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A Japanese city learned the hard way this week how very wrong they were, after prompting national outrage over flyers that tried to do just that. Onomichi city, in Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture, conducted a public survey in 2017 that was used to create flyers for pregnant women later distributed to local residents, according to the city government’s website. “There are differences in the way men and women feel and think,” one flyer reads. “One of the reasons for this is the structural difference in the brains of men and women. Meanwhile, structural issues still prevent many working men and women from balancing careers with family life, with mothers often sacrificing their jobs to care for their children.

Persons: –, “, Yuko Yamada, Yukihiro Hiratani, don’t, … You’d, ”, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Twitter, Getty, Authorities Locations: Onomichi, Japan’s Hiroshima, ”, Japan, ” Japan, United States, Sweden

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s population crisis is accelerating, with the number of nationals falling by more than 800,000 in the past year – echoing similar trends seen in other East Asian countries. As of January 1 this year, Japan’s total population stood at 125.4 million, including both Japanese and foreign residents, according to data released on Wednesday by Japan’s internal affairs ministry. The number of foreign residents rose by nearly 289,500 compared to the previous year – a significant increase of more than 10%. But the number of Japanese residents shrank by 800,523, marking the 14th consecutive year of contraction since a peak in 2009, said the ministry. However, due to the rise in foreign residents, the capital Tokyo saw a slight increase in overall population of all residents regardless of nationality.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, –, Shinzo Abe Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan

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

Public prosecutors in Japan have not released information regarding the case and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Rina Gonoi, a former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force, checks old photos on her phone. “That makes it hard for people to speak out.”Rina Gonoi says she endured physical and verbal sexual abuse while she served in Japan's Self-Defense Forces. In 1992, Japan’s National Defense Academy finally began accepting women, which made it possible for them to become senior officers. “We are aware that the perpetrators of sexual harassment cases are scheduled to be punished severely.

Persons: Tokyo CNN — Rina Gonoi, Gonoi, “, ”, Rina Gonoi Gonoi’s, Staff Yoshihide Yoshida, dishonorably, Rina Gonoi, Philip Fong, Japan’s, Fumika Sato, ” Sato, Sato, ” Rina Gonoi, Rina, Shinzo Abe, Richard A, Brooks, –, ” Gonoi, Gonoi’s, I’d, Yasukazu Hamada, Fumio Kishida, hasn’t, you’ve, “ I’m Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Defense Force, Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Staff, Defense Forces, NHK, Public, Getty, Hitotsubashi University, Defense Ministry, CNN, National Press Club, Japan’s National Defense Academy, Defense, Japan’s, Self - Defense Force, Ministry of Defense, ”, “, SDF Locations: Japan’s, Japan, AFP, Japan's, North Korea, China, Tokyo, Higashi, Miyagi, Fukushima

The research arm of BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, shifted its view on Japanese equities to neutral from underweight. "We are looking for more evidence of corporate reform to support the enthusiasm for its equity markets that has gripped foreign investors so far this year," wrote analysts at BlackRock Investment Institute, in its mid-year outlook report last week. "It's not the case that we've already seen the completion of offshore investors' quite aggressive investment in Japan equity markets," said Nomura's chief equity strategist for Japan, Yunosuke Ikeda. "Now, a lot of asset owners have decided just not to invest in China any more, and that's made Japan the top dog in Asia." Many analysts and investors, though, consider the declines a healthy and necessary retracement before the next leg higher, with 35,000 often touted as a target for this year as slower-moving foreign investors start to buy in size.

Persons: Nomura, It's, Yunosuke Ikeda, Archie Ciganer, Rowe Price, Ciganer, that's, Warren Buffett, Vikas Pershad, Kevin Buckland, Ankur Banerjee, Junko Fujita, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Nikkei, BlackRock Investment Institute, Nomura Securities, Graphics, G Investments, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, BlackRock, China, Asia, Tokyo, Singapore

CNN —Visitors to a beach resort city in southwest Japan got a shock on Tuesday when they woke to discover the usually crystal-clear sea had turned an ominous shade of red – after a local brewery sprung a leak. We believe the leaked cooling water flowed into a river through a rain gutter, causing the sea to turn red,” Orion Breweries said. The red seawater is thought to have been caused by a coolant leak at the brewery. News of the red seawater amused some social media users but left others questioning if the water was safe. One Twitter user said crowds of people had gathered to look at the red sea.

