Main news(2025/02/07)
"Hon Hai Precision Industry and Nissan in discussions on possible partnership" Taiwanese media
2025-02-07 22:51:00
With talks between Honda and Nissan Motor Co. expected to be terminated, Taiwanese media reported that executives from Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., a major Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that had been secretly considering taking part in Nissan's management, visited Japan ahead of the Lunar New Year last month to meet with Nissan executives and discuss a possible partnership.
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US January employment report: 143,000 more employed than expected
2025-02-07 22:50:00
The U.S. employment statistics for last month, which will affect the yen exchange rate and stock prices, were released, and although the number of people employed outside the agricultural sector increased by 143,000 from the previous month, this was below market expectations.
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Fukushima Prefecture: Disaster Relief Act applied to 13 municipalities in Aizu region amid continued heavy snowfall
2025-02-07 22:01:00
Fukushima Prefecture has decided to apply the Disaster Relief Act to 13 cities and towns in the Aizu region, where heavy snowfall continues. This is the first time since 1963, 62 years ago, that the Disaster Relief Act has been applied in the prefecture due to heavy snowfall.
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Panama to withdraw from "One Belt, One Road" initiative: Chinese Foreign Ministry "hopes for right decision"
2025-02-07 21:52:00
Regarding the Central American government of Panama announcing its intention to withdraw from China's massive economic zone initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "We hope that the government will eliminate external interference and make the right decision," and called on the government to reconsider the withdrawal.
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Two killed in small plane crash in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil
2025-02-07 21:48:00
On the 7th, a small plane crashed into a main street in a city lined with buildings in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil in South America. According to local fire departments, the deaths of two people believed to have been on board the plane have been confirmed, and two people who were near the scene were injured and taken to the hospital. Local television stations reported that the eight-seater plane crashed into the main street shortly after taking off from an airport near the scene.
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SBI Holdings-affiliated investment trust management company becomes major shareholder of Fuji parent company
2025-02-07 21:30:00
It has been revealed that an investment trust management company affiliated with the major online financial company SBI Holdings has acquired over 5% of the shares of Fuji Television's parent company, becoming a major shareholder. Although the purpose of the acquisition is purely investment, future actions as a shareholder will be closely watched.
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Information on heavy snowfall in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture; Be on high alert for large-scale traffic impacts
2025-02-07 20:45:00
The snow is getting heavier in Ishikawa Prefecture, and in Honfuchucho, Nanao City, the snowfall in the six hours up to 8 p.m. reached 25 centimeters, and the Japan Meteorological Agency just announced "Information on significant heavy snowfall" at 8:36 p.m. The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling for people to be on high alert, as there is an increased risk of large-scale traffic impacts due to short-term heavy snowfall in the plains of southern Noto.
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Information on heavy snowfall in Niigata and risk of large-scale traffic disruptions
2025-02-07 20:37:00
Due to the strongest cold front of the season, the amount of snow has increased rapidly in Niigata City, and "information on significant heavy snowfall" has been announced. The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling for strict vigilance as there is a risk of serious impacts on traffic.
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Meiji Yasuda Life to acquire US insurance company for 500 billion yen including parent company investment
2025-02-07 19:37:00
Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance has agreed to acquire an American insurance company and will invest 500 billion yen, including an investment in the parent company in the UK. As the domestic market is expected to shrink due to a declining population, the company continues to strengthen its overseas business through acquisitions.
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Saitama Yashio road collapse: Removal of pipes hindering search expected to be completed by the 9th
2025-02-07 19:19:00
The removal of concrete pipes that have been obstructing the start of a full-scale search for a large road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, where one man is missing, will begin on the evening of the 7th. The removal is expected to be completed by the 9th.
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Tank bursts at factory in Kanda, Fukuoka, 4 people caught in tank, 2 unconscious
2025-02-07 19:12:00
According to the police, a tank under inspection at a factory in Kanda-machi, Fukuoka Prefecture, burst just before 4pm on the 7th, entrapping four men. Two of them were taken to the hospital in an unconscious state, and the details of the incident are currently being investigated. The accident occurred at the Kanda factory of Nippon Kisetsu, a company that designs and manufactures large machinery plants. In response to an interview, the company said, "We are currently responding to the incident, so we cannot provide any details."
