2025-02-18 22:22:00
Last year, Kagoshima Prefecture became the number one producer of "aracha" tea for the first time, surpassing Shizuoka Prefecture, which had been the top producer in Japan for 65 consecutive years.
2025-02-18 22:07:00
It has been 10 years since a new recruit at the major advertising company Dentsu committed suicide due to overwork, but it has been revealed that Dentsu has been certified by the government as a company that promotes the creation of an environment in which women can thrive, with progress being made in eliminating long working hours. The woman's mother commented, "I hope that the company will continue to manage labor with determination and responsibility so that no one will be overworked."
2025-02-18 21:53:00
On the 18th, a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with a senior official from the Taliban's interim government, the Islamist group that holds real power in Afghanistan, who is visiting Japan. According to sources, the two sides exchanged views on how to respect human rights in Afghanistan.
2025-02-18 21:44:00
It has been learned that the chairman of the Norinchukin Bank, which recorded huge losses in the management of foreign bonds, has decided to resign next month. The Norinchukin Bank's final profit and loss for the nine months from April to December last year was a deficit of over 1.4 trillion yen.
2025-02-18 20:30:00
Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church, who is currently hospitalized with bronchitis, has no fever and is in stable condition, but there is no indication of when he will be discharged from hospital, and the Vatican has announced that an event the Pope was scheduled to attend on Saturday will be canceled, causing concern among believers.
2025-02-18 18:01:00
The average price of cabbage and other produce at supermarkets and other stores was about 2.6 times the average price of normal years as of last week, and remains high. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries expects prices to remain higher than average throughout February.
2025-02-18 17:35:00
Due to the strong cold fronts and winter pressure patterns in the sky, snow is falling mainly on the Sea of Japan side of northern and western Japan, causing bitterly cold temperatures in many areas. On the northbound lanes of the Kan'etsu Expressway, a truck was unable to move due to snow, causing 200 cars to temporarily get stuck behind it. The Chubu Regional Development Bureau, Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd., and others plan to begin preventive road closures on expressways and national highways in the Tokai region from around 4 p.m. on the 18th in order to prevent people from getting stuck.
2025-02-18 17:14:00
In a case where a man was found dead in a hotel in Susukino, a downtown Sapporo district, two years ago and three parents and children were indicted, the father, who is accused of aiding his daughter in the murder, was given a 10-year prison sentence by the prosecution, stating that "without the defendant's involvement, the daughter's crime would not have been possible."
2025-02-18 17:09:00
Regarding the review of the "1.03 million yen annual income barrier," the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, and the Democratic Party for the People presented a new proposal in a three-party tax consultation to change the income tax exemption amount according to annual income. For people earning 2 million yen or less a year, the exemption amount will be increased by an additional 370,000 yen from the 1.23 million yen already proposed by the government, so the lower the income, the greater the increase.
2025-02-18 17:02:00
Regarding the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to be held in New York in March, Foreign Minister Iwao Naoto announced that the Japanese government would not participate as an observer, citing the difficulty of advancing nuclear disarmament at a conference in which nuclear-weapon states are not participating.
2025-02-18 16:56:00
Talks between senior officials from the United States and Russia regarding ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine began in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the 18th at around 4:30 p.m. Japan time.
2025-02-18 14:25:00
Regarding reports that distributing sweets to Ministry of Justice employees could be a violation of the Public Offices Election Act if some of the employees were from his own constituency, Justice Minister Suzuki explained, "It was simply a gift to all the employees who have been working hard at their jobs, as a token of appreciation and gratitude."
2025-02-18 14:18:00
According to the police, at around 11:30 a.m. on the 18th, a report was received from the Geto Kogen Ski Resort in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, that "one person was buried under the snow while three people were skiing together." Police and fire departments are working to rescue the victims.
2025-02-18 13:51:00
A former Metropolitan Police Department investigator who led the pursuit team for suspect Kirishima Satoshi, who was wanted for a series of corporate bombings in the 1970s and died last year after giving his real name, spoke to NHK for the first time about the inside story of the investigation, including the discovery of a partially constructed bomb and a secret room in the apartment where the suspect was hiding out. He also revealed that when the suspect's family urged him to turn themselves in over the phone right after he was put on the wanted list, the suspect refused, saying he would "run away until he dies," and expressed his regret that they were unable to arrest him.
2025-02-18 13:22:00
A farewell ceremony for actor Toshiyuki Nishida, who passed away last October, was held in Tokyo, with people who were close to him and his fans mourning his farewell.
2025-02-18 13:04:00
Interviews with investigators have revealed that police have arrested an investor who is believed to be the de facto head of an Osaka-based home renovation company on suspicion of using an "inspection sales" tactic to point out defects in roof construction work and cause anxiety, leading to elderly people signing expensive contracts.
2025-02-18 13:02:00
The average price of rice at supermarkets nationwide, as compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, was 3,829 yen per 5 kg for the week ending February 9, up 141 yen from the previous week. The price of rice continues to rise, and is up nearly 90% from a year ago.
