Kyodo News Digest: May 15, 2025
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Defense force trainer jet with 2 crew crashes in central Japan lake
TOKYO - An Air Self-Defense Force training jet with two personnel aboard crashed into a large reservoir shortly after takeoff from a base near Nagoya, central Japan, the government said Wednesday.
The ASDF said it is working to confirm the situation involving the T-4 jet, which disappeared from radar two minutes after departing Komaki Air Base, also in Aichi Prefecture, around 3:06 p.m. en route to a base in southwestern Japan.
----------
Japan inspects U.S. Tokyo base over suspected PFAS chemical leak
TOKYO - The Japanese government on Wednesday conducted a second on-site inspection of the U.S. Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo over a possible leak of so-called PFAS chemicals, which may pose risks to human health.
A similar action was carried out in December amid growing public concern after the United States reported a possible leakage of water containing PFAS from the firefighting training area following heavy rainfall in late August.
----------
Japan set to fully cover childbirth costs possibly from April 2026
TOKYO - Japan's health ministry is set to eliminate out-of-pocket payments associated with child delivery, possibly from April next year, to address the country's declining birthrate.
One proposed approach in the policy approved Wednesday by a panel of experts involves fully covering expenses for normal deliveries under the public medical insurance system.
----------
North Korean hacker group conducting cyberattacks via Russia: report
TOKYO - Some cyberattacks by a North Korea-linked hacker group targeting IT professionals worldwide were carried out from or via Russia's Far East, according to a recent report by a major internet security firm.
The group's use of Russia's more developed internet infrastructure comes amid growing ties between the two countries following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Trend Micro Inc. noted.
----------
U.S., China slash most new tariffs following high-level talks
WASHINGTON - The United States and China on Wednesday slashed most of their recent new tariffs on each other's imports and suspended part of the so-called reciprocal duties for 90 days, in line with a deal struck during high-level trade talks over the weekend in Switzerland.
Because of what U.S. President Donald Trump called a "total reset" with China, his administration cut the tariffs it had imposed on the Asian economy under his second presidency to 30 percent from 145 percent. China, meanwhile, reduced its retaliatory tariffs on the United States to 10 percent from 125 percent.
----------
Japan sets 5-year goal of 1% annual real wage growth via investment
TOKYO - The government on Wednesday set a five-year goal of achieving annual inflation-adjusted wage growth of 1 percent across Japan through 60 trillion yen ($408 billion) in public-private investment aimed at improving productivity.
The plan mapped out by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for a large share of Japan's workforce, and comes as many consumers struggle with sharp price hikes that have outpaced pay increases.
----------
Sony expects net profit to fall 13% in FY 2025 on U.S. tariff impact
TOKYO - Sony Group Corp. said Wednesday that its net profit in the year through next March is expected to fall 12.9 percent, hit by higher U.S. tariffs, after posting a record 1.14 trillion yen ($7.8 billion) for fiscal 2024 on the back of growth in its game and music segments.
In the current fiscal year, net profit is projected to decline to 930 billion yen, with operating profit forecast to edge up 0.3 percent to 1.28 trillion yen, after factoring in a 100 billion yen hit attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
----------
Bag with inflammable tube falls from U.S. forces chopper in Okinawa
NAHA, Japan - A bag containing an inflammable signal flame tube fell from a U.S. military helicopter over the Motobu peninsula in northern Okinawa Prefecture in Japan on Tuesday, the local Defense Ministry bureau said.
In Tokyo, Japan's top government spokesman said Wednesday that no damage has been reported following the incident.
Video: Lilac flowers in Hokkaido
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
18 minutes ago
- NHK
White House to review Smithsonian museums
The White House says it will lead a review of Smithsonian museums and exhibitions in line with US President Donald Trump's executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." The White House on Tuesday released a letter it sent to the Smithsonian Institution. It said the review comes as the administration prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country's founding next year. The review will initially focus on eight facilities in Washington DC and other places. These include the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Air and Space Museum. The White House said exhibition text, digital and social media content and other materials will be reviewed to assess historical framing and alignment with American ideals. It said the initiative is intended to support the president's directive to remove divisive or partisan narratives. It also said the museums should begin implementing content corrections where necessary within 120 days. PEN America, a nonprofit organization advocating freedom of expression, said it was alarmed over the move. It criticized the action as "a deeply concerning effort to strip truth from the institutions that tell our national story." It also said, "The ideas and presentation of history cannot be subject to the whims of a single leader or administration."
