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☆ What to watch at the Olympics today: Elimination games for U.S. women’s soccer and men’s basketball
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Lauren Merola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

There are six days of Olympic competition left and only four women’s soccer teams remain vying for gold. It’s also win or go home for the U.S. men’s basketball team, which went undefeated in pool play to emerge as the No. Trinity Rodman celebrates with Emily Fox after scoring the winning goal against Japan during the women’s quarterfinals of the Paris Games. Durant needs just four more points to become USA Basketball’s all-time leading scorer at the Olympics for both the men’s and women’s programs. The men’s long jump final, men’s 1,500-meter final, women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase and women’s 200-meter final close out a five-medal day in athletics.

Persons: It’s, Trinity Rodman, Emily Fox, Brad Smith, Rodman, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith —, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Durant, Lisa Leslie, Jayson Tatum, Steve Kerr, Holiday, Long, DeAnna Price, Annette Echikunwoke, Echikunwoke, Price, Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk, Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred —, Gabby Thomas, Wally Skalij, Sara Hughes, Kelly Cheng, Tanja Hüberli, Nina Brunner, Hughes, Cheng, Italy’s Valentina Gottardi, Marta Menegatti, Alexandra Klineman, Ross, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Jennings, Misty, Treanor, elly C heng!, E, mpics & Organizations: U.S, Japan, Paris Games, Getty, USA Network, Telemundo, United, Canada, Tokyo, Lyon, Germany, Trinity, USA, Bercy Arena, Team USA, NBA, Puerto Rico, Olympics, thwarts, Brazil, NBC, Stade de France, Olympic, Rio Games, Don’t, Eiffel, Los Angeles Times, Swiss, ris Locations: United States, Germany, Paris, U.S . Japan, Japan, Lille, Serbia, South Sudan, Puerto Rico, Brazil, France, USA, thwarts Puerto Rico, U.S, Tokyo, Canada, Rio

☆ Léon Marchand is carrying on a long tradition of athletes from host nations becoming Olympic greats
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tokyo Olympics – skateboarders shineJapanese athletes claimed 27 gold medals in Tokyo three years ago, the third-most of any nation behind the USA and China. Neymar celebrates Brazil's Olympic gold in 2016. Still the Olympic record holder following his gold medal in Rio, Braz went on to win bronze at the Tokyo Games. Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty ImagesGymnast Yang Wei won gold in the all-around and team events as China almost completed a clean sweep in the men’s events. Atlanta Olympics – Michael Johnson dominatesThe USA won 44 gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Persons: Léon Marchand, He’s, Marchand, Antoine Dupont, Momiji Nishiya, Lucy Nicholson, Yuto Horigome, Sakura Yosozumi, Yui Ohashi, Neymar, Laurence Griffiths, Thiago Braz, France’s Renaud Lavillenie, Braz, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford, Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis, Hill, Johannes Eisele, Getty Images Farah, Andy Murray, Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny, Trott, Anthony Joshua, Italy’s Roberto Cammarelle, Liu Xiang, China's Yang Wei, Lluis Gene, Yang Wei, Du Li, Ilias Iliadis, Franck Fife, Iliadis, Thorpedo ’, Ian Thorpe, “ Thorpedo ”, Al Bello, Cathy Freeman, Freeman, John Howard, Michael Johnson, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, Jaycie Phelps, Johnson, Mike Powell, Strug, Shannon MacMillan, Tiffeny Organizations: Paris CNN —, Arizona State University, Fiji, Games, Japan, Tokyo, Germany, Olympics, Tokyo Games, London Olympics, “, Getty Images, Wimbledon, Beijing, Getty, Athens Olympics, Athens, Sydney Olympics, Atlanta Olympics, The USA, US, China, Shannon Locations: France, Tokyo, USA, China, Paris, Rio, Brazil, Brazilian, Hill, AFP, Beijing, Athens, Georgia, Greece, Sydney, Atlanta, Russia, Romania