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Japan-U.S. summit: Will there be an exchange of views on economic security, defense industry cooperation, etc.?
2025-02-07 19:02:00
The first Japan-U.S. summit meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump will be held in the early hours of the 8th. U.S. media reports that the two leaders will discuss trade and investment, as well as economic security and defense industry cooperation, and are expected to exchange views on a wide range of topics.
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Norinchukin Bank posts deficit of over 1.4 trillion yen in first nine months due to huge losses in foreign bond management
2025-02-07 18:23:00
The Norinchukin Bank announced its financial results for the period from April to December last year, posting a net loss of over 1.4 trillion yen due to huge losses in the management of foreign bonds. The net loss for the fiscal year ending March this year could be as high as 2 trillion yen, and the bank will now have to consider how to revise its management structure.
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Upper House Ethics Committee: Two former Abe faction lawmakers "left it to their offices and were unaware of the failure to report tax refunds"
2025-02-07 18:17:00
Regarding the issue surrounding political fundraising parties held by LDP factions, two former Abe faction members who attended the House of Councillors Political Ethics Committee explained that they had left the sale of party tickets to their offices and were unaware that the refunds were not listed in the income and expenditure reports.
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Prime Minister Ishiba plans to strengthen relations between the two countries at the Japan-U.S. summit tomorrow morning
2025-02-07 18:12:00
Prime Minister Ishiba will hold his first Japan-U.S. summit meeting with President Trump in the U.S. in the early hours of the 8th (Japan time). With President Trump promoting "America First," he hopes to share the view that cooperation between Japan and the U.S. in a wide range of fields will lead to world peace and development, and to strengthen relations.
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Nagano junior high school student fatal accident: Supreme Court overturns second trial acquittal, finalizes prison sentence
2025-02-07 18:01:00
In a case involving an accident in which a junior high school student was hit and killed by a car, the question of whether the defendant committed a hit-and-run when he returned to the scene a few minutes after shopping at a convenience store in order to conceal his drunk driving was contested. The Supreme Court ruled that the defendant committed a hit-and-run when he headed to the convenience store, overturning the second-instance acquittal and imposing a six-month prison sentence.
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Retrial of man in murder case of Fukui junior high school student to begin on the 6th of next month; likely to be found not guilty
2025-02-07 17:58:00
The first hearing of the retrial of a 59-year-old man who was imprisoned for the murder of a junior high school girl in Fukui City 39 years ago has been scheduled for the 6th of next month. The prosecution has not submitted any new evidence, and all hearings are expected to be completed in one day, making it highly likely that the man will be found not guilty.
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High school baseball: This summer's Koshien opening ceremony to be held from 4 p.m. to avoid heatstroke
2025-02-07 17:45:00
The Japan High School Baseball Federation and others have decided to hold the opening ceremony of this summer's National High School Baseball Tournament from 4:00 pm in the evening to reduce the burden on players, such as by taking measures against the heat. This will be the first time that the opening ceremony will be held in the evening for the 107th summer tournament.
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Fuji Television to set up "Revitalization and Reform Project Headquarters"
2025-02-07 17:05:00
Fuji Television has announced that it will set up a project headquarters headed by the president in order to review the organization's structure in a way that reflects the opinions of those on the front lines. It will set up multiple working groups made up of mid-career and junior employees, aiming to rebuild trust and the brand.
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Long-term interest rates: 10-year government bond yield rises to 1.3%, lowest since April 2011
2025-02-07 16:47:00
As long-term interest rates continue to rise, speculation spread in the bond market on the 7th that the Bank of Japan may implement its next interest rate hike sooner than expected, and the yield on 10-year government bonds, which is a representative indicator of long-term interest rates, rose to 1.3%, the highest level since April 2011.
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Snowplow suddenly stops on Hokkaido railway tracks after chunk of snow was placed there for photo purposes
2025-02-07 15:52:00
On the 1st of this month, the driver of a snowplow on the JR Soya Line in Bifuka, Hokkaido, noticed a 50cm-high block of snow on the tracks and suddenly stopped. JR Hokkaido believes that someone may have placed it there for filming purposes and has consulted with the police, urging people to "absolutely stop this extremely dangerous act."