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Xenophobic column raises question over Japan publisher's human rights awareness
Japanese publisher Shinchosha released a column written by journalist Masayuki Takayama in the July 31 issue of its weekly magazine "Shukan Shincho." It was a xenophobic piece targeting individuals of foreign descent with differing opinions from his, and it raises questions about the human rights awareness of the major publishing house. Takayama named figures with foreign roots, including an author, researcher and actor, attacking them by saying, "It's your choice if you dislike Japan or the Japanese, but at least don't use Japanese names." The column's title "Soshi-kaimei 2.0" references a policy that forced people in the colonial Korean Peninsula to adopt Japanese-style names. Such rhetoric denies diversity and could lead to the exclusion of foreigners. Names are part of an individual's identity, and demanding their change is unacceptable. "What does it mean for a publisher, supposed to be a part of global literature, to propagate racism?" said writer Ushio Fukazawa, whose name was mentioned by Takayama in the column, recently at a press conference demanding an apology from Shinchosha. Fukazawa, who has roots in the Korean Peninsula, has depicted the struggles faced by Korean residents of Japan. The Japan P.E.N. Club has issued an urgent statement, saying, "We express our concern over the prevalence of exclusionist discourse." Other writers have also voiced protest. Following the press conference, Shinchosha posted an apology on its website to Fukazawa, acknowledging that the column "emotionally hurt the writer and caused significant psychological pain." It also promised to "inform (the columnist) about changes in public opinion and societal demands." However, in his latest column, Takayama did not address this issue at all. In 2018, Shinchosha published a contribution that disregarded human rights. Mio Sugita, then a Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives, claimed in the monthly magazine "Shincho 45" that sexual minority couples are "unproductive." This became a social issue, leading to the magazine's suspension. Publishers have a fundamental responsibility to contribute to a better society. Yet, Shinchosha has repeatedly allowed disregard for human rights. An in-depth examination of the underlying causes is necessary. Society is built by people from various origins and cultural backgrounds. If arguments that reject differing opinions based on one's background are accepted, it could threaten individuals' rights and lead to societal stagnation.
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
SDF Held Training Near Senkakus while Chinese Carriers were Deployed in Pacific; Exercise was Intended to Demonstrate Japan Could Counter China's Navy
The Self-Defense Forces conducted attack training against aircraft carriers in June in the waters near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, at around the same time as two Chinese Navy carriers were deployed to the Pacific Ocean, it has been learned. The exercises were meant to demonstrate that Japan is prepared to counter the Chinese Navy, which is exerting increasing military pressure in the waters near Japan and Taiwan, according to several government sources. The June training was conducted in the waters north of the Senkakus and included the participation of multiple F-2 fighter jets from the Air Self-Defense Force. The area had been passed through by the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning in late May, and the sources report that the ship's path took it through Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These waters are apparently not a standard location for SDF training. During the exercises, the SDF checked procedures for attacking aircraft carriers using air-to-ship missiles mounted on the F-2s, the sources said. While F-2s possess high anti-ship attack capabilities, they have limited capacity for stealth. Deploying these jets instead of the most cutting-edge models shows that the exercises were apparently meant to be visible to China. 'Given when and where it was conducted and what it involved, this training was clearly intended to make sure China gets the message that it was conducted as a countermeasure [against them],' a government source said. The Liaoning traveled southward through the waters near the Senkakus in late May to reach the Pacific Ocean. In early June, it reached Japan's EEZ off Minami-Torishima Island. Around that time, the other carrier, the Shandong, traveled eastward in waters south of Taiwan to reach the Pacific, sailing within the Japanese EEZ off Okinotorishima Island. Japanese government analysis concluded that the two Chinese aircraft carriers were conducting exercises in which one of them played the role of a U.S. counterpart. It is believed that these exercises were intended to enhance the Chinese military's ability to intercept any U.S. carrier that might be deployed to intervene in the event of a contingency around Taiwan or a military invasion of the Senkakus by China. The Chinese military is trying to establish a so-called anti-access/area denial strategy, which would be aimed at obstructing U.S. forces launched from their bases in Hawaii and Guam from approaching Taiwan in a bid to help the island. It was the first time two Chinese Navy aircraft carriers have been deployed in the Pacific Ocean at the same time. During the approximately one-month period beginning in late May when the Liaoning and Shandong were deployed in the area, fighter jets and helicopters based on the two vessels conducted a total of about 1,120 takeoffs and landings. China has been escalating its military provocations, such as on June 7 and 8 when a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to an MSDF P-3C patrol aircraft after taking off from the Shandong while sailing in the Pacific Ocean, according to the Defense Ministry.
