Takaichi Denies Future Consumption Tax Hike
Tuesday, March 17,2026,10:54
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday denied the possibility of raising the consumption tax rate from the current 10 pct in the future. "I'm not considering a further consumption tax hike," Takaichi said at a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting. Following the planned two-year consumption tax rate cut to zero for food products, the prime... .. read more..
Businesses Run by Elderly Women in Fukuoka Attracting Attention
Tuesday, March 17,2026,10:51
Kasuga, Fukuoka Pref., March 17 (Jiji Press)--A company in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is attracting attention for its diverse businesses operated by women aged 75 or over. The company, Ukiha no Takara, runs cafes, makes and sells bags using recycled milk packages and publishes newspapers. The average age is about 85 for the 40 to 50 people commissioned to work for the company. ... .. read more..
Shigeaki Mori, Hiroshima Hibakusha Hugged by Obama, Dies at 88
Tuesday, March 17,2026,09:18
Hiroshima, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Shigeaki Mori, the hibakusha survivor of the August 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima who was embraced by former U.S. President Barack Obama, died at a hospital in the western Japan city Saturday. He was 88. Scenes of Mori, a historian, and Obama hugging in May 2016, during Obama's visit to Hiroshima as the first sitting U.S. president, were reported by... .. read more..
Myaku-Myaku Mascot Spurs 2-Yr Extension of Expo Goods Sales
Tuesday, March 17,2026,09:18
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--The organizer of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka has decided to extend sales of official goods, including items featuring Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the Expo, by two years until the end of March 2028 as demand remains strong. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition approved the move at a board meeting in Tokyo on Monday, allowing license... .. read more..
Nissan to Sell U.S.-Built SUV in Japan
Tuesday, March 17,2026,08:19
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday that it will sell the U.S.-built Murano SUV in Japan, starting in early 2027. The move by the Japanese automaker comes as the country faces pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce its trade surplus with the United States. Nissan will import the Murano using a simplified safety screening system th... .. read more..
Japan's Average Land Price Up for 5th Straight Year
Tuesday, March 17,2026,08:01
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--The average land price in Japan as of Jan. 1 rose 2.8 pct from a year earlier, up for the fifth straight year, the land ministry said Tuesday. The growth, up from the previous year's 2.7 pct, reflected a gradual economic recovery, as well as growing demand for condominiums in large cities, such as Tokyo. For residential areas, the nationwide average land pri... .. read more..
92 Pct of Job-Hunting Univ. Students in Japan Get Offers
Tuesday, March 17,2026,07:31
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Jobs had been informally offered to 92 pct of employment-seeking university students in Japan scheduled to graduate this month as of Feb. 1, the labor and education ministries said Tuesday. The job-securing rate remained high due to labor shortages, though it fell from a year earlier in the first decline in five years. The rate was down 0.6 percentage point fro... .. read more..
4 Die after Cargo Ship, Fishing Boat Collision off Aomori
Tuesday, March 17,2026,07:01
Aomori, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Four people died after a collision between a cargo ship and a fishing boat off the northeastern Japan prefecture of Aomori in the early hours of Tuesday. The Japan Coast Guard's 2nd regional headquarters in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, also in northeastern Japan, was alerted by the cargo ship's captain at around 1:20 a.m. saying that the two vessels had collid... .. read more..
Most Female Rhinoceros Beetles Mate Only Once in Lifetime: Study
Tuesday, March 17,2026,06:51
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--A group of researchers including Wataru Kojima, an associate professor of animal ecology at Yamaguchi University's Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, has found that most female Japanese rhinoceros beetles mate only once in their lifetime, which is rare for an insect. Usually, females of other insect species mate on multiple occasions. ... .. read more..
Takaichi Ready to Carefully Discuss SDF Dispatch with Party Heads
Tuesday, March 17,2026,05:24
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi showed her readiness Tuesday to discuss carefully with political party heads a possible dispatch of Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East. "Depending on the circumstance, some missions may require approval from the Diet," Japan's parliament, Takaichi told the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber... .. read more..
