Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert after issuing one following a series of major earthquakes Monday but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.

The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It was unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt.

TOKYO, Dec 30 (NNN-NHK) – The Japanese government carried out no executions in 2023, for the first time in three years, local media reported.

Currently, there are 106 inmates on death row in Japan, after three died from illness and other causes, and three others had their death sentences finalised this year, Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, said, citing the Justice Ministry.

The law on inmate treatment, stipulates that, no executions will take place from Dec 29 to Jan 3, making any such act within the year impossible.

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel praised Japan’s contribution to drastic “reform and modernization” of their alliance, particularly its military capability and spending, as well as a decision to allow Japanese-made Patriot guided missiles to be shipped to the United States to make up for its decreasing inventory.

In a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Wednesday, Emanuel noted a series of steps Japan has taken to bolster its military power and the countries’ alliance, saying it brings the “level of deterrence to capital D deterrence.”

TOKYO, Dec 26 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s Okinawa prefectural government, yesterday, rejected a high court order to approve a revised plan for a key U.S. base relocation, within the southernmost prefecture, local media reported.

Okinawa will appeal the high court ruling to the Supreme Court, Kyodo news reported, citing a prefectural government official.

TOKYO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Friday lifted its ban on exports of arms and ammunition manufactured under license from foreign companies to their countries, and conditionally to third countries.

The controversial change was brought up under the revised Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and the Implementation Guidelines.

Under the amended document, the government allows weapons made in Japan under foreign license, including completed products and components, to be shipped to the country that the licenser is based.

TOKYO, Dec 21 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s Toshiba Corporation, yesterday, was delisted from the Japanese stock exchanges, ending its 74-year-long history as a publicly traded company.

The electronics giant saw its common shares delisted from the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Premier Market of the Nagoya Stock Exchange, on the trading day.

On their last trading day on Tuesday, shares of Toshiba closed at 4,590 yen (about 31.98 U.S. dollars), down 0.1 percent from the previous day.

TOKYO, Dec 18 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in an exclusive interview with Japan’s leading media group The Nikkei once again highlighted the hypocrisy over the crisis in Gaza by “so-called countries that promote democracy and human rights.” 

This insightful interview conducted by journalist Norman Goh on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit on Sunday is featured in Nikkei Asia, the flagship publication of Nikkei, Inc., and the world’s largest financial newspaper. 

TOKYO, Dec 18 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in an exclusive interview with Japan’s leading media group The Nikkei once again highlighted the hypocrisy over the crisis in Gaza by “so-called countries that promote democracy and human rights.” 

This insightful interview conducted by journalist Norman Goh on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit on Sunday is featured in Nikkei Asia, the flagship publication of Nikkei, Inc., and the world’s largest financial newspaper. 

TOKYO, Dec 16 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reassured Japanese investors that, although the new Madani government is just one year old, it is stable, with very clear policies for Malaysia to forge a strong growth path.

Anwar said this at a roundtable meeting with captains of industries in Tokyo, after a one-to-one session with three Japanese corporations.

TOKYO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday ousted all four cabinet ministers of the ruling party's largest faction, as he seeks to control the damage following a political fundraising scandal, local media reported.