Kyodo News Digest: July 18, 2025
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Japan's core consumer prices in June rise 3.3% on year
TOKYO - Japan's core consumer prices in June rose 3.3 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Friday.
The increase in the nationwide consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food, followed a 3.7 percent increase in May. The inflation data has remained at or above the Bank of Japan's 2 percent target since April 2022.
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Trump diagnosed with chronic vein insufficiency after leg swelling
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after he noticed minor swelling in his lower legs, the White House said Thursday.
Disclosing the diagnosis at a press briefing, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump recently underwent an extensive examination and it was found to be a "benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70."
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Japan protests South Korean military drills near disputed islets
TOKYO - Japan's government said Thursday it lodged a strong protest with South Korea over military drills conducted in waters near remote islets in the Sea of Japan that are controlled by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo.
Masaaki Kanai, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, told the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo that the exercises were "totally unacceptable and extremely regrettable," the government said.
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Japan to fund visits by Japanese descendants in Philippines in August
MANILA - Second-generation descendants of Japanese nationals, who were left behind in the Philippines and have been stateless since World War II, will visit Japan next month, with the Japanese government paying for their trips, their support group said Thursday.
The decision to shoulder the costs of the visits of Jose Takei, 82, and Leonora Uehara, 85, comes after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba earlier this year expressed his willingness to do so.
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Japan temple's foreigner-only entrance fees spark debate, criticism
FUKUOKA - A temple in southwestern Japan is drawing controversy and criticism for its recent decision to charge admission only to foreign tourists, at a time when issues related to people from abroad are gaining attention in the national election.
Since May, Nanzoin in Fukuoka Prefecture, known for its 41-meter-long reclining Buddha statue, has been charging foreign visitors 300 yen ($2) to enter, saying the funds are needed to address nuisance behavior.
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China's latest nuclear report omits radioactive material release data
BEIJING - China's latest report on its atomic power industry omitted data on radioactive materials released from domestic nuclear plants, in what may be an effort to avoid figures that could undercut Beijing's opposition to the Fukushima Daiichi wastewater discharge.
The move followed reports by overseas media last year that Chinese nuclear power plants in 2022 released wastewater containing tritium at levels up to nine times higher than the annual discharge limit set for the substance at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear complex.
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"Demon Slayer" manga series tops 200 million copies sold worldwide
TOKYO - Popular Japanese manga "Demon Slayer" has sold over 200 million copies across all 23 volumes worldwide, its publisher said Thursday, a feat achieved by only a handful of titles under its wing.
The number of copies in global circulation of the hit series by Koyoharu Gotoge has hit 220 million, including digital editions, according to Shueisha Inc.
Video: Parade of "yamahoko" floats at Gion Festival in Kyoto
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