Main news(2024/07/12)
The yen temporarily rose to the 157 yen range against the dollar, and the yen was rapidly strengthening.
2024-07-12 23:00:00
On the 12th, the New York foreign exchange market saw the yen appreciate rapidly, temporarily rising by around 1.5 yen from the upper 158 yen range to the lower 157 yen range. On the foreign exchange market, the government and the Bank of Japan appeared to have intervened in the market after the US Consumer Price Index was announced on the 11th, the day before, and the yen quickly appreciated to the lower 157 yen range. After that, there was a strong movement to sell the yen again, as it had appreciated in value.
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Sharp to offer early retirement to 500 employees due to suspension of large LCD panel production
2024-07-12 21:45:00
Sharp, a major electronics manufacturer, is offering early retirement to around 500 employees of a subsidiary company's factory in Sakai City, Osaka, following the suspension of production of large LCD panels at the factory, according to interviews with people involved.
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Niigata City Board of Education apologizes for inappropriate handling of bullying at Joetsu Elementary School
2024-07-12 20:32:00
Last March, it was discovered that a sixth-grade student at an elementary school in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, was being bullied by a classmate, but the school took inappropriate measures, such as not reporting the incident to the Board of Education and discarding the materials. The student then stopped attending school after moving on to junior high school, and the city's Board of Education apologized.
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Russia announces "Deputy Prime Minister Trutnev and others to visit Etorofu Island in the Northern Territories"
2024-07-12 20:16:00
On the 12th, the Sakhalin Oblast government in the Russian Far East announced that the Deputy Prime Minister, who serves as the Russian government's Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far East, visited Etorofu Island in the Northern Territories. This is believed to be the first time that a senior member of the Putin administration has visited the Northern Territories since Russian President Putin began his fifth term in May this year.
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Okinawa U.S. soldier sexual assault case: pleads innocent at first hearing
2024-07-12 18:58:00
Last December, a trial began for a U.S. airman stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa who is accused of taking a girl under the age of 16, whom he did not know, to his home and sexually assaulting her for lewd purposes.The airman denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
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Bank of Japan's Public Opinion Survey: 87.5% expect prices to rise in a year's time, up from the previous survey
2024-07-12 17:42:00
In a survey on personal lifestyle attitudes conducted by the Bank of Japan, 87.5% of people answered that prices will rise one year from now, up more than four points from the previous survey three months ago, indicating that more people think prices will continue to rise in the future.
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Court decides to release documents over extension of prosecutor-general's retirement age
2024-07-12 17:04:00
In a lawsuit in which a university professor sought the government to disclose documents that would enable researchers to verify the circumstances surrounding a cabinet decision to change the interpretation of the law and extend the retirement age of former Tokyo High Public Prosecutors' Office Prosecutor Kurokawa, the Osaka District Court ordered the disclosure of some documents, stating that "the change in legal interpretation was intended to extend Kurokawa's retirement age," and the government did not appeal the ruling, which was allowed to stand.
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Summer bonuses at major companies increase by more than 4% to an average of 983,112 yen, the highest ever
2024-07-12 16:19:00
This year's summer bonuses for major companies were an average of 983,112 yen per employee, up 4% from last year and the highest since the survey began using the current method in 1981.
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Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office indicts former prosecutor general, 64-year-old lawyer, on charges of sexual assault
2024-07-12 16:11:00
The 64-year-old lawyer, who served as the top prosecutor-general at the Osaka District Public Prosecutors' Office, was indicted by prosecutors on charges of sexually assaulting a victim who was intoxicated and unable to resist six years ago at a dormitory for public servants in Osaka City where he was living at the time.
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Defense White Paper emphasizes the need for Japan to strengthen its defense capabilities
2024-07-12 15:33:00
This year's Defense White Paper states that the possibility cannot be denied of China stepping up its military activities and increasing military tensions with Taiwan. It also notes that North Korea is focusing on improving its nuclear and missile capabilities in a qualitative sense, and emphasizes the need for Japan to continue to strengthen its defense capabilities.
