Main news(2025/04/24)
"Nuclear fuel-derived components" detected in second collection of debris from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
2025-04-24 21:53:00
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) released the results of simple measurements of nuclear fuel debris collected on the 23rd during the second test removal attempt at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The results revealed that, like the previous attempt, components believed to be derived from nuclear fuel were detected, but that the weight was approximately 0.2 grams, less than one-third of the previous amount.
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Government ordered to pay compensation for sexual assault by secretary of House of Councillors "closely related to duties"
2025-04-24 20:08:00
In a lawsuit filed by a woman working as a journalist who claimed she was sexually assaulted by the public secretary of Senator Seiji Ueda, the Tokyo District Court ordered the government to pay 4.4 million yen.
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Upper House LDP lawmakers' calls for lowering consumption tax rate should be reflected in campaign pledges
2025-04-24 19:56:00
Regarding measures to combat high prices, the Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Councillors conducted policy hearings with its members and reported to Secretary-General Moriyama that 80% of them called for a reduction in the consumption tax rate. The party then called for this to be reflected in the party's campaign pledges for the House of Councillors election this summer.
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Government to decide tomorrow on "emergency response package" proposal in response to U.S. tariff measures
2025-04-24 19:06:00
In response to the tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration in the United States, the government has put together a proposal for an "emergency response package" centered on supporting companies' cash flow and maintaining employment. The government plans to make a decision on the package at the National Response Headquarters on the 25th after coordination within the government.
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Nissan posts biggest final deficit of 750 billion yen last year due to continued sluggish sales in overseas markets
2025-04-24 19:03:00
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. revised down its earnings forecast for the full fiscal year 2019, announcing that it now expects a final loss of up to 750 billion yen.
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Measles infections continue to spread. What to be careful of when traveling abroad and how to prevent it [Details]
2025-04-24 18:58:00
Reports of measles infections have been coming in from all over the country, and the number of reported cases this year has already exceeded the number of cases reported in the entire year of last year. Many of these cases are believed to have been contracted overseas. With the number of people traveling abroad approaching this long holiday season, we have compiled some points to know to prevent infection.
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Agriculture Minister Eto samples stockpiled rice harvested three years ago, appeals for proper management
2025-04-24 18:48:00
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Eto tasted some of the government's stockpiled rice harvested over the past three years and emphasized that the rice is being properly managed.
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At least 4,800 children of Japanese nationality attend school in Tokyo's 23 wards alone.
2025-04-24 18:41:00
The number of facilities known as "international schools" is increasing in urban areas such as Tokyo. Lessons are taught in English and other languages, and tuition fees can cost as much as 3 million yen per year. According to an investigation by NHK, in Tokyo's 23 wards alone, at least 4,800 children with Japanese nationality are attending international schools instead of compulsory education schools. Many international schools are not recognized by the government as facilities for compulsory education, and experts point out that "the government needs to grasp the actual situation."
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Daishi Hokuetsu FG and Gunma Bank reach basic agreement to aim for business integration
2025-04-24 18:09:00
On the 24th, Daishi Hokuetsu Financial Group, which owns Niigata's Daishi Hokuetsu Bank, and Gunma Bank, which owns Gunma's Gunma Bank, announced that they have reached a basic agreement to aim for a business integration by April of the year after next. If this is realized, the combined deposit volume will be approximately 17 trillion yen, making the bank the fourth largest regional bank group in Japan in terms of deposit volume. With the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike creating a "world with interest rates" and intensifying competition between financial institutions, it is expected that other regional banks will also become more active in the future in their efforts to restructure.
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Former Hanshin pitcher Masaaki Koyama dies at age 90, third-highest total win total in baseball history with 320 wins
2025-04-24 17:56:00
Masaaki Koyama, who played for the Hanshin Tigers and other professional baseball teams and won 320 games, the third-highest total in baseball history, passed away at a hospital in Tokyo due to acute heart failure. He was 90 years old.
