Japan

[ad_1] WASHINGTON – When Finland wanted to join NATO to ward off Russian aggression, it knew it had a friend living in the White House and could count on U.S. President Joe Biden’s support. But to ensure that the U.S. Senate would ratify its membership bid, Finland’s government decided to also seek out the president living in Florida.And so Mikko Hautala, the Finnish ambassador to the United States at the […]

[ad_1] A day after Nihon Hidankyo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, members of the group on Saturday expressed surprise and gratitude over the award, but also noted the pressing need to pass down their efforts to the younger generation — especially as the taboo over the use of the weapons continues to erode.“I had to pinch my cheeks […]

[ad_1] Hiroshima/Nagasaki – People in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two Japanese cities devastated by U.S. atomic bombings in the closing days of World War II, reiterated their call for peace Saturday, a day after Nihon Hidankyo, a group of hibakusha atomic bomb survivors, was named this year's recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. A 63-year-old man who was visiting Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park praised the hibakusha group, saying, "I bow […]

[ad_1] A day after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a grassroots group of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors pushing for a nuclear weapons ban, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday reiterated his view that nuclear deterrence is needed in an increasingly fraught security environment.“I want to make sure that something like (the Hiroshima or Nagasaki bombings) never happens again,” Ishiba said in response to a question about nuclear abolition, […]

[ad_1] Marumori, Miyagi Pref. – A ceremony was held in Marumori, Miyagi Prefecture, on Saturday to remember victims of flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rain from Typhoon Hagibis five years ago. "We still have vivid memories even now, five years later," Kunio Hoshina, the mayor of Marumori, where 11 people died in the disaster, said in a speech at the ceremony that was attended by about 60 people, including […]

[ad_1] SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE – China's highly anticipated announcement of financial stimulus plans on Saturday was big on intent but low on the measurable details that investors need to ratify their recent return to the world's second-biggest stock market.Saturday's news conference by Finance Minister Lan Foan reiterated Beijing's broad plans to revive the ailing economy, with promises made on significant increases to government debt and support for consumers and the property sector.But […]

[ad_1] Convenience store operators Lawson and FamilyMart posted higher consolidated net profits for their fiscal first half ended in August, driven by strong sales of store-brand products, as consumers have been struggling with higher prices. Lawson reported record operating revenue and net profit for the first half as its customer number and per-customer revenue grew after the company beefed up its sales promotion and home delivery services. Lawson's operating revenue […]

[ad_1] Keiichi Ishii, new head of Komeito, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's ally, sees a maintaining at least a majority of seats in the Lower House as the make-or-break line for the ruling coalition in the upcoming general election.In a recent interview, Ishii offered the view that public criticism of the LDP's political funds scandal remains too severe to allow the ruling bloc to enjoy a big victory in the […]

[ad_1] Nihon Hidankyo, an atomic bomb survivors group based in Hiroshima and Nagasaki prefectures, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons — the first time in 50 years that a Japanese recipient has been awarded the prize.Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said it awarded the organization with the honor for demonstrating through witness testimony […]