Kyodo News Digest: June 24, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 20:06 | All, Japan, World
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Israel PM's office says it has agreed to cease-fire with Iran
WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Tuesday that it has agreed to a cease-fire with Iran, potentially pausing more than a week of aerial attack exchanges that have heightened fears of broader instability in the Middle East.
An Iranian diplomatic source also told Kyodo News that a cease-fire with Israel has been agreed. U.S. President Donald Trump previously announced the cease-fire on social media.
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Japan's upper house election formally set for July 20
TOKYO - Japan's Cabinet on Monday formalized a plan to hold a House of Councillors election on July 20, setting the stage for a key test of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government as the country grapples with inflation and the potential impact of higher U.S. tariffs.
The election must be held before July 28, the end date for the six-year terms of half of the current upper house members.
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Nissan forecasts net loss in April-June as shareholders grill management
YOKOHAMA - Nissan Motor Co. on Tuesday said it forecasts a net loss of 200 billion yen ($1.38 billion) for the April-June quarter and apologized for the worsening performance as it faced criticism from shareholders at their annual meeting.
New President and CEO Ivan Espinosa, who took over from Makoto Uchida in April, vowed to return the business to profitability by fiscal 2026 after apologizing for the poor outlook, encumbered by high auto tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Japan welcomes Trump's announcement on Israel-Iran cease-fire
TOKYO - Japan on Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of what he called a complete cease-fire between Israel and Iran, expressing "strong hope" that it will be firmly implemented.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan will continue to monitor how the situation unfolds in the Middle East with high interest and make "all diplomatic efforts possible" to ensure peace and stability there.
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U.S. Marine in Okinawa gets 7-yr term over alleged sexual assault
NAHA, Japan - A Japanese district court on Tuesday sentenced a U.S. Marine Corps member stationed in Okinawa Prefecture to seven years in prison over an alleged sexual assault case in May last year.
Jamel Clayton, 22, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of injuring a woman in her 20s while attempting to rape her, denying any sexual intention and the use of physical force against her.
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Whooping cough cases in Japan exceed 31,000, 8-fold rise from 2024
TOKYO - More than 31,000 people have caught whooping cough this year in Japan, a nearly eight-fold rise from last year that has already surpassed the annual record-high number logged in 2019, data by a national health research institute showed Tuesday.
The country's health authorities are calling on the public to be aware of the highly contagious bacterial infection that causes severe coughing spells that experts say are most dangerous in infants and could result in death in the age group.
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Japan ispace says Moon landing failure due to altimeter abnormality
TOKYO - Japanese startup ispace Inc. said Tuesday its latest failure to land a spacecraft on the Moon was due to an altimeter abnormality, while vowing to pursue another attempt in 2027.
The Tokyo-based company has been analyzing the cause of the apparent crash of its lunar lander, Resilience, in early June, which, if successful, would have made it the first private firm in Asia to achieve a Moon landing. Its first touchdown attempt in 2023 with a different spacecraft was also unsuccessful.
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Japan maps out support steps for key game, anime industries
TOKYO - The Japanese government said Tuesday that it is seeking to provide support for video game production costs and improve working conditions in the anime industry under a five-year plan to further boost the country's entertainment sector, a key source of exports.
The plan, announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, also includes anti-piracy measures such as stronger investigations and enforcement.
Video: 80th anniversary of end of Battle of Okinawa in WWII
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Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Iran-Israel ceasefire shaky as Trump warns against violations
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation at the White House on June 21, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. © Reuters RINTARO TOBITA and KEN MORIYASU WASHINGTON -- A ceasefire between Iran and Israel looked fragile hours after it took effect, as Israel's government accused Tehran of violating the deal and U.S. President Donald Trump blamed both sides. Before departing for a NATO summit in The Hague, Trump on Tuesday told reporters that he was not happy with Iran but was "really unhappy" with Israel, which had vowed to retaliate for an apparent post-ceasefire Iranian missile launch. "ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Later, he posted that Israel had agreed to stand down.
