Japan Court Convicts Ex-Judge of Insider Trading
Wednesday, March 26,2025,05:34
Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Wednesday found a former judge guilty of committing insider trading by using information obtained during his work on loan at the Financial Services Agency. Judge Masaru Nomura sentenced Soichiro Sato, 32, the former judge, to two years in prison, suspended for four years, criticizing his act as "habitual." In addition, Sato was fined 1 m... .. read more..
Japan Begins to Take Bids in 2nd Auction of Reserve Rice
Wednesday, March 26,2025,04:54
Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese agriculture ministry on Wednesday began to accept bids in the second round of its auction for government-stockpiled rice. The focus is on whether the release of reserve rice will help curb soaring rice prices. The government plans to consider a further release if necessary. The ministry decided in February to release 210,000 tons of government-sto... .. read more..
Japan's Imabari Shipbuilding Loses Technical Intern Certification
Wednesday, March 26,2025,04:46
Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--Top Japanese shipbuilder Imabari Shipbuilding Co. lost its official certification for foreign technical intern programs for violating the industrial safety and health law, the Immigration Services Agency has said. Following the administrative punishment, the shipbuilder will be unable to accept foreign trainees for the next five years, based on a related law. Al... .. read more..
Leaders Covered Up Data Tampering at Hitachi Zosen from 2015
Wednesday, March 26,2025,00:55
Osaka, March 26 (Jiji Press)--Top leaders of Japanese heavy machinery maker Hitachi Zosen Corp., now called Kanadevia Corp., covered up its group's tampering of data on ship engines from 2015, according to an announcement. The then president and the then chairman of Hitachi Zosen recognized the problem in 2015 but kept it undisclosed, said a report by a special investigation committee on th... .. read more..
30 Pct of Major Companies Using AI for Recruiting: Jiji Survey
Wednesday, March 26,2025,00:00
Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--About 30 pct of major Japanese companies have introduced or plan to introduce artificial intelligence in their employee recruitment activities, according to a survey by Jiji Press. Of the 100 major companies surveyed, eight said that they will use AI to recruit students who will graduate in spring 2026, while 21 companies said they have already introduced AI. ... .. read more..
Ex-Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Official Indicted in Insider Trading Case
Tuesday, March 25,2025,14:49
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Public prosecutors on Tuesday indicted Hajime Katayama, a former Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank official, on charges of violating the financial instruments and exchange law in an insider trading case. The 55-year-old former head of the bank's second sales department has admitted to the charges, informed sources said. According to the indictment and other sources... .. read more..
Japanese Court Awards $1.4 Million to Exonerated Man
Tuesday, March 25,2025,14:33
Iwao Hakamada, 89, who is believed to have been the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, was exonerated last year of a 1966 murder conviction. .. read more..
Kyoto to Raise Maximum Hotel Tax to 10,000 Yen
Tuesday, March 25,2025,13:23
Kyoto, March 25 (Jiji Press)--The city assembly of Kyoto in western Japan passed an ordinance by a majority vote Tuesday to raise its maximum accommodation tax to 10,000 yen per guest per night. The amount will be the highest among areas using a flat-rate tax system across the country, according to the internal affairs ministry. Once approved by the internal affairs minister, the ordinance ... .. read more..
Unification Church Victims Voice Joy over Dissolution Order
Tuesday, March 25,2025,12:57
Kochi/Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Victims who suffered from large donations to the Unification Church expressed joy Tuesday over Tokyo District Court's decision the same day to order the dissolution of the controversial religious group. A woman in her 30s whose father is still a believer said that he and her mother, a former believer, have donated at least several tens of millions of yen ... .. read more..
Japan Emperor, Empress Welcome Brazilian President
Tuesday, March 25,2025,12:50
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife, Janja, at a welcoming ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday. This marked the first welcoming ceremony at the Imperial Palace for state guests since a trip to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2019 during his first term. The ... .. read more..
Japanese Court Disbands Unification Church in Wake of Abe Killing
Tuesday, March 25,2025,12:29
The assassination in 2022 of Shinzo Abe, the country’s former prime minister, led to an investigation into the group’s political ties and manipulation of its followers to raise funds. .. read more..
Ishiba Reluctant to Accept Komeito-DPFP Proposal on Donations
Tuesday, March 25,2025,11:24
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is reluctant to accept a joint proposal by Komeito, the coalition partner of his Liberal Democratic Party, and the opposition Democratic Party for the People to tighten rules on political donations by companies and other organizations, it was learned Tuesday. Ishiba expressed his reluctance during a meeting with Komeito ch... .. read more..
Japan Eyes 300,000-Yen Limit on Daily ATM Use for Elderly
Tuesday, March 25,2025,10:23
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japan's National Police Agency is considering setting a ceiling of 300,000 yen per day on the amount of money elderly people can withdraw or send from automated teller machines, it was learned Tuesday. The agency has consulted with the Japanese Bankers Association to revise the enforcement regulations of the criminal proceeds transfer prevention law in response ... .. read more..
