Toyota to Pull Plug on Next-Gen EV Development
Friday, May 29,2026,14:27
Nagoya, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Major Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that it will cancel the development of a next-generation electric vehicle amid the stagnant global EV market. Toyota will, instead, allocate its management resources to the development of SUVs, which are in strong demand. Specifically, it plans to scrap development of a mass-production model of the LF-ZC ... .. read more..
Maps: Tracking Tropical Storm Jangmi
Friday, May 29,2026,14:07
See the likely path and wind arrival times for Jangmi .. read more..
Diamond Semiconductor Plant Completed in Northeastern Japan
Friday, May 29,2026,13:45
Okuma, Fukushima Pref., May 29 (Jiji Press)--A ceremony was held Friday to mark the completion of a diamond semiconductor factory in the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. The new facility is the world's first to mass-produce diamond semiconductors, according to Ookuma Diamond Device Co., a startup based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, which runs the plant. The... .. read more..
Mitsubishi's Pajero SUV to Make Comeback after 7 Years
Friday, May 29,2026,13:45
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Friday that it will release a new model of its Pajero SUV in fiscal 2026 after domestic production ended in 2019. The automaker will unveil the new model this autumn. It also outlined a medium- and long-term vision through the 2030s, disclosing plans to expand cooperation with Nissan Motor Co. Mitsubishi's Pajero was firs... .. read more..
Japan Spends Record 11.7 T. Yen in April-May Forex Interventions
Friday, May 29,2026,13:01
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japanese authorities spent 11,734.9 billion yen in foreign exchange market interventions from April 28 to Wednesday, with the amount hitting a record high on a monthly basis, the Finance Ministry said Friday. The dollar plunged against the yen on April 30 and between May 1 and 6, which prompted speculation that the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan had in... .. read more..
2 More Rulings Find Japan Lower House Poll Constitutional
Friday, May 29,2026,12:24
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Two Japanese high courts ruled Friday that the Feb. 8 election for Japan's House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, was constitutional in terms of vote-value disparities. In the Lower House general election, the maximum vote-value disparity between the most and least populous single-seat constituencies stood at 2.1 times. The rulings by Nagoy... .. read more..
Japan's Koizumi Arrives in Singapore for Security Summit
Friday, May 29,2026,11:20
Singapore, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi arrived in Singapore on Friday to attend the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, which will run for three days through Sunday. During his stay here, Koizumi will meet with his counterparts of the United States and other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific region, to affirm boosting ... .. read more..
Japan Diet OKs Bill to Promote Solar Panel Recycling
Friday, May 29,2026,11:16
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Diet, or parliament, enacted a bill on Friday to oblige power plant operators to draw up and submit plans to dispose of used solar panels. At the day's plenary meeting, the House of Councillors, the upper Diet chamber, approved the bill by a majority vote with support from the ruling bloc and some opposition parties. The House of Representatives, the lower... .. read more..
Japan Spends Record 11.7 T. Yen in April-May Forex Intervention
Friday, May 29,2026,10:39
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japanese authorities spent 11,734.9 billion yen in foreign exchange market interventions from April 28 to Wednesday, with the amount hitting a record high on a monthly basis, the Finance Ministry said Friday. The figure far exceeded 9,788.5 billion yen spent for such interventions between late April and late May 2024.END[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] .. read more..
Anesthesiologist Found Guilty over 2014 Death of Boy
Friday, May 29,2026,10:06
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo District Court on Friday found one anesthesiologist guilty and another not guilty over the death of a 2-year-old boy at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital in 2014. Presiding Judge Yasunobu Hosoya sentenced Toru Kotani, 66, to a year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, for professional negligence resulting in death, while acquitting Sa... .. read more..
Philippines to Boost Oil Reserves with Japan's Aid
Friday, May 29,2026,09:26
Manila, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The Philippines is set to strengthen its oil stockpiling system in response to the energy crisis caused by the tense situation in the Middle East, with support from Japan, as agreed by the leaders of the two countries at their summit in Tokyo on Thursday. Following the summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marco... .. read more..
Smartphone-Holding Households Top TV Owners in Japan
Friday, May 29,2026,09:26
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The share of Japanese households owning smartphones outnumbered that of television-owning households for the first time last year, the communications ministry said Friday. A survey by the ministry found that 91.8 pct of households owned smartphones in 2025, up from 90.5 pct a year earlier, while TV ownership fell to 90.1 pct from 91.5 pct. It marked the first ... .. read more..
Man Put on Wanted List over Robbery-Murder in Japan's Tochigi
Friday, May 29,2026,09:08
Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 29 (Jiji Press)--Police on Friday placed on a public wanted list a 48-year-old man who allegedly orchestrated a fatal home-invasion robbery in the eastern Japan prefecture of Tochigi and fled the country after the crime. The Tochigi prefectural police department on Tuesday obtained an arrest warrant for the man, Kazuhiko Masuda, over the killing of Eiko Tomiya... .. read more..
