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☆ 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

FRANKFORT, Ind. The Rossville women had driven to NHK Seating of America in Frankfort together and were about to start their shift on Aug. 18, 2021, when Ferrell, a fellow employee, shot them outside the business. The Frankfort man was arrested after crashing his car in a construction zone shortly after the killings. Hunter added that Ferrell “acted out an entitlement to control and possess Promise Mays, whether in life or in death, even though she had demonstrated only kindness for the many people whom she encountered in her short and precious life." Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesWorkers at the plant in Frankfort, 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Indianapolis, design and make seating for vehicles.

Persons: ” Gary Ferrell II, Promise Mays, Pamela Sledd, Ferrell, Justin H, Hunter, “, Ferrell “, Mays Organizations: NHK Seating Locations: FRANKFORT, Ind, Indiana, America, Frankfort, Clinton, Indianapolis

☆ 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

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested the former vice foreign minister of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet on suspicion of accepting more than 61 million yen ($414,000) in bribes from a wind power company in return for his promotion of wind power and other favorable treatment. Political Cartoons View All 1146 ImagesHe allegedly received another 31 million yen ($210,500) in connection to a racehorse owner's group between October 2021 and June this year. Masayuki Tsukawaki, the 64-year-old former president of Japan Wind Development, has admitted that the payments were a “reward” for Akimoto, Kyodo said, quoting unnamed investigative sources. “We cannot build social infrastructure for the future of Japan without fair competition,” said Norihisa Satake, governor of Akita, where Japan’s first full commercial operation of wind power generation began in December. “We want operators to compete fairly and squarely with technology.”Established in 1999, Japan Wind Development has developed 293 turbines in and outside Japan with a combined output of more than 570 megawatts, according to the company's website.

Persons: —, Fumio, Masatoshi Akimoto, Akimoto, Masayuki Tsukawaki, Kyodo, Tsukawaki, “, ”, wasn't, Kishida, Norihisa Satake Organizations: TOKYO, Liberal Democratic Party, Japan, Development, Kyodo, Akimoto, NHK, ” Locations: — Tokyo, Aomori, Jakarta, Indonesia, Japan, Akita

☆ Head of Japan's top pop agency resigns after admitting founder Johnny Kitagawa sexually abused minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The head of Japan’s top pop agency Johnny & Associates stepped down Thursday after admitting that her uncle, the company’s late founder, had sexually abused minors for years, following months of international scrutiny and an independent investigation. Julie K Fujishima, the niece of Johnny Kitagawa, announced her resignation in a news conference Thursday, saying the company would compensate the victims of her uncle’s abuse, according to public broadcaster NHK. It was the first time the agency has addressed the media about the scandal, according to NHK. He alleged that over the course of four years, beginning in 2012 when he was 15, he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Kitagawa. In 1999, a Japanese magazine published accounts of other young men and boys who claimed they were sexually abused by Kitagawa.

Persons: Julie K Fujishima, Johnny Kitagawa, Kitagawa, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Higashiyama, “, Jae, Mary Kitagawa, Fujishima, Kauan Okamoto Organizations: CNN, Johnny, NHK, BBC, Johnny & Associates, Associates Locations: Tokyo

The mayor of Fukushima, Hiroshi Kohata, said on Saturday the city’s town hall alone had received about 200 such harassment calls in two days. Security officers in front of the Japanese embassy in Beijing, China, on August 26, 2023. In an echo of the Japanese embassy’s statement, it urged Tokyo to protect the safety of Chinese residents in Japan. Many countries, including China, release treated radioactive water from their own nuclear plants, sometimes at higher concentrations than in Fukushima. Other prefectures are considering similar programs, with the Osaka governor proposing Fukushima seafood be served at all government cafeterias.

Persons: China’s, Hiroshi Kohata, It’s, ”, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Yoon Suk Yeol, Han Duck, Yoon, Han, Yuriko Koike, Rahm Emanuel, Matsuda, Xi Jinping, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Tokyo CNN, NHK, CNN, Security, Kyodo, Chinese Foreign Ministry, University of Tokyo’s Institute, Advanced Studies, South, Osaka, US, East China, Reuters Locations: Fukushima, Japan, China, Tokyo, Fukushima prefecture, Beijing, “, Qingdao, China’s Shandong, Suzhou, China’s Jiangsu, Asia, East

☆ Seven & i department store unit union to announce strike - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Seven & I Holdings is seen at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 28 (Reuters) - A labour union of Seven & i Holdings (3382.T) department store subsidiary Sogo & Seibu will notify management that it plans to strike in opposition to a planned sale of the unit, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday. Japan-based Seven & i, operator of the world's largest convenience store chain, agreed last year to sell Sogo & Seibu to U.S. fund Fortress Investment Group. But the deal has been delayed amid opposition from workers, and company management cancelled a meeting for Friday last week where it was to decide on the sale, Kyodo had reported. Reporting by Rocky Swift Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Rocky Swift, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Holdings, REUTERS, Rights, Seibu, NHK, Fortress Investment, Kyodo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S

The findings are part of a larger investigation into allegations of harassment within Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF), including by whistleblower and former SDF member Rina Gonoi. The report, released last week, reviewed 1,325 reports of harassment. Most were “power harassment” incidents, meaning workplace bullying or other abuses of power, while about 12% were sexual harassment cases. But it paid off, eventually prompting a sweeping probe into sexual harassment across the SDF. Prosecutors reopened an investigation that found she had endured physical and verbal sexual harassment daily between fall 2020 and August 2021, according to Gonoi’s defense team.