U.S. Osprey Makes Emergency Landing at Central Japan Airport
Tuesday, March 25,2025,09:28
Nagano, March 25 (Jiji Press)--A U.S. Osprey military transport aircraft made an emergency landing at Matsumoto Airport in the central Japan prefecture of Nagano around 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Another Osprey also landed at the airport around 3:35 p.m. and left five minutes later. No injury has been reported regarding the developments, according to prefectural government officials and others. ... .. read more..
Rapidus Ties Up with Quest Global on Chip Design
Tuesday, March 25,2025,09:11
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Rapidus Corp. said Tuesday that it has concluded a partnership with Singaporean engineering services firm Quest Global Services Pte. Ltd. to shorten the development period of chips for artificial intelligence technology. Quest Global has over 21,000 engineers globally, supporting product design for major firms in a wide range of areas including aerospace and veh... .. read more..
Trump’s Car Tariffs Worry Toyota and Japan’s Automakers
Tuesday, March 25,2025,09:02
Japanese automakers, initially optimistic about some of President Trump’s policies, are reckoning with potentially devastating U.S. taxes on foreign-made cars. .. read more..
Most Japanese High School Textbooks to Include QR Codes
Tuesday, March 25,2025,08:53
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Almost all textbooks to be used by first- and second-year high school students in Japan from fiscal 2026 will include quick response, or QR, codes that link to websites with video and audio learning aid materials, it was learned Tuesday. The education ministry said the same day that a total of 253 textbooks in 13 subjects have passed the second screenings under... .. read more..
Japanese Court Orders Dissolution of Unification Church
Tuesday, March 25,2025,08:20
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese court on Tuesday ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church, saying unjust donation-soliciting activities by members of the religious group caused unprecedentedly large damage. Kenya Suzuki, presiding judge at Tokyo District Court, accepted the claims made by the culture ministry to seek the disbandment of the group formally called the Family ... .. read more..
Ishiba Said Planning Strong Measures against High Prices
Tuesday, March 25,2025,08:08
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told Tetsuo Saito, head of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Tuesday that his government plans to launch strong measures against soaring prices. Ishiba unveiled the plan in a meeting at the prime minister's office, according to Saito. With approval rates for Ishiba's cabine... .. read more..
Japan, U.S. Defense Chiefs to Meet on Sun.
Tuesday, March 25,2025,07:46
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday he will meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday. Nakatani and Hegseth are expected to discuss stronger collaboration between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, following Monday's launch of the SDF Joint Operations Command, which brings the Ground... .. read more..
Picture-Book Pleasures at Tokyo Yoshitake Shinsuke Exhibition
Tuesday, March 25,2025,07:08
Yoshitake Shinsuke is one of Japan’s best-loved picture book creators. A traveling show featuring his art returns to Tokyo for the first time in three years, giving fans both young and old a chance to experience the world of his quirky and lovable creations in person. .. read more..
Tokyo Court Orders Dissolution of Unification Church
Tuesday, March 25,2025,06:37
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Tuesday ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church. Presiding Judge Kenya Suzuki accepted the claims made by Japan's culture ministry to seek the disbandment of the controversial religious group formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. It was the first ever court decision to disband a religious gro... .. read more..
Japan Designates Ofunato Fire as Localized Severe Disaster
Tuesday, March 25,2025,06:21
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government Tuesday decided to designate a massive wildfire in the northeastern city of Ofunato as a localized severe disaster. With the designation, which applies to a particular city, town or village, the central government will subsidize half of the expenses for recovery work, including those for cutting down and transporting fire-ravaged trees a... .. read more..
Another Court Finds Same-Sex Marriage Denial Unconstitutional
Tuesday, March 25,2025,06:19
Osaka, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Osaka High Court on Tuesday ruled that law provisions that do not allow same-sax marriage are unconstitutional, overturning a lower court judgment. It was the fifth high court ruling on six damages lawsuits initiated at five district courts in Japan. It followed similar judgments made by Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya high courts. In 2022, Osaka District... .. read more..
BOJ Policymaker Sought to Raise Rates Gradually: Minutes
Tuesday, March 25,2025,05:46
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--A Bank of Japan policymaker in January sought to raise interest rates gradually to address risks of higher prices, minutes of the central bank's monetary policy meeting released on Tuesday showed. The policymaker said that "risks to prices had become more skewed to the upside, and it was therefore appropriate for the bank to adjust the degree of monetary accomm... .. read more..
Child Abuse in Japan Hits Record 226,000 Cases in FY 2023
Tuesday, March 25,2025,05:15
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--The number of child abuse cases handled by child consultation centers across Japan in fiscal 2023 rose by 10,666 from the previous year to a record high of 225,509, the government said Tuesday. The number of psychological abuse cases grew by 6,834 to 134,948, or some 60 pct of the total. Children witnessing domestic violence represented nearly 60 pct of the psy... .. read more..
Hakamata Gets 217 M. Yen in Compensation after Acquittal
Tuesday, March 25,2025,04:25
Shizuoka, March 25 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese court has granted Iwao Hakamata, who was acquitted in a retrial last year over a 1966 murder case, some 217 million yen in compensation for being unjustly detained for over 47 years, his lawyers said Tuesday. The sum marks the biggest amount of criminal compensation granted in the country, the lawyers said. The 89-year-old was acquitted in Sept... .. read more..
