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TOKYO (AP) — Trade and economy officials from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies strengthened their pledge Sunday to work together to ensure smooth supply chains for essentials like energy and food despite global uncertainties. Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesThe G-7 includes the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain. Trade is one sector where growing political tensions with China have been playing out, although China was not directly mentioned in the meetings. Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Japanese minister in charge of trade and the economy, said G-7 nations expressed support and understanding for Japan’s position, stressing the safety of Japanese food based on scientific evidence, including that from Fukushima. Nishimura also said the guest nations that took part in the G-7 meeting, including Australia and India, were potentially powerful allies in strengthening the supply chain in valuable materials.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, ”, “, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Nishimura, Kamikawa, Katherine Tai, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, —, European Union, World Trade Organization, ”, EU, U.S . Trade Locations: Osaka, Ukraine, Israel, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, Australia, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kenya, China, Hiroshima, Fukushima

The logo of Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's Japanese business in pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 21 2023. REUTERS/Sam Nussey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE/TOKYO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan chipmaker Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (6770.TW) is considering around five sites in Japan, including Mie prefecture, for setting up a potential $5.4 billion factory as talks on subsidies progress, sources said. Powerchip is looking at around five sites for the factory, the source said. One option is Mie prefecture in central Japan, two sources said, close to the industrial hub of Nagoya and fabs operated by Taiwan's UMC (2303.TW) and Japan's Kioxia. A factory from Powerchip would mark a further commitment by Taiwanese chipmakers into manufacturing in Japan, with TSMC (2330.TW) building a factory in Kyushu in western Japan and eyeing a second.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Powerchip, Taiwan's UMC, eyeing, chipmaker, Fanny Potkin, Miho Uranaka, Muralikumar Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI Holdings, SBI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, TOKYO, Taiwan, Mie, Nagoya, Powerchip, Kyushu

The plaintiffs, in their 50s and 80s, were living in Kumamoto and nearby Kagoshima at the time of the mercury poisoning and later moved to Osaka and elsewhere in western Japan. Their symptoms, including numbness of the limbs, were typical of the mercury poisoning and cannot be explained by any other cause, the ruling said. It is one of Japan's worst environmental disasters and became an international symbol of environmental damage and corruption behind Japan’s rise to economic prominence. The central government had argued that there was no evidence to prove the plaintiffs suffered from Minamata disease. A 2004 Supreme Court ruling held the government responsible for allowing the pollution to continue for years after its discovery, prompting renewed calls for the government to expand the scope of support.

Persons: —, Judge Yuki Tatsuno, “, ”, Yoshie Maeda, Yoshiyuki Tokui, Hirokazu Matsuno Organizations: TOKYO, Wednesday, Court, Chisso Corp Locations: Kumamoto prefecture, Osaka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Japan, Minamata, Kyushu, Tokyo, Niigata

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen attends a ceremony for the start of construction of a new submarine fleet in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, November 24, 2020. Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, Tsai's security adviser, who is leading the program, said a fleet of 10 submarines - which includes two Dutch-made submarines commissioned in the 1980s - will make it harder for the Chinese navy to project power into the Pacific. He called the submarines a "strategic deterrent" to Chinese warships crossing the Miyako Strait near southwestern Japan or the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines. "If Taiwan is taken, Japan will definitely not be safe, South Korea will definitely not be safe." Eastern Taiwan is where planners have long envisioned the island's military regrouping and preserving its forces during a conflict.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Ann Wang, Admiral Huang Shu, Huang, Lockheed Martin, Chieh Chung, doesn't, Britain's, Yimou Lee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Lockheed, Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S ., Shandong, Foundation, Taiwan, Britain's Royal Navy, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Kaohsiung, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Philippines, Borneo, South Korea, Eastern Taiwan, United States, India, Britain, Gibraltar

☆ BOJ chief warns of highly uncertain wage, price outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The key to the outlook for monetary policy is whether strong wage growth and consumption, rather than cost pressures from rising import costs, become the key driver of inflation, Ueda said. Ueda said the BOJ was "not fully convinced" that wage hikes would keep accelerating, as many companies seemed undecided on their wage strategy for next year and beyond. That's why we are supporting demand and the broader economy with easy monetary policy," he added. While stressing the need to keep ultra-loose policy for now, Ueda said it was "extremely important" to weigh the benefits and costs of its policy. On the yen's recent falls, Ueda said the BOJ was keeping a close eye on their impact on economic and price developments.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Kim Kyung, Ueda, Shingo Torii, Leika Kihara, Chang, Ran Kim, Sam Holmes, Ed Osmond Organizations: Japan, REUTERS, Ueda, Bank of Japan, Panasonic, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Ueda OSAKA, Osaka

☆ Taiwan Expects to Deploy Two New Submarines by 2027 -Security Adviser
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

By Yimou LeeTAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles, to strengthen deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said. Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, Tsai's security adviser, who is leading the program, said a fleet of 10 submarines - which includes two Dutch-made submarines commissioned in the 1980s - will make it harder for the Chinese navy to project power into the Pacific. He called the submarines a "strategic deterrent" to Chinese warships crossing the Miyako Strait near southwestern Japan or the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines. "If Taiwan is taken, Japan will definitely not be safe, South Korea will definitely not be safe." Eastern Taiwan is where planners have long envisioned the island's military regrouping and preserving its forces during a conflict.