Japan Govt Names 12 Experts to National Council Advisory Panel
Tuesday, March 17,2026,05:15
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government on Tuesday named 12 experts to an advisory body to the national council on social security reform, which discusses consumption tax cuts and a refundable tax credit program. Former Keio University President Atsushi Seike will chair the panel. The panel is expected to hold its first meeting this month. "Preparations are underway for it ... .. read more..
Japan Govt Maps Out New Steps to Support Crime Victims
Tuesday, March 17,2026,04:43
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government adopted a new five-year plan Tuesday to support crime victims and bereaved families, featuring measures to allow them to receive support more smoothly and in ways that reduce their psychological burden. In the new basic plan, the fifth of its kind, the government cited five priority issues after reviewing the past four plans spanning 20 ... .. read more..
Japan Govt OKs Bill to Set Up Own Version of CFIUS
Tuesday, March 17,2026,04:01
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--The government adopted a bill Tuesday to set up the Japanese version of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, to conduct cross-ministerial assessments of foreign investments in Japanese businesses. The government plans to submit the bill to revise the foreign exchange and foreign trade law to the current session of the Diet, the co... .. read more..
Japan Removes Japanese Crane from Threatened Species List
Tuesday, March 17,2026,03:48
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Environment Ministry removed for the first time the red-crowned crane, also known as the Japanese crane, from its list of threatened species on Tuesday. The ministry's assessment of the bird, which is designated by the Japanese government as a special natural monument, was downgraded to "near-threatened" from "threatened," thanks to a population recover... .. read more..
All DNA Nucleic Acid Bases Found in Samples from Ryugu Asteroid
Tuesday, March 17,2026,03:11
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--All five types of nucleic acid bases that make up DNA and RNA were found in sand samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu, according to a paper by a Japanese research team that was published in British science journal Nature Astronomy on Tuesday. The samples were brought to Earth by Japan's Hayabusa2 unmanned probe. As such nucleobases were also found in sa... .. read more..
Okinawa Governor Tamaki to Seek 3rd Term
Tuesday, March 17,2026,02:08
Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki plans to run for a third term in the southernmost Japan prefecture's gubernatorial election to be held ahead of the expiration of his current term in September, according to informed sources. Tamaki, 66, plans to officially announce his candidacy at a press conference in the prefectural capital of Naha on March 28, the sources said... .. read more..
FOCUS: Japan Coast Guard School Chief Breaks Her Own Glass Ceiling
Tuesday, March 17,2026,01:30
Maizuru, Kyoto Pref., March 17 (Jiji Press)--For Azusa Matsuura, the first woman to head the Japan Coast Guard School, one of the biggest obstacles in her career in the male-dominated service was her own self-doubt. Matsuura assumed the post in April last year at the school in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, which trains Japan Coast Guard officers. She rose through the ranks by ov... .. read more..
4 Unconscious after Cargo Ship, Fishing Boat Collision off Aomori
Tuesday, March 17,2026,00:24
Aomori, March 17 (Jiji Press)--Four people were left unconscious after a collision between a cargo ship and a fishing boat off the northeastern Japan prefecture of Aomori in the early hours of Tuesday. The Japan Coast Guard's 2nd regional headquarters in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, also in northeastern Japan, was alerted by the cargo ship's captain at around 1:20 a.m. that the two vessels ... .. read more..
Los países responden con cautela al llamado de Trump para movilizar sus buque...
Monday, March 16,2026,21:00
El presidente Trump ha instado a China, el Reino Unido, Francia, Japón y Corea del Sur a que envíen barcos para ayudar a reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz, aunque no estén implicados en el ataque a Irán. .. read more..
After Trump’s Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz, Nations Respond With...
Monday, March 16,2026,18:25
President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they are not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. .. read more..
