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by Alastair Himmer Agence France-Presse NARITA, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s football chief took aim at critics of the Blue Samurai on Thursday after the team’s World Cup return and confirmed he was on the lookout for a new coach. JFA president Kozo Tashima told a news conference that caretaker boss Akira Nishino would not continue in the role after steering Japan to the knockout stages in Russia. And after the Japan team was welcomed home […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s ageing Emperor Akihito resumed his official duties on Thursday after three days of treatment for insufficient blood supply to the brain, a palace spokesman told AFP. The 84-year-old had cancelled engagements from Monday after suffering dizziness and nausea caused by the condition, known as cerebral anemia. A palace spokesman said the monarch on Thursday was “doing his official duties as usual,” declining to comment further. On Wednesday the palace had […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP)–Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed lower on Wednesday as high tech shares dropped sharply tracking falls on Wall Street. The Nikkei ended down 0.31 percent or 68.50 points at 21,717.04 yen while the broader Topix index edged up 0.03 percent or 0.45 points to close at 1,693.25. Analysts said tech shares suffered partly due to news that a Chinese court temporarily banned US firm Micron Technology from selling its products. Investors were […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP)–A Japanese tourist has died attempting to climb Australian tourist attraction Uluru, police said Wednesday, adding to the death toll on the world’s largest monolith. Emergency services responded to a call on Tuesday afternoon, but the 76-year-old was declared dead at the scene. “This person’s believed to be a Japanese national. At this stage, we don’t believe it’s anything suspicious,” Northern Territory police Superintendent Shaun Gill told reporters. At least 36 people have […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP)–Tokyo stocks opened lower on Wednesday tracking falls on Wall Street that were led by weakness in tech shares as trade war worries linger. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.39 percent or 85.21 points to 21,770.33 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was down 0.24 percent or 4.07 points at 1,688.73. Analysts said tech shares suffered partly due to news that a Chinese court temporarily banned US Micron Technologies […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s “Ice Prince” and two-time Olympic figure skating gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu accepted one of his country’s top awards Monday, pledging to be more than an “ordinary skater”. The 23-year-old, wearing a sombre, traditional male kimono emblazoned with his family crest — a far cry from his flamboyant competition wear — said the award was a tribute to his team and would propel him to new heights. “An award like this […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s 84-year-old Emperor Akihito cancelled his official duties on Monday after being taken ill, the country’s top government spokesman said. Akihito “had a sudden feeling of sickness and heavy sweating” in the early morning and Empress Michiko “immediately brought in the palace doctor,” Yoshihide Suga told reporters. The doctor diagnosed the emperor with “symptoms of vertigo and nausea due to cerebral anemia, which require a complete rest and follow-up checks,” […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP)–Confidence among Japan’s biggest manufacturers has slipped for the second straight quarter, a key central bank survey showed on Monday. The Bank of Japan’s Tankan report — a quarterly survey of about 10,000 companies — showed a reading of 21 among major manufacturers in its June survey against 24 in the March report. The latest Tankan, however, hardly made economists pessimistic about the world’s third largest economy, with the headline index still close […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Two of the world’s most powerful microscopes suffered severe damage from a deadly earthquake that hit the western Japanese city of Osaka, causing delays in cutting-edge cell and atomic-level research, a scientist said Friday. The two damaged units, both with price tags of 2.3 billion yen ($20 million), at Osaka University may not come back online until next year. One 12-metre-high (40-feet) unit, captures 1,600 images of atomic-level substances per […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP)–Japan’s jobless rate slumped to a 26-year low in May while the jobs-to-applicants ratio hit new record high, as the country struggles with labor shortages, official figures showed Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 2.2 percent from 2.5 percent in the previous three months, according to a survey by the internal affairs ministry, the lowest level since August-October of 1992. The jobs-to-applicants ratio stood at its highest rate in 44 years, with 160 […]
by Paul Handley © Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — US Defense Secretary James Mattis told South Korea Thursday that their alliance remained “ironclad”, as he sought to reassure key East Asian allies following Donald Trump’s unilateral suspension of military exercises with Seoul. Concern has mounted in the region over the stance of the US president, who has lauded North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a “talented guy” as he seeks to persuade […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – It has played football with former US president Barack Obama and danced for German leader Angela Merkel, but Honda’s ASIMO robot may have reached the end of the line. Launched in 2000, the humanoid machine resembling a shrunken spaceman has become arguably Japan’s most famous robot, wheeled out to impress visiting politicians over the years. But Honda said Thursday it may scrap future generations of ASIMO, now on its seventh […]