But, as events this week in Paris have once again shown, when it comes to women’s skating, Japan’s teenage girls are on fire. Fourteen-year-old Coco Yoshizawa’s late surge helped her beat compatriot Liz Akama, 15, to the gold medal at La Concorde Urban Park, Paris on Sunday. Sakura Yosozumi, then 19, and Kokona Hiraki, then 12, topped the 2021 Tokyo women’s park event. “Since there’s no age limit for skateboarding at the Olympics, any youngsters can compete,” Hiraki, the youngest Olympic medalist since 1936, told CNN in July. Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSkewing youngJapan aside, women’s skateboarding across both categories is dominated by teenage athletes.

Persons: Coco Yoshizawa’s, Liz Akama, ” Yoshizawa, Yuto Horigame, Jagger Eaton, Nyjah Huston, Horigame, Momoji Nishiya, Sakura Yosozumi, Kokona Hiraki, Brown, ” Hiraki, Julian Finney, ”, Junnosuke Yonesaka, Yonesaka, “, ” Akama, Lars Baron, Rayssa Leal, Cui Chenxi, Zhang Haohao, ’, China’s, Mazel Paris Alegado, Trew, Hiraki –, –, it’s Organizations: CNN, Team Japan, Concorde Urban, “, Paris Olympics, Tokyo Games, Urban Sports, Olympic, Concorde, Getty, Japan, Association, Paris, Asian Games Locations: Japan, Paris, Tokyo, France, China, Philippines

☆ Japan can't get enough of tiny vehicles. Here's Honda's latest: a $15,500 miniature EV truck.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Honda has unveiled the N-VAN e, a tiny electric truck costing from $15,500. The diminutive truck is targeted at delivery companies and goes on sale in Japan in October. Japan is famous for its tiny Kei cars, which are ideal for short journeys and city driving. Now, Honda is getting into the tiny EV game. The Japanese automaker has unveiled the N-VAN e, a miniature electric truck that starts at 2.44 million yen ($15,500).

Persons: —, Nissan Organizations: Honda, Service, Kei, Bloomberg Locations: Japan, Tokyo

☆ Americans are expected to splurge on travel this summer — again
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Analysts are expecting the Memorial Day weekend to usher in yet another summer of strong consumer spending on travel and other leisure activities. “We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a release. Spending this summer will likely be a little softer than last year’s, they said, but still strong. The bank’s consumer travel survey showed that 72% of people said they’re planning to travel, with 36% saying they’ve already planned their trip. Even among respondents making less than $75,000 a year, more than 60% said they’re planning to travel this summer.

Persons: ” Paula Twidale, Royal Caribbean’s, ” David Tinsley, they’ve, Joelle, aren’t, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu “, Atsuko Sato, ”, Sato, ” Kabosu, Kabosu, Shiba, Loretta Mester, Neel Kashkari, Lisa Cook, Robin, John Williams, Raphael Bostic, Lorie Logan Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, Washington CNN —, Transportation Security Administration, AAA, AAA Travel, Bank of America Institute, Bank of America, Japan, Europe, New York Fed, Public Policy Research, Mizuho Financial, Federal, Global, Index, Board, HP, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Abercrombie, Fitch, Eagle Outfitters, Costco, Dell, Dollar, Hormel, US Commerce Department, US Labor Department, National Association of Realtors, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Atlanta Fed Locations: Washington, Caribbean, South Korea, Switzerland, Colombia, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Domestically , California, Florida, California, “, Sakura, CAVA, Chewy, Burlington, Birkenstock, Nordstrom, Kohl’s

☆ Kabosu: The dog who inspired Dogecoin has died
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Kabosu, the dog that launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday. The Japanese shiba inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in a blogpost. As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternative cryptocurrency Dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to Bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes. An X post by Dogecoin Friday called Kabosu the community’s “inspiration.” “The impact this one dog has made across the world is immeasurable,” the post read.

