Main news(2025/05/14)
Infronia HD to acquire Sumitomo Mitsui Construction through TOB, becoming the second largest company after the big five
2025-05-14 22:11:00
Infronia Holdings, which owns the major construction company Maeda Construction, has announced that it will acquire the major construction company Sumitomo Mitsui Construction through a tender offer. The combined sales of the two companies will be second only to the top five companies, and this will be a major restructuring amid a labor shortage and rising material prices.
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Hyogo Governor Saito's allegations: Third-party committee finds that prefectural officials leaked documents
2025-05-14 20:52:00
Regarding the publication on the Internet of data that was said to be from the official computer of a former bureau chief who prepared a document accusing Hyogo Prefecture Governor Saito, a third-party committee of the prefecture announced on the 13th the results of an investigation that found it highly likely that a prefectural employee had leaked the data to the outside. Governor Saito stated, "It is very unfortunate and I take this very seriously. I apologize for causing concern to the people of the prefecture."
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University tuition reduction and exemption system: students unable to apply in time, move to extend
2025-05-14 19:10:00
A system that provides tuition reductions and exemptions to families with three or more dependent children, which began this academic year, has seen a number of students unable to apply due to not meeting the deadline. In response to this situation, it has been learned that universities are reviewing their response, such as extending or re-establishing application periods.
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Chiba: Junior high school student arrested; victim attacked from behind; investigation into circumstances at time
2025-05-14 18:59:00
In a case where a woman was stabbed in the back and died on the street in Chiba City, and a third-year junior high school student was arrested on suspicion of murder, it was revealed in an interview with the police that there were no wounds on the victim's hands that would have been caused by resistance. The police are investigating the circumstances at the time, believing that the boy suddenly attacked the woman from behind.
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Saitama Misato: "Car crashes into line of elementary school students" - 4 people hospitalized; hit-and-run?
2025-05-14 18:06:00
According to police and fire departments, a report was received around 4:00 p.m. on the 14th in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture, that a car had crashed into a line of elementary school students on their way home from school.
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Sesame oil cartel: Two manufacturers ordered to take exclusion measures for violating antitrust laws
2025-05-14 17:58:00
Amid soaring raw material prices, two edible oil manufacturers formed a cartel to raise the prices of sesame oil and other products sold to food manufacturers, in violation of the Antimonopoly Act, and the Japan Fair Trade Commission issued an order to take cease and desist measures. One of the companies was also ordered to pay a surcharge of over 21 million yen.
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Subaru's earnings forecast for this fiscal year is undecided, Sony Group's earnings forecast is pushed down by about 100 billion yen
2025-05-14 17:50:00
On the 14th, 410 listed companies are scheduled to announce their financial results for the fiscal year ending March of this year.
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North Korean leader Kim inspects military training, orders response to modern warfare
2025-05-14 17:10:00
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected military training using drones and other equipment and gave instructions to advance modern warfare. South Korean media reports that this was to share combat experience from deploying troops to Russia within the military.
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Social Democratic Party leader Fukushima: "I want to reduce the consumption tax rate on food products"
2025-05-14 16:48:00
As prices continue to rise, Social Democratic Party leader Fukushima has cited serious food price hikes and expressed his desire to work with other parties to achieve a reduction in the consumption tax rate on food items.
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Cross-party group puts together bill to amend law to combat slander against athletes
2025-05-14 16:20:00
In order to prevent slander against athletes on social media and other platforms, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has put together a proposed amendment to the law that includes provisions to strengthen measures against such attacks.
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Democratic Party for the People accepts resignation of House of Representatives member Masaki Hiraiwa for adultery under false name
2025-05-14 16:15:00
At a general meeting of both houses of the Diet on the 14th, the Democratic Party for the People decided to accept the resignation of House of Representatives member Masaki Hiraiwa, who revealed that he had been engaged in an extramarital affair under a false name.
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[Breaking News] Aichi Self-Defense Force plane disappears from radar, reports also emerge of crash into pond
2025-05-14 16:12:00
According to multiple Defense Ministry officials, there was information that an Air Self-Defense Force training aircraft's flight track disappeared from radar while flying near Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture on the afternoon of the 14th, and they are currently investigating the matter.
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A police inspector from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division was arrested on suspicion of stealing approximately 3 million yen from a fire scene.
2025-05-14 16:08:00
A police inspector in his 50s belonging to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division Fire Squad was arrested for stealing about 3 million yen in cash at the scene of a fire in which an elderly person living alone died. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case, which has involved about 10 thefts over the past three years, with the total damage estimated to be 9 million yen.
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April beer sales down more than 30% compared to the same month last year due to price hikes at major companies
2025-05-14 15:50:00
Last month's beer sales by major beer companies were down more than 30% compared to the same month last year, due to each company implementing its first price hike in a year and a half.
