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☆ This $13,000 microcar is outselling Teslas in Japan. Here's what drivers love about it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Drivers told Insider the tiny car is a "blast" to drive and perfect for driving in busy cities. AdvertisementAdvertisementJapan's best-selling EV is a tiny car that sells for just $13,000 — and drivers have told Insider exactly what they like best about it. "A smaller electric car is more sustainable and suits a lot of people's actual driving needs. I think that's at least partly why bigger electric cars, like Teslas, are not so popular here," he added. "I think Japanese automakers underestimated the appeal of electric cars here for a long time," he said.

Persons: Nissan Sakura, —, Sakura, Nissan, Michael Brown, Brown, Michael, RICHARD A, BROOKS, Tesla Organizations: Nissan, Drivers, EV, Service, Bloomberg, Mitsubishi, Reddit, Toyota, Honda, Suzuki Locations: Japan, Higashimurayama City, Tokyo

☆ Japan PM Kishida: cooperating with Philippines, US to protect South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"In the South China Sea, trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is under way," Kishida, on an official visit, said in an address before the Philippine congress in the capital Manila. Last month China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in the disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Japan does not have any claim to the South China Sea, but has a maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea. "Japan will continue to contribute to the enhancement of the Philippines' security capabilities, thereby contributing to regional peace and stability," Kishida said.

Persons: Fumio, Aaron Favila, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, China's, Kishida, Karen Lema, Sakura Murakami, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Official Security, Kyodo, Philippine Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: Quezon City, Philippines, Rights MANILA, United States, South China, China, Philippine, Manila, Kishida, Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, East, Tokyo

☆ Japan to provide $65 million additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa arrives to a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Japan will provide $65 million in additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians out of concern over the conflict in Gaza, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said during a tour of Israel and Jordan on Friday. Speaking to reporters in Jordan after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, Kamikawa also said Japan was planning to provide material aid to war-torn Gaza. Kamikawa refrained from commenting on whether Israel's strikes on Gaza was within the limits of international law, but said that actors must comply with the spirit of protecting human rights and not cause needless civilian deaths. Reporting by Sakura Murakami; editing by David Evans and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Jordan, Eli Cohen, Riyad al, Kamikawa, Japan's, Cohen, Maliki, Lebanon's, Sakura Murakami, David Evans, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: New York, Japan, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Tokyo, Lebanon's Iran

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa waits for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrive for a meeting, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday she would meet Palestinian counterparts during a visit to Israel and Jordan, and would communicate Japan's readiness to provide aid to the Palestinians. The minister, Yoko Kamikawa, is also set to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during her two-day trip from Friday, as the crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel conducted a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and as foreigners, including Japanese nationals, leave. Speaking to reporters before her departure, she acknowledged the Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and that many civilians had been killed in the attack. She said Japan would remain in touch with one Japanese national living in Gaza who wished to remain there and did not evacuate.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Eli Cohen, Israel, Kamikawa, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Chang, Ran Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Rights, Israeli, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: New York, Israel, Jordan, Gaza, Egypt, Japan

☆ 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

Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children and took more than 200 hostages in its Oct. 7 rampage. "I welcome the growing global consensus for a humanitarian pause in the conflict. INTERMEDIARY NEEDEDEven among Israel's allies, there is no consensus on what is meant by a humanitarian pause. She said "ceasefire" tends to refer to a general suspension of fighting while humanitarian pauses or corridors are more limited. "If that's what it requires, then we absolutely will try to get such pause or pauses in place."

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Israel, Yoko Kamikawa, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Gilad Erdan, Chiara Gillard, John Kirby, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Dan Williams, Andrew Gray, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Steve Holland, Sakura Murakami, Frank Jack Daniel, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, EU, Foreign Ministry, White, General, Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, . National Security, UN, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, United States, Japan, New York, Brussels, Spain, Egypt, Rafah, rearm, Jerusalem, Geneva, Washington, Tokyo

☆ In Mexico, modern art is for dogs too as exhibition opens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A dog sits in front of a poem during the "Art and Dogs" exhibition at the Rufino Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum, in Mexico City, Mexico October 21, 2023. Now, the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City has put together an exhibition of modern art pieces that both humans and their furry friends can visit. The second #ArteyPerros, or Art and Dogs, exhibition includes pieces by Haris Epaminonda, Max Ernst, Mathias Goeritz, Pierre Huyghe, Danh Vo and Mario Garcia Torres as well as a poem by Luis Felipe Fabre. Mila Cohen, a sixth-grade student who visited the exhibition, said she appreciated the idea that she could take her dog, Sakura. "It would be incredible if there were more spaces like this, with art, where we could spend time with our dogs," said Manu Exheverria, a photographer.