Japan’s Rice Shortage Sets Off Auction of Emergency Stockpile
Tuesday, March 25,2025,04:23
The Japanese government held a rare auction this week to make up for a rice shortage that an official called “truly unthinkable.” .. read more..
Chinese Ships Leave after 92 Hours in Japan Waters off Senkakus
Tuesday, March 25,2025,03:02
Naha, Okinawa Pref., March 25 (Jiji Press)--Chinese coast guard ships left Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture after sailing in the waters for 92 hours and 8 minutes. This was the longest such intrusion since Japan nationalized the islands, claimed by China, in 2012. The previous record was 80 hours and 36 minutes marked in 2023. According to the Japan Coast Gua... .. read more..
Osaka Police Arrest Japanese Linked to Fraud Group in Myanmar
Tuesday, March 25,2025,02:49
Osaka, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police Tuesday arrested a 29-year-old Japanese man who had been detained in Thailand for allegedly cheating a Japanese high school student into committing fraud from Myanmar. The suspect, Tomu Fujinuma, was arrested by the Osaka prefectural police for allegedly taking an acquaintance in his 20s from a street of the western city of Osaka into a vehicle,... .. read more..
BOJ Tankan Seen Showing Slight Fall in Manufacturers' Sentiment
Tuesday, March 25,2025,01:24
Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--An upcoming Bank of Japan "tankan" quarterly survey report is seen showing a slight deterioration in business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers, according to estimates by private think tanks. Many economists think that sluggish exports amid slowing overseas economies and concern about U.S. President Donald Trump's high tariff policy are pushing down ... .. read more..
Japan 2024 Scallop Exports to Vietnam Jump 13-Fold
Tuesday, March 25,2025,00:42
Hanoi, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Exports of Japanese scallops to Vietnam grew 13-fold from the previous year to 10.6 billion yen in 2024, the Japan External Trade Organization has said. In 2023, the value of such exports was only 800 million yen, according to a survey on scallop processing and fisheries business operators in Vietnam, whose results were announced Monday. There seem to be man... .. read more..
Shared Meals Lead to Greater Happiness: Survey
Tuesday, March 25,2025,00:22
By Adriana Reinecke Washington, March 24 (Jiji Press)--New research has found a robust, positive relationship between sharing meals and subjective well-being. According to the recently published 2025 World Happiness Report, the less frequently one eats alone, the greater their sense of happiness. The survey by U.S. analytics company Gallup Inc. and Japanese food maker Ajinomoto Co. wa... .. read more..
Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Environmental Music Is Enchanting a New Generation
Monday, March 24,2025,21:41
The Japanese musician, who wasn’t widely known before his death in 2003, has become a beacon for listeners on YouTube and beyond. .. read more..
FSA Slaps 4 Major Nonlife Insurers with Biz Improvement Orders
Monday, March 24,2025,14:48
Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Financial Services Agency issued business improvement orders to four major nonlife insurers on Monday for improperly obtaining information on rivals' customers through their employees on loan to insurance agents. The orders, based on the insurance business law, were issued to Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., Mitsui ... .. read more..
Japan's Watanabe Stresses Significance of His IOC Presidency Bid
Monday, March 24,2025,13:43
Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Morinari Watanabe said Monday his bid for the president of the International Olympic Committee was meaningful albeit unsuccessful. "There was a world that I was able to see because I ran," Watanabe, 66, head of the International Gymnastics Federation, told a press conference in Tokyo. "I believe running for the IOC presidency means a lot to the Japanese." W... .. read more..
Beijing Rejects Tokyo's Protest over Statement on Ishiba's Remark
Monday, March 24,2025,12:30
Beijing, March 24 (Jiji Press)--The Chinese government on Monday rejected the Japanese government's protest over a statement released by the Chinese side following Friday's meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In the statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Ishiba as saying that he respected the positions explained by the Chinese... .. read more..
NPB Teams Fine 16 Players for Using Online Casinos
Monday, March 24,2025,12:17
Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, or NPB, said Monday that a total of 16 players of eight teams, including Orix Buffaloes pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka, will be fined by their respective teams for illegally using online casinos. The eight teams determined the fines for each of the players involved based on how much and how often they bet, after the N... .. read more..
Nippon Steel Chief Indicates Better Understanding with U.S. Govt
Monday, March 24,2025,11:47
Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Nippon Steel Corp. President Tadashi Imai said Monday that he believes the views of the Japanese steelmaker and the U.S. government are converging on the company's plan to buy United States Steel Corp. "We are continuing negotiations so that we can reach a point where both sides can agree," Imai told reporters in Tokyo. U.S. President Donald Trump opposes Nip... .. read more..
SESC Accuses Ex-Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Official
Monday, March 24,2025,11:34
Tokyo, March 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission sought on Monday criminal charges against a former Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank official suspected of trading stocks based on insider information. Receiving the accusation, the special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office will soon make a decision on criminal prosecution agains... .. read more..