Koizumi Announces Suspension of Discretionary Contracts for Rice Reserves

TOKYO, May 28 (News On Japan) - The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has temporarily halted new applications for discretionary contracts to purchase rice from government reserves, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on May 27th. The decision comes after applications for 2022-harvest rice reached the quota limit of 200,000 tons.

Koizumi said that sales will resume on May 30th, but only for rice harvested in 2021. The new round of contracts will be limited to small-scale supermarkets and neighborhood rice retailers.

Retail prices are expected to fall to around 1,800 yen for 5 kilograms under this revised distribution plan.

Source: TBS

Tokyo Quake Scenario Projects Up to 18,000 Deaths

The Japanese government is preparing to release a new damage projection for a major earthquake striking directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area by the end of the year, and interviews with officials familiar with the assessment indicate that in the worst-case scenario the death toll could reach 18,000, while economic losses are estimated at 83 trillion yen.

Toyota Launches First New Supercar in 17 Years

Toyota unveiled its new GR GT supercar on December 5th at Woven City, the next-generation technology testbed located in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, marking the model’s world debut as the automaker targets a release around 2027, positioning the vehicle as the pinnacle of its GR sports-car lineup and its first true supercar since the Lexus LFA launched in 2010.

Eel Regulation Dropped After Japan Opposition

The proposal to strengthen regulations on international eel trade has been formally shelved, marking a result in line with the position pushed by Japan and several other countries.
EU member states and others had called for tighter controls on all eel transactions under the Washington Convention, citing global resource depletion and the need for stronger international oversight. However, Japan countered that the Japanese eel faces no imminent risk of extinction and opposed the measure.

Tsukiji Outer Market Urges Tourists to Stay Away in December

Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market has taken the unusual step of asking tourists not to visit in December as operators move to prevent crowd-related accidents during the busy year-end shopping season, with local officials also confirming that Shibuya’s New Year’s Eve countdown will be canceled for the sixth consecutive year.

Abe Akie Makes First Court Appearance

Abe Akie appeared at the Nara District Court on December 3rd for the lay judge trial of the shooting that killed former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, marking the first time she has attended proceedings in person. Akie arrived in the courtroom shortly after 1 p.m. wearing a navy jacket and bowed toward the gallery as she entered, while the court continued a scheduled witness examination of Sakurai Yoshihide, a religious scholar and specially appointed professor at Hokkaido University.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Politics NEWS

Abe Akie Makes First Court Appearance

LDP and Ishin Agree on 10 Percent Cut to Lower House Seats

The Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin have agreed on a framework to ensure the effectiveness of legislation aimed at reducing the number of seats in the House of Representatives, deciding that if no conclusion is reached within one year, roughly 10 percent of seats across both single-member districts and proportional representation blocs will be cut.

Komeito Leader Presents New Vision Focused on Centrist Reform

Komeito leader Saito told senior members of the party’s regional organizations that, following the party’s departure from its coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party, he intends to establish a new party vision centered on centrist reform by the time of the party convention next autumn, saying in the meeting that he is determined to raise the banner of centrist reform high within Japanese politics and open up a new horizon by serving as a unifying axis across the ruling and opposition blocs.

How the Japanese Right Wing Became Mainstream in Japanese Society

"For many years, criticizing politicians for being 'soft on China' has been an effective tactic.

Chinese Embassy Again Urges People to Refrain From Traveling to Japan

The Chinese Embassy in Japan reiterated its call for citizens to refrain from traveling to the country after issuing a renewed advisory on November 26th, warning on social media that those already in Japan should take extra precautions to stay safe as embassy officials report a rise in requests for assistance from Chinese nationals who say they have faced discrimination since July.

Beijing Media Attacks Japan's Approach to Dialogue

China’s Communist Party–affiliated media has sharply criticized Prime Minister Takai’s stated willingness to continue dialogue with Beijing, calling the approach “hypocritical and meaningless.”

From “Existential Crisis” to Nuclear Ambitions: What Is Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Trying to Do?

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sparked uproar after declaring in parliament that a conflict in the Taiwan Strait could qualify as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan—language that would allow Tokyo to exercise collective self-defense, including potential military action.

Japan–China Tensions Deepen as Cancellations Surge

Tensions between Japan and China have escalated rapidly following remarks by Prime Minister Takaichi in the Diet regarding a potential contingency involving Taiwan, prompting Beijing to introduce a series of countermeasures including a call for citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, with the impact already spreading across the Kansai region’s economy.

< 2 3 4 5 >