Persons: London CNN — Kabosu, shiba inu “, Atsuko Sato, ”, Sato, ” Kabosu, Kabosu, shiba, Tesla, cryptocurrencies, Mai Nishiyama Organizations: London CNN, Elon, Twitter, Dogecoin Locations: “, Sakura

☆ Kabosu, Shiba Inu Who Helped Define the Doge Meme, Dies at 18
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Isabella Kwai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Kabosu, a Shiba Inu whose “much wow” face helped launch one of the defining memes of the last decade and inspired the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, died on Friday. She was 18 years old. She “crossed the rainbow bridge” on Friday, her owner Atsuko Sato said on social media, adding that she died without suffering, and as Ms. Sato was petting her. She died at home in Sakura, a city east of Tokyo, Ms. Sato said in an email on Friday. Ms. Sato began posting photos of Kabosu enjoying her life and playing at home on her blog.

Persons: Shiba, Dogecoin, “, Atsuko Sato, Sato, ”, Kabosu Locations: Sakura, Tokyo

☆ These tiny EVs are making a big impact
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Here are some of the tiny EVs making a splash in Asia and Europe. AdvertisementChief among those is the Seagull, a tiny EV that can go 305 km on a single charge and costs $11,000. SOPA Images/Getty ImagesJapan has long had a soft spot for tiny EVs, known as Kei cars — and the Nissan Sakura is one of the most popular. BITechnically speaking, the Citroen Ami isn't an electric car at all, but an "electric quadricycle." The tiny microcar has been on sale in Europe since 2021, with a UK launch mooted for later this year.

Persons: —, Nissan Sakura, Tesla, Aly Song, Reuters BYD, Elon, HECTOR RETAMAL, Citroen Ami, Citroen Ami isn't, Ami, Merlin Ouboter Organizations: Service, Nissan, Tesla, Ford, Business, Reuters, SAIC, General Motors, Japan, Citroen, BI, Getty Locations: China, Japan, Europe, Asia, Guang, Shanghai, France, London, Swiss

☆ Hamas says it accepts cease-fire proposal from Egyptian, Qatari mediators, as U.S. and Israel review details of plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hamas said it told Egyptian and Qatari negotiators that it has approved a cease-fire proposal to halt the war in Gaza. Israel is examining the proposal that Hamas approved and has not confirmed whether it would accept or reject it, an Israeli official told NBC News. Hostage release negotiations intensified over the weekend, with facilitation from U.S. CIA Director William Burns, alongside mediators from Egypt and Qatar. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Israel against an offensive in Rafah, where millions of civilians have taken refuge. President Joe Biden reiterated that stance on a half-hour Monday call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place before Hamas had announced its approval of a cease-fire proposal.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Ashraf Amra, Daniel Hagari, Matthew Miller, William Burns, Burns, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas, Anadolu, Egyptian, Qatari, NBC, Israel Defense Forces, Department, NBC News, CIA, Israeli Locations: Palestinian, Sakura, Istanbul, Turkiye, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Arab, Gaza's, Rafah

☆ Hot on the trail of cherry blossoms — peak times for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. CNN —In travel news this week: Circling the calendar for peak cherry blossoms, a very rare peek at post-pandemic North Korea and the insightful confessions of a Vegas habitué. While peak bloom can still be up in the air, the dates for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are solidly locked down: March 20-April 14. Meanwhile, Japanese forecasters are out with their own cherry blossom, or sakura, predictions. 02:06 - Source: CNNIn the best of times, a visit to communist North Korea was a rarity.

Persons: Brandon Griggs, He’s, Willy Wonka Organizations: CNN, Washington , D.C, Bloom Watch, National Cherry Blossom, –, Air Albania, AAA Locations: Korea, Netherlands, France, Washington ,, Japan, Wharf, Kochi, Tokyo, wintry Sapporo, Dubai, Atlanta, Air, London, India, United States, North Korea, Russia, Pyongyang, Masikryong, North, Las Vegas, Sin

☆ Cherry-blossom season is one of the best times to visit Japan. Here's how I make the most of it as an American who's lived here for 5 years.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Pay attention to the sakura forecast. The trees only bloom for a short window, so you don't want to miss it. Cherry blossoms reach full bloom in just a few weeks and only stay in full bloom for about one or two weeks. In order to witness peak blooming, I recommend referring to the sakura forecast calendar from the Japan Meteorological Corporation. The most recent forecast, released on February 22, estimates the peak bloom to be around March 21 in Tokyo and most of mainland Japan and between April 4 and 20 in most of northern Japan.

