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☆ Strong Quake Strikes Taiwan, Setting Off Tsunami Warning in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Meaghan Tobin | More About Meaghan Tobin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In Japan, according to the broadcaster NHK, tsunami waves as high as 30 centimeters had already started hitting the shore on Yonaguni Island at 9:14 a.m. local time. Residents on Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama islands in southern Japan were told to get as far away from coastal areas as possible. According to NHK, the tsunamis were expected to hit the islands shortly after 10 a.m., with waves as high as 3 meters, or 10 feet, on Miyako and Yaeyama. Motoko Rich contributed reporting from Tokyo.

Persons: Motoko Rich Organizations: NHK Locations: Japan, Okinawa, Miyako, Tokyo

Asian productions or nominees with a predominantly Asian cast have been making headway at the Academy Awards in recent years. South Korean thriller “Parasite” made history in 2020 as the first non-English language movie to win best picture, alongside three further awards. "The Boy and the Heron" producer Toshio Suzuki speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles on March 11, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesFor others, the award offered Japan a boost after a rough start to the year. Kelts, the Japan-based author, said the second Oscar win showed the Academy had recognized Miyazaki’s artistic genius and that Japanese animation is far from solely entertainment.

Persons: CNN —, Hayao Miyazaki, ”, Huy Quan, Malaysia’s Michelle Yeoh, Heron ”, Ghibli’s, “, Roland Kelts, Miyazaki, Richard Harbaugh, Toshio Suzuki, ‘, ’ Suzuki, Suzuki, ” Suzuki, Richard A, Brooks, Tatsuji Nojima, “ Oscar, Takashi Yamazaki, Fumio Kishida, Yamazaki, ” Kishida, Hideaki Omura, Godzilla’s, Chris Hemsworth, Anya Taylor, Joy, Patrick T, Fallon, Kelts Organizations: CNN, Academy, Sony Pictures, Culture, Oscar Academy, Ghibli, Japan’s, NHK, Getty, Japan, Sunday, Gov, Hollywood, American, Waseda University Locations: Japan, America, Vietnam, ” Tokyo, Hollywood, Los Angeles, AFP, Aichi prefecture, Miyazaki, Japanese, Ishikawa, Tokyo

☆ Hello Kitty theme park in Tokyo closed after ‘terrorist threat’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A Hello Kitty theme park in Tokyo has been forced to close for the day after it received a “terror threat,” its operator said. Sanrio Puroland, also known as Hello Kitty Land, is located in Tama New Town in north Tokyo. In a statement published on the park’s official website, operators said they received “a terrorist threat email” on Saturday. Hello Kitty is one of the most famous and recognizable Japanese brands of all time. Sanrio Puroland opened in 1990 and attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year – making it one of Japan’s most popular theme parks, along with Tokyo Disney Resort.

Persons: Sanrio Puroland, ”, Kitty, Sanrio Organizations: CNN, ” Police, NHK, Reuters, Tokyo Disney Resort Locations: Tokyo, Kitty, Tama New, Japanese, Japan, United States, United Kingdom

☆ Japan’s millennia-old ‘naked man festival’ ending because of population decline
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Chris Lau | Himari Semans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

They now face a ballooning elderly population and shrinking workforce, in a challenge to fund pensions and health care as demand from the aging population surges. Participants wearing only "Fundoshi" loincloths at the Somin-sai festival at Kokusekiji Temple in Iwate prefecture, Japan, on February 17, 2024. The Asahi Shimbun/Getty ImagesThe Somin-sai festival was one of three major “naked man” or Hadaka Matsuri festivals held in the country. It took place annually on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year at the Kokusekiji Temple in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate. Participants purify themselves with cold water on Yamauchigawa river during Somin-sai festival at Kokusekiji Temple in Iwate prefecture, Japan on February 17, 2024.

Persons: Japan’s, Daigo Fujinami, Priest, “, Kikuchi Toshiaki, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Asahi Shimbun, NHK Locations: Kokusekiji, Japan, Iwate prefecture, Iwate, Okayama prefecture, Kuronuma, Fukushima

TOKYO (AP) — A pod of killer whales that was trapped in drift ice off Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, prompting concern from environmental groups, has apparently safely escaped, officials said Wednesday. After analyzing drone footage filmed by a conservationist group, officials counted 13 killer whales there. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesOfficials said they believe the killer whales were able to free themselves from the drift ice as gaps between them grew. Although the trapped whales were in Japanese waters, they were not far from an island that is disputed by Japan and Russia. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Wednesday that killer whales are not designated as an endangered species in Japan and that officials were monitoring the situation while Japan and Russia communicated over the issue.