Motegi, Rubio Vow Close Communication over Strait of Hormuz
Monday, March 16,2026,14:12
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday agreed to maintain close communication amid Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In a telephone meeting, Motegi is believed to have sought to clarify Washington's intentions ahead of a summit on Thursday between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U... .. read more..
Takaichi Values Panel Proposals for Imperial Succession
Monday, March 16,2026,13:49
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that she values proposals made by the government's expert panel to ensure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members. In 2021, the panel proposed two measures: allowing female members of the Imperial Family to retain their status after marriage and adopting male members from the paternal line of former Impe... .. read more..
Indefinite Term Given for Saitama 2022 Triple Murder
Monday, March 16,2026,13:14
Saitama, March 16 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese district court Monday sentenced a man to an indefinite prison term for murdering three members of a family, including a U.S. citizen, in the city of Hanno in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, in December 2022. The crime was "brutal, merciless and very vicious," Presiding Judge Hideki Igeta said in a lay judge trial at Saitama District Court, whil... .. read more..
Cherry Trees Begin to Bloom in Japan This Season
Monday, March 16,2026,13:11
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Sample Somei-Yoshino cherry trees began to bloom in the cities of Kofu and Gifu in central Japan and Kochi in western Japan on Monday, marking the country's first blooms this season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced. Kochi was the first in the country to see cherry blossoms for the third straight year. Cherry trees in the city began to bloom six days e... .. read more..
Band Exchanges Proposed for Japan's SDF, U.S., Taiwan Forces
Monday, March 16,2026,12:21
Taipei, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya held talks with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Taipei on Monday, proposing a plan to hold cultural exchanges among bands of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, the Taiwanese military and the U.S. military. Taiwan's presidential office released a video of the meeting between Lai and Furuya of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party,... .. read more..
Japanese Personal Info Left at Thai-Cambodian Border Scam Base
Monday, March 16,2026,11:42
Chong Chom, Thailand, March 16 (Jiji Press)--The Thai military has shown international media an abandoned scam compound on the northeastern border with Cambodia, where documents containing many Japanese individuals' personal information remain scattered. The tour to the Chong Chom border area in the Kap Choeng district of Surin Province on Thursday allowed participating journalists to catch... .. read more..
Idemitsu Kosan Cuts Ethylene Production
Monday, March 16,2026,11:12
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Idemitsu Kosan Co. has reduced ethylene output in light of the growing difficulty of procuring naphtha, a raw material for ethylene derived from crude oil, amid Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, it was learned Monday. Idemitsu has lowered the operational rate of its ethylene plants in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and Shunan in the ... .. read more..
2 Dead after 2 Ships Capsize off Henoko in Okinawa
Monday, March 16,2026,11:03
Naha, Okinawa Pref., March 16 (Jiji Press)--Two ships capsized on Monday off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, leaving two people dead and two others injured. There were 21 people aboard the ships--three crew members and 18 second grade students from Doshisha International Senior High School in Kyotanabe, Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, who were visiting ... .. read more..
Stricter Curbs on Teacher Voyeurism Eyed in Japan
Monday, March 16,2026,10:50
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japan's education ministry released on Monday a draft revision to operating guidelines for the law on preventing sexual misconduct against students by teachers, which calls for strengthening measures against voyeurism. The draft revision, drawn up in the wake of a secret photography incident involving a group of teachers, also clarified that educators who commi... .. read more..
INTERVIEW: Expert Urges Japan, U.S. to Reaffirm Importance of Alliance
Monday, March 16,2026,09:38
Washington, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump should reaffirm the importance of their countries' alliance when they meet in Washington this week ahead of Trump's visit to China, a prominent U.S. expert has said. The Takaichi-Trump summit is also expected to focus on a possible minesweeping operation by Japan's Self-Defense Forces a... .. read more..