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University of Tokyo considering tuition fee hike, decision to be made and announced by November
2024-07-12 14:49:00
On the 12th, the University of Tokyo announced details of the entrance exams to be held this academic year, and revealed that a decision on whether to implement the tuition fee hike currently under consideration from next academic year will be made and announced by November of this year.
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30 Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate in the "AIN" at the Paris Olympics
2024-07-12 13:48:00
There are two weeks until the opening of the Paris Olympics on the 12th. Due to the military invasion of Ukraine, athletes of Russian and its ally Belarus will be allowed to participate as "neutral individual athletes" who do not represent their country. As of the 9th of this month, the number of athletes expected to participate is 30.
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Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to disseminate views on same-sex couples' relationship status on resident registrations nationwide
2024-07-12 13:27:00
In response to the city of Omura in Nagasaki Prefecture issuing resident registration cards to same-sex couples with "husband (not yet notified)" written in the field indicating relationship, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has communicated its opinion to local governments across the country, stating that "there is a risk of problems arising with the application of social security systems, etc."
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Women divers resume diving in Wajima as work to dig up submerged seabed progresses
2024-07-12 13:08:00
In Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, where the seabed rose due to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, dredging work to deepen the port has progressed, and on the 12th, female divers resumed diving.
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Former Johnny's new company faces a spate of fake accounts on social media, operators to be identified
2024-07-12 12:00:00
It has been discovered that a series of fake accounts posing as official accounts of "STARTO ENTERTAINMENT," a new company to which talents from the former Johnny & Associates belong, have been spotted on social media. According to sources, there have been as many as 150 so far, and there is a risk that users will be directed to fake sites where their personal information and credit card information may be misused. The company has begun to identify the operators, and has stated that "in the future, we will take appropriate action, including legal action."
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Hyogo Vice Governor announces intention to resign in press conference over "Governor's power harassment allegations" document issue
2024-07-12 11:56:00
In response to a document prepared by a former prefectural bureau director pointing out suspected power harassment by Hyogo Prefecture Governor Saito, the prefecture's vice governor has announced his intention to resign, saying he wants to take responsibility for causing confusion and stagnation as a senior official.
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Ministry of Defense disciplines three senior administrative officials for "power harassment of multiple subordinates"
2024-07-12 11:01:00
The Ministry of Defense announced that it had taken disciplinary action against three senior officials in its internal administrative department, including suspension and pay cuts, for engaging in power harassment, including verbal abuse against subordinates.
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218 Self-Defense Forces personnel to be disciplined for violations of special secrets and other matters; Chief of Staff of the Maritime Staff Office to be replaced
2024-07-12 10:59:00
On the 12th, the Ministry of Defense took disciplinary action against a total of 218 people, including the administrative vice-minister and the top uniformed officer of the Self-Defense Forces, for violations and irregularities in relation to "specially designated secret" information related to national security and the receipt of diving allowances. It is extremely unusual for more than 200 people to be disciplined at the same time, and in the Maritime Self-Defense Force, which had the most violations, the top Chief of Staff of the Maritime Self-Defense Force will retire on the 19th of this month. This is considered a de facto dismissal.
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Prime Minister Kishida leaves for Germany after NATO summit to meet with Chancellor Scholz
2024-07-12 10:40:00
Prime Minister Kishida has completed a series of events in the United States, including the NATO summit, and is now headed for his next destination, Germany. He is expected to meet with Chancellor Scholz in the early hours of the 13th (Japan time) and agree to establish a new framework for cooperation in the field of economic security.
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Nikkei average stock price falls by more than 1,000 yen
2024-07-12 10:04:00
On the 12th, the Nikkei average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell by more than 1,000 yen. Following the sharp fall in tech-related stock prices on the New York market on the 11th and the rapid appreciation of the yen against the foreign exchange market on the night of the 11th (Japan time), sell orders for semiconductor-related and export-related stocks increased immediately after trading began.
