Japan set out to phase out the use of nuclear power plants after the country's worst nuclear accident at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant in March 2011, when the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan was in power.Di 時事通信社

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo reaffirmed bilateral cooperation over the situation in the East and South China Seas on Tuesday.Di 時事通信社

Some 1,436 million yen in government-funded COVID-19 relief loans was extended to welfare recipients in Japan, who were not eligible for the lending, the Board of Audit of Japan has found.Di 時事通信社

An idea of holding a special session of the Diet from Nov. 7 after the upcoming general election has emerged within the government and ruling parties, informed sources said Tuesday.Di 時事通信社

Two Japanese selected in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's first public recruitment in 13 years have completed basic training and been certified as astronauts, the agency, or JAXA, said Tuesday.Di 時事通信社

Both Japanese ruling and opposition parties have promised continued wage increases to help counter soaring prices in their campaigning for an election on Sunday for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of parliament.Di 時事通信社

The Japan Fair Trade Commission conducted on-site inspections Tuesday of six companies, including Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, for suspected violation of the antimonopoly law over their alleged bid-rigging for railway bridge maintenance work, according to informed sources.Di 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday indicated a policy to strengthen the government's responses to social media posts that lead to crimes, in connection with a recent series of robbery cases in the Tokyo metropolitan area.Di 時事通信社

U.S. investment fund KKR has filed with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau to extend its tender offer for Japanese system developer Fuji Soft Inc. until Nov. 5.Di 時事通信社

An event to showcase Japanese food products was held on Monday at one of Europe's largest food shows held near Paris, with 14 Japanese prefectures showing off their local specialties.Di 時事通信社

With less than a week to go until Sunday's election for Japan's House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of parliament, ruling and opposition parties are working to shore up support in constituencies where the results are expected to be close.Di 時事通信社

Takeo Akiba, secretary-general of Japan's National Security Secretariat, held phone talks with Wang Yi, China's foreign minister and a member of the political bureau of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, on Monday.Di 時事通信社

China has given the go-ahead for imports of "nishikigoi" ornamental carp from some aquaculture facilities in Japan after months of suspension, people familiar with the matter said Monday.Di 時事通信社

Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation is calling for caution over old bidet toilet seats, which may be hazardous.Di 時事通信社

Japanese police have arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly engaging in fictitious listings on the Mercari flea market app and defrauding cash by falsely claiming that the deals had been completed.Di 時事通信社

Global sales of new electric vehicles are expected to increase by about six times to 57.13 million units in 2040 from about 10.04 million units in 2023, according to a survey by Fuji Keizai Co., a private research firm in Tokyo.Di 時事通信社

Residents of the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, which was hit by a massive earthquake and a heavy rain disaster earlier this year, have mixed hope and resignation over politics ahead of Sunday's general election.Di 時事通信社

A U.S. F-35B fighter jet has successfully landed on the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Kaga for the first time, the MSDF said Monday.Di 時事通信社

Tokyo High Court on Monday rejected a claim that deaths and injuries from the 2014 eruption of Mount Ontake were due to the Japan Meteorological Agency's failure to raise the volcanic alert level for the central Japan mountain.Di 時事通信社

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party faces the risk of losing its single-party majority in the House of Representatives in Sunday's general election, amid public outcry over its "slush fund" scandal.Di 時事通信社

Major Japanese trading house Itochu Corp. announced Monday that it has acquired the exclusive merchandising right for popular rabbit character "Opanchu Usagi" in Asia outside Japan and South Korea.Di 時事通信社

Chieko Tsukahara, a gymnastics coach for many Japanese medalists across multiple Olympics, died of bowel cancer on Sept. 1, people familiar with the matter said Monday. She was 77.Di 時事通信社

The average price of new condominiums in the Tokyo metropolitan area logged a new record high of 79.53 million yen per unit in the first half of fiscal 2024, Real Estate Economic Institute Co. said Monday.Di 時事通信社

The result of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election might have a positive effect on Japanese automakers, which have strengths in hybrid vehicles, whoever wins the presidency, according to recent analysis by a U.S. research firm.Di 時事通信社

