Publication
OPINION: After diplomatic flop, Japan must return shipping to the path of ambition
TOKYO - Japan is a powerful maritime nation and has been a key player in U.N. shipping climate negotiations. Japan's shipyards have built a reputation for high quality, fuel efficient, and energysaving vessels. As such, this strategic sector naturally...
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Football: Japan defender Itakura returns to Borussia from Ajax
TOKYO - Japan defender Ko Itakura has returned to Borussia Monchengladbach from Dutch football club Ajax, the German top-flight side said Thursday. The 29-year-old, who captained Japan at this year's World Cup, has signed a contract through 2030. After...
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Foreign visitors to Japan hit 3.44 mil. in July, new record for month
TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan in July inched up 0.1 percent from a year earlier to 3.44 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, with travel demand remaining strong amid the summer holiday season in the...
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Japan fighter jet blocks Okinawa airport runway after landing gear breaks
NAHA, Japan - A runway was closed for hours at Naha Airport in the southern island prefecture of Okinawa on Tuesday after a Japanese Self-Defense Forces fighter jet became immobilized following landing, according to the transport ministry. There were...
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Japan eyes introducing U.S.-made AI into SDF operations, command
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry is considering introducing U.S.-developed artificial intelligence into command and control for Self-Defense Forces units, sources close to the matter said Monday. The aim is to speed up decision-making by using AI to...
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Damage reports from Chiba rain disaster grow, death toll stands at 10
CHIBA, Japan - Reports of flood damage continue to grow three days after torrential rain pounded Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, with the prefectural government saying Sunday that some 1,300 homes were flooded, 10 people were killed and one remained...
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FOCUS: Japanese auto, motorcycle makers back India's drive to cut fossil fuel use
NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to Indians to reduce petrol and diesel consumption is reinforcing a broader shift in the country's mobility strategy, with Japanese automakers, a major presence in the country's market, taking a...
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Baseball: Sasaki throws 6 innings of 2-run ball in Dodgers' loss to Brewers
LOS ANGELES - Roki Sasaki pitched six innings of two-run ball as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 on Thursday. Sasaki did not factor in the decision after allowing two runs on four hits and five walks, while striking out two at...
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Wrestling: Aonishiki-inspired Kusaka eyes Asian Games gold after Paris win
TOKYO - After winning Greco-Roman wrestling gold at the Paris Olympics, Japan's Nao Kusaka is yearning for triumph at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games while drawing inspiration from sumo's Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki. The 25-year-old Kusaka won the men's...
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Sumo: Mongolian-born Joshoyu eyes quick rise after pro debut
TOKYO - Mongolian-born Joshoyu has vowed a rapid rise through the ranks as he made his longawaited professional sumo debut at last month's Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. "I want to reach sekitori as soon as possible," the 22-year-old Joshoyu said,...
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Awa Odori, Japan's signature summer dance festival, opens with 600 dancers
TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Awa Odori, one of Japan's signature summer dance festivals, opened Tuesday in Tokushima Prefecture, where about 600 performers from leading local troupes staged a joint show at a hall. The opening day featured three performances. In...
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Japan PM calls for free, safe passage of Hormuz in phone talks with Oman
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for the resumption of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in phone talks with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on Monday, amid stalled U.S.-Iranian negotiations on the conflict. Oman...
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Baseball: Murakami launches 26th homer, White Sox snap losing streak
CHICAGO - Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami homered for the second straight game, taking his tally to 26 for the season, in Saturday's 6-3 comeback win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth at...
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Rugby: Player for League One 2nd-tier team dies after suffering heatstroke
TOKYO - Japan Rugby League One announced Saturday that Saimoni Vunilagi, a Fijian-born forward for second-division club Kyuden Voltex, died after being hospitalized with symptoms of heatstroke. The 26-year-old died Friday at a hospital in Fukuoka,...
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Japan's food self-sufficiency rate falls to record low 37% in FY 2025
TOKYO - Japan's food self-sufficiency rate on a caloric intake basis reached a record low 37 percent in the fiscal year that ended March, marking a decline for the first time in five years, farm ministry data showed Friday. The figure, on par with the...
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FOCUS: Japan's 2-year food tax cut risks becoming political football
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has decided to cut the consumption tax on food and beverages for two years starting next April, but the measure she described as "temporary" could become a vote-winning tool in future elections and remain in place...
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Japan public broadcaster NHK says employee sexually assaulted by program participant
TOKYO - Japan's public broadcaster NHK said Wednesday that one of its employees was sexually assaulted by a participant in one of its programs. The broadcaster said the employee, whose health deteriorated following the incident, took a leave of absence...