Japanese Panel Begins Talks on Development Aid
Monday, March 16,2026,09:09
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--A panel of experts established by Japan's Foreign Ministry launched discussions on Monday on how better the country's overseas development assistance should be provided to meet its strategic needs. The panel of 10 specialists on areas including development policy will discuss ways to strengthen the Japan International Cooperation Agency, an organization that ov... .. read more..
No LGBTQ Measures at Half of Workplaces in Japan: Survey
Monday, March 16,2026,09:04
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--No specific measures have been taken for sexual minorities at half of their workplaces in Japan, even after the June 2023 enforcement of a law to promote public understanding for such people, a survey has shown. According to the survey covering some 2,000 LGBTQ people over the three years to 2024, 54.9 pct of the respondents said in the final year that their wo... .. read more..
Indefinite Term Given in Saitama 2022 Triple Murder
Monday, March 16,2026,09:00
Saitama, March 16 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese district court Monday sentenced a man to an indefinite prison term for murdering three family members, including a U.S. citizen, in the city of Hanno in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, in December 2022. The criminal responsibility of the defendant, Jun Saito, 43, was at issue in the trial at Saitama District Court, presided over by Judge Hideki... .. read more..
Japanese SDF Dispatch to Hormuz Faces High Hurdles
Monday, March 16,2026,07:58
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--U.S. President Donald Trump's call on Japan to send Self-Defense Forces ships to the Strait of Hormuz has put the country in a difficult situation, as deploying SDF ships to the area would face high hurdles. In a social media post Saturday, Trump urged Japan and other countries to send warships to the strait, which is under effective blockade amid U.S.-Israeli ... .. read more..
Japan Electronics Union Seeks Pay Scale Hikes of 12,000 Yen or More
Monday, March 16,2026,07:44
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese Electrical Electronic and Information Union on Monday decided to accept monthly pay scale hike offers of 12,000 yen or higher from management in the ongoing 2026 "shunto" spring wage negotiations. The minimum acceptable level decided by the umbrella body for labor unions at electronics makers rose from last year's 10,000 yen or more, as the group a... .. read more..
Takaichi Says Govt Mulling What to Do for Safety of Japan-Related Ships
Monday, March 16,2026,07:02
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that her government is considering what to do to ensure the safety of Japan-related ships amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. "The Japanese government is currently considering how to take necessary measures," she told the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, the ... .. read more..
Sharp Moves Headquarters Back to City of Osaka
Monday, March 16,2026,05:36
Osaka, March 16 (Jiji Press)--Sharp Corp. on Monday relocated its headquarters back to the city of Osaka in western Japan's namesake prefecture, after being based for roughly a decade in the city of Sakai in the same prefecture. The new headquarters is housed in a building in Osaka's Chuo Ward, near Sakaisuji-Hommachi Station on Osaka Metro Co.'s Chuo Line and Sakaisuji Line. The company is ... .. read more..
"Kokuho" Misses Out on Oscar for Makeup, Hairstyling
Monday, March 16,2026,03:57
Los Angeles, March 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese box-office smash "Kokuho" failed to win the Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling in the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. Hairstylist and makeup artist Kyoko Toyokawa, Kabuki makeup artist Naomi Hibino and Kabuki wig artist Tadashi Nishimatsu were the first Japanese nationals from a Japanese movie to be nominated in the category of the mo... .. read more..
Japan Starts Releasing Oil Reserves
Monday, March 16,2026,03:53
Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government started releasing its oil reserves Monday to tackle the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. In its first such operation in four years, the government plans to release from the private reserves the amount equivalent to 15 days of domestic consumption from Monday. The government al... .. read more..
China Coast Guard Ships Enter Japanese Waters off Senkakus
Monday, March 16,2026,03:17
Naha, Okinawa Pref., March 16 (Jiji Press)--Two China Coast Guard ships entered Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Monday. As the Haijing ships attempted to approach a Japanese fishing boat, the Japan Coast Guard moved to ensure the boat's safety and warned the Chinese ships to leave the waters, according to the Japanese organization. The... .. read more..