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IMF: "Japan should start fiscal reconstruction now, rather than putting it off"
2025-02-07 15:36:00
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that the Japanese economy is seeing its first rise in inflation and wage growth in about 30 years, but that the country's large public debt remains an issue and that the country should work to improve its fiscal health.
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Cabinet approves bill to "active cyber defense" that accesses the source of attacks and neutralizes them
2025-02-07 14:51:00
The government has approved a bill to introduce "active cyber defense" to prevent cyber attacks before they occur. The bill's main pillars include the police and the Self-Defense Forces gaining prior approval from an independent agency to access the source of the attack and take measures to neutralize it.
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Production companies' group requests compensation for Fuji TV program suspensions and changes
2025-02-07 12:42:00
Fuji Television is facing a financial crisis due to a decline in advertising revenue, and a group of program production companies is demanding compensation for the suspension and change of programs. Fuji Television President Shimizu Kenji has stated that he wants to take every possible measure to ensure that this does not affect the management of the production companies.
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Household Survey 2024: Yamagata City leads in ramen consumption, Hamamatsu City leads in gyoza consumption in Japan
2025-02-07 12:29:00
On the 7th, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced the results of a household budget survey conducted in prefectural capitals across the country last year. The survey included information on the cost of eating out for ramen, a topic in which Yamagata and Niigata are competing, and the amount spent on gyoza, which has been the subject of fierce competition between Hamamatsu and Utsunomiya for many years.
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Search for people involved in social media use in Hyogo gubernatorial election following allegations of violating the Public Offices Election Act
2025-02-07 12:17:00
The Kobe District Public Prosecutors' Office and Hyogo Prefectural Police Headquarters began searching related parties on the 7th in connection with the indictment of re-elected Governor Saito on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act regarding the use of social media during the Hyogo Prefectural gubernatorial election.
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Trump meets with US Steel CEO to explain Nippon Steel acquisition plan
2025-02-07 12:17:00
On the 6th, US President Trump met with US Steel CEO John Britt at the White House, according to Western media reports. It is possible that they exchanged views on Nippon Steel's plan to acquire US Steel.
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Trump administration imposes sanctions on companies involved in exporting Iranian oil to China
2025-02-07 10:53:00
The Trump administration in the United States has announced that it will impose sanctions on companies involved in exporting Iranian crude oil to China, aiming to cut off support for Islamic organizations such as Hamas and funding for nuclear development.
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Agriculture Minister Eto to present outline of government rice stockpile release next week
2025-02-07 10:51:00
At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on the 7th, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Eto revealed his intention to provide an outline of the amount of rice to be sold at auction as early as next week in preparation for the release of the government's stockpiled rice. The timing of the actual bidding has not yet been decided. As rice prices continue to rise, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries last month reviewed its operation to allow the release of stockpiled rice, which had previously been limited to severe crop failures or disasters, to be allowed even in cases where it is determined that rice distribution is stagnating.
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Scientific research shows Kochi Museum of Art painting is likely a fake
2025-02-07 10:13:00
Regarding the issue of a painting in the Kochi Museum of Art's collection being pointed out as a fake, a scientific investigation by Kyoto University has revealed through interviews with people involved that paints that were not in circulation at the time the painting was supposedly created may have been used. The experts who conducted the investigation believe that the possibility of the painting being a fake has increased, and will report this to the museum soon.
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Cabinet approves bill to gradually raise teacher salary increase to 10%
2025-02-07 10:08:00
In order to improve the working conditions of teachers, the government approved a bill at a cabinet meeting on the 7th to amend the law, which includes a gradual increase in the salary surcharge provided in lieu of overtime pay from the current 4% of monthly salary to 10% over the next six years.
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Household survey: Consumption in the last year decreased by 1.1% from the previous year
2025-02-07 09:09:00
In a household survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications last year, the amount spent on consumption by households with two or more people was down 1.1% from the previous year in real terms, excluding price fluctuations. This is the second consecutive year that the amount has fallen below the previous year, with the average monthly consumption per household being 300,243 yen. The amount spent on consumption by households with two or more people in December of last year was also released, and the average monthly consumption per household was 352,633 yen, a 2.7% increase from the same month of the previous year in real terms, excluding price fluctuations.