Man Put on Wanted List over Robbery-Murder in Japan’s Tochigi
Friday, May 29,2026,09:08
Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 29 (Jiji Press)--Police on Friday placed on a public wanted list a 48-year-old man who allegedly orchestrated a fatal home-invasion robbery in the eastern Japan prefecture of Tochigi and fled the country after the crime. The Tochigi prefectural police department on Tuesday obtained an arrest warrant for the man, Kazuhiko Masuda, over the killing of Eiko Tomiyam... .. read more..
How Japan Lost 3 Million People in Five Years
Friday, May 29,2026,08:34
Japan’s population fell by more than 3 million over the past five years, a record drop that underscores the depths of the country’s accelerating demographic crisis. .. read more..
Japan's Imperial Couple Bid Farewell to Philippine Pres., Wife
Friday, May 29,2026,08:29
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bid farewell to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday. Marcos and his wife, who visited Japan as state guests for four days from Tuesday, held talks with the Emperor and the Empress about 25 minutes, while enjoying Japanese tea and traditional sweets, according... .. read more..
Nikkei Ends above 66,000 for First Time Ever
Friday, May 29,2026,07:54
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japanese stocks climbed in trading in Tokyo Friday on hopes for an extension of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, driving the benchmark Nikkei 225 average to a new closing high above 66,000. The Nikkei ended at 66,329.50, up 1,636.38 points, or 2.52 pct, from Thursday. The broader TOPIX index gained 55.16 points, or 1.41 pct, to 3,957.17, also a record high. A broad ra... .. read more..
Max Vote-Value Gap Estimated at 2.274 Times for Japan Lower House
Friday, May 29,2026,07:41
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Vote-value disparities between single-seat constituencies for Japan's House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, reach up to 2.274 times, according to an estimate made based on preliminary results of the 2025 national census released by the internal affairs ministry Friday. Thirty-nine constituencies are estimated to have vote-value gaps of over t... .. read more..
Few Japan Firms Take Concrete Economic Security Steps: Govt Paper
Friday, May 29,2026,07:03
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Only about 30 pct of Japanese companies have taken substantive measures to ensure economic security, such as diversifying procurement sources and strengthening cybersecurity, with less profitable firms tending not to take action, a government report showed Friday. According to the 2026 white paper on manufacturing industries, adopted at a cabinet meeting the same... .. read more..
Japan SDF Personnel to Join NATO’s Ukraine Mission
Friday, May 29,2026,06:54
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Ministry said Friday that four Self-Defense Force members will take part in NATO's mission to provide security aid and training to Ukraine. In the Germany-based Ukraine mission, the members will participate in noncombat activities such as coordination work with countries involved. "Learning various lessons, including from new forms of warfare see... .. read more..
Japan Enacts Health Insurance System Reform
Friday, May 29,2026,06:40
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The Diet, or Japan's parliament, on Friday enacted health insurance system reform bills that call for, among others, raising patients' out-of-pocket expenses for prescribed drugs with ingredients and effects similar to those of over-the-counter drugs. Starting next March, 25 pct of the prices of such OTC-like drugs will be fully charged to patients as a special f... .. read more..
Prices to Rise for Over 1,000 Food Items in Japan in June
Friday, May 29,2026,06:20
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Major food makers in Japan plan to raise prices for 1,078 items in June, with the number topping the threshold of 1,000 for the first time in two months, a survey by Teikoku Databank Ltd. showed Friday. The total of food items with planned price increases jumped roughly 13 times from the previous month, while falling 44.4 pct from a year before. Following a pa... .. read more..
Japan Voices Worry over Rice Imports in White Paper
Friday, May 29,2026,06:10
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government expressed concern about the impact of a sharp increase in private-sector rice imports on domestic rice production in an annual white paper adopted Friday. The fiscal 2025 white paper on food, agriculture and rural areas noted that private-sector imports surged after retail prices of rice in May 2025 roughly doubled from a year before. "If... .. read more..
Japan OKs Bill to Establish Japan's Version of CFIUS
Friday, May 29,2026,05:23
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted a bill Friday that paves the way for the creation of an investment screening body similar to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. The bill to amend the foreign exchange and foreign trade law was approved at a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber. Under the legislatio... .. read more..
Japan Rejects Russia’s Remilitarization Criticism at U.N.
Friday, May 29,2026,04:28
New York, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Kazuyuki Yamazaki brushed aside Russia's criticism against Japan's defense buildup in a resumed U.N. session in New York on Thursday. The Russian allegation that Japan's "remilitarization" is undermining the U.N.-centered international system is "ridiculous," Yamazaki said in response to Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia's... .. read more..
Japan Diet OKs Hiking Residency Fee Caps by Up to 30-Fold
Friday, May 29,2026,04:14
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted on Friday a bill to raise the caps on fees for foreign nationals' applications related to residence status by up to 30-fold. The revision to the immigration control and refugee recognition law was enacted at Friday's plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, after passing the House of Representatives, th... .. read more..
Japan's Population Drops by Record 3.09 M.: 2025 Census
Friday, May 29,2026,03:15
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's total population, including foreign residents, fell by a record 3,096,575 in the past five years, a national census survey conducted last year showed Friday. Japan's population as of Oct. 1, 2025, stood at 123,049,524, the internal affairs ministry said in a preliminary report. The figure has fallen for the third straight quinquennial survey, beginning... .. read more..
