Kyodo News Digest: June 5, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 23:00 | Japan, World, All
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan convenience store chains start selling gov't stockpiled rice
TOKYO - Two major convenience store chains in Japan began selling government-released stockpiled rice at select stores in Tokyo and Osaka on Thursday, joining major supermarkets and e-commerce platforms in a move to increase availability of the staple food for consumers struggling with soaring rice prices.
The outlets of Family Mart Co. and Lawson Inc. will sell the rice from the 2021 harvest in small portions to make it affordable for people, including those living alone.
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Japan, EU to begin negotiations for security info-sharing pact
BRUSSELS/PARIS - Japan and the European Union plan to begin negotiations to conclude an accord to facilitate exchanges of classified security information, an EU source said Thursday, amid China's military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The move, along with a plan to launch a dialogue framework to promote defense industry cooperation, is expected to be announced at a regular Japan-EU summit being arranged for July in the Asian country, the source said.
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Imperial family marks WWII evacuation ship tragedy in Okinawa
NAHA, Japan - Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko paid their respects Thursday in Okinawa to victims of a Japanese evacuation ship that was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine during World War II.
On the final day of their two-day trip to the prefecture on the 80th year of the end of the war, the imperial family offered flowers and bowed deeply at a memorial in Naha for the Tsushima Maru incident, in which around 1,500 people, including hundreds of schoolchildren, were killed.
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Chinese suspect had money trouble with 2 Japanese slain in Dalian
DALIAN, China - A Chinese man detained in late May on suspicion of murdering two Japanese nationals in Dalian, northeastern China, was involved in a financial dispute with the victims, who were his business partners, a source familiar with Sino-Japanese relations said Thursday.
Hong Kong's Sing Tao daily reported the suspect Yuan Chenggong believed he had been deceived by the two Japanese men over the purchase of a hot spring hotel near Mt. Fuji, citing information posted on China's WeChat platform by a mainland Chinese journalist.
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Japan crime group leader in Philippines arrested over theft
MANILA - The leader of a Japanese crime syndicate who is based in the Philippines and wanted in Japan for theft has been arrested, immigration authorities said Thursday.
The "JP Dragon" gangster syndicate, led by Ryuji Yoshioka, 55, and operating from bases in Asia, is believed to have been involved in a string of fraud cases and thefts in Japan.
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Fuji Media to take legal action against 2 ex-execs over scandal
TOKYO - Fuji Media Holdings Inc. said Thursday it will pursue legal action against two former top officials of its television network subsidiary over a sexual misconduct scandal involving popular TV host Masahiro Nakai and a former female employee.
The decision to pursue litigation against former Fuji Television Network Inc. President Koichi Minato and former Managing Director Toru Ota follows a third-party panel report that found the female announcer was subjected to sexual violence by Nakai in June 2023 "as an extension of her job."
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Gov't to revoke Japan Post license for lax driver alcohol tests
TOKYO - The government on Thursday notified Japan Post Co. of its plan to revoke the company's license to operate some 2,500 of its freight delivery vans and trucks after many post offices failed to properly check if drivers had consumed alcohol.
License revocation is the most serious administrative penalty available to authorities under the motor truck transportation business law. It is rare for a major operator to face such a severe punishment and it means Japan Post will not be able to reacquire the license for five years.
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World Expo water shows halted after detection of legionella bacteria
OSAKA - Water shows at the World Exposition in Osaka have been suspended through Friday after high levels of legionella bacteria were detected in seawater at the venue.
Expo organizers said at a press conference on Thursday that the level of legionella detected in water from the Water Plaza in a test on Wednesday was 20 times higher than the allowable limit under their guideline, prompting them to cancel shows from Wednesday.
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2 hours ago
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Japan, EU eye launch of 'competitive alliance' scheme to boost trade
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