Persons: “, ” Organizations: CNN, Visitors, Food, Orion Breweries, Japanese Coast Guard, Regional Coast Guard, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Japan, Nago, Okinawa

Tokyo, Japan CNN —When Kaneko Miyuki reported her sexual assault as a seven-year-old in Japan, she remembers the police laughing at her. Kaneko is among countless Japanese women who say their experiences of sexual assault and abuse were ignored because they “didn’t fit the criteria” of a victim. The previous age of consent, at 13, had been among the lowest in the developed world. It marks a major victory for sexual assault survivors and activists, some of whom have spent decades lobbying for these changes. “Survivors of sexual assault like myself cannot even work, or go about your life – you become mentally ill, and you can’t take care of yourself,” she said.

Persons: Japan CNN —, Kaneko Miyuki, “, ”, Kaneko, didn’t, Yuu, Nakayama Junko, “ It’s, It’s, it’s, –, Alessandro Di Ciommo, ” Nakayama, Nakayama, Tadokoro Organizations: Japan CNN, Spring, General, NHK, voyeurism, Reuters, CNN, Authorities Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, Nagoya, Fukuoka, “

☆ Gifu, Japan shooting: Two dead after JGSDF member allegedly opens fire in military shooting range
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Two people were killed Wednesday after a cadet allegedly opened fire on members of his own unit at a military training center in central Japan, the country’s Ground Self-Defense Force (SDF) has told CNN. The shooting took place during a live-fire training exercise and several other people were wounded, the SDF confirmed to CNN. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the incident happened around 9 a.m. at a shooting range in Hino City in the central Japanese prefecture of Gifu. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that the suspect was a teenage member of the SDF who allegedly fired an automatic rifle. Last month, four people – including two police officers – died in a shooting and stabbing incident in Nakano City in central Japan.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Staff Yasunori Morishita, –, Shinzo Abe Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Defense Force, CNN, Staff, NHK, National Police Agency Locations: Japan, Hino City, Japanese, Gifu, Nakano City

Tokyo, Japan CNN —Two airplanes have “highly likely collided” with each other at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japanese public broadcaster NHK is reporting, citing the country’s transport ministry. It cited the Tokyo Aviation Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), which is working to confirm the details of the situation. The runway near where the two aircraft were stopped has been suspended, leaving just three in operation. Airport video footage from NHK shows part of one of the Thai aircraft’s wings missing and debris on the runway close by. The Tokyo Airport Office has sent staff to the area to check the situation.

Organizations: Japan CNN, NHK, Air, Thai Airways, Tokyo Aviation Office, Ministry of Land, Transport, Tourism, Office Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Infrastructure, Thai

CNN —A sushi chain is suing a high school student for 67 million yen ($480,000) after social media footage showed him licking his finger then touching a plate of sushi as it passed him on the conveyor belt, Japan’s public broadcaster has reported. The footage of the student also showed him licking a soy sauce bottle and a cup that he then placed back onto a communal pile. NHK said the student’s legal counsel wrote to the court in May asking it to dismiss the complaint. It said the student had admitted the act and regretted his actions, but added that there was no proof of a link between his actions and the drop in customers at the sushi chain. Akindo Sushiro Co. told CNN it would refrain from giving details of the case because it was under appeal.

Persons: Akindo Sushiro Organizations: CNN, NHK Locations: Gifu, Japan, Osaka

☆ Japan's Nikkei closes at 33-year high; firm Wall Street lifts appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nikkei index (.N225) jumped 2.2% to end at 32,217.43, its highest close since July 1990 and posted its biggest daily gain since Jan. 18. "The market was supported by the gains in the U.S. market on Friday. That helped keep the money flowing into risk assets in Japan," said Shigetoshi Kamada, general manager at the research department at Tachibana Securities. Hence, when U.S. shares rise, there is no reason for not buying Japanese stocks, Kamada added. All but one of the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33-sector sub-indexes rose, with machineries (.IMCHN.T) rising 3.12% to lead the gains.

Persons: Shigetoshi Kamada, Kamada, Fanuc, Junko Fujita, Janane Venkatraman, Sohini Organizations: Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Tachibana Securities, The Bank of, Reserve, Tokyo, Screen Holdings, Tokyo Stock, Utilities, Tokyo Electric Power Holdings, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, U.S, Japan, The Bank of Japan, Washington, Philadelphia

In April and May, domestic outflows totalled around 2 trillion yen ($14.81 billion) for individual investors and over 2.2 trillion yen for Japanese institutions. While foreign investors are excited about the prospect of a new era of growth in corporate Japan, domestic investors are eager to catch any profits they can, sticking to a strategy born out of decades of fleeting rallies. Reuters Graphics"It has been a trend that retail investors sell stocks at a peak. This time short-term investors sold stocks as they were cautious about the sharp gains of the Nikkei," said Shoichi Arisawa, general manager of the investment research department at IwaiCosmo Securities. "Long-term investors also sold stocks because they were saddled with losses after the Nikkei made a range-bound move for a long time."