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Yen temporarily rises to the low 157 yen range, no mention of intervention
2024-07-12 10:02:00
As the historically weak yen continues, the yen strengthened by more than 4 yen on the night of the 11th, briefly reaching the 157 yen range to the dollar. Some in the market have suggested that the government and the Bank of Japan may have intervened in the market, and on the 12th in the Tokyo market the yen temporarily recovered to the 159 yen range to the dollar before strengthening again, resulting in nervous price movements.
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President Biden introduces President Zelensky as President Putin
2024-07-12 09:09:00
On the 11th, US President Biden mistakenly referred to President Zelensky as Russian President Putin at a press conference announcing aid to Ukraine. He immediately realized his mistake and corrected it, but as his words and actions drew attention, media outlets reported the situation one after another.
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Wakayama Prefecture, Kainan City: 9,191 households, including elderly and disabled people, evacuated
2024-07-12 08:11:00
Due to the heavy rain, Kainan city in Wakayama prefecture issued evacuation information to 19,598 people in 9,191 households in the city at 7:10 a.m. The city is at alert level 3 out of five heavy rain alert levels, and is urging the elderly and people with disabilities to begin evacuating.
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NATO summit concludes: High representative to visit Kyiv to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine
2024-07-12 07:17:00
The NATO summit, held in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, concluded on the final day, the 11th, with discussions on how to respond to Russia's military invasion, attended by Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Landslide in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture: Mud flow into one house; "3 people were unable to escape" reported
2024-07-12 07:10:00
A landslide occurred in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, just before 4 a.m. on the 12th, and mud flowed into a two-story wooden house. According to the fire department, they received a report that "three people were unable to escape," and the police and fire department are currently investigating the incident.
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Hyogo Prefecture Vice Governor intends to resign over document response to "power harassment allegations against Governor"
2024-07-12 06:39:00
Regarding the response to a document prepared by a former Hyogo Prefectural Bureau chief alleging power harassment against Governor Saito, Vice Governor Katayama has decided to resign, saying he wants to take responsibility for causing chaos in prefectural government as a senior official, and has informed the governor of this.
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Heavy rain with thunderstorms in western Japan through tomorrow; be on high alert for landslides
2024-07-12 06:08:00
Due to the influence of a stationary front, heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms is falling in some areas, mainly in western Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that there is a risk of very heavy rainfall in some areas through the 13th, and has called for people to be on high alert for landslides and to be on alert for flooding in low-lying areas.
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Urgent safety measures: Take action to protect your life 22,062 people in Ehime, Matsuyama, and Shimizu districts
2024-07-12 05:40:00
Matsuyama City has issued an "urgent safety check" to 13,226 households and 22,062 people in the Shimizu district, where a landslide occurred due to heavy rain. The city has issued the highest level 5 alert, and is urging people to check their surroundings, such as staying on the second floor or higher of nearby buildings or their homes, or away from slopes, and to take action to find a safer place and increase the chance of saving their lives.
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Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: "Consider measures to reduce burden on teachers for forgetting to turn off pool water"
2024-07-12 05:31:00
Following a series of cases in schools across the country where teachers forgot to turn off the water in swimming pools and were asked to pay water bills, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology stated that pool management was placing an excessive burden on teachers and notified schools nationwide to consider measures to reduce the burden, such as outsourcing to the private sector.
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Illegal solicitation case involving multi-level marketing: 70% of solicitations occur through matchmaking apps
2024-07-12 05:08:00
In a case in which executives of a group operating a scheme were arrested for luring university students and other young people to coffee shops and illegally soliciting them to join a business school using so-called pyramid schemes, an investigation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department revealed that of the members recruited by the group, 70% were recruited through matching apps.
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