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Tokyo CNN —China has formally arrested a Japanese man who was detained in March, according to officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. The arrest of the Japanese national, who was reportedly an employee of a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm, could further rattle foreign businesses in China, which have reported feeling more unsettled this year amid a crackdown on international consulting firms on national security grounds. According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the man was an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma and was detained in March by Chinese security authorities in Beijing on suspicion of violating the country’s criminal law and anti-espionage law. In May, state security authorities said they had raided several offices of Capvision, an advisory network. The issue has been cited as headache for foreign businesses, some of which were already having trouble convincing workers to relocate to China.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s MOFA, Mao Ning, “, ”, Weeks, Bain, — CNN’s Michelle Toh, Sophie Jeong, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy, NHK, drugmaker, Pharma, CNN, Foreign Ministry, Ministry of State Security, Mintz Group, American Chamber of Commerce, China’s Commerce Ministry, State Administration of Foreign Exchange Locations: China, Tokyo, Beijing, MOFA, Shanghai, Hong Kong

Tokyo CNN —The iconic Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, which created internationally beloved films including “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Spirited Away,” has been sold to Nippon TV after failing to find a successor for its legendary co-founder and director Hayao Miyazaki. “With director Hayao Miyazaki now 82 years old and producer Toshio Suzuki also 75, Studio Ghibli has long been struggling with the issue of their successors,” the statement said. Nippon TV and Studio Ghibli have long worked together, with the former broadcasting Ghibli films on air, investing in Ghibli movie productions, and even helping fund the Ghibli Museum, the statement said. Under the new arrangement, Nippon TV will become the largest Ghibli shareholder with 42.3% of the voting rights. Since its founding in 1985, Studio Ghibli has been known for its hand-drawn animation, sticking to old-school, painstaking frame-by-frame methods.

Persons: ”, Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, “, —, Ghibli, Miyazaki, Suzuki, Mononoke ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Ghibli, Nippon TV, Nippon, Kyodo, Suzuki, Ghibli Museum Locations: Tokyo

Deaths have outpaced births in Japan for more than a decade, posing a growing problem for leaders of the world’s third-largest economy. The country also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, contributing to the ballooning elderly population. To some extent, that messaging has worked: there are now a record 9.12 million elderly workers in Japan, a number that has grown for 19 consecutive years. Workers age 65 and up now make up more than 13% of the national workforce, the internal affairs ministry said Monday. Japan’s elderly employment rate is among the highest across major economies, it added.

Persons: Fumio Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Workers Locations: Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan

Noodle maker Nissin says it has the answer: caffeinated Cup Noodles. “To meet this demand, Nissin Foods is launching a new ‘gamer-friendly’ product for the first time in its history from its flagship brands Cup Noodles and Nissin Curry Meshi.”The caffeinated noodles will come in two flavors: garlic and black pepper yakisoba — which contains shrimp, pork, egg and cabbage — and curry, which uses a base of pork and vegetables. “Without the contributions of Japan, we wouldn’t have a video game industry,” Blake J Harris, a video game expert and author of “Console Wars,” told CNN in 2017. And while Japan’s cultural clout waned in the early 2000s, its gaming market is still growing, generating revenues of $22.1 billion in 2021, according to Newzoo. Japan currently sits third globally in video game revenues, behind the United States and China.

Persons: Red Bull, Nissin, “, Nissin Curry, Mario, ” Blake J Harris, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Sega, CNN Locations: Asia, Japan, Tokyo, Newzoo, United States, China

Each of the parents has forked out 14,000 yen ($96) to attend this event, hosted by the matchmaking agency Association of Parents of Marriage Proposal Information. It’s not that Japan, a notoriously work-obsessed nation where time is at a premium, hasn’t tried out the more direct approach to speed-dating, where the youngsters do it for themselves. Japan remains a highly patriarchal society in which married women are often expected to take the caregiver role, despite government efforts to get husbands more involved. But however great the yearning for grandchildren, Miyagoshi says she always emphasizes to parents that their children should come first. No matter how much parents want grandchildren, the children must be willing to have children,” she said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, “, It’s, hasn’t, ”, Noriko Miyagoshi, Junko Fukutome, Fumio Kishida, James Raymo, ” Raymo, Shigeki Matsuda, Philip Fong, Matsuda, it’s, ” Matsuda, Raymo, Miyagoshi, Tomohiro Ohsumi, don’t, Richard A, Brooks, hadn’t Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Sakai Chamber, Commerce, of Parents, Association of Parents, CNN, East Asian Studies, Princeton University, Chukyo University, National Institute of Population, Social Security, Young, Organisation for Economic Co, Getty Locations: Osaka, Japan, Aichi, Roppongi, Tokyo, AFP, France, Germany, Yonomori, Fukushima, Hie