Persons: Shoichi Arisawa, Masayuki Kubota, Kubota, Warren Buffet, Ohara, Ankur Banerjee, Junko Fujita, Rocky Swift, Gaurav Dogra, Tom Westbrook, Sam Holmes Organizations: Nikkei, Reuters, IwaiCosmo Securities, Rakuten Securities, Tokyo Stock, Reuters Graphics, Bank of Japan, Gaurav, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, SINGAPORE, Japan, Tokyo, Singapore, Bengaluru

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite failed Wednesday when the second stage of the rocket failed, state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, adding that Pyongyang planned to carry out a second launch as soon as possible. North Korea’s National Space Development Agency said it would investigate the failure “urgently” and carry out another launch after new testing, KCNA reported. Earlier, South Korea’s military said Pyongyang fired a “space projectile,” triggering emergency alerts in Seoul and Japan, weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite. Wednesday’s launch triggered alarms in Japan, where alerts issued for the Okinawa prefecture were later recalled after authorities there determined there was no threat to Japanese territory. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was launched from Tongchang-ri, Pyongan province towards the south, and was detected flying over the west of Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Persons: ” KCNA, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, “ Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, Space Development Agency, South Korean, Staff, North, Korea’s, Chiefs, Japan’s Defense, Korean, South Korea’s, South Korea’s Ministry of Interior Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Pyongyang, Korea, Eocheong, Japan, Okinawa, South, Pyongan, Baengnyeong, West

Koume, a 5-year-old mongrel, was handed an official letter of appreciation by local fire officials at a special ceremony last month for her valiant work at a horse riding club in Wakaba-ku, Chiba City. According to the horse riding club, a man in his fifties collapsed at the riding park on February 25. Koume, a usually placid pup, raised the alarm with her barks which then allowed people to rush to the man’s aid. “Koume is usually quiet and barks only under rare circumstances,” Yuna Maruo, a 23-year-old riding instructor who took part in saving the man that day, said. “But when an emergency arises, Koume does bark.”The Wakaba Fire Department said life saving treatment can be given to heart attack victims if people are alert to “the slightest change.”The appreciation letter given to Koume by Wakaba Fire Department to recognize her life-saving effort.

☆ Japanese policeman dies in suspected suicide at Prime Minister’s residence in Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Tokyo CNN —A police officer was found dead in the grounds of the Japanese Prime Minister’s official residence early Friday morning, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Police, who are investigating the incident as a possible suicide. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was not at the residence when a fellow police officer found the 25-year-old man in the West Gate guard station around 4:40 a.m., local time. The deceased officer had been on guard duty at the residence when the incident occurred, according to police. Last month, a man threw a suspected smoke bomb at the prime minister during a campaign speech. It came less than a year after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead last July during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

Dealers say BOJ efforts to make short selling more expensive have also worked and that investors are simply avoiding the market, rather than crowding into bets on yields rising. Nearly 90% of economists polled by Reuters said they expect no policy change. Ueda's most recent remarks have stressed the need to keep policy settings loose for now, without ruling out the possibility of future changes. On Sunday the Sankei newspaper reported the BOJ is considering a review of the impact of its policy settings, which could foreshadow changes. Nomura strategist Naka Matsuzawa said the path ahead would be a balance between getting a policy change done, and improving communication.

☆ North Korean spy satellite: Japan prepared to shoot down rocket if necessary, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Toyko CNN —Japan says it is prepared to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite rocket if it needs to. In a statement released by the Ministry of Defense, Hamada did not rule out shooting down the rocket used to launch the satellite. The Japanese military will deploy ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyer warships carrying sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptor projectiles, the statement added. North Korean state media KCNA reported on Wednesday that its leader Kim Jong Un had ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite. North Korea claimed as early as last December that it had conducted an “important final stage test” for the development of a spy satellite.

☆ Japan's SMFG is first global bank to sell AT1 bonds since C.Suisse wipeout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AT1 bonds - the riskiest tranche of a bank's bonds also known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - can be converted into equity or written off if a bank's capital level falls below a certain threshold. SMFG sold the bonds in two tranches, in 89 billion yen ($662.50 million) five-year notes, and 51 billion yen 10-year bonds. The 89 billion yen issuance carries a coupon rate of 1.879% for the initial five years and two-month period, a regulatory filing showed. "In Japan, where spreads over corporate bonds are thin, the terms for these AT1 bonds were reasonably good, provided that the banking sector is credible," said Pictet's Otsuki. Japanese banks' AT1 bonds had been configured in a way the value is secured even if the government is involved in restructuring, and SMFG's new issues are seen to have the same features, she said.