Persons: Rufino Tamayo, Lorenza, Haris Epaminonda, Max Ernst, Mathias Goeritz, Pierre Huyghe, Danh Vo, Mario Garcia Torres, Luis Felipe Fabre, Mila Cohen, Manu Exheverria, Diego Delgado, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Mark Porter Organizations: Rufino Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Museo, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO

☆ Forget Tesla – this $13,000 tiny car is Japan's best-selling EV
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The $13,000 "Kei car" has left rivals such as Tesla in the dust. Mini "Kei trucks" are taking off in the US, with some being sold for as little as $5,000. AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla may dominate the global EV market — but for drivers in Japan, a $13,000 tiny car is proving a better investment. Their cousins, Kei trucks, have become increasingly in demand in the US in recent years. Kei trucks such as the Daihatsu Hijet have become increasingly popular in the US.

Persons: —, minicar, Sakura, Nissan Sakura, Elon, Kei, Warren, TORU YAMANAKA, Suzuki Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Tesla, Daihatsu, EV Locations: Japan, America

Toyota Motor Corporation's cars are seen at a briefing on the company's strategies on battery EVs in Tokyo, Japan December 14, 2021. The Japan Mobility Show, which opens on Thursday, comes at a critical moment for the domestic industry. Toyota (7203.T), the world's top-selling automaker, this year announced a strategic pivot to battery EVs, including plans to commercialise advanced batteries and adopt die-casting technology pioneered by Tesla (TSLA.O). Toyota's shift has helped silence criticism that it was too slow to embrace battery EVs. In contrast to the darkening outlook in Japan, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation shows that the auto market in Southeast Asia has been growing.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Koji Endo, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, Jamie Freed Organizations: Toyota, REUTERS, Companies, Japan, Japan Mobility, Tesla, Subaru, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, BYD, HK, BMW, Honda, SBI Securities, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, ASEAN Automotive Federation, EV upstarts, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, China, Southeast Asia, Thailand

☆ Tepco starts releasing second batch of treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Company (9501.T) (Tepco) started releasing more treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday morning, continuing a move that has caused tensions between China and Japan. Junichi Matsumoto, who is overseeing the water release at Tepco, said on Wednesday during a news conference that Tepco had received more than 6,000 calls from abroad between August 24-27. Japan started the water discharge in August in a key step towards decommissioning the Fukushima plant, which suffered meltdowns after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 in the world's worst nuclear plant disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier. Japan says the water is treated to remove most radioactive elements except tritium, a hydrogen isotope that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter.

Persons: Junichi Matsumoto, Matsumoto, Sakura Murakami, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, Rights, Tokyo Electric Power Company, United Nations, Tepco, Japan, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China

☆ Cui Chenxi: Teen skateboarder becomes China's youngest Asian Games gold medalist
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Thirteen-year-old Cui Chenxi of China clinched gold in women’s skateboarding at the Asian Games on Wednesday, becoming the country’s youngest gold medalist as teenage girls continue to dominate the sport. The street event requires competitors to perform tricks on a track scattered with stairs, rails, ramps, benches and more. While the men’s sport tends to be dominated by athletes in their late teens or early twenties, women’s skateboarding has skewed increasingly younger. China's Cui Chenxi competes in the final of the women's street skateboarding event during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Meanwhile in the street event, Momiji Nishiya became Japan’s youngest-ever Olympic champion at 13, while 13-year-old Rayssa Leal of Brazil finished second and 16-year-old Nakayama third.

