The Japanese government on Sunday announced a decision to expand a Japan-South Korea cooperation framework aimed at reducing emissions of methane from natural gas development projects.Par 時事通信社

Japan's industry minister Yoji Muto and Yoshitaka Ito, minister for the 2025 World Exposition, on Sunday visited the event's venue in the western Japan city of Osaka for the first time since they took office recently.Par 時事通信社

In a policy shift, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday unveiled a plan to refrain from giving his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's official endorsement to some members involved in its slush fund scandal in the upcoming general election.Par 時事通信社

The growing popularity in Japan of "spot work" staffing arrangements, which enable people to work short hours such as during their free time and be paid the same day, has led to an increase in schemes defrauding operators of related platforms.Par 時事通信社

A Japanese ruling party official on Sunday showed a plan for the government to compile after the upcoming general election a large-scale supplementary budget for fiscal 2024 featuring funding for measures to cope with rising prices.Par 時事通信社

Japan's Cabinet Office will conduct as early as this fiscal year a survey on stockpiles at facilities around the country that are designated to be used as temporary shelters in times of disasters.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's recent remark signaling opposition to interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan has taken the financial market by surprise, as he had been viewed as a proponent of rate hikes.Par 時事通信社

Japan's industry ministry has released a report listing challenges facing bookstores in the country, including low profit margins and fierce competition with online stores.Par 時事通信社

Prominent Japanese food critic Yukio Hattori, who also appeared on television as a cooking program commentator, has died, it was learned Saturday. He was 78.Par 時事通信社

A rally to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was held in Tokyo on Saturday, ahead of the first anniversary Monday of the start of the large-scale armed conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas in the Palestinian territory.Par 時事通信社

Former elementary and junior high school classmates of Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped by North Korea more than 45 years ago, held a charity concert Saturday, when she turned 60, in the hope of reuniting with her at an early date.Par 時事通信社

Japan's new industry minister Yoji Muto on Saturday inspected the meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan for the first time since he took office earlier this month.Par 時事通信社

The leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the junior member of the ruling bloc, separately visited on Saturday the Noto Peninsula, which was heavily damaged by torrential rain in late September, nearly nine months after a powerful earthquake struck the region Jan. 1.…

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Saturday attended the general opening ceremony of the Japan Games sports festival in the southwestern prefecture of Saga.Par 時事通信社

A 25-year-old man from Pakistan is aiming in Japan to support so-called young language carers from abroad, or children who interpret for family members who cannot speak Japanese.Par 時事通信社

Japan's transport ministry plans to support the installation of manually operated gates as well as fences at Class 4 railway crossings, which do not have alarms or barriers, from fiscal 2025 in order to boost the safety of such dangerous crossings.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday visited the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, which was hit hard by the Jan. 1 earthquake and heavy rain in September.Par 時事通信社

Japanese professional baseball pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano said Saturday that he will seek to join a U.S. Major League Baseball team as an international free agent this offseason.Par 時事通信社

An object looking like an unexploded bomb has been found in a residential area in Tokyo, with nearby residents temporarily urged to stay away from the site of the discovery.Par 時事通信社

Eleven Japanese nationals and five foreigners have fled Lebanon for Jordan aboard a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force C-2 transport aircraft, the Japanese government said Friday.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is planning in principle for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to officially endorse lawmakers involved in the party's "slush fund" scandal in the upcoming general election, it was learned Friday.Par 時事通信社

Japan's three major business lobbies on Friday submitted their economic policy requests to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on Tuesday.Par 時事通信社

The Tokyo metropolitan assembly unanimously passed an ordinance on Friday to ban the harassment of workers by customers, effective on April 1 next year, the first such ordinance in Japan.Par 時事通信社

The Japan Meteorological Agency is stepping up its public relations activities to raise awareness of the "tsunami flag," which warns beachgoers to evacuate when a tsunami wave is forecast to arrive.Par 時事通信社

Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings Co. is considering selling its superstore operations, including struggling unit Ito-Yokado Co., at an early date, people familiar with the matter said Friday.Par 時事通信社

Honda Motor Co.'s N-Box minivehicle was the top-selling car in Japan in the April-September period, keeping the title for the third straight fiscal first half, industry data showed Friday.Par 時事通信社

Japan's transport minister Tetsuo Saito said Friday he has instructed checks for unexploded shells at three domestic airports on top of Miyazaki Airport, where a World War II U.S. bomb exploded on Wednesday.Par 時事通信社

Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, plans to set the viewer fee for its online program distribution at 1,100 yen per month, the same as the fee for its terrestrial broadcasting service, people familiar with the matter said Friday.Par 時事通信社

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is set to hold a debate with leaders of other parties at the Diet, Japan's parliament, on Wednesday.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday pledged to redouble efforts to regain public trust in politics that has been eroded by a slush funds scandal involving his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is still confirming facts over alleged fund reporting irregularities at his now-disbanded faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a government official said Friday.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday instructed his cabinet to compile an economic package partly to support households hit by soaring prices.Par 時事通信社

By Adriana ReineckePar 時事通信社

Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies condemned on Thursday Iran's large-scale missile attack against Israel in the strongest terms.Par 時事通信社

The Bank of Japan should maintain its policy of raising interest rates gradually, International Monetary Fund spokesperson Julie Kozack said Thursday.Par 時事通信社

Two Japanese nationals have fled Lebanon and arrived in Cyprus on a ship chartered by the Japanese government, the government said Thursday.Par 時事通信社

Two new Japanese ministers and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda agreed Thursday to maintain a 2013 government-BOJ statement aimed at pulling the country out of deflation.Par 時事通信社

Japan Airlines said Thursday it will coordinate airfares and flight schedules with Garuda Indonesia, starting around April next year.Par 時事通信社

Japanese toy maker MegaHouse Corp. said Thursday it will put on the market the world's smallest Rubik's Cube product.Par 時事通信社

An idea has emerged within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party to ban party members involved in the high-profile slush funds scandal from running in the proposed Oct. 27 general election for both a constituency seat and under the proportional representation system.Par 時事通信社

Police in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, placed a 24-year-old man, Rikiya Morita, on a public wanted list Thursday for allegations including his involvement in a robbery resulting in injury this week.Par 時事通信社

Japan's transport ministry will require passenger ships operating in cold water to carry life rafts from next April, it was learned Thursday.Par 時事通信社

Japanese chipmaker Rapidus Corp. said Thursday that it will set up a research and development center for the semiconductor assembly process at a Seiko Epson Corp. factory in Chitose, Hokkaido, northern Japan.Par 時事通信社

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday sought cooperation from other opposition parties in unifying candidates for constituencies in the upcoming general election.Par 時事通信社

U.S. magazine Time selected actress Anna Sawai, who starred in "Shogun," a drama set in feudal Japan, for its "Time100 Next 2024" list of rising leaders Wednesday.Par 時事通信社

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel agreed Thursday to further strengthen their countries' alliance.Par 時事通信社

Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will announce, in his first policy speech at parliament Friday, a plan to double subsidies for local revitalization on an initial budget basis, it was learned Thursday.Par 時事通信社

The award ceremony for the Kura Master competition for sake and other Japanese alcoholic beverages for France for fiscal 2024 was held in Paris on Wednesday.Par 時事通信社

Leaders from the Group of Seven major democracies on Wednesday reaffirmed that they will work closely together in their responses to heightened tensions in the Middle East.Par 時事通信社

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday expressed serious concern about the potential escalation into a full-fledged war in the Middle East following Iran's missile attack on Israel.Par 時事通信社