Persons: Abi One, sakura Organizations: Japan Meteorological Corporation Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan Hosts Ukraine Reconstruction Meeting, Pledges New Tax Treaty
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Sakura MurakamiTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan hosted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Monday in Tokyo to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine, pledging a new bilateral tax treaty and other support for Japanese businesses as the Ukraine war rages on. "Japan has stood with and continues to stand with Ukraine," Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a speech opening the talks, during which he announced a new bilateral tax treaty and the start of negotiations for an investment treaty without giving details. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, Japan has pledged more than $10 billion worth of financial aid, as it seeks to show solidarity with Kyiv's war effort. He added that he hoped to see major carmakers, including Toyota, create production facilities in Ukraine. At the reconstruction meeting, Kishida said Japan would support venture capital companies in Ukraine, pledged an easing of visa controls, and said government agency JETRO would open a new office in Kyiv.

Persons: Sakura Murakami TOKYO, Denys Shmyhal, Fumio Kishida, Shmyhal, Kishida, JETRO, Sakura Murakami, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Ukrainian, Toyota Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ One Month on From Japan Quake, Volunteers Provide Safe Space for Kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SUZU, Japan (Reuters) - One month on from a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck the west coast of Japan, volunteers from non-profit organisation Katariba play cards and other games with children in a Suzu city school classroom. Some of kids are still living in evacation centres, where it is difficult to play. Others have parents who are busy trying to deal with the task of rebuilding homes and livelihoods since the quake, so it's important to provide children with a safe place, says Katariba member Yoshiki Itashiki. After her daughter was temporarily evacuated to a different city, the service made it easier for her to come back. More than 13,600 people in Ishikawa prefecture where Suzu city is located are still living in evacuation centres.

Persons: Yoshiki Itashiki, Kanako, Sakura Murakami, Tom Bateman, Edwina Gibbs Locations: SUZU, Japan, evacation, Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

☆ Japan Earthquake Survivors Battle Unsanitary Conditions With No Running Water
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Sakura Murakami and Tom BatemanSUZU, Japan (Reuters) - A month on from a huge earthquake that struck Japan's west coast, survivors are battling freezing and unsanitary conditions while tens of thousands of homes remain without running water. More than 230 people died in the magnitude 7.6 quake, Japan's deadliest in eight years, which also left 44,000 homes fully or partially destroyed while 40,000 have no running water. More than 13,000 residents are living in evacuation centres, according to the Ishikawa government. Bitter cold is also posing a challenge, especially for scores of residents who are sleeping in their cars after their homes were wrecked. Over 900 deaths from the devastating Kobe earthquake of 1995 happened after the quake, due in part to the spread of flu and lack of medical care at evacuation centres, according to public health experts.

Persons: Sakura Murakami, Tom Bateman SUZU, Yoshio Binsaki, Ishikawa, Chisa, Terashita, Tom Bateman, Edmund Klamann Locations: Japan, Ishikawa prefecture, Suzu, Kobe

☆ Elon Musk wants to sell more Teslas in Japan. Here's why that could be tricky.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewBack in 2010, Elon Musk predicted that Japan would become Tesla's largest market outside of the US. "There are some geographies where our market share is remarkably low, like Japan," Musk said in a fourth-quarter earnings call earlier this week. Akio Toyoda has been skeptical of the benefits of EV cars. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty ImagesThat hesitancy has also held back the development of charging infrastructure — there are only about 30,000 EV charging connectors in the whole country — and kept price tags higher. But Japanese carmakers do have some plans to boost their EV efforts.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla, Suzuki, Nissan Sakura, Tatsuo Yoshida, Akio Toyoda, Ohsumi Organizations: Service, Business, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Intelligence, New York Times Locations: Japan, Europe