Persons: Rina Gonoi, “, Richard Atrero de Guzman, Yasukazu Hamada, Gonoi, –, dishonorably Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Ministry of Defense, NHK, Defense Forces, CNN, - Defense Forces, Getty, Japanese Defense, Self - Defense Forces, Prosecutors Locations: ”, Japan, Tokyo

Tokyo CNN —The family of a 26-year-old doctor in Japan who died by suicide last year after working more than 200 hours of overtime in a single month have pleaded for change in a nation long plagued by overwork culture. Takashima Shingo had been working as a resident doctor at a hospital in Kobe City when he took his own life last May, according to public broadcaster NHK. According to the family’s lawyers, Takashima had worked more than 207 hours overtime in the month before his death, and had not taken a day off for three months, NHK reported. She had worked 159 hours of overtime in the month before her death, according to NHK. One 2016 study found that more than a quarter of full-time hospital physicians work up to 60 hours a week, while 5% work up to 90 hours, and 2.3% work up to 100 hours.

Persons: Takashima Shingo, Takashima, ” –, Takashima’s, Junko Takashima, “, ” Organizations: International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders, Tokyo CNN, NHK, Konan Medical, Ministry of Health, Labor, Welfare, Konan Medical Center, CNN, Association of Japan Medical Colleges Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Kobe City, Konan

☆ Kishida to visit Fukushima plant on Sunday before water release decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will visit the Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday ahead of a final decision on when to begin releasing wastewater from the wrecked facility. The government is at the final stage of when it has to make a decision," Kishida said on Friday in the U.S. His comments were aired by public broadcaster NHK. The International Atomic Energy Agency last month published a report greenlighting the release of radioactive water that Japan says it need to pump into the sea because it is running out of space to store it on site. The decision has been criticized by China and is opposed by some citizens' groups in Japan and South Korea. Kishida was in the U.S. for a trilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Joe Biden.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk, Camp David, Evelyn Hockstein, Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Tim Kelly, Sonali Paul Organizations: U.S, South, REUTERS, Rights, NHK, International Atomic Energy Agency, South Korean, Thomson Locations: Camp, Thurmont , Maryland, U.S, Japan, China, South Korea

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

☆ Rakuten to combine credit card and mobile payments business -NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Rakuten is pictured at the headquarters of Rakuten in Tokyo, Japan, May 15, 2019. REUTERS/Sam NusseyTOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Rakuten Group (4755.T) will combine its credit card and mobile payment businesses and is considering listing its card business, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday. This would be the e-commerce group's latest attempt to shore up its finances after racking up enormous losses since 2020 on its beleaguered attempt to establish Japan's fourth major mobile network carrier. Reporting by Anton Bridge; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Nussey TOKYO, Anton Bridge, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, NHK, Thomson Locations: Rakuten, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan's struggling Rakuten to combine credit card and mobile payments business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sam NusseyTOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Rakuten Group (4755.T) will fold its payments and points businesses into its credit card unit, it said on Thursday, a move that could set the struggling e-commerce company up to eventually list the card business. It has turned to listing some of its units - including its popular internet banking business, Rakuten Bank (5838.T) - to generate cash. The company said on Thursday it plans to consolidate its payments and points businesses and fold them into Rakuten Card, its credit card and loans unit. Rakuten Card will become the "driving force" behind its integrated payments business and may form strategic partnerships with other companies as well as "raising its own capital as necessary", Rakuten said in a statement. Users accumulate points by using Rakuten credit cards, shopping and insurance services.

Persons: Sam Nussey TOKYO, Rakuten, Tareq Amin, Anton Bridge, Jamie Freed, David Dolan, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rakuten Bank, Rakuten, Public, NHK, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: Rakuten, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Meandering Typhoon Khanun targets Japan again amid record heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of a damaged car and a fallen tree after the heavy rain and strong winds brought by Typhoon Khanun in Chatan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan August 2, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Highlighting increased abnormal weather blamed on climate change, temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) in the city of Date in Fukushima prefecture, the highest this year in Japan. Khanun, which has killed three people and injured more than 70 in Okinawa prefecture, was about 100 km (60 miles) west of Kagoshima prefecture Tokuno Island at 5 p.m. (0800 GMT). Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed a dozens of cars submerged and houses flooded in Naha, Okinawa's capital. Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Typhoon Khanun, Khanun, Tetsushi Kajimoto, William Mallard Organizations: Meteorological Agency, JMA, Authorities, NHK, Thomson Locations: Chatan, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Okinawa, Date, Fukushima prefecture, Okinawa prefecture, Kagoshima, Tokuno, Shikoku, Amami, Kyushu, Naha, Okinawa's, Kinki, Tokai

☆ Japanese vice minister quits as PM Kishida's ratings slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo prosecutors raided the office of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masatoshi Akimoto on suspicion that he took bribes amounting to tens of millions of yen, according to public broadcaster NHK. The foreign ministry later announced that Akimoto had stepped down from his post as a vice minister. The resignation comes after Kishida's approval rating slid to its lowest since he took office in 2021. Errors that have recently come to light with the card have included health insurance information linked to the wrong social security account and welfare payments made to the wrong person. State broadcaster NHK and other media have reported that Tokyo prosecutors suspect Japan Wind Development Co paid bribes to Akimoto.