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Takagi, 10-time Olympic skating medalist, given People's Honor Award
TOKYO - Speed skater Miho Takagi, who won a record 10 Olympic medals for a Japanese woman, received the People's Honor Award from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at an event in Tokyo on Tuesday. The honor comes after Takagi, 32, announced her retirement...
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URGENT: Nissan posts 3.76 billion yen net profit in April-June
Nissan Motor Co. said Monday it posted a net profit of 3.76 billion yen ($24 million) in the three months through June, making further progress in its restructuring efforts. The Japanese automaker logged an operating profit of 77.89 billion yen in the...
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Possible 1st disaster-related death reported after Kumamoto quake
KUMAMOTO, Japan - A woman in her 70s, who according to local officials had been sleeping in her car following Tuesday's powerful earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, died of suspected heatstroke, the prefecture said Sunday. Her death...
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Baseball: Murakami joined by Ohtani with 24th homer of season
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami hit his 24th home run on Friday as Shohei Ohtani also reached the same number for the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Murakami got his fourth homer in six games as the White Sox...
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N. Korea economy believed to have grown in 2025, 3rd straight yr: S. Korea
SEOUL - North Korea's economy is estimated to have grown 3.5 percent in 2025 from a year earlier, South Korea's central bank said Friday. The Bank of Korea said the North is believed to have achieved growth in the 3 percent range for the third straight...
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Fire breaks out at World Heritage traditional Japanese-style building in central Japan
TOYAMA, Japan - A traditional Japanese-style building in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture, central Japan, caught fire Thursday, but the blaze was brought under control about 50 minutes later, local authorities said. The...
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Decision on Japan consumption tax cut left to PM after cross-party talks fail
TOKYO - Japan's ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday wrapped up months of discussions on a proposed consumption tax cut on food and beverages without a consensus, leaving the decision on the step aimed at mitigating the impact of inflation on...
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Earthquake alert (automated)
TOKYO - The following is an earthquake alert issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency. * Day and Time: July 28, 2026, 7:03 p.m. Epicenter: Kumamoto Prefecture. N 32.6 , E 130.7 Depth: 10 kilometers Preliminary magnitude: 4.2 Seismic intensity scale:...
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GSDF officer indicted over Chinese Embassy trespass, threats
TOKYO - A Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force officer was indicted Monday for unlawfully entering the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo with a kitchen knife and threatening staff in March, prosecutors said. Kodai Murata, a 24-year-old second lieutenant assigned...
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Football: 59-yr-old Miura scores 1st competitive goal in 4 yrs
TOKYO - Kazuyoshi Miura scored his first competitive goal in four years Saturday at age 59 to help J-League third-division club Fukushima United secure a place in the Emperor's Cup. "King Kazu" started for Fukushima United and scored in the 52nd minute...
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Football: Japan midfielder Morita joins promoted Hull on 2-yr deal
LONDON - Japan midfielder Hidemasa Morita has signed for Hull City after agreeing a two-year contract with a club option of another year, the newly promoted English Premier League team announced Friday. The 31-year-old was a free agent this summer...
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Sumo: Aonishiki beats fellow front runner Kirishima, takes sole lead
NAGOYA - Ukrainian sekiwake Aonishiki moved into the outright lead Friday at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament after an outstanding victory over ozeki Kirishima that knocked the Mongolianborn grappler off the top rung of the leaderboard. The 22-year-old...
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Football: Japan appoint U-21 coach Oiwa as national team manager
TOKYO - The Japan Football Association decided Thursday to promote Go Oiwa, currently the manager of the under-21 national team, to lead the senior men's squad, taking over from Hajime Moriyasu. Meanwhile, Moriyasu will remain in the post on a rare...
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Over 260 rushed to hospitals in Tokyo as heat wave persists
TOKYO - A provisional total of 261 people were taken to hospital for suspected heat stroke on Tuesday, according to the Tokyo Fire Department, as a heat wave persisted across the nation. The figure reflected the daily total as of 9 p.m. but was already...
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Central Japan cities hit 40 C, officially marking first "kokushobi"
TOKYO - Three cities in central Japan on Tuesday reached 40 C, officially marking the country's first "kokushobi," or "cruelly hot day," since the weather agency introduced the term earlier this year to warn the public of extreme heat. As a...
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Baseball: Solid Yamamoto earns 1st completegame win in regular season
NEW YORK - Yoshinobu Yamamoto picked up his first complete-game win in the MLB regular season Sunday, holding the New York Yankees to two runs on four hits as the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed 8-2 in the first game of their doubleheader. Yamamoto...
