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Participants march with a banner with rainbow colours during the annual pride parade in Hong Kong, China, November 7, 2015. "Hong Kong has a real opportunity to take the lead here and give a clear message," said Gigi Chao, the vice chair of listed Hong Kong property firm Cheuk Nang Holdings and a prominent gay rights advocate in Asia. "WAKE UP"Business groups in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have become increasingly vocal in making the case that Asia's leading economies must do more to encourage diversity. A poll this year by Kyodo news agency of just over 1,500 people showed that nearly 70 percent supported same-sex marriage. While corporates rarely lobby Asian governments directly on LGBTQ rights, activists say they show their support through sponsorship of LGBTQ events and Pride-themed marketing.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Janet Ledger, Jimmy Sham, Asia's, Gigi Chao, Chao, Kida, Kiyong Shim, Dyson, Nomura, Kathy Teo, Singapore's, they're, Teo, Revolut, Jessie Pang, Justin Fung, Xinghui, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Kong's, Community Business, Gay Games, Nang Holdings, Reuters, American Chamber of Commerce, Fortune, Kyodo, Liberal Democratic Party, EY, FINANCE, Rights Watch, Gallup, WeWork, Standard Chartered Bank ., Google, IBM, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, TOKYO, Tokyo, Singapore, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal, India, South Korea, York, Japan, EY Japan, Korea, Seoul, Standard Chartered Bank . Singapore, Xinghui Kok

☆ North Korea launches space rocket months after failed satellite attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A smartphone screen shows J-Alert warning messages regarding North Korea appearing to have fired a missile and that residents of Okinawa prefecture should take cover indoors, in Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023. Two days ago North Korea said it would launch a satellite between Aug. 24-31. But the North's May 31 bid to launch a "Chollima-1" satellite rocket went wrong, with the booster and payload plunging into the sea. It was not immediately clear if North Korea had used the Chollima-1 again, or a new system. The secretive North considers its space and military rocket programmes a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons.

Persons: Issei Kato, Hirokazu Matsuno, We've, Elaine Lies, Chang, Ran Kim, Josh Smith, Joyce Lee, Hyunsu Yim, Phil Stewart, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Thomson Locations: Korea, Okinawa, Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, Rights SEOUL, TOKYO, North Korea, Tokyo, Pyongyang, U.S, Seoul, Washington

☆ North Korea to launch satellite over Yellow Sea -Japan Coast Guard
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Aug 22 (Reuters) - North Korea has said it will launch a satellite between Aug. 24-31 in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, the Japanese Coast Guard said on Tuesday. The Coast Guard added that the satellite, if launched, was likely to fall outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone. North Korea launched a satellite on May 31 that ended up plunging into the sea. The new "Chollima-1" satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, state news agency KCNA reported. It prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan but no danger or damage was reported.

Persons: Fumio, KCNA, Elaine Lies, Deepa Babington, Stephen Coates Organizations: Japanese Coast Guard, Twitter, Coast Guard, North, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, North Korea, East China, Japan, South Korea, United States

☆ Japan PM to meet fishing industry leaders over Fukushima water
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 20, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will on Monday meet fishing industry representatives in a bid to convince them of the safety of treated radioactive water due to be released from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. The water has been treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, a hydrogen isotope that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter. Despite such assurances, the prospect of more than a million tons of water being pumped into the Pacific from the nuclear plant owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company (9501.T) has raised alarm. Japanese Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is due to meet the same fishing industry leaders before the Kishida meeting.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Muralikumar Organizations: Japan's, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Citizens, Japanese Industry, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Tokyo, China, South Korea

☆ China investigates citizen accused of spying for CIA, security ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Security cameras are seen at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China July 26, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 21 (Reuters) - China is investigating a Chinese national accused of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country's state security ministry said on Monday. The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said. The statement came less than two weeks after the ministry said it uncovered another national also suspected of spying for the CIA after being recruited in Italy. Relations between the United States and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security.