Persons: Cui Chenxi, Cui, ” Cui, ”, Zeng Wenhui, Ito Miyu, Japan, Funa Nakayama, China's Cui Chenxi, Hector Retamal, ” Cui’s, Alegado, Margielyn Didal, Didal, I’m, Japan’s Hinano, Li Yujuan, Mao Jiasi, Li, Sakura Yosozumi, Kokona Hiraki, Brown, Momiji Nishiya, Rayssa Leal, Nakayama Organizations: CNN, Asian Games, Reuters, Roller Sports, Paris Olympics, Games, Olympic, Getty, Weibo, Japan’s, Brazil Locations: China, Shandong, Hangzhou, Jakarta, Indonesia, Lausanne, Tokyo, AFP, Philippines

U.S. Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Nobuhiro Kubo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The United States Space Force has had internal discussions about setting up a hotline with China to prevent crises in space, U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman told Reuters on Monday. The chief of space operations said a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart would be valuable in de-escalating tensions but that the U.S. had not yet engaged with China to establish one. Saltzman, who held talks with top Japanese defence officials in Tokyo on Monday, confirmed that the space force was exploring the potential establishment of a local headquarters in Japan. The U.S. Space Force, founded in 2019, also does not have a direct line of communication with its Russian counterpart.

Persons: Chance Saltzman, Nobuhiro Kubo, Saltzman, Joe Biden, Sakura Murakami, Philippa Fletcher, Toby Chopra Organizations: Chief, Space, Reuters, REUTERS, Nobuhiro, Rights, United States Space Force, Space Force, State Department, U.S . Space Force, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, U.S, Ukraine, Taiwan, South Korea

☆ Exclusive-U.S. Exploring Potential Space Force Hotline With China, U.S. Commander Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sakura Murakami and Nobuhiro KuboTOKYO (Reuters) - The United States Space Force has had internal discussions about setting up a hotline with China to prevent crises in space, U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman told Reuters on Monday. The chief of space operations said a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart would be valuable in de-escalating tensions but that the U.S. had not yet engaged with China to establish one. The comments come as the U.S. Space Force looks into establishing a branch in Japan, as China's military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific unnverve its neighbours and the war in Ukraine spotlights the importance of space capabilities in warfare. Saltzman, who held talks with top Japanese defence officials in Tokyo on Monday, confirmed that the space force was exploring the potential establishment of a local headquarters in Japan. The U.S. Space Force, founded in 2019, also does not have a direct line of communication with its Russian counterpart.

Persons: Sakura Murakami, Nobuhiro Kubo TOKYO, Chance Saltzman, Saltzman, Joe Biden, Nobuhiro Kubo, Philippa Fletcher, Toby Chopra Organizations: United States Space Force, Space Force, State Department, U.S . Space Force Locations: China, U.S, Japan, Ukraine, Taiwan, Tokyo, South Korea

☆ Japan's new cabinet reflects PM's focus on gender, defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said the role of defence minister went to Minoru Kihara, a pro-Taiwan politician who has visited the island in the past and belongs to a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group. Kihara will also oversee the bolstering of Japan's military as part of a plan to double defence spending over five years by 2027. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and will be sensitive to any shift in Japan's stance on the democratically governed island. "Even if the foreign and defence minister posts change, there won't be any change or impact on Japan's diplomatic policy."

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Yoko Kamikawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Takashi Kawakami, Shigenobu Tamura, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro, Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates Organizations: ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party, Takushoku University, LDP, NHK, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Tokyo, China, East Asia, United States

☆ Japan PM to Include Five Women in Cabinet - Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet will include five female ministers, the same number as in two previous administrations, Japanese media reported on Wednesday, as the premier seeks to boost his sagging ratings with fresh faces. About 43% of respondents disapproved of Kishida's leadership while 36% approved, according to a poll by public broadcaster NHK conducted last week. Yoko Kamikawa, a former justice minister who oversaw the execution of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult that carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, will become foreign minister, the media outlets said. The number of women in cabinet is the same as previous cabinets led by former premiers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe. Kishida has also appointed pro-Taiwan politician Minoru Kihara to head the defence ministry, while retaining Shunichi Suzuki as finance minister and Yasutoshi Nishimura as economic minister, the media outlets said.

