1 Japanese Crew Member Returns Home from Persian Gulf
Wednesday, April 29,2026,16:15
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Wednesday that one Japanese national who had been aboard a Japan-related vessel stranded in the Persian Gulf disembarked and returned to Japan. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the individual is in good health. Also, three Japanese nationals are on board a crude oil tanker of Japan's Idemitsu Tanker Co. that has passed... .. read more..
Idemitsu Oil Tanker Passes through Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday, April 29,2026,15:40
Istanbul, April 29 (Jiji Press)--A crude oil tanker owned by Idemitsu Tanker Co., a subsidiary of Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co., passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is en route to Japan, it was learned Wednesday. Three Japanese nationals are on board. This is the first time that a crude oil tanker headed directly for Japan has left the Persian Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli mi... .. read more..
Showa 100th Anniversary Event Held in Tokyo
Wednesday, April 29,2026,15:27
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government held a ceremony to mark this year's 100th anniversary of the 1926 start of the Showa era at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan hall on Wednesday, Showa Day, a national holiday. Delivering a speech at the event, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looked back on the history of the Showa era and said, "Isn't it time that we learn from our predecessors, who ... .. read more..
China Has "Ambitions" over Taiwan: Kurt Campbell
Wednesday, April 29,2026,13:11
By Adriana Reinecke Washington, April 29(Jiji Press)--Speaking ahead of the upcoming U.S.-China summit, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that China has "ambitions" regarding the Taiwan issue. In an interview with Jiji Press on Monday, Campbell expressed concern that Chinese President Xi Jinping may directly urge U.S. President Donald Trump to declare open oppositi... .. read more..
Evacuation Orders Mostly Lifted for Wildfires-Hit Iwate Town
Wednesday, April 29,2026,10:09
Otsuchi, Iwate Pref., April 29 (Jiji Press)--The town of Otsuchi in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate lifted evacuation orders for most areas affected by wildfires that began on April 22, citing reduced risk thanks to rainfall. Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano said at a press conference, "Although the evacuation orders have been lifted, the fires have not been suppressed, so please stay a... .. read more..
Japan Seeks to Play Active Role at NPT Review Meeting
Wednesday, April 29,2026,07:23
New York, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan will seek to play an active role in finding common ground between nuclear and nonnuclear states at a review conference for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which opened Monday, Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ayano Kunimitsu said Tuesday. Kunimitsu, who took part in the conference, made the comment during her talks with U.N. Secretary-G... .. read more..
Japan's Takaichi Vows Support for Wage Hikes at May Day Event
Wednesday, April 29,2026,06:26
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday vowed to make every effort to create an environment conducive to wage increases, at her first May Day event attended since taking office last autumn. The prime minister also called for cooperation to achieve "sustained wage hikes that outpace inflation." The May Day central convention was held by the Japane... .. read more..
U.S. to Support Introduction of Japan-Version CFIUS: Official
Wednesday, April 29,2026,03:59
Washington, April 28 (Jiji Press)--The U.S. government is ready to provide maximum support for Japan's planned introduction of its own version of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, a senior U.S. Treasury Department official said Tuesday. Chris Pilkerton, assistant secretary for investment security at the department, told reporters that the United States inte... .. read more..
Japan Recognizes 3,875 People in 2026 Spring Honors
Wednesday, April 29,2026,02:39
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Wednesday that it has recognized a total of 3,875 individuals, including animation film director Yoshiyuki Tomino, best known for the Mobile Suit Gundam series, for this year's spring honors for their outstanding contributions to Japanese society. Tomino, 84, will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. "I'm... .. read more..
15 Pct of Hospitals in Japan Report Sexual Abuse
Wednesday, April 29,2026,01:30
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--Sexual abuse of patients has occurred at 15.5 pct of hospitals and other medical facilities in Japan, a government survey found. The survey by the Children and Families Agency, the first of its kind, was conducted online between December 2025 and January 2026 to grasp the actual situation of sexual abuse by doctors, nurses and other staff against patients inclu... .. read more..