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Hao, Ted, Li Jun, Li, Liz Lee, Elaine Lies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Japan, Italy, The U.S, Tokyo, United States, Washington, Shanghai

☆ Typhoon Khanun makes landfall in South Korea after lashing Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO/SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Typhoon Khanun made landfall on the southeast coast of South Korea on Thursday after dumping heavy rain across southern Japan over the past week. Warnings have been issued across South Korea, with more than 330 flights cancelled and more than 10,000 people moved to safety. In South Korea, outdoor activities have been halted for participants of the World Scout Jamboree. South Korea is still recovering from intense monsoon rain last month, when more than 40 people were killed in floods and landslides, including 14 in a flooded tunnel. Typhoon Khanun brought heavy rain in southern regions of Japan as it continues to head towards South Korea where it could make landfall on ThursdayReporting by Elaine Lies and Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khanun, Lan, Elaine Lies, Hyunsu Yim, Lincoln, Ed Davies Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, Gyeongsang Province, Jeju, Kyushu, Tokyo, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ Typhoon Khanun lashes southern Japan, north braces for another storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Passersby walk in a heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Khanun in Kagoshima on Japan's third-largest island Kyushu, August 8, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERSTOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Heavy rain from Typhoon Khanun pounded southern Japan on Wednesday as another storm approached from the east to possibly threaten Tokyo just as thousands of people prepare to travel during the peak summer holiday season. The JMA issued heavy rain and high wind warnings to many parts of southern and western Japan. Railway operator West Japan Railway Co (9021.T) has also suspended some of its Shinkansen bullet train service in Kyushu. A second storm, Lan, had formed in the Pacific Ocean south of Japan and was predicted to strengthen as it heads north, possibly affecting Tokyo early next week, JMA said.

Persons: Typhoon, Khanun, Mariko Katsumura, Elaine, Miral Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Railway, Japan Railway Co, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima, Japan's, Kyushu, REUTERS TOKYO, Japan, Tokyo, Okinawa

☆ Apple and Samsung to invest in SoftBank's Arm at IPO -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) will invest in SoftBank Group (9984.T)-owned chip designer Arm at its initial public offering (IPO), expected in September, Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday. Reuters reported in June that Arm was in talks with some ten companies - including Apple, Samsung and Intel (INTC.O) - with the aim of bringing on one or more anchor investors in the offering. Last month, Reuters and other media reported that Arm was in talks to bring in U.S. chip designer Nvidia (NVDA.O) as an anchor investor for the New York listing. Apple, Samsung, Nvidia and Intel all plan to invest in Arm as soon as it is listed on the market, the Nikkei said. Apple, Nvidia and Intel did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, SoftBank, Masayoshi, Anton Bridge, Elaine Lies, Joyce Lee, Akash Sriram, Louise Heavens, David Dolan, Miyoung Kim, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Samsung Electronics, SoftBank, Japan's Nikkei, Reuters, Apple, Samsung, Intel, Nvidia, New, Nikkei, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Vision Fund, Thomson Locations: KS, New York, Tokyo, Seoul

☆ No more ice cream with Mt Fuji: Japan train line phases out snack carts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Passengers on Japan's super-fast bullet trains have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savouring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji. But faced with a looming labour shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, on-board snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on Oct. 31. The online response was despondent, with "Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream" trending 5th on the X platform formerly known as Twitter and "In-Train Service" 6th within hours of the announcement. "I remember that I enjoyed the ice cream every time I got on the train, and when I jumped on the last train without eating, I was saved by the sandwiches sold there," one user said. "While cost reductions are important for a company, on-board snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveller's experience," another user wrote.

Persons: Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Christina Fincher Organizations: Mount, Central Japan Railway, Tokyo, Twitter, Passengers, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Osaka, Japan

☆ Flights cancelled, thousands told to evacuate as typhoon nears Japan's Okinawa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Flights were cancelled and tens of thousands of people were advised to evacuate their homes on Tuesday as powerful typhoon Khanun approached Japan's southern Okinawa island chain, threatening torrential rains and high winds through Thursday. In Okinawa's capital Naha, the airport was closed and all flights - amounting to about 900 - cancelled, TV Asahi said. Wind and rain were picking up on Tuesday evening, with the storm expected to escalate by Wednesday. Okinawa is frequently hit by typhoons, but usually later in the year. Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Stephen Coates and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elaine Lies, Stephen Coates, Miral Organizations: Asahi, NHK, Kadena Air Base, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan's, Okinawa, Tokyo, Naha, China, U.S, Japan

