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TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — An elderly Japanese man has anonymously donated his life’s savings — in cash — to a city outside of Tokyo, an unexpected financial windfall as the economy reels from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The man, who did not identify himself, appeared at city hall in Yokosuka on Monday and asked that a backpack with a letter inside be given to the mayor, the official who met him told AFP. […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — More than 80 percent of Japanese polled oppose hosting the virus-postponed Olympics this year, a new survey showed on Monday, underlining public antipathy less than 10 weeks before the Tokyo Games. The latest downbeat poll comes after Japan expanded a coronavirus state of emergency Friday as the nation battles a fourth wave of infections. The surge in cases has put pressure on the country’s healthcare system, with medical professionals […]
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — A Japanese journalist arrested while covering the aftermath of the Myanmar coup is to be deported, Tokyo said Friday, after charges against him were dropped as a diplomatic gesture. Yuki Kitazumi, held in Yangon’s Insein prison since his arrest last month, was one of at least 80 reporters detained during the junta’s crackdown on anti-coup dissent. Security forces have killed more than 780 people since protests erupted following the February 1 […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan plans to vaccinate its Olympic athletes before the Tokyo Games, domestic media reported Wednesday, a move that would place them ahead of the general population as the government faces pressure over a slow rollout. There was no immediate comment from Olympic organisers or Japan’s Olympic Committee on the reports in the Nikkei and Yomiuri Shimbun dailies, which did not name their sources. The newspapers said around 2,500 people including athletes […]
by Kyoko HASEGAWA TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese, US and French troops kicked off their first-ever joint military drill Tuesday in southwestern Japan, as concerns rise over China’s growing assertiveness in the region. An Australian naval ship is also taking part in the week-long air, land and sea exercises involving 300 ground troops from the three countries. It comes as Tokyo looks to deepen defence ties beyond its key US ally and with eyes on […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan will prolong a virus state of emergency in Tokyo and other regions and impose restrictions in more areas on Friday as cases surge less than three months before the Olympics. The emergency measures, less strict than the blanket lockdowns seen in other countries, focus on limiting commercial activity with malls closed and bars and restaurants told to shut or stop serving alcohol. They were imposed in Tokyo, Osaka and two […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A remote Japanese fishing town has sparked debate after spending coronavirus relief funds on a giant squid statue that cost nearly $250,000 in a controversial bid to boost post-pandemic tourism. The huge pink monument with its tentacles outstretched was unveiled in March by the coastal town of Noto in central Japan as a proud nod to its local delicacy. It cost around 27 million yen ($247,000) and was mostly paid for […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday met jointly with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts to discuss North Korea, bringing together the allies despite renewed rifts. Joined by aides, Blinken sat in the centre of a U-shaped table with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on each side in a conference room of a London hotel on the sidelines of a Group […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Saturday but no tsunami warning was issued, Japanese and US authorities said, with no immediate reports of damage. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the mid-morning quake hit at a depth of 47 kilometres (29 miles) in the Pacific, off Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture — near the epicentre of a huge 2011 quake which triggered a towering tsunami, killing more than […]
(Eagle News) — There is no tsunami threat to the Philippines after a strong quake hit Japan on Saturday, May 1. This is according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which issued the advisory after what it said was a 6.6-magnitude earthquake that struck near the east coast of Honshu at 9:27 a.m. PHIVOLCS said the approximate distance of the event from Manila is 3319 kilometers. The US Geological Survey pegged the magnitude […]
by Hiroshi HIYAMA TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Hundreds of Japanese towns and cities have been forced to rethink plans to host Olympic teams because the coronavirus will prevent public appearances and require costly safety measures. The western town of Okuizumo spent more than $5 million preparing to welcome India’s hockey team for a pre-Games training camp, only to scrap the visit because of Covid-19. After sinking money into upgrading sports facilities, Okuizomo balked when it […]
by Katie Forster / Natsuko FUKUE TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Three months before it hosts the Olympics — the biggest international event since the pandemic began — Japan has fully vaccinated less than one percent of its population in a cautious, slow-moving programme. Olympic organisers and local officials stress vaccines are not a prerequisite for the Games. Participants will not have to be inoculated before arrival and there are no plans to prioritise vaccination of […]