Persons: Masatoshi Akimoto, Amit Dave, Fumio Kishida, Akimoto, Hirokazu Matsuno, Sakura Murakami, Robert Birsel Organizations: Land, Transport, Speed, Kalupur, REUTERS, Liberal Democratic Party, NHK, Yomiuri, State, Development, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Infrastructure, Tourism, Ahmedabad, Mumbai Ahmedabad, India, TOKYO, Tokyo, The Tokyo

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

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

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

☆ All about the three points for former champions Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 21 (Reuters) - Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said it was vital for the Nadeshiko to win their opening match against Zambia in Hamilton on Saturday if they are to make their mark at the Women's World Cup. Champions at the 2011 World Cup and runners-up four years later, Japan exited in the round of 16 at the last edition of the showpiece of women's football. So we have to be very careful, but dynamic, and we're going to get those points," Ikeda told reporters at Waikato Stadium on Friday. Debutants Zambia may be ranked 77th in the world to Japan's 11th but they proved their quality by beating twice world champions Germany in a friendly earlier this month. After the disappointment of Japan being knocked out of their home Olympics in the quarter-finals in 2021, the hard-working right back moved to England with West Ham United.

Persons: Futoshi Ikeda, Ikeda, Risa Shimizu, Nick Mulvenney, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Zambia, Waikato, Germany, West Ham United, Olympics, Costa Rica, FIFA, NHK, Thomson Locations: Japan, Hamilton, Zambia, France, England, Costa, Spain, Sydney

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

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

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

☆ China and Taiwan loom large behind Ukraine at NATO summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —The presence of four Asia-Pacific leaders at the NATO summit this week suggests that Ukraine is not the only major security issue on the agenda of the European-North American defense alliance. For its part, China says Taiwan is an internal matter and it sees no role for countries in the region, let alone NATO members, to be interfering. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida waves before departing on a government plane on July 11, 2023, for the NATO summit. US President Joe Biden meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office of the White House on June 13, 2023. “NATO is a regional alliance of Europe and North America, but the challenges we face are global,” he wrote, noting the summit invitations for the Pacific leaders.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, ”, “, Wang Wenbin, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Anthony Albanese, Chris Hipkins, Fumio, Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Kim Sun, Yoon, Alex Wong, Emmanuel Macron, Boris Pistorius Organizations: South Korea CNN, NATO, Foreign Affairs, Communist Party, Communist, Foreign, CNN, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand, Pacific ., Kyodo, US Institute of Peace, Pacific, White, South Korean, White House, NHK, Pacific . British, German Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Asia, Pacific, Ukraine, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Japan, Europe, South, Vilnius, Lithuania, “, lockstep, Paris, North American, France, Tokyo, North America, Guam, Canadian, American, Berlin

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision on Tuesday, ruling against a government agency that had barred a transgender employee from using the women’s bathroom, according to public broadcaster NHK. The decision was the top court’s first ruling involving the rights of sexual minorities in the workplace, NHK reported. The plaintiff is an employee in her 50s, working at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). In an email to CNN on Tuesday, METI said it was aware that there was a Supreme Court ruling Tuesday regarding the use of women’s bathrooms by a transgender METI employee. And under Japan’s Gender Identity Disorder Special Cases Act, enacted 20 years ago, transgender individuals must undergo invasive surgeries – including sterilization – to be legally recognized according to their gender identity.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, METI, “ Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Tokyo CNN — Japan’s, Court, NHK, Japan’s Ministry, Economy, Trade, Industry, National Personnel Authority, CNN, Japan’s Locations: Tokyo, Japan

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

☆ One killed as heavy rain triggers landslides in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 10 (Reuters) - Torrential rain triggered landslides that killed at least one person and prompted authorities to order tens of thousands of people to leave their homes on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu on Monday. One woman in her 70s was killed when a landslide hit her house in Fukuoka prefecture, public broadcaster NHK said. Another three people were missing after a landslide hit two homes in Saga prefecture, NHK said. The highest-level warning for heavy rain was issued in parts of Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. "The rain is becoming so heavy unlike anything seen before," the official said.

Persons: Satoshi Sugimoto, Daniel Leussink, Satoshi Sugiyama, Stephen Coates Organizations: NHK, Japan Meteorological Agency, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Kyushu, Fukuoka prefecture, Saga, Fukuoka, Oita, Hiroshima, Hakata

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

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

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

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