Core consumer inflation in Japan’s capital slowed in December on moderating cost pressure for food but stayed above the central bank’s 2% target, data showed on Friday, firming the case for further interest rate hikes ... .
Nakajima, the youngest of the Big Three, once described his lifelong rivals like this ... —The Asahi Shimbun, Dec ... Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture. .
The Cabinet on Dec. 26 approved the initial budget proposal for fiscal 2026--the largest ever--with expenditures in the general account totaling 122.3092 trillion yen ($782.9 billion) ... .
The Tokyo metropolitan government installed a temporary partition in a new public restroom in Ueno Park on Dec. 26, just two days after its opening, following concerns that its design could facilitate harassment or worse ... 24 ... TEMPORARY FIX.
The far-right Sanseito party is strengthening its policy team by bringing in several former Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers, despite the “baggage” that some of them carry. Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya announced on Dec ... .
NAGOYA–In a disturbing case of vandalism to a local landmark, a police officer and another man are suspected of damaging a statue here of feudal warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in August, according to investigative sources ... 19 ... .
The former head of an Osaka-based luxury watch-sharing service was arrested Dec. 26 on suspicion of fraud after being a fugitive abroad for nearly two years ...Tokyo police obtained an arrest warrant and he was placed on the international wanted list.
JapanIron and SteelFederation Chairman Tadashi Imai said on Thursday that China’s planned export-license requirement would not be effective in curbing steel export volumes or support a recovery in prices ... Asked about the impact from U.S ... .
The country’s accident investigation board will not be in a position to release the interim update by the first anniversary on Monday of the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil, the two board officials said ... VICTIMS’ FAMILIES FRUSTRATED ... .
SINGAPORE--Asian stocks rose to their highest in six weeks on Friday and a blistering rally in precious metals showed no signs of tempering as investors sought to close out the year on a high while a softer yen kept intervention risk in the fray ... .
From inside a military base last week, Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing announced who he wanted voters to pick in Sunday’s general election, nearly five years after seizing power in a coup ... FUTURE OF MIN AUNG HLAING ... SIGNALS FROM THE PAST.
The issue had rarely been discussed at the U.N ...South Korea approved foreign adoptions of 24 children in 2025, down from around 2,000 in 2005 and an annual average of more than 6,000 during the 1980s... U.N ... .
Becoming a public school teacher in Japan is theoretically easier than ever, as the number of applicants has fallen to a historic low and the labor shortage in this field is becoming increasingly severe. On Dec ... SECURE ENOUGH TEACHERS ... .