Persons: Masataka Shirayanagi, “, ” Shirayanagi, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: TOKYO, NHK, Defense Ministry, Northern, Soviet Union Locations: Hokkaido, Rausu, Japan, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Tokyo, Ukraine

☆ Over a dozen orcas were spotted struggling for air after getting trapped in ice sheets off northern Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A group of 13 orcas was stuck between sheets of ice off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Local officials said another group of orcas had died when a similar incident took place in 2005. AdvertisementOver a dozen orcas were stranded between ice sheets off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. AdvertisementThis isn't the first time orcas have been trapped in ice sheets near Hokkaido. Local officials told NHK that a group of orcas died after a similar incident in 2005.

Persons: orcas, —, Seiichiro Tsuchiya, Tsuchiya Organizations: Service, Wildlife Pro, NHK, Local Locations: Hokkaido, Japan, Japanese

☆ Pod of at least 10 killer whales appears trapped by sea ice in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Mayumi Maruyama | Jerome Taylor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A pod of at least 10 killer whales appears to be trapped by sea ice off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, public broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday. Drone footage shared Tuesday by a local wildlife organization, Wildlife Pro LLC, shows the whales struggling in a small gap between ice flows. “I saw about 13 killer whales with their heads sticking out of a hole in the ice,” a Wildlife Pro LLC employee, who filmed the video, told NHK. Sea ice hugs the coast of Hokkaido every winter, and is the lowest latitude sea ice in the world, but over recent years levels have been declining as global warming accelerates. In 2005, a group of killer whales were also trapped in drift ice off the coast of the town and later died, according to NHK, citing Rausu town officials.

Persons: Rausu, “ Organizations: CNN, NHK, Rausu Coast Guard Station, Wildlife Pro, Facebook, Pro, “ Locations: Hokkaido

☆ Foreign-born residents in Japan sue the government for alleged racial profiling
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Saki Toi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Tokyo CNN —Three foreign-born residents in Japan are suing the country’s government over alleged racial profiling, highlighting an ongoing debate about Japanese identity and nationality. The three plaintiffs, all residents of Tokyo, filed the lawsuit in the Tokyo National Court and held a news conference with their lawyers on Monday, according to public broadcaster NHK. One plaintiff came to Japan from India after marrying his wife, and has lived there for more than 20 years, NHK reported. Since then, he has been repeatedly stopped and questioned by police officers on the street, sometimes twice a day. The third plaintiff is an American-born man who said he hoped to raise awareness of the issue among the Japanese population, according to Reuters.

Persons: “, ”, Philip Fong, Nissin, Naomi Osaka –, Karolina Shiino Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, Tokyo National Court, NHK, Aichi, Reuters, Court, Getty, CNN, Pew Locations: Japan, Tokyo, India, Pakistani, American, AFP, Aichi, Nagoya

☆ Kyoto Animation arson: Japan court sentences Shinji Aoba to death for deadly attack on studio
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Francesca Annio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A man prays after laying flowers near the Kyoto Animation studio building after an arson attack on July 19, 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. On Thursday, the judge ruled that Aoba could judge right and wrong at the time of the incident, according to NHK. The fire marked the worst mass killing in Japan since a 2001 arson attack on a building in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district, which killed 44 people. The death toll also surpassed the infamous Tokyo sarin gas attack on a subway in 1995, which killed 13. The Kyoto attack left fans worldwide grieving the loss of life and a studio that claimed to put its employees first and was a major force in the industry.

Persons: Shinji Aoba, Keisuke Masuda, ” Masuda, Aoba, Carl Court, –, Haruhi Suzumiya ”, Violet Evergarden Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Kyoto, NHK, Kyoto Animation, Prosecutors, Amnesty International, Netflix Locations: Kyoto, Japan, United, Tokyo’s Kabukicho

☆ 2 Planes Collide at Japan Airport, Weeks After Deadly Runway Blaze
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two planes collided at an airport on Japan’s snowy northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday, according to the airlines involved, just weeks after a deadly runway blaze in Tokyo. Nobody was injured in the collision on Tuesday, which involved planes belonging to Korean Air and Cathay Pacific. It happened at around 5:30 p.m. local time at New Chitose Airport, according to NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster. Korean Air confirmed that its jet “came into contact” with the Cathay aircraft during pushback. “There were no injuries and the airline is cooperating with all relevant authorities,” Korean Air said in a statement.

