Kyodo News Digest: May 15, 2025

Kyodo News

15-05-2025

KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 20:03 | All, World, Japan
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Search continues for 2 missing crew of crashed Japan ASDF trainer jet
TOKYO - Japan's Self-Defense Forces on Thursday continued searching for the two missing crew members of an Air Self-Defense Force training jet that crashed into a large reservoir in central Japan the previous day.
The ASDF identified the two as Capt. Takuji Ioka, 31, and 1st Lt. Shota Amitani, 29. Amitani was sitting in the front seat, and Ioka was in the back, although it is unclear who was maneuvering the aircraft at the time as both seats have controllers, it said.
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Japan moves to ban Google, Apple from blocking app store competitors
TOKYO - Japan's antitrust watchdog Thursday unveiled draft guidelines for the law governing smartphone software services of U.S. tech giants Google LLC and Apple Inc., aiming to promote competition from smaller firms.
The law to go into full effect in December is the latest effort by the Japan Fair Trade Commission to stop the powerful companies from excluding smartphone app competitors from accessing their proprietary app stores. The commission hopes the change will address their dominance of the market.
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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.
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Japan weighs doubling stockpiled rice release to rein in price surge
TOKYO - The Japanese government is considering roughly doubling the supply of stockpiled rice to about 600,000 tons, as rice prices remain at near record highs amid a shortfall, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
The government is studying releasing 300,000 tons of reserve rice over three months through July, in addition to 321,000 tons auctioned in three tranches between March and April.
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Families of N. Korea abductees ask new U.S. envoy for support
TOKYO - The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago met with new U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass in Tokyo on Thursday to seek help in resolving the issue, according to a younger brother of one of the most well-known abduction victims.
"We asked for his assistance toward the resolution of a problem that is running out of time," Takuya Yokota, the 56-year-old brother of Megumi Yokota, told reporters after the closed-door meeting, adding he felt Glass took their suffering "seriously."
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Sumo: Hoshoryu snaps losing streak, Onosato stays unbeaten on Day 5
TOKYO - Lone yokozuna Hoshoryu took care of business against No. 2 maegashira Gonoyama to snap a two-bout losing streak Thursday at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Ozeki Onosato stayed on top the leaderboard alongside sekiwake Daieisho and two rank-and-file wrestlers after improving to a perfect 5-0 on Day 5 at Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo.
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Baseball: Ohtani hits home run, Yamamoto gets win as Dodgers down A's
LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his 13th home run and Yoshinobu Yamamoto notched his fifth win of the season Wednesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 9-3 comeback victory over the Athletics.
Ohtani broke the ice with a towering shot to right field off a 1-1 pitch from starter Gunnar Hoglund (1-1) in the bottom of the first at Dodger Stadium.
Video: Lilac flowers in Hokkaido