Planned Food Tax Cut Faces Implementation Challenges
Wednesday, April 29,2026,01:00
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's nonpartisan National Council on Social Security is discussing challenges over a planned consumption tax cut for food items, including when to introduce the step. Although Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to implement a two-year food tax rate reduction to zero pct within fiscal 2026, it would take a year to make cash register systems compatible with a ... .. read more..
Many Health Insurance Societies at Large Firms to Face Deficits
Wednesday, April 29,2026,00:00
Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--Over 70 pct of health insurance societies joined by employees of large Japanese companies and their families are projected to log deficits in fiscal 2026, the National Federation of Health Insurance Societies has said. The combined balance at health insurance societies at all member large firms in the fiscal year that ends in March 2027 is forecast to result in... .. read more..
Idemitsu to Supply 4 M. Barrels of Crude Oil to Vietnam
Tuesday, April 28,2026,16:04
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Idemitsu Kosan Co. is set to provide about 4 million barrels of crude oil to Vietnam, it was learned Tuesday. The crude oil, procured from the Middle East and transported on a route not using the Strait of Hormuz, will be refined into petroleum products such as gasoline and naphtha in Vietnam for sale in the Southeast Asian nation, according to sources ... .. read more..
Idemitsu Oil Tanker Passing through Strait of Hormuz
Tuesday, April 28,2026,15:30
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--A crude oil tanker owned by Idemitsu Tanker Co., a subsidiary of major Japanese oil wholesaler Idemitsu Kosan Co., is passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to global ship-tracking website MarineTraffic. As of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Japan time, the tanker, the Idemitsu Maru, was heading toward the Gulf of Oman as it transited the key oil transport waterway.... .. read more..
Takaichi Eager to Deepen Ties with Vietnam, Australia
Tuesday, April 28,2026,15:11
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during her upcoming five-day trip to Vietnam and Australia, hopes to further boost cooperation with the two nations in the security and economic security fields amid China's growing military and economic coercion. During planned bilateral summits, Takaichi and leaders of Vietnam and Australia are also expected to discuss ... .. read more..
Oriental Land Posts Record Group Sales in FY 2025
Tuesday, April 28,2026,11:53
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Oriental Land Co., the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, said Tuesday its group sales in the year that ended in March rose 3.7 pct from the previous year to a record 704.5 billion yen. The growth reflected the first full-year contribution of the Fantasy Springs area, which opened at Tokyo DisneySea in June 2024, to the company's earnings. Sales were boosted by... .. read more..
Japan Recommends Replacing Entire Fluorescent Lamp Fixture
Tuesday, April 28,2026,11:18
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation has recommended replacing not only the lamp itself but also the entire lamp fixture when switching from fluorescent to light-emitting diode lighting. This comes in response to a rise in cases of smoke and fire erupting out of old fluorescent lighting fixtures. Japan is phasing out production, export and... .. read more..
Man Acquitted over 1986 Murder Seeks State Compensation
Tuesday, April 28,2026,10:39
Fukui, April 28 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese man acquitted in a retrial over the murder of a junior high school girl 40 years ago demanded on Tuesday about 40 million yen in state compensation for some eight years and nine months of unjust detention. Shoshi Maekawa, 60, filed the compensation request with Fukui District Court in the city of Fukui, central Japan. He was arrested in March 1987... .. read more..
Japan Likely to Pass Bill to Raise Immigration Fees
Tuesday, April 28,2026,10:16
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to raise the ceiling on fees for immigration procedures, making it likely to be enacted during the current parliamentary session ending in July. The amendment to the immigration control and refugee recognition law was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the lower chamber of the Diet, with... .. read more..
JR West, Resona Holdings Eyeing Capital, Biz Alliance
Tuesday, April 28,2026,09:22
Osaka, April 28 (Jiji Press)--West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, and major Japanese banking group Resona Holdings Inc. are considering forging a capital and business alliance, it was learned Tuesday. The railway company, which serves the Kansai western Japan region, plans to expand into financial services by acquiring an equity stake of about 20 pct in Kansai Mirai Bank, a Resona Holdings s... .. read more..