☆ SMFG becomes first big Japan bank to sell AT1 bonds since Credit Suisse's debt wipeout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SMFG priced the bonds in two tranches, in 89 billion yen ($662.50 million) five-year notes, and 51 billion yen 10-year bonds, whose terms market players said were attractive. "In Japan, where spreads over corporate bonds are thin, the terms for these AT1 bonds were reasonably good, provided that the banking sector is credible," said Nana Otsuki, senior fellow at Pictet Japan. Swiss regulator FINMA determined that Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds would be wiped out, a decision that rocked global credit markets. AT1 bonds - known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - can be converted into equity or written off if a bank's capital level falls below a certain threshold. The 51 billion yen one would yield 2.180% for the first 10 years and two months.

☆ Japan nuclear disaster: Fukushima's fishing industry fears Tokyo's next move may finish it off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emiko Jozuka Krystina Shveda Junko Ogura Marc Stewart Daniel Campisi | Emiko Jozuka | Krystina Shveda | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Ocean currents have since dispersed the contaminated water enough that radioactive Cesium is nearly undetectable in fish from Fukushima prefecture. A year before the 2011 disaster, government data shows Fukushima’s coastal fishing industry landed catches worth around $69 million. At the same time, ground and rainwater have leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater that now needs to be stored and treated. This isotope is radioactive tritium, and the scientific community is divided on the risk its dissemination carries. He argues TEPCO should build more storage tanks to allow for the decay of the radioactive tritium, which has a half-life of 12.3 years.

☆ World stocks hope for Fed pause, dollar stalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Herbert Lash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Gold climbed back up above the key $2,000 per ounce level as the dollar came off Monday's peak, while oil prices rose despite Chinese inflation data pointing to persistently weak demand. Investors are eagerly awaiting U.S. consumer prices data on Wednesday and producer prices on Thursday. The consumer price index is expected to show core inflation rose 0.4% on a monthly basis (USCPF=ECI) and 5.6% year-over-year (USCPFY=ECI) in March, according to a Reuters poll of economists. The dollar fell after a strong U.S. jobs report for March showed a resilient labor market, adding to expectations of another Fed rate hike. The dollar index fell 0.244%, with the euro up 0.41% to $1.0904 and the yen weakening 0.12% at 133.78 per dollar.

The consumer price index is expected to show core inflation rose 0.4% on a monthly basis (USCPF=ECI) and 5.6% year-over-year (USCPFY=ECI) in March. The two-year Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, rose 3.5 basis points to 4.043%. "We're just beginning to feel the pain of these much higher interest rates. The dollar fell after a strong U.S. jobs report for March showed a resilient labor market, adding to expectations of another Fed rate hike. The 10-year JGB yield fell to as low as 0.445%, its lowest since April 4, after hovering at 0.465% in the previous session.

☆ World stocks cling to upbeat mood, dollar stalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

European stocks added 0.5% (.STOXX), U.S. equity futures pointed to a positive Wall Street open , and Japan's blue-chip Nikkei rallied over 1% (.N225). Markets price in a roughly 70% chance of a May hike, having last week priced such a move as a coin toss. Traders still price in rate cuts by year-end as the economic growth outlook weakens, exacerbated by banking turmoil. U.S. March inflation data on Wednesday could provide the next steer for markets on the rate outlook. U.S. Treasury yields edged down on Tuesday, however, , with rate sensitive two-year yields 4 bps lower at 3.96%.

☆ World stocks hold on to upbeat mood, dollar stalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

European stock markets opened broadly firmer (.STOXX), U.S. stock futures pointed to a positive open for Wall Street shares , and Japan's blue-chip Nikkei rallied over 1% (.N225). Friday's non-farm payrolls suggested labour markets remain resilient, boosting expectations for a 25 basis point (bps) U.S. rate increase in May. NEW BOJ CHIEFIn Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.57%, while MSCI's world stock index was up 0.3% (.MIWD00000PUS). U.S. Treasury yields edged down in European trade , with rate sensitive two-year yields last down 3 bps at 3.96%. Brent crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.74%, to $84.81 a barrel, while U.S. WTI futures gained 68 cents, or 0.83%, to $80.41 a barrel.

Previously, the pranks had mostly affected the country’s famous sushi conveyor belt restaurants, prompting questions about their future. A video shared on social media shows a man, believed to be Shimazu, vigorously eating the ginger. Besides Kura Sushi, two other such chains — Sushiro, owned by Food & Life Companies, and Hamazushi — previously told CNN they had suffered similar disruptions. But the latest food pranks, magnified by social media, have sparked fresh debate in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. In recent weeks, some Japanese social media users have questioned whether conveyor belt sushi restaurants and other communal serving practices can continue as consumers demand more attention to cleanliness.

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