Main news(2024/12/13)
Cabinet Office to prepare for large-scale disasters by allocating staff to each prefecture
2024-12-13 22:32:00
In preparation for a major earthquake along the Nankai Trough or an earthquake directly beneath the capital, the Cabinet Office's disaster prevention division is making arrangements to assign new staff members to each prefecture next year, according to an interview with a government official. They are expected to work with volunteers and improve the environment of evacuation shelters in the event of a disaster.
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University of Tokyo research group discovers "alternating magnetic material" that improves memory performance
2024-12-13 22:24:00
A research group from the University of Tokyo has announced that they have discovered a material with special properties called "alternating magnetic material" that dramatically improves the performance of computer memory. They say this result will also lead to a reduction in the power consumption of computers.
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French President Macron appoints Bayle, leader of centrist party, as new prime minister
2024-12-13 22:07:00
French President Emmanuel Macron appointed veteran politician and leader of a centrist party that is part of the ruling coalition, Mr. Bayle, as the successor to Prime Minister Barnier, who resigned following the passage of a motion of no confidence in the cabinet. This is an unusual situation in France, where the prime minister has changed three times this year, and it is expected that the difficult administration will continue in the future.
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Yamato Transport asks Japan Post to review delivery collaboration
2024-12-13 21:57:00
It has been revealed that Yamato Transport has asked Japan Post to review its parcel delivery collaboration that was concluded in 2023. Yamato Transport has asked Japan Post to suspend the consignment of thin parcels, but Japan Post claims that this goes against the terms of the collaboration agreement.
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AI expected to help develop treatments for neglected tropical diseases
2024-12-13 21:47:00
While drug discovery research using AI (artificial intelligence) is expanding, there are diseases that are prevalent mainly in poor tropical regions, and pharmaceutical companies have refrained from developing them because they cannot expect to recoup their development costs. These diseases are called "neglected tropical diseases." An executive of an international organization working on this issue visited Japan and expressed his hope that the increased efficiency of AI will stimulate the development of drugs to treat these diseases.
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Defense Minister Nakatani to jointly develop frigate with Australia "all Japan"
2024-12-13 21:05:00
Following Australia narrowing down its candidates for joint development of a new frigate to Japan and Germany, the first meeting of a joint public-private committee to select the two vessels was held, with Defense Minister Nakatani emphasizing his intention for the project to be an all-Japan effort.
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Residents living near Aleph and Hikari no Wa facilities call on government to strengthen regulations
2024-12-13 21:04:00
Residents in Tokyo and other areas where Aleph, the former Aum Shinrikyo group that changed its name, and its splinter group Hikari no Wa, are based, have called on the government to strengthen regulations, claiming that their peaceful lives are still being threatened.
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Tokyo Women's Medical University submits improvement plan, including abolishing recommendation exams for graduates' relatives
2024-12-13 20:14:00
Tokyo Women's Medical University, which has come under scrutiny over its alumni association's opaque financial flows and problems with recommended entrance exams, has announced an improvement plan that includes restructuring its governance structure and abolishing the recommendation entrance exam for relatives of graduates.
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Kim Myung-hee appointed as new manager of J1 soccer team Avispa Fukuoka
2024-12-13 19:46:00
Former Sagan Tosu manager Kim Myung-hee has been appointed as the new manager of J1 soccer club Avispa Fukuoka.
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Snow in mountainous areas of western Japan through the 15th - be careful when driving and traveling
2024-12-13 19:33:00
Due to the influence of winter pressure patterns and cold fronts, snow is expected to intensify mainly in the mountainous areas along the Sea of Japan coast through the 15th, and snow is also expected to accumulate in the mountainous areas of western Japan. Please check the latest weather information and be careful of driving on snowy roads and the impact on traffic.
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Former Chinese men's national football team coach sentenced to 20 years in prison for accepting 2.5 billion yen in bribery
2024-12-13 19:31:00
The former head coach of China's men's national soccer team was sentenced to 20 years in prison for accepting bribes in selecting players and other activities that amounted to approximately 2.5 billion yen.
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Victim of former Nomura Securities employee case comments: "I feel betrayed and shocked"
2024-12-13 19:05:00
Following the indictment last month of a former employee of Nomura Securities, a major securities firm, on charges of attempted robbery and murder and arson for allegedly giving a female client in Hiroshima City a sleeping drug, stealing her cash, and setting fire to her house, the female victim made a statement on the 13th, expressing her feelings, saying, "I am deeply shocked that I was betrayed by someone I trusted as a major securities firm."
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LDP and Komeito present proposal to raise "1.03 million yen barrier" to 1.23 million yen from next year to citizens
2024-12-13 17:59:00
Regarding the review of the "1.03 million yen annual income barrier," the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito presented a proposal to raise the income tax deduction from the current 1.03 million yen to 1.23 million yen in tax consultations with the Democratic Party for the People. They also proposed that this be implemented from next year.