Persons: Yimou Lee, Tsai Ing, Admiral Huang Shu, Huang, Lockheed Martin, Chieh Chung, doesn't, Britain's, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, Lockheed, Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S ., Shandong, Foundation, Taiwan, Britain's Royal Navy Locations: Yimou Lee TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Philippines, Borneo, South Korea, Eastern Taiwan, United States, India, Britain, Gibraltar

☆ BOJ policymaker calls for keeping ultra-easy policy, sets high bar on exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, it was hard to say when inflation could hit the bank's 2% inflation target in a sustainable manner, she said. "But we're not at a stage where we can judge that Japan has achieved our price target in a stable, sustainable fashion." The BOJ has defined sustainable inflation as price rises driven not by rising raw material costs, but strong domestic demand accompanied by continued wage increases. But she laid out in detail the conditions for ending negative rates. "When we see many people share prospects that wages will keep rising, we may be able to exit (negative rates)," she added.

Persons: Androniki, Nakagawa, Bank of Japan policymaker Junko Nakagawa, Haruhiko Kuroda, We're, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Tom Hogue, Kim Coghill, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo, KOCHI, Kochi

☆ Japan launches rocket carrying lunar lander and X-ray telescope to explore origins of universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An H2-A rocket carrying a small lunar surface probe and other objects lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture on September 7, 2023. Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA. "We have a liftoff," the narrator at JAXA said as the rocket flew up in a burst of smoke then flew over the Pacific. That information helps in studying how celestial objects were formed, and hopefully can lead to solving the mystery of how the universe was created, JAXA says.

Persons: Ray, David Alexander Organizations: Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Ray Imaging, NASA, Rice Space, Rice University Locations: Tanegashima, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA. Also aboard the latest Japanese rocket is the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, a lightweight lunar lander. The Smart Lander won’t make lunar orbit for three or four months after the launch and would likely attempt a landing early next year, according to the space agency. In February, the H3 rocket launch was aborted for a glitch.

Persons: Ray, David Alexander, ” Alexander, Smart, Shinichiro Sakai, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, —, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Ray Imaging, NASA, Rice Space, Rice University, Smart, U.S . Apollo Locations: — Japan, Japan, U.S, Russia, China, India

☆ Typhoon Lan Knocks Out Power for Thousands in Western Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Hikari Hida | More About Hikari Hida | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Typhoon Lan pummeled western Japan on Tuesday, prompting local officials to issue evacuation warnings, knocking out power to thousands of homes, canceling hundreds of flights and disrupting summer traditions like a nationwide baseball tournament. Moving in from the Pacific Ocean, the tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 67 miles per hour, with gusts of 89 m.p.h. All commercial flights out of Kansai airport had been suspended for the day, with more than 800 canceled nationwide. Train and bus services in the region had also been suspended. Tornado warnings were issued for central Shizuoka Prefecture just before noon by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which warned of thunderstorms, wind gusts, and hail.

Persons: Lan Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency Locations: Japan, Shionomisaki, Wakayama Prefecture, Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, Kansai, Shizuoka Prefecture

Tokyo, Japan CNN —Evacuation warnings have been issued to more than 237,000 people across 11 prefectures in Japan as Typhoon Lan hit the west of the country on Tuesday, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. At least 26 people have been injured in five prefectures across western Japan, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, citing police and fire officials. In two towns in Tottori and Okayama prefectures, rainfall over a few hours on Tuesday exceeded the average for the entire month of August. A swollen river as Typhoon Lan makes landfall in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture on Tuesday. Typhoon Lan follows Typhoon Khanun, which lashed southwestern Japan with wind and rain earlier this month.