Rakuten Mobile Inc. said Monday that its total number of mobile phone subscribers has topped eight million, the minimum level it considers necessary to turn a profit on a monthly basis.Di 時事通信社

Tokyo police have arrested 17 Vietnamese women for allegedly operating five "girl bars" without authorization in violation of the adult entertainment business law.Di 時事通信社

The chief of the Shizuoka prefectural police department apologized directly to former Japanese death-row inmate Iwao Hakamata at his home in Hamamatu in the central Japan prefecture on Monday, after his acquittal in a retrial over a 1966 murder case became final earlier this month.Di 時事通信社

Japan Airlines and Oriental Land Co., the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, on Monday unveiled an airplane specially painted with the theme of Tokyo DisneySea's "Fantasy Springs" area, which opened in June this year.Di 時事通信社

Local officials Monday prayed for victims of torrential rain that caused floods and landslides in many parts of the Noto Peninsula in central Japan a month ago.Di 時事通信社

The Grand Egyptian Museum, built with the help from Japan, has opened the doors of its permanent exhibition to visitors for a trial run, showcasing over 10,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts.Di 時事通信社

Over 400 people remain evacuated in Ishikawa Prefecture one month after the heavy rain that caused floods and landslides in many parts of the Noto Peninsula in the central Japan prefecture.Di 時事通信社

Japanese television personality and fashion critic Peeco died of multiple organ failure caused by septicemia Sept. 3 at a hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, it was learned Sunday. He was 79.Di 時事通信社

Japan's ruling coalition looks likely to maintain a majority in the 465-seat House of Representatives in the Oct. 27 election for the lower chamber of parliament, a Jiji Press survey has found.Di 時事通信社

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko attended the 47th National Tree Care Festival in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on Sunday.Di 時事通信社

Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, called for boosting the incomes of young people in a television debate with other parties Sunday.Di 時事通信社

Former Japanese Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Masami Oka will be the first head of a planned international body to manage joint development plans for next-generation fighter jets, the Defense Ministry has said.Di 時事通信社

The Group of Seven major powers have expressed concern about Chinese military drills around Taiwan in their first defense ministers' meeting, held in Naples, Italy.Di 時事通信社

The Japanese and U.S. defense leaders met in the Italian city of Naples on Saturday to discuss an upgrading of the command and control frameworks of the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military.Di 時事通信社

Japanese Empress Emerita Michiko turned 90 on Sunday, working on rehabilitation after her recent leg injury.Di 時事通信社

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been shaken by the low public support rating for new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet shown by the recent Jiji Press poll.Di 時事通信社

No Japanese cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, were seen to have visited war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo during its three-day autumn festival that ended on Saturday.Di 時事通信社

Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and KDDI Corp. will end their joint ownership of online securities and banking arms within fiscal 2024 at the earliest, it was learned Saturday.Di 時事通信社

Komeito leader Keiichi Ishii has turned to the Liberal Democratic Party, hit by a political funds scandal, for help in Saitama Prefecture's No. 14 constituency in the Oct. 27 general election.Di 時事通信社

The 49-year-old man arrested after throwing apparent firebombs at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Saturday was once actively involved in protests against nuclear power plants, sources said.Di 時事通信社

Japan, South Korea and the United States on Friday released a joint statement to reinforce their collaboration to improve the North Korean human rights situation, according to the U.S. Department of State.Di 時事通信社

Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission has conducted compulsory probes into a judge seconded to the Financial Services Agency on suspicion of insider trading in shares, sources said Saturday.Di 時事通信社

A 49-year-old man was arrested Saturday morning after throwing several objects that were likely firebombs at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo.Di 時事通信社

Both ruling and opposition parties are offering ideas for stopping population outflow from regional communities in their campaigning for the Oct. 27 general election.Di 時事通信社

The Japanese government Friday released a draft report calling for imposing fines on companies that violate rules under the carbon dioxide emission trading system to be fully introduced in fiscal 2026.Di 時事通信社

A special committee of a Japanese government panel said Friday that it is appropriate to maintain the limit on foreign investment in Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. under the NTT law.Di 時事通信社