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Mainichi Broadcasting System variety show "Zenigame" violates broadcasting ethics BPO
2025-04-24 17:34:00
Regarding a variety show broadcast by Osaka-based Mainichi Broadcasting System in July last year that contained false information, the Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization (BPO) issued an opinion stating that basic fact-checking had been insufficient, resulting in a violation of broadcasting ethics.
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LDP apologizes for delay in submitting pension reform bill; CDP considers no-confidence motion
2025-04-24 17:05:00
The heads of the Diet affairs committees of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan met to discuss the handling of the pension reform bill. The Liberal Democratic Party apologized for the delay in submitting the bill to the Diet, while the Constitutional Democratic Party said it would consider submitting a motion of no confidence against Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Fukuoka if the deadline for submission is not made clear.
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Supreme Court rejects appeal after city ordered to pay damages for "defamation by Ishimaru"
2025-04-24 16:38:00
In a lawsuit filed by a city council member who claimed that Shinji Ishimaru, who was the mayor of Aki-Takata City in Hiroshima Prefecture, defamed him five years ago by making false statements and postings, the Supreme Court ruled on the 24th to dismiss Ishimaru's appeal and made the ruling ordering the city to pay compensation final.
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Baby switch 67 years ago: "Tokyo should not appeal but should investigate promptly"
2025-04-24 16:11:00
On the 24th, a man who was switched with another baby 67 years ago called on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to promptly investigate the matter without appealing the Tokyo District Court's ruling ordering the city to investigate the biological parents of the man.
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All four pandas at Wakayama's Adventure World to be returned to China
2025-04-24 15:41:00
Adventure World, a theme park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, has announced that it has decided to return all four of its giant pandas, Rauhin, Yuihin, Saihin, and Fuhin, to China around the end of June this year.
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Prime Minister Ishiba signs book of condolences following the death of Pope Francis
2025-04-24 15:16:00
Following the death of Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church, Prime Minister Ishiba visited the Apostolic Embassy in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward and signed the book of condolences.
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9 killed, over 60 injured in Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine
2025-04-24 15:12:00
The Russian military launched a missile attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the early hours of the 24th, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 60.
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Komeito decides to recommend a previously unlisted lawmaker for the summer House of Councillors elections for the first time
2025-04-24 14:57:00
Ahead of the House of Councillors election this summer, the Komeito Party has decided, for the first time, to recommend a Liberal Democratic Party member who had not been included in the party's income and expenditure report due to a faction political funding issue.
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The House of Representatives Management Committee unanimously approves regulations for research, public relations, and accommodation expenses
2025-04-24 14:39:00
Regarding the former correspondence expenses, now called "research, public relations and living expenses," the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Administration unanimously passed regulations that limit the scope of use of these expenses to expenses necessary for parliamentary activities such as research and public relations, and require reports to be submitted to the Speaker.
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Bill to amend Whistleblower Protection Act passed by House of Representatives plenary session, heads to House of Councillors
2025-04-24 14:26:00
A bill to amend the Whistleblower Protection Act, which includes provisions for imposing criminal penalties on individuals or corporations that fire or discipline employees for reporting wrongdoing internally, was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives on the 24th and sent to the House of Councillors.
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Nagano Iida: Car crashes into roadside floodgate, 4 people unconscious, Prefectural Police
2025-04-24 14:13:00
According to police and firefighters, a witness called the fire department at a little after 12:30pm on the 24th, reporting a "single-vehicle accident" on a road along a levee in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture. When police and firefighters rushed to the scene, they found a car that had crashed into a floodgate and four unconscious men inside the car. The four were transported to a hospital in the city, but three of them are in cardiac arrest. The accident occurred about 100 meters north of Suijin Bridge over the Tenryu River.
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First meeting to consider new "national vision" for LDP's 70th anniversary
2025-04-24 13:26:00
The Liberal Democratic Party held its first meeting to consider a new "national vision" to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the party's founding in November this year. The party will proceed with the formulation process by interviewing former party presidents, experts, and ordinary party members.
