Page 33 - Japan

14 students hospitalised in Japan after eating chips made with Bhut Jolokia

Bhut Jolokia is one of the hottest chillies in the world originating in Northeast India, especially in the regions around Assam, Nagaland and Manipur

What are Japan's tactics based on latest suspected forex intervention?

The yen had languished at 38-year lows past 160 per dollar before the suspected bout of intervention making policymakers increasingly worried

Japan turns to AI romance apps amid rising loneliness, falling birth rate

In Japan, the Loverse app offers AI companionship as traditional relationships decline, while government efforts remain focused on addressing the nation's falling birth rates and growing loneliness

India set to advance Indo-Pacific agenda at Quad foreign ministers' meeting

The agenda is set to address China's expanding naval activities in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, alongside concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes

Laughter the best medicine in Japan: Local govt passes new health law

Explained: Japan's Yamagata prefecture's has introduced a new laughter ordinance aiming to promote better physical and mental health in the community

Japan punishes defence officials for mishandling sensitive data, misconduct

Japan's defence ministry announced disciplinary action on Friday against more than 200 senior officials and service members over mishandling of classified materials and other misconduct, an embarrassment that could undermine Tokyo's efforts to work more closely with United States and other partners. Japan's Defence Ministry and its Self Defence Forces have been under scrutiny over allegations that members of the navy violated the sensitive information protection law, as well as other misconduct such as falsely claiming allowances for special assignments, or wrongfully claiming free meals at base cafeterias. Ministerial staff were also accused of abuses of power. Defence Minister Minoru Kihara apologised, saying the problems significantly damaging to the public trust for the ministry and Japan's defence forces. I'm keenly aware of my responsibility. He blamed a lack of discipline across the organisation. Kihara said the ministry's investigation found that classified information was

What explains Japanese government's non intervention to support yen?

Massive interest rate differentials between the U.S. and Japan have been weighing the yen down, putting monetary policy at the centre of the currency's woes

Women politicians' share rises in Japanese politics, but challenges remain

Eight years ago, Yuriko Koike became the first woman to lead Tokyo, beating her male predecessor. She won her third term as governor on Sunday, and one of her closest rivals was a woman. Multiple women competing for a top political office is still rare in Japan, which has a terrible global gender-equality ranking, but Koike's win highlights a gradual rise in powerful female officials and a society more open to gender balance in politics. That said, even if a woman eventually becomes prime minister, politics here is still overwhelmingly dominated by men, and experts see a huge effort needed for equal representation. There are growing expectations for women to play a greater role in politics, said parliamentarian Chinami Nishimura, a senior official with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. In politics or parliament, which are still largely considered men's work, it is extremely meaningful for women to show their presence and have our voices heard. Nishimura,

Japan, Philippines sign defense pact in face of shared alarm over China

Japan and the Philippines signed a key defence pact on Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as both face an increasingly assertive China. The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which similarly allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training, was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a Manila ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It would take effect after ratification by the countries' legislatures, Philippine and Japanese officials said. Kamikawa called the signing a groundbreaking achievement" that should further boost defence cooperation between the countries. The Japanese and Philippine officials expressed serious concern over the dangerous and escalatory actions by China in Second Thomas Shoal, the scene of a recent confrontation

Japan, Philippines sign defence pact in the face of shared alarm over China

Japan and the Philippines signed a key defence pact Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint military exercises, including live-fire drills, to the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as they face an increasingly assertive China. The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which similarly allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training, was signed by Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a Manila ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It would take effect after ratification by the countries' legislatures, Philippine and Japanese officials said. Kamikawa called the signing of the defence agreement a groundbreaking achievement" that should further boost defence cooperation between Japan and the Philippines. A free and open international order based on the rule of law is the foundation of regional peace and

Japan May household spending falls, high prices squeeze purchasing power

Consumption is among key factors the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is scrutinising to gauge the strength of Japan's economy and decide how soon to raise interest rates

Officials from Quad countries review progress made since May 2023 summit

Senior officials from Quad member countries have reviewed the progress made by various Quad Working Groups in achieving the commitments made at the grouping's summit in May 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The officials, who met through video conference on Wednesday, also discussed new ideas to further the grouping's collaboration in delivering public good in the Indo-Pacific region in areas such as health security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, climate resilience, and countering terrorism, the ministry said in a statement. Senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Australia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Department of State of the US met to review the progress made by various Quad Working Groups in achieving the commitments made at the May 2023 Quad Leaders' Summit, it said. "They also discussed new ideas to further the Quad's collaboration in delivering public .