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Okinawa: Four China Coast Guard vessels briefly enter Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands
2025-05-14 15:06:00
On the morning of the 14th, four China Coast Guard vessels entered Japanese territorial waters one after another off the coast of the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The four vessels sailed within the territorial waters for nearly two hours before leaving just before noon, and the Japan Coast Guard is continuing to warn and monitor the vessels to ensure they do not enter the territorial waters again.
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Government committee broadly approves plan to make childbirth free of charge; scope and methods to be considered
2025-05-14 14:56:00
The government's expert panel, which is discussing the nature of childbirth costs as part of measures to combat the declining birthrate, has broadly approved a summary proposal calling for the creation of a specific system for making childbirth free of charge by next fiscal year. In response to this, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will continue to consider the scope and methods of making childbirth free of charge.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani's nine-game hitting streak comes to an end as the team also suffers a major defeat
2025-05-14 14:52:00
In Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers played against the Athletics and got on base with a walk, but did not get a hit, ending his consecutive game hit streak at nine, and his team suffered a major defeat.
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[Live broadcast scheduled from 2:30pm] Press conference by Chairman Kobayashi of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2025-05-14 14:14:00
A press conference by Ken Kobayashi, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The press conference will be streamed live.
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Political funding issue: Former Policy Research Council Chairman Shimomura intends to accept if bid approved
2025-05-14 13:49:00
Regarding the faction's political funding issue, the opposition parties are calling for former Policy Research Council Chairman Shimomura, a former senior member of the LDP's former Abe faction, to be summoned as an expert witness to the House of Representatives Budget Committee. He has indicated his intention to comply if the request is approved.
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Woman in her 70s injured after coming into contact with a Japanese serow's horns in a residential area in Yamagata and captured
2025-05-14 13:49:00
In the early morning of the 14th, a woman in her 70s was injured in the leg by the antlers of an approaching serow in a residential area of Higashine City, Yamagata Prefecture. The serow was then captured and released into the mountains.
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Emperor's traditional rice planting in the Imperial Palace
2025-05-14 13:03:00
On the 14th, His Majesty the Emperor participated in the traditional rice planting ceremony in the paddy fields within the Imperial Palace.
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US and China cut each other's additional tariffs by 115%
2025-05-14 13:01:00
Following an agreement reached at trade talks held in Switzerland, the United States and China reduced the additional tariffs they had imposed on each other by 115% at around 1pm on the 14th (Japan time). As a result, the additional tariffs imposed by the United States on China were reduced from 145% to 30%, and the additional tariffs imposed by China on the United States were reduced from 125% to 10%. Of the reduced tariffs, 24% were not abolished but suspended for 90 days, and the two countries will now proceed with negotiations aimed at reducing the trade deficit as requested by the United States.
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Five Uzbeks arrested for assaulting passersby in Shibuya and stealing their cash
2025-05-14 12:36:00
Five Uzbeks have been arrested on suspicion of assault and robbery for assaulting a passerby on the street in Shibuya, Tokyo, and stealing his cash. The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the possibility that the group may have committed other robberies and thefts in the busy areas of Shibuya and Shinjuku.
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Summer days expected from Tohoku to Kyushu, midsummer days expected in Fukushima Prefecture, be careful of heat stroke
2025-05-14 11:59:00
Temperatures are expected to rise nationwide on the 14th, with summer-like temperatures predicted from Tohoku to Kyushu, and some areas, such as Fukushima Prefecture, are expected to reach midsummer temperatures of over 30 degrees. Please be careful of heatstroke, as your body is not yet accustomed to the heat.
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Police confirm body found in road collapse in Yashio, Saitama, is 74-year-old truck driver
2025-05-14 11:56:00
On the 14th, police announced that a body found earlier this month in a sewer pipe at the site of a massive road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, has been identified as that of a 74-year-old truck driver living in Chiba Prefecture who had fallen into a hole created by the collapse with his car and gone missing.
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The House of Representatives Education Committee passed a bill to amend the "Special Salary Law" to raise teacher salaries
2025-05-14 11:32:00
The bill to amend the law to raise teacher salary surcharges was amended to include a target for reducing teachers' overtime work, and passed by a majority in the House of Representatives Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Committee. The bill is expected to be passed by a plenary session on the 15th and sent to the House of Councillors.
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Dodgers manager Roberts reveals that Roki Sasaki has a strain on his right arm
2025-05-14 10:38:00
Dodgers manager Roberts revealed on the 13th that pitcher Roki Sasaki had complained of tightness in his right arm after his last appearance, and indicated his intention to closely monitor his condition, saying, "We need to determine whether this is within the normal range for him or whether he needs to be careful."
