Japan's ruling party leadership race attracts record number of contenders

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (AJP) - Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is poised for an unprecedented leadership contest, with potentially more than 10 candidates vying to become the next party president and possibly prime minister, political insiders said on Monday. The Sept. 27 election, triggered by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's decision not to seek reelection amid a party funding scandal, is expected to be the most crowded in the LDP's history since the current selection sys

September 2, 2024

Two dead in apparent suicide jump incident in Yokohama

SEOUL, September 2 (AJP) - Two people were killed on Saturday evening in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, when a teenage girl fell from a building and landed on a pedestrian, the Japan Times reported. The incident occurred around 6:00 p.m. at a square in front of Yokohama Station in the city's Nishi Ward. Security camera footage showed one person falling from a building and striking another who was walking below, according to Kanagawa Prefectural Police, according to the report Sunday.

September 2, 2024

Nippon Steel boosts investment in U.S. Steel acquisition bid

SEOUL, August 30 (AJP) - Japan's largest steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp. announced on Thursday an additional investment of over 188 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in United States Steel Corp., bolstering its efforts to acquire the iconic American company. This move comes amid opposition from the United Steelworkers union and former U.S. President Donald Trump. The fresh capital injection will target two U.S. Steel plants, supplementing the about 200 billion yen investment Nippon Steel

August 30, 2024

Japan opposition party agrees to boost ties with China's ruling party

SEOUL, August 30 (AJP) - A delegation of Japanese opposition lawmakers reached an agreement with China's ruling Communist Party on Thursday to enhance high-level visits and dialogue, aiming to foster healthier Sino-Japanese relations. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), the country's main opposition force, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Communist Party to strengthen cooperation and communication. The Japanese delegation, led by CDPJ Se

August 30, 2024

Three dead, millions ordered evacuate as Typhoon Shanshan hits Japan

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - A powerful typhoon made landfall in southwestern Japan on Thursday, resulting in at least three deaths and causing widespread disruption to air travel and power supplies. Typhoon Shanshan hit Kagoshima prefecture with winds reaching up to 198 km per hour, prompting local authorities to issue evacuation orders for millions of residents across several prefectures. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi reported that in addition to the three fatalities, o

August 29, 2024

Japan to establish division for tech giant oversight

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - Japan's antitrust regulator is planning to create a specialized division to monitor and investigate major technology companies, according to sources familiar with the matter on Wednesday. The move comes amid concerns that these firms are exploiting their market dominance in the smartphone application sector to impede fair competition. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) aims to launch the new unit as early as April next year, comprising about 50 staff

August 29, 2024

Japan's Coast Guard unveils plan for mammoth patrol ship

SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - Japan's Coast Guard announced on Tuesday its intention to seek 3.4 billion yen ($23.7 million) in fiscal 2025 funding to initiate the development of its most substantial patrol vessel to date. The proposed 200-meter craft, with an estimated total price tag of 68 billion yen, would significantly surpass the agency's current largest ship, which weighs in at about 6,500 tons. Designed to accommodate roughly 1,000 individuals, the vessel aims to address

August 28, 2024

Nagasaki mayor addresses international criticism over ceremony invitations

SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - The city of Nagasaki in southwestern Japan has been inundated with roughly 1,500 messages of disapproval in English after choosing not to extend an invitation to Israel's ambassador for a recent event marking the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing, the city mayor said Tuesday. Mayor Shiro Suzuki revealed during a media briefing that the vast majority of these communications - around 1,400 - were duplicate emails expressing opposition to the city'

August 28, 2024

Japan reports first Chinese military aircraft airspace violation

SEOUL, August 27 (AJU PRESS) - Japan's Defense Ministry has confirmed the first airspace violation by a Chinese military aircraft, escalating tensions between the two nations amid ongoing maritime disputes. A Chinese Y-9 intelligence plane entered Japanese airspace over waters off the Danjo Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture for about two minutes at 11:29 a.m. local time, prompting the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets, the ministry said Monday. The incident l

August 27, 2024

Japan to support hiking trail development in quake-hit Ishikawa

SEOUL, August 27 (AJU PRESS) - Japan's Environment Ministry plans to assist the Ishikawa Prefectural Government in establishing a long-distance hiking trail as part of reconstruction efforts following the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake, ministry officials said. The ministry aims to secure 900 million yen ($6.22 million) in its fiscal 2025 budget request to support the project, which is intended to revitalize the Noto Peninsula quasi-national park and boost tourism in the regio

August 27, 2024