Persons: Fumio Kishida's, Kishida, Yoko Kamikawa, Sanae, Junichiro Koizumi, Shinzo Abe, Minoru Kihara, Suzuki, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Sakura Murakami, Miral Fahmy Organizations: NHK Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Taiwan

☆ Japan PM Kishida plans Sept 13 cabinet reshuffle, coalition partner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Adek Berry/Pool via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to reshuffle his cabinet on Sept. 13, the head of the junior partner in Kishida's ruling coalition said on Friday. On Thursday, there was further bad news when former ruling Liberal Democratic Party member Masatoshi Akimoto was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes. 56% of people thought Kishida should renew his cabinet and shake up the senior executives of the ruling party. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka; editing by John Stonestreet and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Kishida, Masatoshi Akimoto, Akimoto, Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka, John Stonestreet, Susan Fenton Organizations: Japan's, ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Public, NHK, Liberal Democratic Party, Asahi, Yomiuri, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, India

☆ US's McCarthy says China's position on Fukushima discharge 'unfair, 'false'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy walks through Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy called China's position on the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant "unfair" and "false" during a visit to Tokyo on Thursday. Japan started its discharges from the wrecked plant last month, provoking strong criticism from China. In retaliation for the release into the ocean, China has placed a blanket ban on all aquatic imports from Japan. Reporting by Yukiko Toyoda and Sakura Murakami; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Leah Millis, Yukiko Toyoda, Sakura Murakami, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, . House, Japan, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Tokyo, China, Japan

☆ Japan PM speaks to China's Li about radioactive water release
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Japan started releasing the water from the wrecked plant into the ocean last month, drawing strong criticism from China. "During the chat, I explained Japan's position on the treated water to Premier Li," Kishida said. It was also the first high-level talk between the two countries since the release of the water from the Fukushima plant. The water is treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, a radionuclide difficult to separate from water, and then diluted to internationally accepted levels before being released into the ocean.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Li Qiang, Kishida, Li, Premier Li, Sakura Murakami, Rocky Swift, Tomasz Janowski, Nick Macfie Organizations: Japan's, ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Japan, China, Premier, Tokyo, Beijing

That means the two-day summit from September 9 will be dominated by the West and its allies. The G20 leaders who will attend include U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman and Japan's Fumio Kishida. "If the leaders' summit is a flop, New Delhi and especially Modi will have suffered a major diplomatic, and political, setback," Kugelman said. "The positions have hardened since the Bali Summit," a senior Indian government official told Reuters, referring to the 2022 summit held in Indonesia. Lavrov said last week Russia will block the final declaration of the G20 summit unless it reflects Moscow's position on Kyiv and other crises.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, Li Qiang, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin's, Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman, Japan's, Michael Kugelman, Narendra Modi, Modi, Kugelman, Joko Widodo, Justin Trudeau, Sergei Lavrov, Putin, battlelines, Trudeau, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Lavrov, David Boling, N.K, Singh, Larry Summers, Katya Golubkova, Kentaro Sugiyama, Sakura Murakami Organizations: REUTERS, West, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, Indian, New, Reuters, Bali, Canada's, Russian, Diplomats, Eurasia Group, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Ukraine, China, Russia, Saudi, Washington, Bali, Indonesia, Indonesian, CHINA, Brazil, South Africa, Johannesburg, U.S, Tokyo

☆ Japan makes record defence spending request amid tension with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The plan, announced last year, seeks to double defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2027 as it faces an increasingly assertive China and an unpredictable North Korea. The defence ministry plans to set aside more than 900 billion yen for ammunition and weapons, including new ship-based air-defence missiles, according to the budget request. Some 600 billion yen will be used to strengthen logistics capabilities to deploy weapons and resources to southwest island chains during an emergency. Japan will also put 75 billion yen towards jointly developing interceptor missiles with the United States to counter hypersonic warheads, and 64 billion yen for building next-generation fighter jets with Britain and Italy. The record defence spending by the staunch U.S. ally comes after decades of pacifist policies.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk, Camp David, Evelyn Hockstein, Fumio, Sakura Murakami, Robert Birsel, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, South, REUTERS, Rights, Ministry of Finance, Thomson Locations: Camp, Thurmont , Maryland, U.S, China, North Korea, Japan, United States, Britain, Italy, Taiwan, Ukraine, Asia

☆ Fukushima: Japan PM pledges to help fishing industry after China seafood ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fish and shrimp are seen at a seafood market in Shanghai, China August 25, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he would compile measures to help the fishing industry hit by China's ban on Japanese seafood, after visiting Tokyo's biggest fish market. "I will put together measures given the variety of opinions I heard from the fishing industry today," Kishida said to reporters following a visit to Toyosu fish market on Thursday, adding that requests included support to help fishing companies develop new sales avenues and holding discussions with China. Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last Thursday, prompting China, Japan's biggest trade partner, to impose a blanket ban on Japanese aquatic products. Fisheries Minister Tetsuro Nomura said last Friday the government would take steps to diversify Japan's fish exports for China-dependent products such as scallops.