Persons: Nobody Organizations: Korean Air, Cathay, NHK, Korean Locations: Hokkaido, Tokyo, New Chitose Airport, Cathay Pacific

☆ Space photos show Japan's ground splitting open and mass destruction after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementSatellite images show mass destruction to Japan's west coast and inner cities after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the country on Monday. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesMasuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of the town of Suzu, near the quake's epicenter, said 90% of houses might have been destroyed, Reuters reported. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies. AdvertisementA road destroyed by the earthquake and another giant fissure shown in a satellite image. The event is being compared to Japan's 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

Persons: —, Agency's Organizations: Service, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, NHK, Rescue, Reuters, Suzu, Technologies, BBC, Japan Aerospace, — Locations: Japan, Ukai, Wajima, Kanazawa ., Suzu, Suzu City, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Afghanistan

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. and Japanese divers have discovered wreckage and remains of five crew members from a U.S. Air Force Osprey aircraft that crashed last week off southwestern Japan, the Air Force announced Monday. The Air Force Special Operations Command said two of the five newly located remains have been recovered but their identities have yet to be determined. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesThe U.S. military identified the one confirmed victim as Air Force Staff Sgt. Ospreys have had a number of crashes, including in Japan, where they are used at U.S. and Japanese military bases, and the latest accident rekindled safety concerns. Japanese officials say they have asked the U.S. military to resume Osprey flights only after ensuring their safety.

Persons: Jacob Galliher, Denny Tamaki Organizations: TOKYO, —, U.S . Air Force Osprey, Air Force, Air Force Special, Command, Air Force Staff, Japan's NHK, U.S, The, Ospreys, Pentagon, Forces Agreement, Okinawa Gov Locations: Japan, U.S, Pittsfield , Massachusetts, The U.S, Okinawa

☆ Earthquake of 7.5 strikes Philippines, tsunami expected in Philippines and Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 2 (Reuters) - An earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck Mindanao in the southern Philippines late on Saturday, triggering evacuation orders for some areas and southwestern Japanese coasts because of warnings of tsunami waves of a metre (3 feet) or more. The Philippine Seismology Agency Phivolcs said the waves could hit the Philippines by midnight (1600 GMT) and continue for hours. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there could be waves of up to 3 metres above the tide level along some Philippine coasts. The Japanese broadcaster NHK said tsunami waves of up to a metre were expected to reach Japan's southwestern coast around 30 minutes later - by 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (1630 GMT on Saturday). The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said a quake of magnitude 7.5 had struck at a depth of 63 km (39 miles).

Persons: Agency Phivolcs, Phivolcs, Mrinmay Dey, Mikhail Flores, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kevin Liffey, Diane Craft, Alison Williams Organizations: Agency, U.S ., NHK, Seismological, U.S . Geographic Survey, Thomson Locations: Mindanao, Philippines, Philippine, U.S, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Japanese, Hinatuan, Earthquakes, Bengaluru, Manila, Tokyo

TOKYO (AP) — Japan plans to suspend its own Osprey flights after a U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed into waters off the southern coast during a training mission, officials said Thursday. A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country’s southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members. The cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said. Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one male crew member, who was later pronounced dead by a doctor, Ogawa said. While the U.S. Marine Corps flies most of the Ospreys based in Japan, the Air Force also has some deployed there.

Persons: Taro Yamato, Kazuo Ogawa, Denny Tamaki, Ogawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Hiroyuki Miyazawa, ___ Copp Organizations: TOKYO, U.S . Air Force, Ospreys, Defense Ministry, Gov, NHK, U.S . Air Force Special, Command, Yokota Air Base, 353rd, Operations, U.S . Marine Corps Air, Iwakuni, Kadena Air Base, Japanese, Defense, U.S . Forces Japan, Fifth Air Force, Yokota, U.S . Marine Corps, Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command, Osprey, Marine Corps, Navy, Marine Corps Osprey, U.S . Marine, Marines Locations: Japan, Tokyo, U.S, Okinawa, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Coast, Yakushima, Yamaguchi prefecture, Australian, Washington

☆ U.S. military aircraft crashes into ocean near Japan island with six on board, one confirmed dead, coast guard says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)A U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed into the ocean near Yakushima Island in Japan with six personnel onboard Wednesday, the local coast guard said. A spokesperson for the regional coast guard in Kagoshima Prefecture said that one person who was brought to hospital had been confirmed dead. A caller reported that an Osprey aircraft of unknown affiliation had crashed at around 2:47 p.m. local time on Nov. 29, a coast guard spokesperson told NBC News. The Osprey aircraft, which has vertical take-off and landing as well as long-range, high-speed capabilities, has been involved in a spate of recent incidents. Three U.S. Marines died in August when a MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed off the coast of northern Australia, with 23 on board.