Persons: Typhoon Lan, Lan, Takumi Harada, Koji Ito, Khanun Organizations: Japan CNN, Disaster Management Agency, NHK, Japan Meteorological Agency, Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Tourism, CNN, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines, ANA Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Shionomisaki, Japan’s Wakayama, Tottori, Okayama, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Kansai, Chubu, Nagoya

☆ Typhoon Lan makes landfall in western Japan, threatens damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Approaching from the Pacific Ocean, Typhoon Lan made landfall at the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The typhoon, which followed closely on the heels of Typhoon Khanun during Japan's peak Obon holiday season, lashed wide swathes of central and western Japan with heavy rains and powerful winds. Anticipating the dangerous levels of winds and rains a day earlier, high-speed train operators had also planned suspensions of services affecting the area. Typhoon Lan had sustained winds of 150 kph (93 mph) and was moving northwest across the western part of the main island of Honshu as of 0000 GMT. It was forecast to reach the Sea of Japan by early Wednesday and continue north along the sea, according to Japan's weather agency.

Persons: Typhoon Lan, Khanun, Chang, Kim, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Toyota Motor Corp, NHK, Toyota Motor, Thomson Locations: Japan, Wakayama prefecture, Tokyo, Mie, Osaka, Tokai, Typhoon, Honshu

☆ 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

☆ Japan braces for Typhoon Khanun's winds and heavy rainfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

City skyline and harbour are seen at sunrise in Tokyo, Japan July 24, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A swath of Japanese regions, including central areas, are bracing for Typhoon Khanun to approach near southwestern Japan on Tuesday, as the country's meteorological agency warns of damage from strong winds and heavy rainfall. The storm was hovering about 160 kilometres (99 miles) east-northeast of the city of Amami in southwestern Japan and moving slowly north as of 9 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Khanun has gradually lost its strength but still packs winds of 108 kph (67 mph), with gusts of up to 144 kph. "Due to the slow movement of the typhoon and its prolonged impact, total rainfall may greatly exceed the normal monthly rainfall for August in the Pacific Ocean side of Kyushu and western Japan, and in the Tokai region," the JMA said.

Persons: Maxim, Khanun, Satoshi Sugiyama, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Mazda Motor Corp, West Japan Railway Co, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Amami, Japan's Nagasaki, Khanun, South Korea, Shikoku, Kyushu, Western Japan, Tokai, Hakata, Osaka, Nagasaki

☆ Hiroshima marks a-bomb anniversary, calls nuclear deterrence "folly"
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Kiyoshi Takenaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERSTOKYO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Japan on Sunday marked the 78th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Hiroshima, where its mayor urged the abolition of nuclear weapons and called the Group of Seven leaders' notion of nuclear deterrence a "folly". The day to commemorate the victims of the world's first nuclear attack comes as Russia has raised the spectre of using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine. It also comes as biopic "Oppenheimer", chronicling the creation of the atomic bomb, has become a box-office hit in the United States. G7 leaders issued a statement expressing their commitment to achieving disarmament but said that as long as nuclear weapons existed, they should serve to deter aggression and prevent war. The prime minister said the road to a world without nuclear weapons was getting steeper, due in part to Russia's nuclear threats, but that this made it all the more important to bring back international momentum towards that goal.

Persons: Oppenheimer, Fumio Kishida, Kazumi Matsui, Antonio Guterres, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Chang, Ran Kim, William Mallard Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Seven, Kishida, United Nations, Japan, Thomson Locations: Hiroshima, Japan, REUTERS TOKYO, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Nagasaki

Hong Kong CNN —Seven people have died and thousands have evacuated their homes in South Korea due to heavy rain. Three others were missing, the country’s Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday, citing the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters. Across South Korea, more than 1,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes and seek temporary shelter on Saturday, Yonhap reported. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered authorities to evacuate those in landslide-prone regions and to carry out rescue efforts, according to the South Korean news agency. Last year, the South Korean capital Seoul logged record downpours that inundated homes, roads and subways, killing at least nine people.

Persons: Yonhap, Han Duck Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Yonhap News Agency, Central Disaster, Safety, South Korean Locations: Hong Kong, South Korea, Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, Seoul, East Asia, Japan, Fukuoka, Oita prefectures, Kyushu, China, Chongqing

Heavy rains in southwestern Japan have washed away homes, flooded hospitals, disrupted mobile phone services and cut off power and water for hundreds of households, officials said on Tuesday. The unusually high level of rainfall in Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, on Monday has left at least six people dead and three missing, Japan’s top government spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno, said at a news conference. Another official, Satoshi Sugimoto, the top forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency, on Monday called it “the heaviest rain ever experienced” in northern Kyushu.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Satoshi Sugimoto Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency Locations: Japan, Kyushu

Japan’s Kyushu region has been experiencing heavy rainfall since the beginning of the month and Monday saw record-breaking levels, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Harumi Ozawa/AFP/Getty ImagesResidents maneuver through a flooded street in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, on July 10, 2023. JIJI Press/AFP/Getty ImagesJapan is not the only country currently grappling with intense rainfall. While heavy rainfall events will always happen, scientists say that climate change means they are becoming more severe. A warmer atmosphere is able to store more water, leading to more intense rainfall when it falls.