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Professional boxer Naoya Inoue: "I want to put on an exciting fight" ahead of his title defense
2025-04-24 13:03:00
On the 23rd, professional boxer Naoya Inoue held a public training session in Los Angeles in preparation for his defense of the super bantamweight four-organization unified title to be held in Las Vegas, USA next month, and expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I don't want the fight to end by decision. I want to have an exciting fight."
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Driver receives suspended sentence for modified car accident, owner fined
2025-04-24 12:53:00
In a trial for an accident in Sapporo in 2023 in which a tire came off a modified car and struck a 4-year-old girl, leaving her in critical condition, the Sapporo District Court sentenced the driver of the car to three years in prison with a suspended sentence for "failing to exercise due care to inspect the vehicle and causing the tire to come off." The owner of the car, who was also indicted for modifying the car, was also sentenced to a fine of 200,000 yen.
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National Police Agency to solidify policy to issue "blue tickets" for bicycle traffic violations from April next year
2025-04-24 11:38:00
The National Police Agency has decided to start enforcing so-called "blue tickets" for bicycle traffic violations, which notify drivers of the payment of fines, in the same way as for cars and motorcycles, from April 1 next year. The amount of the fine will vary depending on the violation, such as 12,000 yen for "distracted driving," which involves using a mobile phone while driving. The National Police Agency plans to amend the government ordinance after soliciting public comments.
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President Trump: "Peace talks with Ukraine will be harder than with Russia"
2025-04-24 11:33:00
US President Trump has indicated that he believes that negotiations with Ukraine are more difficult than with Russia regarding peace talks over Ukraine. Prior to this, President Trump had intensified his criticism of Ukraine as the negotiations have stalled, posting on social media that President Zelensky's unwillingness to make concessions over the territory is "harmful to peace talks."
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US President Trump: "Reduction of tariffs on China depends on China's response"
2025-04-24 11:24:00
With U.S. President Trump also hinting at lowering the combined 145% tariffs on China, when asked by reporters on the 23rd how quickly he would lower them, Trump said it would depend on China's response, but emphasized that it was important for the deal to be fair.
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Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in indicted on charges of accepting bribes while in office
2025-04-24 10:50:00
South Korean prosecutors announced that they had indicted former President Moon Jae-in without leaving his home on charges of receiving bribes of over 210 million won (approximately 21 million yen) from a former lawmaker over a period of about two years from 2018 while he was president. The prosecution has been continuing its investigation into Moon, questioning those involved in the hiring of Moon's daughter's ex-husband as an executive at an airline founded by the former lawmaker, and the circumstances surrounding the Moon administration's appointment of the former lawmaker as chairman of a government-affiliated public corporation.
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Accident involving three vehicles, including a trailer, on Tohoku Expressway in Saitama Prefecture - one person in cardiac arrest, fire department
2025-04-24 10:41:00
In the early morning of the 24th, an accident involving three vehicles, a trailer, a tanker truck, and a light passenger vehicle, occurred on the outbound lane of the Tohoku Expressway in Hanyu City, Saitama Prefecture. The trailer flipped over and burst into flames, and one of the passengers is in cardiac arrest. The police are investigating the details of the accident.
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Japan Transport Safety Commission: "Insufficient information on posture" for passengers injured while using aircraft evacuation slide
2025-04-24 10:21:00
Regarding the accident two years ago in which a passenger from a Jetstar Japan passenger plane following a bomb threat broke his hip while exiting the aircraft using an escape slide, the National Transport Safety Board concluded that the accident was caused by the passenger sliding face-up, and that the company had not done enough to inform passengers of the correct posture.
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Government conveys plan for Minister of Economic Revitalization Akazawa to visit the U.S. from the end of this month regarding tariff measures
2025-04-24 10:09:00
Regarding the tariff measures taken by the Trump administration in the United States, the government has conveyed to the ruling party a plan for Minister for Economic Revitalization Akazawa to visit Washington for three days from the 30th of this month and hold a second round of ministerial negotiations with Treasury Secretary Bessent and others. If arrangements are made with the US side, the second round of negotiations is expected to take place on the 1st of next month Japan time.