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Trump signals sanctions relief for China to buy Iran's oil
China buys most of Iran's roughly 1.5 million barrels of daily oil exports, providing Tehran with a key source of income. © Reuters WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Financial Times) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said China could purchase oil from Iran, in an apparent reversal of policy after his administration spent months imposing sanctions on Chinese refineries for buying Iranian crude. "China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran," Trump wrote on Truth Social as he flew to The Hague for the NATO summit.
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
FEATURE: Younger Japanese drawn to anti-immigrant populist Sanseito
By Takara Sato, KYODO NEWS - 19 hours ago - 08:00 | Feature, All, Japan "Long ago, rock was a symbol of the words, not guitars, as our weapons today, politics is what rocks!" That's the marketing message of Sanseito, a new right-wing populist party in Japan known for its stance against immigrants and coronavirus measures as well as calls for rewriting the postwar Constitution, often seen as taboo. Some supporters want to revive wartime slogans of the Japanese Empire. Sanseito, known in English as the Party of Do it Yourself, was established as the pandemic began in 2020 and quickly exploited the fears and frustrations of people in Japan. It picked up three seats in last October's lower house election. The party leader Sohei Kamiya, who won re-election in May, has set a target of six seats in voting for the upper house this summer. Amid growing discontent with economic malaise and record-breaking numbers of inbound tourists, Sanseito supporters complain that foreigners receive better treatment than Japanese and the country's culture is changing rapidly. A movement with roots in social media, supporters blend nationalism with a sense of crisis and frustration over their daily lives. At a party gathering in Hashimoto, Wakayama Prefecture in February, about 25 attendees split into groups to discuss rewriting the 1947 Constitution. One group suggested a new supreme law should state that "Japan belongs to the Japanese people, and foreign ownership of Japanese land is not permitted." "First, (foreigners) have to fulfill their obligations as human beings and then we can teach them their rights," said one woman. "That's right. Japan's a paradise for foreigners," chimed in another. Others said everyone living in Japan should follow its traditional culture and customs. One proposal called for a return to the spirit of "Hakko Ichiu" as a national ideal. The Japanese Empire's wartime slogan means "unify the eight corners of the world" and it was used to justify its domination of Asia. Many supporters of populist right-wing political parties claim Japan spends more money on foreigners' livelihoods while Japanese are struggling to make ends meet. An 18-year-old male university student from Nara Prefecture supports Sanseito because he's angry at the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The teen, who requested anonymity, was introduced to the party by his father around the time of the 2022 upper house election, when Kamiya won his first parliamentary seat. "Japanese people are struggling, but they are giving money away to foreign countries and giving excessive preferential treatment to foreigners," the teen said. He supports Sanseito's calls for tighter regulation of land acquisition by foreign capital and curbs on foreign workers. He was impressed by speeches by the firebrand Kamiya and others on YouTube. "I thought these people are really Japanese," he said. In January, the student helped hand out Sanseito leaflets in front of a venue for a Coming-of-Age ceremony in Yamatotakada, Nara Prefecture, western Japan. Young people smartly attired in their suits and kimono did not readily accept them, but the teen was satisfied nonetheless, remarking, "I'm glad that people know about the party now." Sanseito's early support, especially among younger Japanese, can be attributed in part to pandemic fatigue, specifically the obligation to wear masks. A 19-year-old woman who attends a vocational school in Wakayama Prefecture became a supporter because of the party's proposal for the "liberalization of mask wearing" in the 2022 House of Councillors election as official COVID-19 policy. Feeling masks were ineffective and uncomfortable, she began removing hers at school even though she was warned not to do so. The woman, who also requested anonymity, joined Sanseito's political activities with her mother. When Kamiya was elected for the first time, she said she felt his voice united voters across the country. Kamiya has been likened to a Japanese male idol because of his charismatic stage presence. "When I see Mr. Kamiya's speeches, it makes me cry. I'm a huge fan," the woman said. Her parents often say that Japan's history was changed by the U.S.-led Allied Occupation. "The Constitution was not written by the Japanese people," she said. "I want people to be taught the correct history." She also agrees with Sanseito policies on food safety and the importance of organic produce. Fast food is not part of her diet. "It's the additives," she said. "And the food is not from Japan. It's all imported. Because I'm Japanese, shouldn't I want to eat Japanese food? It's like local production for local consumption. Our food self-sufficiency rate is low."