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South Korea President Yoon's declaration of "emergency martial law" - what's happened so far
2024-12-13 17:57:00
We have summarized the events that have occurred since South Korean President Yoon Seong-ryul declared "emergency martial law." (Interviewer: International Affairs Department Reporter Yoshizuka Mirei)
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Nine schools announced as candidates for the 21st Century Category for next spring's Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament
2024-12-13 16:50:00
Nine candidate schools have been announced for the 21st Century Category of the Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament to be held at Koshien Stadium next spring. Two of these schools will be selected by the selection committee next month.
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Tokaido Shinkansen to install women-only toilets on all trains starting this month
2024-12-13 16:45:00
Starting this month, women-only toilets will be installed in trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. JR Central plans to install them on all trains when the timetable is revised next spring.
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Number of influenza patients nearly doubles from previous week; infection control measures needed
2024-12-13 16:42:00
The influenza epidemic is spreading nationwide, with the number of patients who visited medical institutions in the week ending on the 8th of this month estimated to be over 340,000, nearly double the number from the previous week.
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Souta Fujii, the seven-time champion of the Ryuo Championship, wins his fourth consecutive title and speaks of his joy at defending his title the day after
2024-12-13 16:12:00
On the 12th, Fujii Souta, who won the Ryuo tournament, the highest of the eight major titles in shogi, for the fourth consecutive year, held a press conference the day after the match and spoke of his joy at defending his title, saying, "I would like to incorporate the strategies and ideas of my opponent and play shogi that I can be satisfied with."
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Couple indicted in serial poisoning death case for murder of 68-year-old mother
2024-12-13 16:05:00
On the 13th, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office indicted a couple who were re-arrested on suspicion of murdering a 68-year-old mother by forcing her to ingest harmful chemicals, in addition to the murders of three other relatives, including their 4-year-old daughter.
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South Korea's President Yoon's impeachment bill to be presented to National Assembly, vote to be held on 14th
2024-12-13 15:57:00
A plenary session of the National Assembly of South Korea was held and a motion calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol was reported at around 2:00 pm on the 13th. A vote on the motion is scheduled to take place within 72 hours of the report, 24 hours after the report. An official from the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, explained to reporters on the afternoon of the 13th that the vote on the motion will take place at the plenary session that opens at 5:00 pm on the 14th.
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The House of Representatives Political Ethics Committee will hold public hearings on 17th to 19th to hear from 15 people, including Koichi Hagiuda
2024-12-13 15:14:00
The House of Representatives Political Ethics Committee held a steering committee meeting to discuss how to deal with LDP lawmakers who were not included in their income and expenditure reports, and decided to hold a public review of 15 people, including Hagiuda Koichi, who had expressed their intention to attend, for three days starting on December 17th.
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Tokyo LDP branch corrects income and expenditure report, omitting some details such as party ticket purchasers
2024-12-13 13:51:00
The Tokyo branch of the Liberal Democratic Party corrected its income and expenditure report on the 12th, stating that it had not included some of the purchasers and amounts of political fundraising party tickets in its political fundraising income and expenditure report for the two years from last year and the year before. The total amount not included was over 8.3 million yen, and the Tokyo branch of the Liberal Democratic Party stated that it "did not realize that the purchase amounts by individuals and groups exceeded the 200,000 yen that was required to be included."
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Stock prices temporarily fall by more than 600 yen due to the fall of major stock indexes in the New York market
2024-12-13 12:18:00
Following the fall of major stock indexes on the Tokyo stock market on the 13th and on the New York market on the 12th, the Nikkei average temporarily fell by more than 600 yen.
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In response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the government revise and publish guidelines to improve evacuation shelter conditions
2024-12-13 12:16:00
In response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the government revised its guidelines to improve the environment of evacuation shelters, and provided new numerical guidelines for the living space per person, as well as bathing facilities and women's restrooms. While the guidelines are more specific, the challenge remains how to disseminate these guidelines to local governments across the country.
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Fukuoka High Court rules that not recognizing same-sex marriage violates Article 13 of the Constitution
2024-12-13 12:11:00
In a lawsuit filed by three same-sex couples living in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures against the government, claiming that the denial of same-sex marriage violates the Constitution, the Fukuoka High Court, on the second instance, ruled for the first time that the ban violates Article 13 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to pursue happiness.
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Soto transfers to the Mets for the highest amount ever paid, explains his decision at press conference
2024-12-13 12:03:00
Juan Soto, who moved from the New York Yankees to the New York Mets for a 15-year contract totaling $765 million (approximately 117 billion yen), the largest amount in professional sports history, explained his decision at a press conference when he joined the team, saying, "Seeing how hungry they are to win a championship definitely opened my heart."