☆ Nissan to invest some $725 mln in Renault's EV unit, Yomiuri says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor (7201.T) is likely to invest around 100 billion yen ($725 million) in Renault's (RENA.PA) new electric vehicle unit, the Yomiuri Shimbun said on Friday, potentially clearing a hurdle in drawn-out talks to reshape their automaking alliance. The Japanese automaker on Thursday settled on the terms for a contract to overhaul its partnership with Renault and agreed with its French partner on the investment amount in the EV unit, Ampere, the Yomiuri said. A Nissan spokesperson said discussions about the contract, including the investment amount, were not yet finalised. That would be short of the 15% maximum Nissan set in February for the investment. ($1 = 138.0200 yen)Reporting by Daniel Leussink and Elaine Lies; Editing by Chris Reese and David DolanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ampere, Daniel Leussink, Elaine Lies, Chris Reese, David Dolan Organizations: Nissan, Yomiuri Shimbun, Renault, EV, Yomiuri, Mitsubishi Motors, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Renault's

☆ Japan space agency rocket engine explodes during test
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - A rocket engine exploded during a test in Japan on Friday but there were no injuries, an official at Japan's Education, Science and Technology Ministry said. The explosion of the Epsilon S engine at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) testing site is the latest in a series of failures that have deflated Japan's space ambitions. The explosion took place about a minute into the test of the second stage engine, the official said. JAXA's new medium-lift H-3 rocket was ordered to self-destruct on its debut flight in March, when its second-stage engine did not ignite as planned. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Mariko Katsumura; Writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Satoshi Sugiyama, Mariko Katsumura, Elaine Lies, Shri Navaratnam, Tom Hogue Organizations: Japan's Education, Science, Technology Ministry, Epsilon, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ Without fanfare or PR, Japanese anime master Miyazaki's likely final film opens
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A woman takes a picture of a movie poster for Oscar-winning Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki's film "How Do You Live?" outside a movie theatre in Tokyo, Japan, July 14, 2023. "I was really excited to see a Miyazaki movie," said Michiru Miyasato, an 18-year-old student who came to the first showing at a central Tokyo cinema. In a first for Miyazaki's films, which include "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbour Totoro," this one also has an IMAX release. "So I was really, really looking forward to it."

Persons: Oscar, Hayao Miyazaki's, Kim Kyung, Hoon, Hayao Miyazaki, Michiru Miyasato, Yumiko Kokubo, Toshio Suzuki, Mononoke, Miyazaki, Rens Takahashi, Elaine Lies, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Ghibli, Miyazaki, NHK, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Hoon TOKYO

[1/3] Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL/TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired a long-range missile off its east coast on Wednesday, as leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania to discuss rising threats including the nuclear-armed North. Japan's Coast Guard said what was believed to be a ballistic missile appeared to have landed as of mid-morning. United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches. The Security Council, as well as a number of nations, have imposed sanction on North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Persons: Kim Hong, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Yoon Suk, Hirokazu Matsuno, Matsuno, Yoon, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong, Kim, Leif, Eric Easley, Elaine Lies, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Ji, NATO, Japan's Coast Guard, Asahi, Japanese, South Korean, United Nations, Security, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, Lithuania, American, Japan's, Korean, Australia, New Zealand, Beijing, Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Tokyo, Lincoln

SEOUL/TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) off its east coast on Wednesday, prompting U.S. condemnation, as well as from the leaders of South Korea and Japan who met on the sidelines of a NATO summit. The White House condemned the launch and said it would take all necessary measures to ensure its security and that of South Korea and Japan. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in Lithuania for the NATO summit, convened an emergency national security council meeting and vowed to use the summit to call for strong international solidarity to confront such threats. [1/3]Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiThe top military generals of the United States, Japan and South Korea gathered for a rare trilateral meeting in Hawaii just before the missile launch.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Adam Hodge, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Kim Hong, Ji, Kim Dong, Yang, Leif, Eric Easley, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee, Rami Ayyub, David Brunnstrom, Elaine Lies, Tom Hogue, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: NATO, House, National Security, REUTERS, University of North Korean Studies, Analysts, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, TOKYO, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Korean, American, Pyongyang, Lithuania, Japanese, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul, Hawaii, Japan's, U.S, Washington, Tokyo