Tokyo CNN —Police in Japan have implemented an unusual strategy in order to prevent drunk driving: encouraging people to consume alcohol and then letting them loose on a driving course. Instructors rode in each car during the initiative, which took place inside the driving school, a police spokesperson told CNN. “We hope that more drivers will realize how dangerous drunk driving is,” said the police spokesperson. Alcohol consumption in Japan waned during the pandemic, with restrictions hitting the business of bars and other places selling drinks. In a post on its website in 2021, it called excessive alcohol consumption a “major social problem” that persisted despite the recent slowdown in consumption.

Persons: ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN — Police, Chikushino Police Department, Chikushino Automobile, CNN, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Ministry Locations: Japan, Fukuoka, Chikushino City

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

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

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 —After months of controversy and anticipation, Japan is set to begin releasing treated radioactive wastewater from its Fukushima nuclear plant later this week despite fierce objections from some countries. A TEPCO researcher assesses the radiation impact of treated wastewater in Fukushima, Japan, on April 12, 2023. TEPCO has built over 1,000 massive tanks to store treated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima, Japan, on April 12, 2023. Video Ad Feedback Hear why these South Koreans are worried about Japan's Fukushima wastewater release plan 02:27 - Source: CNNWhat have other governments said? Some governments have even banned food imports from parts of Japan, including Fukushima.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Daniel Campisi, Rafael Grossi, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, Tokyo Electric Power Company, United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, CNN, TEPCO, South Locations: Japan, Asia, Fukushima, United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea

Tokyo CNN —Japan will begin releasing treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the ocean as early as Thursday, officials announced on Tuesday, following months of heightened public anxiety and pushback from many neighboring countries. Since then, new water has been pumped in to cool fuel debris in the reactors, while ground and rainwater have leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater. The real issue is a hydrogen isotope called radioactive tritium, which cannot be taken away. Many other countries, including the United States, regularly release treated wastewater containing small amounts of tritium from their nuclear plants. One expert, who helped Pacific Island nations review and assess the wastewater release plan, told CNN it was “ill-advised” and premature.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, hasn’t, Kishida, “, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, United Nations ’ International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Authorities, TEPCO, CNN Locations: Tokyo CNN — Japan, Fukushima, China, South Korea, Japan, United States

Tokyo CNN —Japan expressed “grave concern” after Chinese and Russian warships sailed close to its southern islands on Thursday, just a day before its leader is expected to discuss rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific at a summit with counterparts from South Korea and the United States. It is the first time Russian and Chinese ships have sailed together through this particular body of water. It said the ships are believed to have taken part in a joint patrol in the Pacific. Chinese and Russian sailors conducted anti-submarine exercises, repelled a simulated enemy air raid, conducted rescue training at sea, and practiced helicopter takeoffs and landings on the decks of warships, the Russian ministry said. There, they are expected to agree to deepen defense, technology and economic cooperation, according to senior Biden administration officials.

Persons: David, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, hasn’t, China’s, ”, Wang Yi Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Japan, Western, Biden, South Locations: Tokyo CNN — Japan, Russian, South Korea, United States, Miyako, Japan’s, Okinotori, Soya, Hokkaido, Sakhalin, Okhotsk, Japan, East, China, Russia, Tokyo, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv . China, North Korea, Seoul, Korea, Asia, European, Pyongyang, Korean

☆ ‘Zelda’ sales breakout juices Nintendo’s aging Switch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s Nintendo on Thursday said it sold 3.91 million units of its Switch console in the April-June quarter, exceeding sales in the same period a year earlier, boosted by the runaway success of its latest “Zelda” title. Nintendo (NTDOF) said it sold 18.51 million units of “Tears of the Kingdom” in the first quarter. The Kyoto-based gaming firm maintained its full-year forecast for the console of 15 million units. It sold 17.97 million units in the previous financial year. Nintendo’s shares have delivered a more than three-fold return, including dividends, since the Switch went on sale in major markets in March 2017, outperforming the benchmark Nikkei’s 91% return over the same period.