Japan's 3 Megabanks to Gain Access to OpenAI's New AI Model
Friday, May 29,2026,00:12
Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's three megabanks are expected to obtain access to a new artificial intelligence model of OpenAI, the U.S. company behind generative AI chatbot ChatGPT, according to informed sources. The banks--MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Mizuho Bank--plan to use the AI model to fortify defenses against cyberattacks, the sources said Thursday. OpenAI's ... .. read more..
Bob Horner, Powerful Slugger in Atlanta and Japan, Dies at 68
Thursday, May 28,2026,21:33
With the Braves, he hit a home run in his major league debut, won the Rookie of the Year Award, and later hit four home runs in a game. .. read more..
Fujitsu, Others Eye Investment in SoftBank-Led AI Firm
Thursday, May 28,2026,15:05
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Some Japanese companies, including Fujitsu Ltd. and Asahi Kasei Corp., are considering investing in a new firm established by SoftBank Corp. and others to develop Japanese-made artificial intelligence, it was learned Thursday. The companies are considering a plan to each invest tens of millions of yen, according to informed sources. "I see the value in developi... .. read more..
FOCUS: Japan, Philippines to Forge Quasi-Alliance against China
Thursday, May 28,2026,14:50
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed at their summit in Tokyo on Thursday to upgrade their countries' relations to a "quasi-alliance," aiming to counter China's increasing military activities, a common concern for both countries. During their summit, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is visiting J... .. read more..
Japan, Philippines to Begin Military Intelligence Pact Talks
Thursday, May 28,2026,13:55
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed Thursday that the two countries will kick off negotiations to conclude a general security of military information agreement, or GSOMIA, with the aim of strengthening bilateral security cooperation. GSOMIA would allow the two countries to share their confidential i... .. read more..
June Bills to Rise at 9 of 10 Major Japan Power Firms
Thursday, May 28,2026,12:45
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Electricity bills are expected to rise at nine of Japan's 10 major power utilities in June, driven by rising crude oil prices amid the tense situation in the Middle East. Monthly bills for an average household will rise by up to 91 yen, according to announcements made by the companies Thursday. Monthly bills at four major city gas companies will rise by 20-24 yen... .. read more..
Lawson Opens Small Supermarket in Tokyo
Thursday, May 28,2026,12:16
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Lawson Inc. opened a small supermarket offering fresh produce and other goods at reasonable prices in Kodaira, Tokyo, on Thursday, the first such outlet run by the major Japanese convenience store chain. The supermarket, named "L Minimart," aims to attract budget-conscious consumers amid rising prices. Lawson plans to open two more L Minimart stores in June--on... .. read more..
Japanese Automakers' Global Sales Fall 1.3 Pct in April
Thursday, May 28,2026,11:24
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Combined global vehicle sales at eight major Japanese automakers fell 1.3 pct in April from a year earlier to 1,936,042 units, according to data released by the companies on Thursday. The decrease followed a rise in sales a year earlier driven by last-minute demand ahead of sweeping tariff measures introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and th... .. read more..
Ferry Service to Link Japan's Ishigaki Island, Taiwan City
Thursday, May 28,2026,11:00
Keelung, Taiwan, May 28 (Jiji Press)--A regular passenger ferry service is set to be launched to connect the northern Taiwan city of Keelung and Ishigaki Island in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa. For its maiden voyage, the Yaima Maru ferry will depart from the port of Keelung late Thursday and is scheduled to arrive at Ishigaki Island on Friday morning. This will be the fir... .. read more..
Philippine Pres. Marcos Vows to Maintain Maritime Order
Thursday, May 28,2026,10:47
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a speech to the Diet, Japan's parliament, on Thursday vowed to take the initiative in maintaining a rules-based maritime order. "All states, regardless of size or power, are equal, have a voice and are free to pursue their development in accordance with international norms and law," Marcos said, with China's coercive a... .. read more..
G7 Seen Skipping Joint Communique at June Summit
Thursday, May 28,2026,09:52
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--The Group of Seven major countries are expected to forgo issuing a joint communique at their summit in France in June, hoping to avoid exposing disagreements between the United States and European members regarding international affairs, it was learned Thursday. "We're not coordinating to adopt a comprehensive leaders' declaration," said a source involved in nego... .. read more..
8th Ruling Finds Japan Lower House Poll Constitutional
Thursday, May 28,2026,09:48
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--The Okayama branch of Hiroshima High Court ruled Thursday that the Feb. 8 election for Japan's House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, was constitutional in terms of vote-value disparities. Presiding Judge Yasuki Kinugawa at the high court branch in the western city of Okayama dismissed a petition filed by a group of lawyers led by Hidetoshi Ma... .. read more..
Japan, Philippines Agree to Become Comprehensive Partners
Thursday, May 28,2026,09:27
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. held a bilateral summit at a state guest house in Tokyo on Thursday and agreed to upgrade their countries' relationship to a comprehensive and strategic partnership. Takaichi and Marcos confirmed their commitment to strengthening security and energy cooperation amid Chin... .. read more..