Persons: Aly, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Tetsuro Nomura, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan's, Nikkei, Fisheries, Trade Organization, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Lincoln

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money. Ethan Nguonly, 22, is a software engineer at Google living in Orange County, California. Living in Orange County, California, Nguonly aims to spend intentionally in order to put as much money as he can toward his investments. Tristan Pelletier | CNBC Make ItAbout a year after buying his investment property, Nguonly purchased his primary residence in La Palma, California. While he's kept a significant amount of money in crypto, Nguonly now mainly focuses on investing in ETFs and real estate.

Persons: Ethan Nguonly, it's, he's, Nguonly, Tristan Pelletier, Nguonly's, I'm, Ethan Nguonly Nguonly's, lockdowns, couldn't, — Nguonly, It's, it'd, didn't, Sakura, takeout, you've, there's Organizations: CNBC, FIRE, Google, University of California, UC Berkeley, Transportation, Spotify Locations: Orange County , California, Florida, California, Berkeley, Qualtrics, Virginia, Riverview , Florida, Riverview, Hurricane, La Palma , California, Orange County, New York, Singapore, Cambodia

☆ Japan says may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that Japan would take "necessary action (on China's aquatic product ban) under various routes including the WTO framework". Filing a WTO complaint might become an option if protesting to China through diplomatic routes is ineffective, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi said separately. Japan's National Police Agency has received 225 reports of harassment calls to date, Jiji News reported, and the government said it was seeking help from telecommunications companies to block the calls. NTT and other phone companies including KDDI (9433.T) and SoftBank Corp (9434.T) are discussing measures following the government's request. "It is extremely regrettable and concerning about the large number of harassment calls that have likely come from China," Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said during a news conference.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, Mariko Katsumura, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Simon Cameron, Moore, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, World Trade Organization, Economic, Japan's National Police Agency, Jiji News, NTT Communications, Nippon Telegraph, Telephone, NTT, SoftBank Corp, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, China, WTO

☆ Fukushima wastewater released into the ocean, China bans all Japanese seafood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sales to China and Hong Kong accounted for 42% of all Japanese aquatic exports in 2022, according to government data. Separately from China, Hong Kong and Macau have announced their own ban starting Thursday, which covers Japanese seafood imports from 10 regions. Japan will conduct monitoring around the water release area and publish results weekly starting on Sunday, Japan's environment minister said. PROTESTSIn Hong Kong, Jacay Shum, a 73-year-old activist, held up a picture portraying IAEA head Rafael Grossi as the devil. "The Fukushima nuclear disaster is not over.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Geraldine Thomas, Han Duck, Jacay Shum, Rafael Grossi, Shum, Iizuka, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Irene Wang, Bernard Orr, Farah Master, Joyce Zhou, Hongji Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power, International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan, Hong, REUTERS, Minwoo, World Health Organization, London's Imperial, Japan Fisheries Co, Korean, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Japan, TOKYO, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Fukushima, Busan, South Korea, China , Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, South, Beijing, Lincoln

☆ Japan set to release Fukushima water amid criticism, seafood import bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Japan has maintained that the water release is safe. "Being told something is scientifically safe and feeling reassured are two different things... Proof that the water release is scientifically safe may not remove reputational damage," he said. The water will initially be released in smaller portions and with extra checks, with the first discharge totalling 7,800 cubic metres over about 17 days, Fukushima power plant operator Tepco (9501.T) said on Tuesday.

Persons: Wang Wenbin, Japan's, Yoon Suk, John Lee, Masanobu Sakamoto, Sakura Murakami, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Hong, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative, World Health, Tepco, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Fukushima

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