2025-02-18 12:48:00
A joint meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party's Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Committee and other groups was held, and cautious opinions were expressed about including private high schools in the free high school tuition program, which is being discussed with the Japan Restoration Party and others. However, the party left future responses to the discretion of Chairman of the Policy Research Council Onodera and others.
2025-02-18 11:54:00
While a series of Japanese nationals believed to have been working at specialized fraud bases in Myanmar are being rescued, a 16-year-old male high school student from Aichi Prefecture is believed to have been taken there after applying for a shady part-time job that invited him to do something overseas, according to an interview with an investigator. The high school student has already returned to Japan, and police are scheduled to question him in detail.
2025-02-18 11:42:00
As efforts to revise the new fiscal year budget bill gain momentum, senior officials from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito met and confirmed that they will act in good faith to reach an agreement with the Japan Restoration Party and the Democratic Party for the People, with which they are conducting policy discussions.
2025-02-18 10:46:00
On the night of the 17th, an accident involving four vehicles, including passenger cars, occurred at an intersection on a national highway in Daisen City, Akita Prefecture, resulting in the death of a 45-year-old man and minor injuries to four others. It was snowing at the time and the road surface was frozen, so the police are currently investigating the details of the accident.
2025-02-18 10:33:00
In the bond market on the 18th, the yield on 10-year government bonds, which is a representative indicator of Japan's long-term interest rates, temporarily rose to 1.39%, the highest level in 14 years and 10 months, due to speculation that the Bank of Japan may implement an additional interest rate hike soon.
2025-02-18 10:31:00
It has been revealed that in 2019, Mizuho Bank reported to the Financial Services Agency that a bank employee was involved in the theft of customer money and valuables from a safe deposit box at a branch. Mizuho Bank has just suspended accepting new customers for its nationwide safe deposit box service in principle since January. In relation to safe deposit boxes, it has been revealed that a former Mitsubishi UFJ Bank employee had stolen money and valuables worth over a billion yen from a safe deposit box at a branch, and the Metropolitan Police Department arrested the former employee in January.
2025-02-18 10:28:00
The government decided on the Basic Energy Plan, which will be the framework for Japan's electricity policy, at a cabinet meeting on the 18th. The plan includes making renewable energy such as solar and wind power the largest power source in the future, while also making maximum use of nuclear power.
2025-02-18 09:47:00
Regarding the summoning of the accounting officer of the former Abe faction of the Liberal Democratic Party as a witness in response to the scandal involving politics and money, Budget Committee Chairman Yasuzumi indicated that he will travel to a location separate from the Diet on the 20th together with directors from both the ruling and opposition parties to question the officer in private.
2025-02-18 09:44:00
According to the Fukushima Prefectural Police Headquarters, three people, including hotel employees at Takayu Onsen in the mountains of Fukushima City, have been unable to be contacted since around 2:00 pm on the 17th after entering the mountains to manage the hot spring source. The three are the hotel manager in his 60s, as well as two male employees in their 60s and 50s. Police and others are planning to launch a search team of 20 people from around 9:00 am.
2025-02-18 07:57:00
On the 17th, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, who are likely to pitch in the opening series, entered the bullpen and practiced pitching. Shohei Otani practiced catching and defensive practice to prepare for his return as a pitcher.
2025-02-18 07:03:00
Due to the influence of strong cold air above and winter pressure patterns, snow is falling mainly along the mountains from northern to western Japan. As the cold air will continue to flow in intermittently, there is a risk of heavy snowfall mainly along the Sea of Japan side for about a week. The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling for people to be careful of the impact on traffic, as well as power outages, fallen trees, and avalanches due to snow accumulation.
2025-02-18 06:45:00
An accident occurred while a passenger plane was landing at Toronto International Airport in Canada on the 17th, and Canadian media are reporting that eight people were injured.
2025-02-18 06:40:00
The United States and Russia will hold a meeting in Saudi Arabia on the 18th, with Secretary of State Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov among others, to discuss ending the fighting in Ukraine.
2025-02-18 06:07:00
In a case where the former director and others were arrested for attempting to cover up a murder at a hospital in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, it was learned from an interview with an investigator that multiple medical certificates with different handwriting characteristics were found under the same name as the doctor who wrote the false medical certificate stating that the victim's cause of death was "pneumonia." At the time of the incident, the doctor was hospitalized with suspected dementia and was in a state where communication was difficult, so the police are investigating the situation.
2025-02-18 05:54:00
Regarding the new fiscal year budget proposal, Prime Minister Ishiba indicated his intention to revise the budget proposal and raise the upper limit of subsidies for private high schools in order to promote free high school tuition. The Japan Restoration Party, which calls for free tuition, has praised this, and it is expected that the final adjustments will be made on the upper limit, etc.
2025-02-18 05:53:00
The Vatican announced that Pope Francis, who is hospitalized with bronchitis, has had a new respiratory infection discovered after tests, necessitating a change in treatment. He is expected to remain hospitalized, and no timetable for his release has been announced.