☆ Toilet limits for transgender woman 'unacceptable,' Japan's top court
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, July 11 (Reuters) - Japan's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that restricting a transgender woman's use of toilets at her workplace was "unacceptable", a decision that may help promote LGBT rights in the only G7 nation without legal protection for same-sex unions. A Tokyo District Court ruled in 2019 that these restrictions were unlawful, but the decision was reversed in 2021 by the Tokyo High Court. In Japan, transgender people can only legally change their gender on their family register if they have had gender reassignment surgery. The woman in the court case was unable to do so due to health reasons, media said. Some lawmakers formed a group to guarantee the safety of women in toilets and public baths or hot springs.

Persons: Elaine Lies, Simon Cameron, Moore, Emma Rumney Organizations: Japan's, Tokyo High, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan's nuclear regulator approves Tepco's release of Fukushima water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 7 (Reuters) - Japan's nuclear regulator granted approval on Friday for utility Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which ran the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, to start releasing more than a million tonnes of radioactive water. On Tuesday, the global watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a two-year review showed Japan's plan for the release would have negligible environmental impact. The Japanese regulator's certificate is the final step the utility required to begin the process. Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elaine Lies, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Tokyo Electric Power Co, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Explosion rips through Tokyo building; four injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - An explosion tore through a building in downtown Tokyo on Monday, scattering debris across a busy intersection and sending smoke into the air, but the fire was soon contained, Japanese media said. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but witnesses said they had smelled gas before the explosion. [1/4]Rescuers work at the site of an apparent explosion near Shimbashi station in Tokyo, Japan July 3, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato"I'd just got to work and was starting preparations when there was a really loud explosion," said Shinobu Nakagawa, a 26-year-old restaurant worker, who works on the first floor of the building. The blast took place in an area near a railway station that is packed with bars and restaurants popular with office workers.

Persons: Issei Kato, I'd, Shinobu Nakagawa, Elaine Lies, Gareth Jones, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: NHK, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Shinbashi, Japan

☆ Tokyo residents find comfort in fluffy, street-strolling alpacas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Chris Gallagher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Alpaca Fureai Land's Shinya Ide and Shion Ito walk alpacas Akane and Satsuki in the early morning in Tokyo, Japan June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, June 22 (Reuters) - The quiet of early morning streets in one downtown Tokyo neighbourhood is broken by joggers, parents with children in strollers - and a pair of alpacas, out for their daily constitutional walk. Manager Shinya Ide (no relation) says the secret to the 5-year-old alpacas' appeal is that looking at them is comforting, and petting them even more soothing. "Alpacas are naturally very nervous and timid animals, so when people approach them, they may spit or run away, making them difficult animals to interact with," he added. "But these two are trained and have naturally laid-back personalities, so they are accustomed to people now and interact well."

Persons: Land's Shinya Ide, Shion Ito, Akane, Satsuki, Kim Kyung, Hoon TOKYO, joggers, Nana Ide, Shinya Ide, Chris Gallagher, Elaine Lies, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, strollers, South America

☆ Nidec to form joint venture with Brazil's Embraer to make flying car parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, June 18 (Reuters) - Nidec said on Sunday that it is teaming up with Brazilian firm Embraer to form a new company that will make parts for flying cars and be set up in the United States. The new firm, to be known as Nidec Aerospace, will be based in St Louis, making use of existing factories of both firms in Brazil and Mexico. Nidec will take a 51% stake in the company and Embraer 49%, it added in a statement. A report in the Nikkei Shimbun newspaper said the company would invest 20 billion yen ($141.02 million) in research and development over the next five years. ($1 = 141.8200 yen)Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nidec, Elaine Lies, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Embraer, Nidec Aerospace, Nikkei Shimbun, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, United States, St Louis, Brazil, Mexico

☆ Japan parliament passes watered-down LGBT understanding bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A participant holds a sign as they march during the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade, celebrating advances in LGBTQ rights and calling for marriage equality, in Tokyo, Japan April 23, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoTOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - Japan on Friday passed a much-contested bill to promote understanding of the LGBT community amid criticism that the legislation provides no human rights guarantees and may tacitly encourage some forms of discrimination. However, wrangling over the bill and its wording meant it was only submitted to parliament for consideration the day before the summit began. Japan has come under pressure from other G7 nations, especially the United States, to allow same-sex marriage. Opinion polls show a vast majority of Japanese approve of same-sex marriage.