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OPINION: Japan should build stable, cooperative ties with China, resume dialogue
TOKYO - Japan needs its own grand view and strategy based upon a broad and long-term perspective, particularly at a time when the world faces profound strategic reorientation. Prewar Japan's disastrous failure was caused because it lacked such a grand...
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JR Central, Shizuoka sign agreement to begin maglev construction
SHIZUOKA, Japan - Central Japan Railway Co. on Saturday signed an agreement with Shizuoka Prefecture under a prefectural ordinance, clearing a key hurdle for construction to begin on the only section of the new high-speed maglev line between Tokyo and...
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Japan Diet extended for 8 days to debate ruling bloc's key bills
Japan's parliament decided on Friday to extend its current session for eight days until July 25 as the ruling bloc needs more time to pass key bills. The Diet debate schedule has become packed after a stalemate following an opposition boycott that...
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Japan, U.S., S. Korea uniformed defense chiefs reaffirm unity on N. Korea
TOKYO - The top uniformed defense officers of Japan, the United States and South Korea have reaffirmed the importance of enhanced cooperation to address the North Korean nuclear and missile threats as well as regional security challenges, the Japanese...
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Foreign visitors to Japan dip 2% in 1st-half 2026 as Chinese travelers drop
TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan fell 2.0 percent from a year earlier to 21.1 million in the first six months of 2026, government data showed Wednesday, with travelers from China more than halving amid soured bilateral ties between the...
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JAPAN BIZ: Micro distilleries joining Japan's thriving whisky industry
TOKYO - Japanese whisky has won several awards for its quality and craftsmanship, gaining global recognition and leading to the emergence of more micro distilleries in the market in the process. In 2025, Japan's whisky exports rose 12 percent to about...
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Sumo: Yokozuna Onosato slumps to 0-2 with upset loss to Fujinokawa
NAGOYA - Grand champion Onosato suffered his second straight defeat to start the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday, losing to tricky No. 1 maegashira Fujinokawa by thrust down. Coming off an upset loss to komusubi Yoshinofuji, five-time Emperor's...
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Sumo: Returning yokozuna Onosato loses on Nagoya meet opening day
NAGOYA - Yokozuna Onosato fell to a worrying opening day defeat while his fellow returning grand champion, Hoshoryu, triumphed as the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament began on Sunday. After missing the majority of the last two tournaments with left...
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Japanese pianist Muroi dies at 105
TOKYO - Mayako Muroi, a Japanese pianist who continued her career past the age of 100, has died of natural causes at her Tokyo home, a source close to her said Saturday. She was 105. Muroi, who began playing the piano at 6 years old, graduated from...
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Mt. Rausu hiking trails closed again after brown bear encounter
SAPPORO - The town of Shari in Hokkaido said it closed hiking trails on Mt. Rausu, where a hiker was killed in a bear attack last year, after a visitor reported encountering a brown bear. The trails reopened Sunday after being closed since the fatal...
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Tokyo study finds heatstroke death risk rises when temperatures top 27.1 C
TOKYO - The risk of death from heatstroke rises when the daytime high exceeds 27.1 C, a joint study by the Tokyo metropolitan government and the University of Tokyo has found, with the research team urging people to actively use their air conditioners...
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Tokyo stocks end lower as higher oil prices reignite inflation jitters
TOKYO - Tokyo stocks ended lower Wednesday, as renewed attacks between the United States and Iran pushed up crude oil prices, rekindling concerns about inflation. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 1,437.91 points, or 2.11 percent, from Tuesday...
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Baseball: Ohtani hits 19th HR, 1 shy of 300 mark in Dodgers' walk-off win
LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani blasted his 19th home run of the season, leaving him one homer shy of 300 for his Major League Baseball career, as the Los Angeles Dodgers walked off with an 8-7 win against the Colorado Rockies in 11 innings on Monday....
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Japan's space agency confirms Hayabusa2 space probe mission was successful
TOKYO - Japan's Hayabusa2 space probe successfully made a close flyby of the asteroid Torifune, the country's space agency said Monday, releasing an image taken during the mission. The flyby observation mission, which required highly accurate...
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Anime "Crayon Shin-chan" characters featured on manhole covers near Tokyo
SAITAMA, Japan - Manhole covers featuring characters from the popular manga and anime series "Crayon Shin-chan" were unveiled Sunday in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, where the story is set. The Kasukabe city government said the manhole...
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