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Myanmar releases ex-UK envoy, Aussie economist, Japan filmmaker

Nov 17, 2022 (Nikkei) - Myanmar's military regime has released former U.K. Ambassador Vicky Bowman, an Australian economist and Aung San Suu Kyi aide Sean Turnell, and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota from prison as it attempts to mitigate a growing backlash against the generals.

Nikkei Asia confirmed that the three, along with a U.S. national Kyaw Htay Oo, have been released and were with diplomats from their countries at Yangon International Airport. The four foreigners are among nearly 6,000 prisoners who have been released, according to the military-backed State Administration Council (SAC), the official name of the regime's governing body. Htein Lin, Bowman's husband and a Burmese artist, is also among the released. ...continue reading

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Japan's tourism industry is undergoing a major shift one year after China urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, with Chinese visitor numbers falling sharply and businesses in Osaka struggling to recover lost revenue, while Kyoto has successfully attracted more Western tourists through a strategy aimed at reducing its dependence on the Chinese market.

The number of people taken to hospital after being injured by deer in and around Nara Park has reached a record high in 2026, with foreign tourists accounting for more than 70% of cases, prompting warnings about the dangers of approaching the wild animals during their autumn mating season.

A shrine in Gunma Prefecture has used a high-pressure cleaning drone to wash Japan's largest statue of Daikoku, cutting a maintenance job that previously took two to three weeks to just one day while reducing costs to around one-tenth of the conventional method.

The resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on November 12 following allegations involving a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence has raised concerns in Japan over the potential impact on semiconductor investment, financial markets and the yen, as uncertainty surrounding the American AI chipmaker threatens to disrupt the global technology industry.

Japan launched a new national disaster management agency on November 2nd to strengthen its response to major emergencies, just days before a powerful earthquake struck Aichi Prefecture, injuring 24 people and renewing concerns over the possibility of a catastrophic Nankai Trough earthquake.

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The Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper identified its correspondent detained in Russia on espionage allegations as Yuki Imai on November 12, one month after his arrest by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), with no indication of when he might be released.

Russia's Foreign Ministry on November 11 defended the government's unilateral decision to place the local subsidiary of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the management of a Russian company, describing the move as a countermeasure against what it called Japan's "blatantly hostile actions."

The Japanese government is considering formally allowing exceptions to its longstanding ban on bringing nuclear weapons into the country during national emergencies, as part of revisions to its three key national security documents scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

The mayor of Awa City in Tokushima Prefecture and two other people have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding the municipal government of 3.5 million yen by inflating the cost of a city contract to cover vehicle repair expenses arising from an accident caused by the mayor, prompting police to search city hall on November 10th.

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party reprimanded former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and three other lawmakers on November 9th for leaving the House of Representatives before a vote on legislation to reduce the consumption tax on food, as party leaders sought to prevent further defections that could jeopardize the bill's passage through the upper house.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree placing the Russian operations of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the temporary management of a local company, effectively stripping the Japanese tobacco giant of control over its business in the country and prompting a formal protest from Tokyo demanding that the measure be immediately withdrawn.

The Japanese government approved the allocation of 10 billion yen from its fiscal 2026 general account reserve funds on November 6 to strengthen cybersecurity measures, including inspections of vulnerabilities in government computer systems and upgrades to security equipment.

A government bill to reduce Japan's consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years starting in April 2027 was approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Affairs on November 6, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party securing a majority in favor of the legislation.