Persons: Zelda, Mario, ”, Serkan Toto, Pikachu Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, Nintendo, Mario Bros, Kantan Locations: Kyoto

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

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

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi arrives to inspect the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant with Japanese officials on July 5, 2023. The report found the wastewater release plan will have a “negligible” impact on people and the environment, adding that it was an “independent and transparent review,” not a recommendation or endorsement. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi during an inspection in Fukushima, Japan, on July 5, 2023. “This is the DNA of the IAEA – to be the nuclear watchdog for nuclear operations, the nuclear watchdog for nuclear safety and security. “If there was one lesson that came clearly after the Fukushima accident, it’s that the nuclear safety standards should be observed to the letter,” he added.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Rafael Grossi, “, ”, Hiro Komae, Grossi, Fumio Kishida, ” It’s, –, ” Grossi, Ukraine – Organizations: Tokyo CNN, United Nations, CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, ”, Pacific Islands Forum, AP International Locations: Tokyo, ” Japan, South Korea, China, Fukushima, Japan, – Japan, United States, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul, Ukraine

☆ 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

☆ The world’s largest city is a futuristic paradise. But some things stay stuck in the past
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Richard Quest | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tokyo CNN —It’s the biggest city in the world, a vast metropolitan area that’s home to more than 37 million people. Onigiri – savory rice balls wrapped in nori or seaweed – have been a comfort food staple for thousands of years. Known as “The Monk In Heels,” Nishimura juggles his life as a monk with his work as a makeup artist. Origami, too, remains a powerful, soothing way to use such skills and step away from the fast-paced world of the modern city. He is the face of a timeless, sedate Tokyo, an antidote to the hectic way things often feel here.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Ukon, Onigiri Bongo, ”, Salmon, It’s, Yumiko, CNN's Richard Quest, Takefumi Hamada, chef, Hamada, you’re, ‘, Kodo Nishimura, ” Nishimura juggles, Nishimura, “, ’, Kazuo Kobayashi Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Michelin, CNN, Netflix, Disney Locations: Tokyo, Akihabara, Japan, Tokyoites, CNN Tokyo, Shibuya, Shinjuku

☆ Japan threatens to destory any North Korean
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea’s space development agency had said last year it would finish preparations for the reconnaissance satellite by April 2023. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also said Monday that any North Korean missile launch disguised as a “satellite” is a “threat” to the nation’s security. Matsuno said Japan’s Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Forces have issued an order regarding the preparation of destructive measures against ballistic missiles. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects preparations for North Korea's first military spy satellite on Tuesday, state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday local time. Last month, Kim ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite, North Korean state media reported at the time.

☆ Debt ceiling: Janet Yellen warns US default would threaten the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo CNN —US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged Congress on Thursday to raise its debt ceiling, warning that a US default would produce an “economic and financial catastrophe” that would trigger a global economic downturn and risk undermining the country’s ability to provide global leadership. “It would also risk undermining US global economic leadership and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests,” she added. He suggested Republicans should refuse to raise the debt limit if the White House does not agree to “massive” spending cuts. The report estimated the impact under three scenarios: brinksmanship, a short default and a protracted default. A White House spokesperson said the protracted default scenario envisions a three-month long impasse.

Tokyo CNN —Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable. “We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday. The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials. China, which has previously warned against NATO expanding its reach into Asia or a similar bloc emerging in the region, has already responded angrily to previous reports on the possible Japan office. Hayashi played down concerns that opening a Tokyo NATO office could further inflame tensions, saying: “I don’t feel that’s the case.”The country has had a pacifist constitution since World War II – which he argued is reflected in this move.

☆ 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.

☆ Watch planes take off in Japan — from an onsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emi Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Opened last December, the Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport has 1,717 rooms and is directly connected to Haneda International Airport Terminal 3. Tokyo has also announced plans to receive up to 60 million overseas visitors to the country by 2030. And as inbound tourism recovers, Haneda – which has been crowned the world’s most punctual mega-airport – hopes to ride that wave. Developers want to expand those routes to greater swathes of Japan as part of broader plans to help revitalize the country’s regions, according to Katsuyuki Tou, general manager of the Haneda Airport Garden. Tou explained that visitors to the multipurpose complex can already get a taste of what Japan offers.

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