magazine Time selected actress Anna Sawai, who starred in "Shogun," a drama set in feudal Japan, for its "Time100 Next 2024" list of rising leaders Wednesday.Από τον 時事通信社

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel agreed Thursday to further strengthen their countries' alliance.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will announce, in his first policy speech at parliament Friday, a plan to double subsidies for local revitalization on an initial budget basis, it was learned Thursday.Από τον 時事通信社

The award ceremony for the Kura Master competition for sake and other Japanese alcoholic beverages for France for fiscal 2024 was held in Paris on Wednesday.Από τον 時事通信社

Leaders from the Group of Seven major democracies on Wednesday reaffirmed that they will work closely together in their responses to heightened tensions in the Middle East.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday expressed serious concern about the potential escalation into a full-fledged war in the Middle East following Iran's missile attack on Israel.Από τον 時事通信社