Retiring "Riku-Ryu" Figure Skating Duo Voices No Regrets
Tuesday, April 28,2026,09:16
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--The gold-winning Japanese figure skating pair, Riku Miura, 24, and Ryuichi Kihara, 33, held their retirement press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday, saying that they have no regrets. "We gave it our all at the (2026 Milan-Cortina Winter) Olympics," Miura said with a smile. Kihara, who appeared emotional from the beginning of the press conference, said, "We were t... .. read more..
Map: 6.1-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Northern Japan
Tuesday, April 28,2026,09:15
View the location of the quake’s epicenter and shake area. .. read more..
Denso Retracts Proposal to Acquire Rohm
Tuesday, April 28,2026,08:47
Nagoya, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese auto parts maker Denso Corp. said Tuesday that it will withdraw its proposal to acquire domestic chipmaker Rohm Co. Denso said in a statement that the company "has not obtained the support of Rohm's board of directors and special committee with respect to the proposal." The focus of a reorganization of the country's power semiconductor industry is n... .. read more..
Japan Lower House OKs Bills to Raise Costs of OTC-Like Drugs
Tuesday, April 28,2026,08:04
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's House of Representatives on Tuesday approved health insurance system reform bills featuring the establishment of a mechanism to increase out-of-pocket expenses for patients prescribed drugs with ingredients and effects similar to those of over-the-counter drugs. The bills were passed by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the lower chamber of parlia... .. read more..
Japan Defense Minister Calls for Discipline in U.S. Military
Tuesday, April 28,2026,07:51
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Tuesday urged the U.S. military to strengthen discipline, 10 years after a woman was killed by a former U.S. base civilian worker in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan. "We will urge the U.S. military to strengthen discipline and prevent any repeat of the crime," Koizumi told a press conference, denouncin... .. read more..
BOJ's Ueda Vows to Avoid Falling behind Curve
Tuesday, April 28,2026,07:49
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Tuesday that the central bank will manage monetary policy appropriately so that it is not too late to raise interest rates. "We'll make an appropriate policy decision at the next (policy-setting) meeting after checking if we could fall behind the curve," Ueda said at a press conference following a two-day policy meeting th... .. read more..
Japan-Bound Tankers from U.S. Increase amid Hormuz Closure
Tuesday, April 28,2026,07:33
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--The number of crude oil tankers sailing to Japan from the United States has shot up amid the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil transport waterway. As of Thursday, 13 tankers bound for Japan were confirmed to have departed from coastal U.S. areas of the Gulf of Mexico, a key oil loading hub. One of the ships arrived in Japan via the Panama... .. read more..
Japan Has Enough Materials for Farm, Food Products: Minister
Tuesday, April 28,2026,07:17
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan has enough supplies of oil-derived materials used in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industries amid heightened Middle East tensions, agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki said Tuesday. "Quantities are sufficient as a whole in the country" at present, Suzuki said at a press conference, citing surveys of distribution conditions of 57 such item... .. read more..
Toyota-Backed Startup Begins "Flying Car" Test Flights in N.Y.
Tuesday, April 28,2026,06:46
New York, April 27 (Jiji Press)--Joby Aviation Inc., a U.S. startup backed by Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp., said Monday that it has begun demonstration flights of its so-called flying cars in New York. The electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft flew between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan. Toyota has invested 894 million dollars in the star... .. read more..
Japan Panel Calls for Boost in Long-Term Public Works Investment
Tuesday, April 28,2026,06:15
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Private-sector members of a key Japanese government panel have called for a review of an indicator used to assess the appropriateness of public works projects in order to encourage long-term infrastructure investment by local governments and other entities. "We need to build a strong regional economy in order to make the Japanese archipelago strong and prospero... .. read more..