Persons: Dominick A Cremeans, Smith Organizations: Osprey, NBC News, ., NHK, CNBC, U.S, Marines, NATO Locations: Iwo Jima, U.S, Yakushima, Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japanese, Australia, California, Norway

☆ Ava Marie Ziegler enjoys surprise win to lead American 1-2 in major international figure skating competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —American teenager Ava Marie Ziegler won her first ISU Grand Prix Figure Skating title, as she sealed victory at the NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan following a sparkling routine in the free skate. “I really used my fifth-place result yesterday to motivate me because I know that I could do better and I really used it to push me to be the best that I could be,” Ziegler said, according to the International Skating Union. It (this result) definitely helped with my confidence.”Ava Marie Ziegler of the United States reacts to her score. Toru Hanai/International Skating Union/Getty ImagesHer free skate routine yielded a personal best of 138.46 points, and she scored 200.50 points overall, breaking the 200-point mark for the first time in her career. While Ziegler and Thorngren have not qualified for the final, their compatriots Isabeau Levito and Ilia Malinin will represent the USA in the women’s and men’s singles, respectively.

Persons: Ava Marie Ziegler, Lindsay Thorngren, Belgium’s Nina Pinzarrone, Thorngren, axel, “, ” Ziegler, ” Ava Marie Ziegler, Toru Hanai, Ziegler, Isabeau Levito, Ilia Malinin Organizations: CNN, ISU, NHK, International Skating Union, Skating Union, Getty Locations: Osaka, Japan, United States, Beijing, China, USA

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Ava Marie Ziegler performed a near-flawless free skate Saturday to win the NHK Trophy and lead a U.S. 1-2 finish on the podium. Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium was third with 194.66, a result that allowed her to secure a place in the Dec. 7-10 Grand Prix Final at Beijing. The NHK Trophy is the sixth and last event of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series, which leads in the Grand Prix Final. The competition concludes later Saturday with the free skate in both men’s and pairs. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama upstaged two-time world champion and compatriot Shoma Uno on Friday to finish first in the men’s short program.

Persons: — Ava Marie Ziegler, Ziegler, Lindsay Thorngren, Nina Pinzarrone, South Korea's Lee Hae, Christina Aguilera, axel, lutz, “, I’m, I’ve, ”, Thorngren, Kaori Sakamoto, Isabeau, Loena, Hana Yoshida, Rion Sumiyoshi, Lewis Gibson, Charlene Guignard, Marco Fabbri, Allison Reed, Saulius, Gibson, Guignard, Fabbri, Shoma Uno, ___ Organizations: NHK, Liberation, Britain, Yuma Locations: OSAKA, Japan, U.S, Belgium, Beijing, South, New Jersey, United States, Italy, Lithuania

☆ Japan detects season's first bird flu case, to cull 40,000 birds - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An aerial view shows officials wearing protective suits cull chickens at a poultry farm where officials detected highly pathogenic H5-type bird flu, in Kashima, Saga prefecture, Japan November 25, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The local government in Saga prefecture will cull about 40,000 birds on the farm, NHK said, citing agriculture ministry officials it did not name. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will convene relevant cabinet ministers to discuss measures to prevent spreading of the virus, NHK said. The virus was detected as a result of genetic testing conducted after some poultry birds were found dead at the farm on Friday, the report said. In Japan a record 17.7 million poultry birds were culled last season, prompting the authorities to stay on high alert.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, William Mallard Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, NHK, Thomson Locations: Kashima , Saga prefecture, Japan, Saga

☆ Japan's Kishida sends letter to China's Xi - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a summit discussion on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, at the Stanford, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A Beijing delegation of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling party, handed a letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting with China's top leadership team on Wednesday, NHK reported. The broadcaster did not say what was in the letter. Komeito representatives and Kishida's office were not available to comment on Thursday, a public holiday in Japan. Yamaguchi and Cai also agreed to work toward a resumption of dialogue between the CPC and the coalition of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, NHK reported.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Brittany Hosea, Xi Jinping, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Cai Qi, Yamaguchi, Cai, Makiko Yamazaki, Stephen Coates Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, Stanford, REUTERS, Rights, Komeito, Wednesday, NHK, Communist Party of China, CPC, Central Committee, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Asia, California, U.S, Beijing, Japan, Taiwan

☆ Ichiro Suzuki: Baseball great throws shutout against a high school girls’ team in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Ben Church | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —He may have retired from professional baseball four years ago, but Ichiro Suzuki certainly hasn’t lost his appetite for the game. A Japanese high school girls’ team found out just how well he can throw during Ichiro’s annual All-Star game on Tuesday. According to MLB.com, Ichiro threw a 116-pitch, complete game shutout and struck out nine in the 4-0 victory at the Tokyo Dome. When he made the move to the Seattle Mariners in 2001 – becoming the first Japanese position player to sign with an MLB team – Ichiro emphatically made his mark. In addition to the Mariners, Ichiro played for the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins in his MLB career.