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Yen falls to 143 yen to the dollar following comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary
2025-04-24 09:14:00
On the 24th, in the Tokyo foreign exchange market, US Treasury Secretary David Bessent stated that Japan "does not have any specific currency targets," easing concerns that the US would seek to correct the strong dollar, and the yen fell to the 143 yen range per dollar.
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[Earthquake Alert] Earthquake magnitude 3 in Aomori Prefecture, no risk of tsunami
2025-04-24 09:12:00
An earthquake occurred at around 9:08am on the 24th. There is no need to worry about a tsunami caused by this earthquake. The epicenter was off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, the depth of the epicenter was 60km, and the magnitude, which indicates the scale of the earthquake, is estimated to be 4.4. The seismic intensity in each city, town and village is as follows. ▼Seismic intensity 3: Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture; Noheji Town, Aomori Prefecture; Sannohe Town, Aomori Prefecture; Gonohe Town, Aomori Prefecture; Nanbu Town, Aomori Prefecture.
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government to consider measures against parents in educational institutions under ordinance to prevent "customer harassment"
2025-04-24 08:00:00
The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education has decided to take measures against excessive harassment from parents in schools and other settings, as the ordinance to prevent customer harassment, or "kasuhara," which came into effect in Tokyo in April, also applies to educational settings.
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U.S. Treasury Secretary: "No specific currency target" in negotiations with Japan
2025-04-24 07:47:00
While attention is focused on whether the Trump administration will raise the issue of correcting the strong dollar in talks with Japan, Treasury Secretary Bessent said that Japan "does not have a specific currency target." In response to this, some in the financial markets are of the opinion that the United States will not strongly request a correction of the weak yen against the strong dollar.
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Toyota to invest additional $125 million in southern U.S. plants
2025-04-24 06:36:00
As President Trump calls for investment in the United States, Toyota Motor Corp. has announced that it will make an additional investment of $88 million, or approximately 12.5 billion yen, to set up an assembly line for core hybrid vehicle components at a factory in the southern United States.
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Ukraine situation: Foreign ministers' talks postponed due to differences in positions on peace plan
2025-04-24 06:29:00
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, a meeting between foreign ministers of the United States, Ukraine, and major European countries was scheduled to take place on the 23rd, but was postponed at the last minute. The background to this is thought to be a difference in positions regarding the peace plan presented by the United States, and while the United States has emphasized its intention to stop mediating, it is urging both Ukraine and Russia to accept the peace plan.
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President Trump: Zelensky's remarks "harmful to peace talks"
2025-04-24 06:01:00
Regarding peace talks over the situation in Ukraine, US President Trump strongly urged President Zelensky to enter into negotiations as soon as possible, saying that his insistence that he will not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea is "very detrimental to the peace talks."
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US Fed releases latest economic report: Economic outlook worsens significantly in several regions
2025-04-24 05:35:00
The US Federal Reserve Board released its latest economic report, noting that the Trump administration's tariffs have created uncertainty about the future and caused a significant deterioration in the economic outlook in several regions.
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U.S. Minister of Economic Revitalization strongly urges tariff review: "We cannot give special treatment"
2025-04-24 05:34:00
In the ministerial negotiations following the tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration in the United States, Minister for Economic Revitalization Akazawa strongly requested a review of tariffs on automobiles, steel, etc., but it was revealed that the US side expressed a negative view, saying, "We cannot give special treatment only to Japan." Minister Akazawa intends to strongly request this again in the next negotiations, and to confirm that it will be a subject of discussion.
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G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting to Begin Amid Trump Tariffs
2025-04-24 05:00:00
The G20 (Group of 20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting will soon begin in Washington, D.C. In the midst of growing concerns that the free trade system could collapse due to the tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration, the meeting is likely to test the significance of the international framework, as it will determine whether countries can come together to take measures to prevent an economic slowdown.
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"Trump Administration considering significant cuts to China tariffs" US report
2025-04-24 02:51:00
The Wall Street Journal, a leading American newspaper, reported that the Trump administration is considering significant reductions in tariffs, including cutting them in half, in order to ease trade friction with China.
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