BOJ Skips Rate Hike amid Middle East Tensions
Tuesday, April 28,2026,06:00
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan decided Tuesday to keep its monetary policy unchanged while raising its fiscal 2026 inflation forecast, in light of higher crude oil prices amid tensions in the Middle East. At a two-day meeting that ended Tuesday, the BOJ's Policy Board voted six to three to maintain the policy of guiding the unsecured overnight call rate, Japan's benchmark s... .. read more..
Japan Govt Calls for Road Map to Medical Payment Hikes
Tuesday, April 28,2026,04:45
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Finance Ministry on Tuesday called for a road map to raising out-of-pocket medical payments by patients aged 70 or older to reduce the health insurance premium burden on the working generation. The road map to consolidating their payment rates eventually to a uniform 30 pct should be created, the ministry said at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Fisca... .. read more..
44 Pct of Japan Firms Say Naphtha Woes Already Hitting Biz
Tuesday, April 28,2026,04:05
(The fifth paragraph should have read, "...answers...," instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) 44 Pct of Japan Firms Say Naphtha Woes Already Hitting Biz Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Disruptions to naphtha supply tied to Middle East tensions are already affecting 44.1 pct of 102 surveyed Japanese food makers, retailers and other firms, an industry group survey report has shown. ... .. read more..
Japan PM Takaichi to Visit Vietnam, Australia Starting Friday
Tuesday, April 28,2026,03:49
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit Vietnam and Australia from Friday through May 5, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Tuesday. Takaichi will meet with Vietnamese and Australian leaders on Saturday and Monday, respectively, to reaffirm their commitment to strengthen cooperation. In Vietnam on Saturday, the prime minister will deliver a... .. read more..
BOJ Keeps Policy Intact amid Middle East Tensions
Tuesday, April 28,2026,03:35
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan on Tuesday decided to keep its monetary policy unchanged while raising its fiscal 2026 inflation forecast, in light of higher crude oil prices amid tensions in the Middle East. The BOJ's Policy Board, at a two-day meeting that ended Tuesday, voted six to three to maintain the policy of guiding the unsecured overnight call rate, Japan's benchma... .. read more..
99 Accused in Japan in International Child Pornography Crackdown
Tuesday, April 28,2026,03:29
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police have taken action against 99 people aged 14 to 72 years in the country as part of an international crackdown on online child pornography, the National Police Agency said Monday. The 99 people included 25 junior high and high school students in cases including sharing sexual images of classmates with friends. A total of 445 people were arreste... .. read more..
Helsinki Mayor Welcomes Japanese Businesses
Tuesday, April 28,2026,02:28
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Helsinki warmly welcomes Japanese visitors and businesses, Daniel Sazonov, mayor of the Finnish capital, said in an interview with Jiji Press in Tokyo on Monday. Sazonov voiced hopes for increased cooperation between Finland and Japan over defense and military-civilian dual-use technology. Finland joined NATO in April 2023 due to the growing security threat ... .. read more..
Nuclear Nonproliferation Meeting Kicks Off at U.N.
Tuesday, April 28,2026,02:07
New York, April 27 (Jiji Press)--A review conference for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty kicked off at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, with difficult negotiations expected amid slowing momentum for nuclear disarmament. In his opening speech, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that "the drivers of proliferation are accelerating," saying that "commitments remain u... .. read more..
JAL to Test Humanoid Robots for Airport Ground Handling Work
Tuesday, April 28,2026,00:12
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan Airlines and GMO AI & Robotics Corp., a unit of GMO Internet Group Inc., have announced a demonstration experiment to utilize humanoid robots for ground handling tasks at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The roughly three-year test will begin next month with the aim of reducing the need for manpower and cutting employee workloads amid a severe labor shortage in the... .. read more..
"Riku-Ryu" Figure Skating Pair to Receive Medal of Honor
Monday, April 27,2026,23:34
Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government announced Tuesday that 603 individuals and 28 groups will receive medals of honor this spring, including figure skating pair Riku Miura, 24, and Ryuichi Kihara, 33, who won gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The "Riku-Ryu" pair will be among 26 recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon for outstanding achievements in the fi... .. read more..