Japan to have a shortage of 1 million foreign workers in 2040: Think tank

Foreign workers are crucial to Japan's economy as they help to fill a severe labour shortage

Court orders Japan govt to compensate forcibly sterilised disabled people

In a landmark decision, Japan's Supreme Court ordered the government Wednesday to pay suitable compensation to about a dozen victims who were forcibly sterilised under a now-defunct Eugenics Protection Law that was designed to eliminate offspring of people with disabilities. An estimated 25,000 people were sterilised between the 1950s and 1970s without consent to prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants" under the law, described by plaintiffs' lawyers as the biggest human rights violation in the post-war era" in Japan. The court said the 1948 eugenics law was unconstitutional and rejected the government's claim that the 20-year statute of limitations should prevent it from paying restitution. Wednesday's decision involved 11 of the 39 plaintiffs who fought at five lower courts across Japan to get their case heard by the country's top court. Cases involving the other litigants are still pending. The plaintiffs, a number of them in wheelchairs, held up signs saying thank you and

Japan's 1st new banknotes in 20 years use holograms to defeat counterfeits

The notes use printed patterns to generate holograms of the portraits facing different directions, depending on the angle of view

North Korea claims new ballistic missile capable of carrying huge warhead

North Korea said Tuesday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a huge warhead, as the country is pushing to modernise its weapons arsenal to cope with what it calls US-led threats. The North's official Korean Central News Agency called the weapon Hwasongpho-11Da-4.5 which can carry 4.5 ton-class super-large warhead. It said the test-fire on Monday was meant to verify flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 kilometres (310 miles) and the minimum range of 90 kilometres (55 miles). South Korea's military earlier said that North Korea launched two ballistic missiles from one of its southwestern towns in a northeastern direction on Monday and that the first missile flew 600 kilometres (370 miles) and the second missile 120 kilometres (75 miles). The second missile's flight distance was too short to reach the waters off the North's east coast, a typical landing site for North Korean test missiles. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff

Japan revises economic growth in Q1 downward; data shows sluggish demand

Japan revised its earlier estimates to show that its economy contracted at a 2.9 per cent annual pace in the first quarter of the year, as meanwhile a survey by the central bank released Monday showed conditions remain sluggish. Analysts had expected the downward revision in the GDP data for January-March and said it was mainly based on a change in data on construction activity. The earlier estimate was of a 1.8 per cent contraction in annual terms. The quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan showed a modest improvement in business sentiment among large and medium-size manufacturers. But details of the survey showed weakness in demand both in Japan and overseas. Across all industries and firm sizes, business conditions held steady at 12, which is on past form consistent with (quarterly) GDP growth of around 0 per cent, Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in assessing the tankan. A renewed slowdown in GDP growth this quarter would be consistent with the slump in industrial ...

Myanmar junta arrests 11 for inflating rice prices, including Japanese

In Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that a Japanese national is being questioned by police in Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon

Japan launches Earth observation satellite on its new flagship H3 rocket

Japan deployed an upgraded Earth observation satellite for disaster response and security after it was launched on a new flagship H3 rocket Monday. The H3 No. 3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on a southwestern Japanese island and released its payload about 16 minutes later as planned, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said during a livestream. The Advanced Land Observation Satellite, or ALOS-4, is tasked primarily with Earth observation and data collection for disaster response and mapmaking. It's also capable of monitoring military activity, such as missile launches, with an infrared sensor developed by the Defence Ministry. The rocket appeared to fly as planned, and JAXA is expected to give further details at a news conference later Monday. The launch was initially planned for Sunday but was delayed due to bad weather at the launch site. The ALOS-4 is a successor to the current ALOS-2 and can observe a much wider area. Japan will operate both

N Korea launches ballistic missile toward sea, after US-S Korea-Japan drill

North Korea launched at least one short-range ballistic missile off its east coast Monday, South Korea's military said, a day after the North vowed offensive and overwhelming responses to a new US military drill with South Korea and Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from North Korea's southeastern town of Jangyon at 5.05 am. It said an additional, unidentified ballistic missile launch trajectory was detected 10 minutes later, a suggestion that North Korea might have performed two missile launches. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said South Korea's military has boosted its surveillance posture and is closely exchanging related information with the United States and Japan. The launch came two days after South Korea, the US and Japan ended their new multidomain trilateral drills in the region. In recent years, the three countries have been expanding their trilateral security partnership to better cope with North Korea's evolving nuclear threats and China's ...