Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, the coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Monday urged Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also president of the LDP, to lead efforts to revise the political funds control law following a high-profile money scandal involving the LDP.Από τον 時事通信社

The Japanese government and ruling parties are considering a law revision to strengthen measures against "customer harassment," or problematic behavior by customers toward store and other workers, it was learned Monday.Από τον 時事通信社

The leader of a South Korean opposition party landed Monday on islands in the Sea of Japan that are controlled by Seoul but also claimed by Tokyo.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese construction company Shimizu Corp. said Monday it swung to an operating loss for the first time since its 1961 stock listing in the year ended last March due mainly to higher-than-expected material costs for several large-scale projects in the country.Από τον 時事通信社

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. said Monday it will spend 51.9 billion yen to acquire a stake of over 15pctin Aozora Bank as part of a capital and business alliance between the two companies.Από τον 時事通信社

SoftBank Group Corp. on Monday reported a third straight year of consolidated net loss for the year ended last March due to investment and foreign exchange losses.Από τον 時事通信社

Daiwa House Industry Co. said Monday that its U.S. unit will buy up North Carolina-based land developer Prestige Corporate Development LLC to beef up the Japanese group's already bullish U.S. business.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese police Monday raided locations related to political group "Tsubasa no To" ()削除 for allegedly disrupting speeches by opponents in a parliamentary by-election in Tokyo last month.Από τον 時事通信社

TEPCO Renewable Power Inc. will draw up plans to produce economic ripple effects for areas that host offshore wind power plants, President Masashi Nagasawa has said.Από τον 時事通信社

An advisory panel to the Japanese education minister on Monday proposed raising allowances for public school teachers that are paid instead of overtime pay, for the first time in about five decades.Από τον 時事通信社

The Bank of Japan on Monday announced a reduction of its outright purchases of Japanese government bonds for the first time since it lifted its negative interest rate policy in March.Από τον 時事通信社

The Yamanashi prefectural government in central Japan said Monday that it will start accepting online reservations for climbing Mount Fuji from the Yamanashi side May 20.Από τον 時事通信社

Synthetic methane is crucial for the decarbonization of city gas, Japan Gas Association leader Takashi Uchida has said.Από τον 時事通信社

A U.S. Republican senator again made remarks Sunday justifying the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Από τον 時事通信社

In hope of boosting sales of bread, whose consumption slows down during hot season, some specialty stores and manufacturers in Japan are focusing on selling "cold bread," which can be eaten like a dessert.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese scriptwriter Mieko Osanai, known for the hit television drama series "Mr. Kinpachi in Class 3B," died of old age on May 2. She was 94.Από τον 時事通信社

An official of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in a television program Sunday, stressed that the ruling bloc's proposals for revising the political funds control law would be effective in eradicating law violations, while opposition party officials claimed that there are many loopholes.Από τον 時事通信社

Wage hikes are spreading among small companies in Japan, which account for about 70pctof the country's employment, on the back of labor shortages and price increases, according to a Japanese government white paper.Από τον 時事通信社

The third "Japan Parade" aimed at spreading Japanese culture was held in Manhattan, New York, on Saturday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Princess Aiko on Saturday visited the National Archives of Japan in Tokyo to view a special exhibition featuring Japanese literature from the country's Heian period, which continued from the eighth to 12th centuries.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday reiterated his eagerness to realize a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an effort to swiftly resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang decades ago.Από τον 時事通信社

The U.N. General Assembly on Friday passed overwhelmingly a resolution that supports the request of Palestine to be a U.N. member and urges the U.N. Security Council to "reconsider the matter favorably."Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese police on Saturday served a fresh arrest warrant to a 25-year-old man, a construction worker who had been arrested for allegedly damaging the bodies of a Tokyo couple, on suspicion of murdering them.Από τον 時事通信社

A team of researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Fujitsu Ltd. and others said Friday they have developed a large language model that can serve as a foundation for generative artificial intelligence, using the Japanese supercomputer Fugaku.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's ruling bloc met with criticism from opposition forces Friday over its proposals for revising the political funds control law in the wake of a high-profile slush funds scandal.Από τον 時事通信社

