A man was arrested for attempted murder after a knife and fire attack on a train in Tokyo on Sunday, Japanese media said, with at least 10 people reportedly injured and one in a serious condition. A video clip published by public broadcaster NHK showed panicked passengers running down the train as smoke filled the carriage, with flames also visible. Another video posted on Twitter showed people climbing through windows to escape the Keio Line […]
Tag: Japan
Japan votes as ruling party seeks fresh start
Voting kicked off in Japan’s general election on Sunday with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hoping to win over a pandemic-fatigued public with spending promises as his long-ruling conservatives seek a fresh start. Kishida became leader of the Liberal Democratic Party a month ago after Yoshihide Suga resigned just a year into the job, partly due to public discontent over his response to the Covid-19 crisis. Following a record wave of infections that pushed the Tokyo […]
Japan’s princess Mako marries years after ‘pain’ of rumours
by Shingo ITO / Natsuko FUKUE TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s princess Mako married her university sweetheart on Tuesday, but it was a low-key union bereft of traditional rituals, with the couple voicing sadness over the controversy that haunted their engagement. Under the rules of the imperial family, Emperor Naruhito’s 30-year-old niece Mako gave up her royal title as she wed Kei Komuro, who is the same age and works for a US law firm. […]
Into the ‘plastisphere’: Scientists comb Japan waters to study new eco threat
by Etienne BALMER and Hiroshi HIYAMA Agence France-Presse SHIMODA, Japa (AFP) – A boat’s crew casts a net into the seemingly clean waters off Japan’s Izu peninsula, but not to catch fish — they are scooping up microplastics to learn more about the pollution’s impact on marine life. Tiny floating fragments from plastic packaging, synthetic clothing and fishing nets have proliferated over the past four decades, and are now found in every part of the […]
Japan consumer prices rise for first time in 18 months
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s core consumer prices edged up 0.1 percent in September, the first increase since March 2020 partly due to a rise in fuel prices, official data showed Friday. The latest figure was in line with market expectations, and comes after August’s prices were unchanged year on year, ending a run of 12 consecutive monthly declines. Core consumer prices — which exclude volatile fresh food — had been trimming the pace of […]
Japan’s Mount Aso volcano erupts
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Mount Aso erupted Wednesday, spewing a giant column of ash thousands of metres into the sky as hikers rushed away from the popular tourist spot. No injuries were immediately reported after the late-morning eruption in southwest Japan, which sent rocks flying in a dramatic blast captured by nearby CCTV cameras. People were warned not to approach the volcano as it ejected hot gas and ash as high as 3,500 […]
Japan ruling party seeks defence spending boost
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s ruling conservatives unveiled their campaign platform Tuesday, saying they would aim to boost defense spending, possibly even doubling it, to counter threats from China and North Korea. The long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, is campaigning to maintain its majority in parliament in October 31 elections. It announced pledges on Tuesday including tackling the pandemic and working to boost the middle class. The party, while […]
6.1-magnitude quake shakes Tokyo, more than 20 injuries reported
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the Japanese capital Tokyo and surrounding areas Thursday evening, reportedly injuring more than 20 people, but the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no tsunami risk. The quake sent buildings swaying, stranded commuters, knocked products off store shelves and triggered emergency warnings blaring from the phones of local residents, intended to give them time to take shelter. Initial information from the JMA put the epicentre of […]
Biden congratulates Japan’s new PM Fumio Kishida
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden offered his congratulations Monday to Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, saying the “historic partnership” between the two nations will help them face the world’s ongoing challenges. “The US-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world, and I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Kishida to strengthen our cooperation in the months and years ahead,” Biden […]
Japan’s new PM Kishida unveils cabinet
by Shingo ITO / Sara HUSSEIN TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s new prime minister Fumio Kishida unveiled his government on Monday, mixing holdovers with newcomers, after lawmakers voted him the new leader of the world’s third-largest economy. The soft-spoken scion of a Hiroshima political family, 64-year-old Kishida beat popular vaccine chief Taro Kono to win the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last week. He easily won Monday’s vote in parliament approving him […]
Japan’s Princess Mako to marry after delay and controversy
by Shingo ITO TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — After years of controversy, Japan’s Princess Mako will marry this month, but she will forego traditional rites and will not take a usual payment given to royal women marrying commoners. “Princess Mako will marry on October 26,” an Imperial Household Agency official told AFP, adding that “wedding ceremony, reception banquet and other rituals won’t be held, and a lump-sum payment won’t be provided.” Princess Mako, who is the […]
Japan manga artist Takao Saito, ‘Golgo 13’ creator, dies aged 84
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Manga artist Takao Saito, who created the most prolific Japanese comic-book series of all time “Golgo 13”, has died aged 84, his publisher said Wednesday. “Golgo 13”, the tale of a legendary professional hitman, was first printed in 1968 and has been adapted into anime series, video games and two live-action films. The assassin Golgo, also known Duke Togo, is of unknown nationality and carries out his hits around the world, […]