Persons: Harumi Ozawa, Kazuhiro Nogi, JIJI Press, ”, Richard Allan, Stefan Uhlenbrook, It’s, Uhlenbrook, they’re, ” Uhlenbrook Organizations: CNN, Disaster Management Agency, Japan Meteorological Agency, Getty, Reuters, JIJI, Japan, UK’s University of Reading, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Japan, Japan’s Kyushu, Chugoku, Kyushu, Karatsu, AFP, Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, Fukuoka, Oita prefectures, Tanushimarumachi, India, Delhi, New York, New York , Vermont , Massachusetts, Maine

REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, July 8 (Reuters) - Japan on Saturday marked one year since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down during an election speech by a man angry at his links to the Unification Church. The death of Japan's longest serving prime minister, which was caught on video, rattled a nation unused to gun violence. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other senior officials and lawmakers joined Abe's widow, Akie, at a private memorial service at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Among them was Tsuu Ogawa, 49, a hotel worker, who celebrated her birthday the day that Abe was assassinated. In social media posts before the shooting, he blamed the Unification Church for leaving his mother in financial straits.

Persons: Shinzo Abe, Issei Kato TOKYO, Japan's, Fumio Kishida, Akie, Tsuu Ogawa, Abe, Critics, Atsuhiro Ueda, Kishida, Tetsuya Yamagami, Daishiro Yamagiwa, Tim Kelly, Irene Wang, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Unification Church, Liberal Democratic Party, Unification, Korean, Economic, Thomson Locations: Zojoji, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Heavy rains continue to hit Japan, suspending some trains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Vehicles submerged under water following heavy rain brought about by Typhoon Mawar are pictured in Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on June 3, 2023. Although Mawar has weakened from super typhoon status, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) urged people to be on high alert for landslides, rising rivers and flooding in eastern Japan, while warning of landslides in western Japan. Shinkansen bullet trains, suspended from Tokyo to Nagoya in central Japan since Friday, resumed operation around noon (0300 GMT) on Saturday, Kyodo news agency reported. From Friday through Saturday morning, heavy localised rain fell in many parts of Japan, marking the heaviest rainfall on record for June in some areas, Kyodo said. A man found in a car flooded by heavy rain in Toyohashi in central Japan was taken to the hospital, where he was later confirmed dead, Kyodo said.

Persons: Typhoon Mawar, Mawar, Kyodo, Yuka Obayashi, William Mallard Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, NHK, Thomson Locations: Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, REUTERS TOKYO, Tokyo, Nagoya, Mawar, Guam, Toyohashi

☆ 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

☆ Japan slammed by torrential rain as typhoon nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, June 2 (Reuters) - Parts of Japan were slammed by torrential rain on Friday as Typhoon Mawar neared, bringing winds and heavy rain to a wide swathe of the country and prompting authorities to advise tens of thousands to evacuate. But forecasters warned there was the danger that humid air from the typhoon could feed into a seasonal rain front, touching off heavy localized rains. 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. On Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the nation had experienced its warmest spring since record-keeping began in 1898.

Persons: Mawar, Elaine Lies, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, NHK, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Mawar, Guam, Honshu, Okinawa, Shikoku, Toyohashi

☆ Air France flight turns back to Osaka after malfunction, Kyodo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) - An Air France KLM SA (AIRF.PA) passenger plane flying from Osaka in western Japan to French capital Paris turned back on Sunday after weather radar and speed meters malfunctioned while flying over the Pacific Ocean, Kyodo news agency reported. None of the 324 passengers and crew were injured, but the aircraft's leading edge was damaged and the cause was being investigated, Kyodo said, citing the transport ministry's office at Kansai International Airport. Air France flight 291 took off from Kansai airport around 11:15 a.m. (0215 GMT). The Airbus SE (AIR.PA) A350 turned back about 35 minutes later and landed safely at the same airport at around 2:25 p.m. The Kansai airport office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism did not answer telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment.

☆ Brazil's Lula says meeting fell through because Ukraine's Zelenskiy was late
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, western Japan, Sunday, May 21, 2023. Louise Delmotte/Pool via REUTERSHIROSHIMA, Japan, May 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday a meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Japan fell through because Zelenskiy was late. "I had an interview, a bilateral one with Ukraine here in this room at 3:15 p.m. We waited and received the information that he was late," Lula said. Zelenskiy "did not show up ... Clearly he had appointments and he couldn't come," Lula said. Zelenskiy had earlier played down the fact he did not meet with Lula.

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