Persons: Ichiro Suzuki, hasn’t, Ichiro, Japan –, Daisuke Matsuzaka –, New York Mets –, “, ” Ichiro, ” Domae, –, – Ichiro, Matsuzaka, ” Organizations: CNN, of Famer, Major League Baseball, MLB, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, NHK, Seattle Mariners, Kyodo, TBS, Japan’s Pacific League, American League, Mariners, New York Yankees, Miami Marlins Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Okayama Gakugeikan

☆ Japan PM to sack deputy finance minister over tax scandal - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 2, 2023. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to sack a deputy finance minister, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after the official last week admitted to media reports that he had been delinquent on tax payments in the past. State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda, who is in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, would be the third to leave a ministerial post in just two months since Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to improve tumbling public approval ratings. The report of Kanda's firing comes as the latest poll by broadcaster FNN showed the approval rating for Kishida's cabinet reaching a record low of 27.8%, sliding 7.8 points from last month. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio, Kiyoshi Ota, Fumio Kishida, of Finance Kenji Kanda, Kishida, FNN, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Rights, NHK, of Finance, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan PM to Sack Deputy Finance Minister Over Tax Scandal - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to sack a deputy finance minister, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after the official last week admitted to media reports that he had been delinquent on tax payments in the past. State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda, who is in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, would be the third to leave a ministerial post in just two months since Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to improve tumbling public approval ratings. The report of Kanda's firing comes as the latest poll by broadcaster FNN showed the approval rating for Kishida's cabinet reaching a record low of 27.8%, sliding 7.8 points from last month. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)

Persons: Fumio Kishida, of Finance Kenji Kanda, Kishida, FNN, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: NHK, of Finance Locations: TOKYO

☆ Suspected gunman takes hostages in Japanese post office - authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A suspected gunman took at least two people hostage in a post office in Japan after wounding two other people in a shooting at a hospital, authorities and media said on Tuesday. At least two female post office workers in their 20s and 30s were taken hostage, local media reported. Two people were injured at the hospital, media reported. Images broadcast on television showed a man wearing a track suit top and white shirt standing just inside the post office brandishing what looked like a pistol. There were just nine shooting incidents last year, according to the national police agency, of which six were related to criminal gangs.

Persons: Shinzo Abe, Sugiyama Satoshi, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Christian Schmollinger, Ed Osmond Organizations: Police, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, NHK, Thomson Locations: Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, Tokyo, Toda

A man believed to have a gun was holed up in a post office in a Tokyo suburb on Tuesday and holding one hostage after releasing another, in an episode that was unsettling in Japan, where gun violence is extremely rare. An employee inside the post office, in Warabi city, called the police at around 2:15 p.m., saying there was a gunman inside, according to Taira Masuda, a spokesman for the police headquarters in Saitama Prefecture. Around 7:15 p.m., NHK, a public broadcaster, showed footage of the woman in her 20s walking out of the post office without injury. Another official, the mayor of Toda, said on social media that a man had fired a handgun at Toda Chuo General Hospital and fled on a motorcycle. In the broadcaster’s footage, it appeared that the woman who was released on Tuesday evening bowed as she left the post office.

Persons: Taira Masuda, Masuda, Toda Organizations: NHK, General Hospital Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Toda city

Tokyo CNN —A suspected gunman has barricaded himself in a post office in central Japan after two people were wounded and apparent gunshots heard in a hospital nearby, authorities said Tuesday. One doctor and one male patient were injured in the incident at a hospital in Toda city, Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo, police told CNN. The male suspect, believed to be between ages 50 and 70, fled the scene and barricaded himself in the Warabi post office, about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the hospital, according to police. Toda Mayor Fumihito Sugawara confirmed on social media that a man “suspected of carrying a gun” was barricaded in at the post office and warned residents not to go near the area. The area around a post office where a suspected gunman has barricaded himself in Warabi, Saitama prefecture on October 31, 2023.

Persons: Toda, Fumihito Sugawara, JIJI Press, Shinzo Abe Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, JIJI, Getty Images Police, NHK Locations: Japan, Toda, Saitama prefecture, Tokyo, Warabi, Nara

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