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President Trump signs executive order allowing sanctions against ICC officials
2025-02-07 08:37:00
On the 6th, US President Trump signed an executive order that would allow the ICC, or International Criminal Court, to impose sanctions on officials and others at the ICC, claiming that the ICC abused its power by issuing arrest warrants without legitimate grounds for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and others over the fighting in the Gaza Strip last year.
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Former interpreter Mizuhara sentenced to four years and nine months for bank fraud
2025-02-07 08:17:00
In a trial in which former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is charged with bank fraud and other charges for allegedly making illegal transfers from the account of Shohei Ohtani, a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a US court has sentenced former interpreter Mizuhara to four years and nine months in prison.
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Strong cold air again through the 9th, heavy snowfall expected in the plains of Kinki and Tokai
2025-02-07 06:49:00
Due to the strongest cold front of the season, snow has piled up to 2 to 3 meters in the mountains of Tohoku, Niigata Prefecture, and Gifu Prefecture, so please be careful of accidents while removing snow. Strong cold air will flow in intermittently again from the morning of the 7th to the 9th, and there is a risk of heavy snow even in the plains of Kinki and Tokai, where it usually doesn't snow much. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging people to be vigilant about traffic impacts, as well as watch out for power outages, fallen trees, and avalanches that accompany snowstorms and snowstorms.
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Former Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank employee assumes managerial position and begins fraudulent transactions
2025-02-07 06:39:00
It has been learned from interviews with people involved that a former employee of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, which was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission on suspicion of insider trading, is believed to have begun illegal stock trading several years ago after taking up a managerial position with knowledge of TOBs (tender offer). The former employee is suspected of making a profit of approximately 30 million yen by trading multiple stocks, and the Surveillance Commission is continuing its investigation with a view to filing charges with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Division.
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Honda and Nissan merger talks near final decision, increasing chances of failure
2025-02-07 06:37:00
The heads of Honda and Nissan Motor, who have been in talks to merge, met on the 6th, and Nissan conveyed its intention not to accept Honda's proposal to make Nissan a subsidiary. The two companies are expected to make a final decision next week on whether to terminate the merger talks, and the possibility of the merger talks between Japan's leading automakers falling through is increasing.
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China opposes restrictions on deep-seek generative AI, calling it a "politicized issue"
2025-02-07 06:21:00
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to the growing movement in various countries to restrict the use of generative AI developed by Chinese startup Deepseek due to concerns over the collection of personal information, saying this is "politicizing science and technology."
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President Trump: Gaza Strip will be handed over to US when fighting ends
2025-02-07 05:14:00
Regarding the Gaza Strip in Palestine, U.S. President Trump posted on social media that "it will be handed over from Israel to the United States when the fighting ends," reiterating his claim that the United States owns the Gaza Strip and that it will be rebuilt.
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Moritomo documents non-disclosure cancellation: focus on Ministry of Finance response
2025-02-07 05:10:00
On the 6th, the government announced that it would not appeal the ruling of the Osaka High Court, which overturned the decision not to disclose the documents related to the falsification of the Ministry of Finance's approval documents for Moritomo Gakuen without even revealing the existence of the documents. The Ministry of Finance said that it would consider whether to disclose the documents in the future, but that it would take a considerable amount of time to thoroughly examine all the documents, and therefore it would expedite the process.
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Prime Minister Ishiba wants to build relations with US President Donald Trump at Japan-US summit
2025-02-07 05:03:00
Prime Minister Ishiba will soon arrive in Washington, D.C., and will hold his first Japan-U.S. summit meeting with President Trump in the early hours of the 8th, Japan time. As President Trump advocates a policy of "America First," he hopes to build a relationship based on the shared recognition that cooperation between Japan and the U.S. in a wide range of fields will lead to world peace and development.
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President Trump to meet with executives from US Steel
2025-02-07 03:51:00
White House Press Secretary Robert Levitt said in an interview with NHK that President Trump plans to meet with executives from U.S. Steel, a major steel manufacturer, on the 6th.
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