☆ The top 9 'must-have' travel experiences of 2024, according to luxury advisors
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Jonathan Delise | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

If that sounds like a tall order for a summer getaway, the luxury travel company Virtuoso asked 20,000 of its travel advisors to share their top experiences for 2024. Dark sky tourism focuses on rural locations without light pollution, such as Greece's Olympus Mountain National Park. Departing in August, Virtuoso recommends travelers first take in the Olympic Games before departing the city in style. Passion travelsHobbies may be associated with the home, but Virtuoso recommends taking your passions on the road. Virtuoso recommends exploring Peruvian cuisine at the Mistura Food Festival, or checking out the street food of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Persons: Nicolas Economou, Manoj Shah, Belles, Bhutan's, Young, Peter Adams, Chiang Mai, Koh, Wiphop, Sakura, James Cole, Hillary, Cousteau, Shackleton, pricey, Yasin Akgul, bookworms, Wolfgang Kaehler, Brian Curtice, Levente Bodo, ERNESTO BENAVIDES Organizations: Nurphoto, DarkSky, Stone, InterContinental, UNESCO, Istock, Expedition, Getty, CNBC Travel, Orient, Afp, Departing, Olympic Games, Chelsea Flower, Lightrocket, Festival Locations: stargazing, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Northern Mexico, Blanco , Texas, Albanya, Spain, Africa, Bhutan, Thailand, Pana, Yai, Bangkok, Japan Japan, United States, North America, Japan, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Fuji's, Antarctica, Paris, Istanbul, Turkey, Asia, Europe, Venice, Turkish, Strahov, Riau, Isla, Ljubljana, Slovenia

☆ The secret history of Japan’s best sweets
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Many of Japan’s present-day favorite wagashi – sweets – have their origins on Kyushu. Castella (kasutera in Japanese) also makes an appearance in another popular Japanese sweet, dorayaki. Here, the castella cake is thinner and made into a pancake with a layer of sweet red bean paste inside. Europe meets Japan, Japan meets EuropeAnother European sweet that got the Japanese treatment is macarons. For him, it’s a way of honoring Japan’s small producers, in addition to introducing these flavors to the hotel’s guests.

Persons: Joyi Chang, It’s, ”, Michele Abbatemarco, there’s, Margaret, Emperor, –, Miyamoto Shoko, it’s Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN Locations: Kyushu, Japan, Macao, Nagasaki, Portuguese, Japan’s, Portugal, Fukusaya, Fukuoka, Fukusaya’s, Hakata Station, Europe, Otemachi, Saga City, Tokyo, Spain, Netherlands, England

☆ Japan to stop building unabated coal power plants, PM Kishida tells COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan will stop building new coal power plants that do not have emission reduction measures in place, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on Friday. "In line with its pathway to net-zero, Japan will end new construction of domestic unabated coal power plants, while securing a stable energy supply," Kishida said. Japan will also try to decrease its reliance on currently operational coal plants, he said, without elaborating further. The official, who declined to be named, said Japan may build abated coal power plants should the technology emerge. About 25% of Japan's electricity was generated by nuclear power in 2010, a year before a giant earthquake and tsunami caused a triple-core meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and initially displaced some 470,000 people.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Al Sudani, Kishida, Ember, Sakura Murakami, Ekaterina Golubkova Organizations: Japan's, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Japan, United States, China, India, Tokyo

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a family photo during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. They also pledged to hold high-level dialogue on economic issues and welcomed the launch of a framework to discuss export controls as they met on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. In a joint statement in 2008, Japan and China agreed to pursue a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" designed to ensure frequent leadership exchanges on issues such as security and economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Kishida has also met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their seventh meeting this year. Leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are in San Francisco for its 30th summit from Nov. 15-17.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Kishida, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Rumi Aoyama, Aoyama, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, Ethan Wang, Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Asia, Astellas Pharma, ., Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese, APEC, South, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, San Francisco, Japan, Taiwan, Beijing, United States, Tokyo