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UN Security Council discusses aid delivery to Gaza Strip
2025-05-14 10:36:00
At a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, there were repeated calls for Israel to allow aid to enter the area, but Israel and the United States insisted that a new mechanism was needed to prevent aid from reaching the Islamic organization Hamas.
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Japan ranks 14th in child happiness rankings, up six places from last time, UNICEF says
2025-05-14 09:15:00
A report by UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, summarizing the well-being of children in developed countries and other regions has been released, showing that while Japan has the highest level of physical health for children, it has the lowest level of mental well-being, ranking it 14th out of 36 countries overall.
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April CGPI up 4.0% from same month last year, growth rate slows from previous month
2025-05-14 09:08:00
The Corporate Price Index, which shows the prices of goods traded between companies, rose 4.0% in April compared to the same month last year, down from 4.3% in March.
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Jose Mujica, 'world's poorest president', dies aged 89
2025-05-14 08:17:00
Jose Mujica, the former president of Uruguay, who was also called the "poorest president in the world" for his frugal lifestyle, passed away on the 13th. He was 89 years old.
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China to lift ban on receiving Boeing aircraft: US report
2025-05-14 08:03:00
Several US media outlets have reported that the Chinese government has lifted its suspension of deliveries of aircraft from the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which China had previously refused to accept due to the US-China trade friction. This move is believed to be in response to the agreement between the US and China on a significant reduction in additional tariffs.
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Active movement to increase the number of capsule toy specialty stores catering to adult demand
2025-05-14 07:51:00
Capsule toys are small toys that contain various small items. The market is expanding by capturing the demand of adults even as the birthrate declines, and there is a movement to increase the number of specialized stores.
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Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivor Gives Lecture in France: "France Should Act as a Bridge between Nuclear-Weapon Countries"
2025-05-14 07:34:00
Last year, Nobel Peace Prize winner and atomic bomb survivor, Soji Tanaka, representative director of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, gave a speech in France in which he expressed a sense of crisis that we do not know when nuclear weapons might be used.
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Cannes Film Festival kicks off with director Chie Hayakawa's "Renoir" nominated
2025-05-14 07:06:00
The Cannes Film Festival, one of the world's three major film festivals, has opened in France. Japanese director Chie Hayakawa's "Renoir" has been nominated in the competition section, which will compete for the Palme d'Or, the top prize, and attention is focused on the outcome of the award.
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Ruling party to consider supplementary budget plan for autumn; opposition criticizes, lively debate afoot
2025-05-14 06:18:00
In order to take economic measures in response to rising prices and other factors, the ruling party plans to consider formulating a supplementary budget bill in preparation for the extraordinary Diet session in the fall after the House of Councillors election. The opposition parties have criticized the government for being slow to act, and discussions on economic measures, including how to handle the consumption tax, are becoming lively with an eye on the election.
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Famous French actor found guilty of sexual assault, industry criticised
2025-05-14 06:05:00
On the 13th, a Paris court handed down a suspended sentence to French actor Gerard Depardieu, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a film set. The French film industry has been hit by a series of allegations of sexual assault by directors and actors, and criticism has been directed at the industry's nature.
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President Trump begins Middle East tour, meets with Saudi Arabia's crown prince
2025-05-14 06:00:00
During his Middle East tour, US President Donald Trump met with Crown Prince Mohammed in Saudi Arabia, the first country he visited, and announced that the US had secured $600 billion in spending and investments for the US, including $142 billion in US-made weapons.
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Zelensky: "Ceasefire negotiations must be held with Putin"
2025-05-14 05:37:00
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russian President Putin to meet in Turkey on the 15th of this month, and said, "A ceasefire negotiation must be conducted with Putin," emphasizing that he will not negotiate with anyone other than President Putin.
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Nissan plans to cut seven factories in Japan and overseas - will this lead to improved performance?
2025-05-14 05:23:00
Nissan Motor, which has fallen into a huge final deficit, plans to cut seven factories around the world in an effort to turn its business around, including domestic factories. It also plans to cut about 20,000 employees both in Japan and overseas, and the focus is on whether it can implement more drastic restructuring measures than before and use them to improve its performance.
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Tent found at scene of teenage girl's body; four suspects accused of kidnapping and "assisted suicide"
2025-05-14 04:47:00
In a case where the body of a teenage girl was found in a mountainous area of Yamagata Prefecture last September and a 36-year-old suspect was arrested for taking the girl in a car, it was learned from an investigation that a tent had been set up at the scene where the girl was found, and that the surrounding conditions suggest that she may have committed suicide. The suspect has previously been indicted on charges of aiding and abetting the suicides of four people he met on social media, and the police are currently investigating the case in detail.
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