Persons: Issei Kato, Takeharu Kato, Elaine Lies, Lincoln Organizations: Tokyo, REUTERS, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, United States

☆ Why Japanese Prime Minister Kishida may call a snap election soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, June 14 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is thought increasingly likely to call a snap election, perhaps within days. This could make it easier for Kishida to call a snap election because there are no pressing policy issues to rally voters. Calling an election soon could shorten preparation time and keep them on the back foot. Kishida and the LDP could come under fire for calling the election because of the lack of pressing issues. Only 11% of voters thought an election should be held "promptly" and another 19% "within this year," according to the NHK poll.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Elaine Lies, Gerry Doyle, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, NHK, Nikkei, Japan Innovation Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Hiroshima

☆ Harry Potter park in Tokyo hopes to enchant Asian fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter' during a press preview before it officially opens to the public on June 16, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, June 14 (Reuters) - Harry Potter fans will soon be able to take up their wands, put on their robes and immerse themselves in the boy wizard's world at a new theme park set to open in Tokyo on Friday. Built on the western site of the beloved Toshimaen amusement park, which shut in 2020 after 94 years, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Tokyo recreates a number of iconic film locations, such as Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic. Studio Tour Tokyo. "Being the first tour in Asia and the increasing inbound visitors to Japan will also put us in the centre of the regional market," Jensen told media during a tour of the park, saying it offered Asian fans a new dimension in Harry Potter movie-making.

Persons: Harry Potter, Issei Kato TOKYO, Torben Jensen, Jensen, Irene Wang, Elaine Lies, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Warner Bros, REUTERS, Warner Brothers Studio, Ministry of Magic, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia

☆ Japan court rules that not allowing same-sex marriage is 'in a state of unconstitutionality'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, June 8 (Reuters) - Japan's Fukuoka District Court ruled on Thursday that not allowing same-sex marriage was "in a state of unconstitutionality" in a complicated ruling that fell short of marriage-equality activists' expectations. The ruling came a week after another district court said it was unconstitutional to not allow same-sex marriage, bolstering hopes of the LGBTQ community in Japan, the only Group of Seven nation without legal protection for same-sex unions. Five rulings on same-sex marriage have now been handed down around Japan - two saying bans on it are unconstitutional and one saying they were not. A Tokyo ruling upheld the ban on same-sex marriage but said a lack of legal protection for same-sex families violated their human rights. Opinion polls show about 70% of the public supports same-sex marriage, but the conservative ruling party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida opposes it.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Elaine Lies, Chang, Ran Kim, GErry Doyle Organizations: Japan's, Partners, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan's Fukuoka, Japan, Tokyo, United States

☆ Japan slammed by torrential rain as tropical storm nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, June 2 (Reuters) - Parts of Japan were slammed by torrential rain on Friday as Tropical Storm Mawar neared, with authorities advising more than a million people to evacuate, many flights and other transport cancelled and power outages in thousands of homes. Mawar, which wreaked havoc on Guam earlier this week, has weakened to a tropical storm from its earlier super typhoon status. Shinkansen bullet train service was halted from Tokyo to Osaka, western Japan, as well as some other parts of the nation, NHK public broadcaster reported. Similar weather patterns have caused flooding and landslides in the past, most notably in the summer of 2018, when more than 200 people were killed in western Japan. Though heavy summer rains are not uncommon in Japan, June is unusually early for a typhoon-type storm to near the islands.

Persons: Mawar, Hirokazu Matsuno, Elaine Lies, Mayu Sakoda, Kaori Kaneko, Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln, Frances Kerry Organizations: Disaster Management Agency, Transport Ministry, NHK, Toyota, JMA, Japan Meteorological Agency, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Okinawa, Guam, Honshu, Wakayama prefecture, Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi prefecture, Shizuoka prefecture, Shikoku

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