Category: Japan

Japan’s PM Mulling Downgrade of COVID-19 Classification Once Outbreak Stabilizes

Japan’s prime minister said on Sunday that he would consider downgrading the classification of COVID-19, which would result in the disease being treated more like a seasonal flu-like condition. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus—commonly known as the novel coronavirus—is currently classified in Japan as Category Two disease—the second-highest on a five-tier scale of severity…


Japanese Man Detained in Burma After Filming Protest: Media

A Japanese man has been detained by authorities in Myanmar after filming a protest in the country’s biggest city of Yangon, Jiji news agency reported on Sunday, citing Japanese government officials. The report did not name the man, but said he was aged in his 20s and that the Japanese embassy in Myanmar had called…


COVID-19 Vaccine Compensation Payment Given to Family of Japanese Woman Who Died

A Japanese health ministry committee awarded a compensation payment to the family of a woman who died after suffering an allergic response and sudden heart attack after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare said the woman was 91 when she received the shot and had preexisting health conditions including a…


Putin Vows to Protect Russia’s Claim to the Kuril Islands, Disputed Territory Northeast of Japan

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Sunday to protect areas regarded to be in Russia’s national interest including the Kuril Strait, a disputed territory that Japan claims as its own. Putin made the remarks during Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg, where he signed an executive order approving a new maritime doctrine. In his speech,…


US to Bolster Cooperation With Japan in Semiconductors, Economic Security

The United States and Japan vowed on Friday to bolster cooperation in promoting economic security and building supply chain resilience in response to challenges posed by China and the Russia-Ukraine war. Top officials from both countries met in Washington for the inaugural “two-plus-two” talks, during which they unveiled a plan to launch a new joint…


Japan Looks to Accept More Foreign Workers Amid Acute Labor Shortages

Japan has some of the most restrictive immigration laws in the world but it’s looking to make it easier for local companies to bring in talented foreign workers to some of its less populated regions by offering a fast-track path to permanent residency. According to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese government will revise a point-based system…


Toyota Deepens Production Cut for July to 5,200 Vehicles on Heavy Rains

TOKYO—Heavy rains in western Japan will cost Toyota Motor Corp., an additional 1,000 or so vehicles in lost production in July, the automaker said on Friday, bringing its total estimated cut in output for the month to 5,200. It marks the second time this week that Toyota has revised its expected cut in domestic production,…


In Japan, Jobs Outnumber Workers Due to Aging Population and Shrinking Birth Rates: Researchers

Japan’s job availability ratio increased for the sixth consecutive month in June, indicating an increase in hiring across industries, according to data released on Friday. The jobs-to-applicants ratio climbed to 1.27 from the previous month, indicating that there were 127 job openings for every 100 job seekers in Japan, The Mainichi reported, citing data from…


Japan Discusses Preparations for Conflict in a Rare Visit to Taiwan

A high-level Japanese delegation visited Taiwan to discuss preparations for potential conflicts as the self-governed island is bearing increased military pressures from the communist regime in Beijing. “We need to think ahead about what kind of situations could happen,” Shigeru Ishiba, lawmaker and former Japanese defense minister, said during a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai…


Japan Executes Man Convicted of Killing 7 People in 2008 Stabbing Rampage

Japan has executed a man convicted of killing seven people in a 2008 stabbing rampage, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday, marking the country’s first execution since last December. Tomohiro Kato, 39, plowed into pedestrians with a truck in a Tokyo commercial district on June 8, 2008, killing three people and wounding two. He later…