Meta faces new lawsuits in Japan over fraudulent advertisements

SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - U.S. social media giant Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing multiple lawsuits in Japan totaling 435 million yen (US$2.8 million) over allegedly fraudulent investment advertisements featuring unauthorized celebrity endorsements. The lawsuits, submitted to district courts across five Japanese cities including Osaka and Yokohama, claimed on Tuesday the tech company failed to implement adequate measures to prevent scam advert

October 30, 2024

Tokyo begins tree removal for contested urban development project

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Construction crews began removing trees in Tokyo's historic Jingu Gaien district, marking the start of a multibillion-dollar redevelopment project that has sparked protests from environmental advocates and cultural preservation groups. The initiative on Monday, led by real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan Co., moved forward after receiving approval from Tokyo authorities for a modified blueprint that reduces the number of trees slated for removal to 619

October 29, 2024

US vows strong ties with Japan despite LDP election setback

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - The United States reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining robust bilateral relations with Japan, as the Asian ally faces political uncertainty following a major electoral defeat of its ruling coalition. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press briefing on Monday that the alliance, which he called "the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity" in the region and across the world for over seven decades, has "never bee

October 29, 2024

Japan's Onagawa nuclear reactor resumes operation after 13-year hiatus

SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Japan's Tohoku Electric Power is set to restart its Onagawa No. 2 nuclear reactor on Tuesday, marking the first reactor reactivation in eastern Japan since the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The utility company invested about 570 billion yen ($3.7 billion) in safety enhancements, including raising seawalls to 29 meters and reinforcing earthquake resistance measures. The boiling water reactor, wh

October 28, 2024

Japan ruling coalition loses parliamentary majority in shock defeat

SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Japan's ruling coalition suffered a major setback, losing its majority in the lower house of parliament, as a widening political funding scandal eroded voter confidence in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's leadership. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito secured 215 seats, fewer than the 233 seats required for a majority in the 465-seat House of Representatives in Sunday's election, according to the national broadcaste

October 28, 2024

Japan's Ishiba rejects claims of covert support for scandal-tainted candidates

SEOUL, October 25 (AJP) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba rejected allegations on Thursday that his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was secretly funding politicians embroiled in a financial scandal who are running as independents in Sunday's general election. The controversy erupted on Wednesday after reports emerged that the ruling party had distributed 20 million yen ($131,000) to local party branches headed by candidates without official LDP endorsement, matching the am

October 25, 2024

Japanese students recreate historic 1582 Vatican visit

SEOUL, October 25 (AJP) - Four Japanese students from Nagasaki Prefecture met with Pope Francis, recreating a historic 16th-century diplomatic mission that marked Japan's first formal delegation to the Vatican. The junior high school students from Minamishimabara, located far south in Nagasaki Prefecture, dressed in traditional samurai attire known as kamishimo, participated in the commemoration of the 1582 Tensho mission on Wednesday. The Tensho mission refers to four Japane

October 25, 2024

BOJ's Ueda signals concerns over gradual rate hikes

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda expressed concerns about potential risks associated with an overly cautious approach to monetary tightening, emphasizing the need for balanced policy decisions. Speaking at a Washington event during the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank meetings on Wednesday, Ueda highlighted the dangers of maintaining low interest rates for extended periods, warning that such a strategy could foster speculative market beha

October 24, 2024

Meta faces new legal challenges in Japan over fraudulent ads

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc., owner of Facebook and Instagram, is set to face multiple lawsuits in Japan over cryptocurrency scam advertisements that falsely used celebrity endorsements. The litigation announced on Wednesday, will be filed by about 30 plaintiffs across five district courts including Saitama, Chiba and Osaka, targeting both Meta and its Japanese subsidiary. They are seeking damages of about 300 million yen (US$1.9 million). The

October 24, 2024

Japan rail giant JR Central raided in bid-rigging probe

SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Japan's biggest high-speed rail operator Central Japan Railway (JR Central) and five other firms are being investigated by antitrust regulators over suspected collusion in railway bridge maintenance contracts, news reports said. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) on Tuesday raided the Tokyo-based JR Central and its affiliates including JR Central Consultants, along with engineering firms Dainichi Consultant, Tonichi Engineering Consultants, and Japa

October 23, 2024