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Political reform bill to be discussed by ruling and opposition parties in House of Representatives special committee on the 16th
2024-12-13 11:36:00
At a board meeting on the morning of the 13th, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to hold a committee meeting on the afternoon of December 16th of next week to deliberate on the bill. The LDP also stated that they would like to reach a certain conclusion on the 16th, and repeatedly called for a vote on the bill on the 16th, while the opposition parties responded by saying that they would "consider the situation and continue discussions."
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Usage rate of "My Number Health Insurance Cards" increased to over 28% from the suspension of previous health insurance card issuance
2024-12-13 11:33:00
Regarding the utilization rate of the "My Number Health Insurance Card," which combines a My Number card and a health insurance card, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Fukuoka revealed that in the week from the 2nd of this month, when new issuance of the conventional insurance cards was suspended, the utilization rate was just over 28%, up from the previous month before the suspension.
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South Korea's largest opposition party leader calls on ruling party lawmakers to support impeachment
2024-12-13 10:55:00
Regarding the motion calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, held a press conference on the morning of the 13th and said, "Impeachment is the quickest and surest way to end the chaos," and called on ruling party lawmakers to vote in favor of the motion in the vote scheduled for the 14th.
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Bank of Japan Tankan: Economic outlook for large manufacturing companies improves by +14 points for the first time in two quarters
2024-12-13 08:55:00
In the Tankan (Short-term Economic Outlook Survey) released by the Bank of Japan on the 13th, the index showing the economic outlook of large manufacturing companies was plus 14 points. This is one point higher than the previous survey, and is the first improvement in two quarters.
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President-elect Trump to invite Chinese President Xi and other dignitaries to inauguration in January
2024-12-13 08:08:00
A spokesman for the transition team revealed that US President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and other important figures from various countries to his inauguration ceremony in January. According to US media, no foreign leader has attended the ceremony as far as records are concerned, so there is interest in who will attend from each country.
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US official meets with Israeli Prime Minister to aim for ceasefire agreement by December
2024-12-13 05:42:00
A senior U.S. government official met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel and indicated that the U.S. would step up efforts to reach an agreement on ceasefire talks between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas by December.
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President-elect Trump named to Time magazine's "Person of the Year"
2024-12-13 05:39:00
The American magazine Time has chosen US President-elect Trump as the person of the year who has had the most influence on the world.
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China decides to make monetary policy "moderately accommodative" for the first time in 14 years
2024-12-13 05:20:00
At a key meeting to decide next year's economic management policy, China's Xi Jinping leadership decided to make monetary policy "moderately accommodative." This is the first time this expression has been used in 14 years, and it is a strong indication of the government's intention to support the slowing economy through the expansion of monetary easing.
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Yukio Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" was originally titled "The Human Disease" and his letters to the editor are on display
2024-12-13 05:16:00
A letter to an editor by Yukio Mishima, a representative writer of postwar Japanese literature, has been found, which indicates that Mishima had conceived the original title of his novel "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" as "The Human Disease." The letter is now on display at a special exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Japanese Literature in Tokyo, and is attracting many fans.
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The Imperial Household Agency's Instagram has over 1.8 million followers, 17% of whom are young
2024-12-13 05:08:00
The Imperial Household Agency revealed that the number of followers on its official Instagram account, which began operation in April this year, has increased to over 1.8 million, of which 17% are young people who want to share information via social media.
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Fukuoka High Court rules on same-sex marriage lawsuit today as unconstitutional rulings continue across the country
2024-12-13 02:21:00
On the 13th, the Fukuoka High Court will hand down a ruling on the second instance of a lawsuit filed by three same-sex couples living in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures against the government, claiming that the denial of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. In the second instance of lawsuits filed in various locations, the Sapporo High Court and the Tokyo High Court have ruled that the cases are unconstitutional, and attention is focused on whether the ruling on the 13th will follow suit.
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This year's supplementary budget bill to be debated in the House of Councillors; discussions on political reform also intensify
2024-12-13 01:55:00
The supplementary budget for this fiscal year, which will underpin the economic measures, passed the House of Representatives and will be debated in the House of Councillors from the 13th. Meanwhile, discussions on political reform are also in full swing, and the focus is on whether the various parties can find common ground to achieve legal reform within the current session.
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South Korea resubmits impeachment motion against president; attention focused on ruling party's response
2024-12-13 01:48:00
South Korea's largest opposition party and others have once again submitted a bill calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol to the National Assembly, aiming for a vote on the 14th. Several ruling party lawmakers have indicated their intention to support the bill, and attention is focused on how the ruling party will respond.
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"Don Juan of Kishu" ex-wife found not guilty; focus on whether prosecutors will appeal
2024-12-13 01:40:00
On the 12th, a 28-year-old ex-wife who was accused of murder and other crimes for killing a wealthy company president from Wakayama Prefecture who was known as "Don Juan of Kishu" was acquitted. The ruling noted that "reasonable doubt remains that the ex-wife committed the murder," and the focus will be on whether the prosecution will appeal.
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