A system glitch hit East Japan Railway Co.'s Mobile Suica payment smartphone app and other online services on Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Honda Motor Co. on Friday reported record consolidated revenue and profits for the year ended March thanks to strong sales of hybrid vehicles in North America, a weak yen and increased chip supply.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese mobile phone operator NTT Docomo Inc. said Friday that it will promote Senior Executive Vice President Yoshiaki Maeda to president and CEO on June 14.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese manufacturers reported robust earnings for the year ended last March thanks to increases in product prices and a weaker yen.Από τον 時事通信社

Imported wheat prices in Japan remain elevated amid a weak yen, keeping pressure on households struggling with rising inflation as prices for snacks and noodle products are expected to rise.Από τον 時事通信社

The outstanding amount of Japan's national debt hit a record 1,297,161.5 billion yen at the end of March, or the end of fiscal 2023, the Finance Ministry said Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's industry ministry said Friday it will provide up to 42.1 billion yen in subsidies to SoftBank Corp. for building a supercomputer for use in developing artificial intelligence technology.Από τον 時事通信社

Ride-hailing services, which have been allowed to operate in Tokyo and some other areas in Japan since April, have been used more frequently than traditional taxis so far, a transport ministry report showed on Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. on Friday withdrew its consolidated earnings forecasts for the business year to December 2024, citing difficulties in assessing the impact of a scandal involving its supplement products containing "beni koji" red fermented rice.Από τον 時事通信社

The University of Idaho will give an honorary doctorate to Japanese atomic bomb survivor Keiko Ogura at a commencement ceremony on Saturday, university officials said.Από τον 時事通信社

The chief accountant of a faction in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party broadly admitted in court on Friday to charges against him over a high-profile political funds scandal involving LDP factions.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged again to strive further to realize a Japan-North Korea summit when he met with family members of victims of North Korea's abductions Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

The Diet on Friday enacted a bill to set up a joint operations command at the Self-Defense Forces that will direct the operations of the Ground, Maritime and Air SDFs.Από τον 時事通信社

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Japan from May 20 to 23, the Japanese government said Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted on Friday a bill to introduce a security clearance system for individuals who are allowed to handle important information related to economic security.Από τον 時事通信社

The musical series "Shock" starring pop idol Koichi Domoto, 45, has marked its 2,018th performance, becoming the most performed play in Japan with the same lead actor.Από τον 時事通信社

Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. said Friday that it will sell subsidiary Phoenix Resort Co., the operator of the Phoenix Seagaia Resort complex in the southwestern Japan city of Miyazaki, to Fortress Investment Group LLC.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese household spending in fiscal 2023, which ended in March, dropped 3.2pctfrom the previous year in price-adjusted real terms, the first fall in three years, according to data released by the internal affairs ministry Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Genkai Mayor Shintaro Wakiyama said Friday that the southwestern Japan town will accept a so-called literature survey to determine whether the town is suitable to host a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.Από τον 時事通信社

Japan's current account surplus in fiscal 2023 soared 2.8-fold from the previous year to hit a record high of 25,339 billion yen, mainly thanks to a smaller trade deficit, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report Friday.Από τον 時事通信社

Japanese telecommunications company SoftBank Corp. President Junichi Miyakawa has indicated that he hopes to reach an agreement by July with South Korean technology firm Naver Corp. over their current equal stakes in LY Corp. through an intermediate holding company.Από τον 時事通信社

History issues continue to cast a shadow over relations between Tokyo and Seoul even as ties have improved greatly since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took power two years ago.Από τον 時事通信社

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Nissan Motor Co. said Thursday its group net profit in fiscal 2023 soared 92.3pctfrom the previous year to 426.6 billion yen, backed by unit vehicle sales growth in major markets excluding China and the yen's depreciation.Από τον 時事通信社

A video of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Izumo that was circulating on social media is likely real, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.Από τον 時事通信社