China detained the executive, named in several media reports as Hiroshi Nishiyama, on suspicion of espionage in March, and he was formally arrested last month. Japan's then foreign minister protested the executive's detention with his Chinese counterpart on a visit to Beijing in April. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Half the respondents in a recent survey of Japanese companies doing business in China said they would cut investments this year. It's a very difficult point in time to be navigating that as a decision maker, in business or politics," he said.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Rahm Emanuel, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Japan's, Xi, Masashi Mizobuchi, Nishiyama, Takeshi Niinami, Niinami, Stefan Angrick, Yukiko Toyoda, Kiyoshi Takenaka, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Francis Tang, Laurie Chen, Antoni Slodkowski, Andrew Silver, Lincoln Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Kyodo, drugmaker Astellas Pharma, APEC, Reuters, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Japan Association of Corporate, Suntory, Moody's Analytics, Thomson Locations: Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, TOKYO, BEIJING, China, San Francisco, Tokyo, U.S, Japan, Beijing, officialdom, Shanghai

☆ Japan-led navy exercise starts with Philippines observing for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

F-35C stealth jet sits on deck of USS Carl Vinson in the Western Pacific, south of Japan, November 30, 2021. REUTERS/Tim Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsABOARD USS CARL VINSON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japan's navy on Saturday announced the start of a joint annual military exercise, with the Philippines observing the operations for the first time as the two countries seek closer maritime cooperation. The Japan-led Annualex exercise started on Friday with operations conducted by the naval forces of the United States, Australia and Canada, with the Philippines attending as an observer, Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Vice Admiral Akira Saito told reporters. Last week, Japan said it would provide radar systems to the Philippines to bolster its security. So I'm thrilled that Japan invited the Philippines to observe this year," Vice Admiral of the U.S.

Persons: Carl Vinson, Tim Kelly, CARL VINSON, Akira Saito, Saito, I'm, U.S . Seventh Fleet Karl Thomas, Sakura Murakami, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Saturday, Self, Defence Force, U.S . Seventh Fleet, East China, South China, Thomson Locations: Pacific, Japan, Philippines, United States, Australia, Canada, U.S, China, East, South

The statement gave no details of options being discussed if the Hamas militant group is ousted from Gaza as the result of an ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. Israel has so far been vague about its long-term plans for Gaza. Diplomats in Washington, the United Nations, the Middle East and beyond have also started weighing the options. The statement will present the G7's "united stance" on the Middle East situation, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday. The G7 group of wealthy, industrialised nations is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, with the European Union also participating in the talks.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Eli Cohen, Hirokazu Matsuno, Netanyahu, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Foreign, Group, Wall Street Journal, Union, Gaza, Diplomats, United Nations, Reuters, European Union, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, TOKYO, Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, Israel, Ukraine, China, Washington, Palestinian, United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy

[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: People hold a rally to protest against Israel's attack on Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, Japan October 16, 2023. From the beginning of the conflict, Japan has sought a "balanced" response, in part due to its diverse diplomatic interests in the region and its dependency on the Middle East for oil. A spokesperson for Japan's foreign ministry said it was expected that countries have different positions, but denied that G7 members were struggling to find common ground. A statement issued by G7 trade ministers from a meeting in Osaka late last month did not mention the war. Other group members have issued joint statements.

Persons: Issei Kato, Thomas Gomart, Koichiro Tanaka, Hideaki Shinoda, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Kunihiko Miyake, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, David Brunstromm, Steve Scherer, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Japan, European Union, French Institute of International Relations, Israel, Health, Hamas, Tokyo's Keio University, United Nations, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Canon Institute for Global Studies, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United, Israel, United States, Osaka, Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Washington, Ottawa

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