Japan

Tokyo (EFE).- The Japanese power company TEPCO plans to reopen the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s largest by capacity, on Jan. 20, after obtaining approval from local authorities, the company confirmed in a statement. After detailing the inspections carried out by the company to reactivate reactor number 6 of the plant, which has been … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Japan said on Wednesday that it would call for more mitigation of emissions and greater international cooperation at the United Nations Climate Summit (COP30) in Brazil, given the indifference of the United States, which plans to withdraw from the Paris Agreement against climate change in 2026. A Japanese government official said at a … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday instructed her cabinet to draft a plan to review immigration and tourism regulations by January, aiming to achieve zero illegal residents, align visa costs with other major powers, and raise taxes on international tourism. The request coincided with the first cabinet meeting held on Tuesday to … Read more

Tokyo, Oct 30 (EFE).- The unmanned HTV-X1 spacecraft, launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) last weekend with supplies for the International Space Station (ISS), successfully docked early Thursday morning. The HTV-X1 was captured by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at approximately 0.58 am Tokyo time, project managers announced. The first HTV-X cargo vehicle, … Read more

Tokyo, Oct 27 (EFE).- Japan’s Defense Ministry said Monday its air force scrambled fighter jets Saturday in response to a Russian intelligence-gathering aircraft flying over the Sea of Japan, marking the second such incident in less than a week. The Joint Staff of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces said in a press release that it “confirmed that … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Conservative Sanae Takaichi, leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), became the country’s 104th prime minister and the first woman to hold the position on Tuesday after winning the Lower House vote. “Sanae Takaichi has been elected as the new prime minister,” said Fukushiro Nukaga, speaker of the Lower House of parliament … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is closing in on a new coalition with the opposition Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) as it works to secure legislative backing for its new leader, Sanae Takaichi, to become prime minister. Takaichi, elected LDP president on Oct. 4, met Wednesday with Ishin co-leader Hirofumi Yoshimura in the Diet … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Japan’s Buddhist-backed Komeito party announced Friday that it will withdraw from its 26-year coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a decision that throws into doubt the appointment of newly elected LDP leader Sanae Takaichi as the country’s next prime minister. The move was announced by Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito at a … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- The number of centenarians in Japan has reached a new record by exceeding 99,000 for the first time, the government said Friday, days ahead of Respect for the Aged Day. According to data from the health ministry, they have registered a record 99,763 people aged 100 years or older in the archipelago, an … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation Sunday, stepping down on the eve of a key Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) meeting that was expected to strip him of power following stinging electoral defeats. “I have decided to resign as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. According to the party statutes, the call … Read more

Tokyo (EFE).- Prince Hisahito of Akishino, the only grandson of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, turned 19 on Saturday and marked the occasion with a formal coming-of-age ceremony at the Imperial Palace. The ritual, held for the first time in four decades, introduces the young prince into official imperial … Read more