logo
Japan, China Agree on Procedures to Resume Seafood Exports to China; Fukushima, Ibaraki, 8 Other Prefs Not Included in Agreement

Japan, China Agree on Procedures to Resume Seafood Exports to China; Fukushima, Ibaraki, 8 Other Prefs Not Included in Agreement

Yomiuri Shimbun4 days ago

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, and agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi attend a meeting to expand exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products on Friday.
Tokyo and Beijing have agreed on procedures to resume exports of Japanese seafood products to China, the Japanese government announced Friday.
The resumption of exports will apply to marine products from 37 prefectures. However, Fukushima, Ibaraki and 8 other prefectures are not included. Exports are expected to resume in a few months.
Following the start of treated water being released into the ocean from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in August 2023, the Chinese government imposed a complete ban on the import of Japanese seafood products.
'Marine products are important export items for our country,' said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a press conference on the day. 'This is a major milestone.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kyodo News Digest: June 3, 2025
Kyodo News Digest: June 3, 2025

Kyodo News

timean hour ago

  • Kyodo News

Kyodo News Digest: June 3, 2025

KYODO NEWS - 5 minutes ago - 09:24 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan PM may seek snap election if no-confidence submitted TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap general election if the main opposition party submits a no-confidence motion, a source close to the government leadership said Monday. Ishiba, whose coalition holds a minority in the lower house, could take the move before any no-confidence motion is put to a vote in the chamber, the source said. If such a motion is submitted and approved, the prime minister must dissolve the lower house or the Cabinet must resign en masse within 10 days. ---------- Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dead at 89: Yomiuri newspaper TOKYO - Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, who rose to stardom for his on-field exploits during the country's era of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, died Tuesday, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said. He was 89. Nagashima, who was a key player of the Yomiuri Giants team that achieved nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973 and later managed the club, was a charismatic figure whose popularity transcended sports. ---------- White House says Trump "likely" to speak with China's Xi this week WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump is "likely" to speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, the White House said Monday, amid renewed trade tensions between the two countries. The prospect for such talks, mentioned to reporters by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, comes after China hit back at the United States over alleged violations of a temporary bilateral trade agreement reached in mid-May in Geneva. ---------- South Koreans begin voting in presidential election SEOUL - South Koreans began voting Tuesday in a presidential election to choose a successor to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose imposition of martial law deeply divided the nation and sent shockwaves across the country. More than 14,000 polling stations opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Of over 44 million eligible voters, about 34.7 percent have already cast ballots during early voting on Thursday and Friday. ---------- Japan crafts basic plan to support "employment ice age" generation TOKYO - The government on Tuesday mapped out a basic framework to support people in their 40s to 50s who fell victim to Japan's "employment ice age," with a focus on easing retirement anxieties. One key element is to provide "safety net public housing," operated in a way that prevents aging people from being denied a home. ---------- Japan's departure tax revenue hits record high in FY 2024 TOKYO - Japan's revenue from a departure tax collected from travelers in fiscal 2024 hit a record high amid an influx in the number of visitors, the Finance Ministry said Monday. Although revenue from the tax for the full fiscal year, which runs from April to March, has yet to be calculated with final receipts gathered by the end of May, the total has already reached 48.1 billion yen ($34 billion), eclipsing the previous record of 44.3 billion yen in fiscal 2019, it said. The full total will be announced later. ---------- U.N. official looks to Japan as leader in disaster resilience efforts GENEVA - The focus of work related to natural disaster recovery must shift from rapid rebuilding to long-term resilience and inclusivity, and Japan can play a leading role in such efforts, according to the chief of the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. "We must stop building back fast with big promises and start building back better and more resilient," said Kamal Kishore, special representative of the U.N. secretary general for disaster risk reduction, in a recent interview with Kyodo News. ---------- Japanese footballer in Australia arrested in betting scandal SYDNEY - A Japanese footballer playing on an Australian A-League team has been arrested for alleged involvement in a betting scandal, Australian authorities said. Riku Danzaki, 25, a midfielder for Melbourne-based A-League club Western United, is suspected of deliberately receiving yellow cards during matches to manipulate betting outcomes, local media said. Video: Dance troupe from West Bank performs at Osaka Expo's Palestine day

Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89: Yomiuri newspaper
Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89: Yomiuri newspaper

The Mainichi

time2 hours ago

  • The Mainichi

Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89: Yomiuri newspaper

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, who rose to stardom for his on-field exploits during the country's era of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, died Tuesday, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said. He was 89. Nagashima, who was a key player of the Yomiuri Giants team that achieved nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973 and later managed the club, was a charismatic figure whose popularity transcended sports. Together with teammate Sadaharu Oh, or "O-N" as the pair were nicknamed, Nagashima became a household name at a time when the country's economy was booming and is fondly remembered by many middle-aged and older Japanese with nostalgia for those times.

Tokyo metro election key test for PM Ishiba's long-term prospects
Tokyo metro election key test for PM Ishiba's long-term prospects

The Mainichi

time4 hours ago

  • The Mainichi

Tokyo metro election key test for PM Ishiba's long-term prospects

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- With the House of Councillors election looming this summer, a local assembly race in Tokyo on June 22 will likely give a gauge on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future prospects, as it has long served as a bellwether for national politics. The outcome of the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election could even force Ishiba to step down, as his popularity has waned due to questions about his attempts to boost economic sentiment, including his moves to curb soaring rice prices. The assembly election in Japan's capital has often influenced Japan's political landscape, triggering the dissolution of the powerful House of Representatives or even prompting a change in prime minister. An upper house member within the Liberal Democratic Party said Ishiba has "no policies that resonate with voters," adding that he "should be removed as the frontman for the upcoming national election" to prevent the LDP from suffering a crushing blow. Ishiba has sought to stem the negative impact of sharp price increases and U.S. President Donald Trump's higher tariffs, but his proposals have been criticized even within the ruling camp as election-focused pork-barrel spending, compelling him to back off. Ishiba's government has also pursued unorthodox policies aimed at lowering rice prices, with farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi taking the lead after his predecessor resigned in May over a gaffe involving gifts from supporters. But analysts remain skeptical about whether the efforts of the popular and media-friendly Koizumi will succeed in suppressing rice prices over the longer term, saying he is also unlikely to retain the spotlight until the upper house election. Another LDP lawmaker, who has kept his distance from the leader, said Ishiba has reached a "dead end," as approval ratings for his Cabinet have sunk to their lowest levels since he took office last October -- sometimes dipping below the "danger level" of 30 percent. Unless he achieves "surprisingly positive results" in tariff negotiations with the United States, his political fortunes "will not improve," the lawmaker said, adding, "Right now, all Ishiba can do is humble himself before Trump." Over the decades, the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election has taken on a wider significance, occasionally serving as a forum for voters in the nation's largest metropolis to express their opinions on national priorities, including leadership choices and economic direction. The assembly election has "long been a harbinger of seismic change in Japanese politics," said Tatsuhiko Yoshizaki, chief economist at the Sojitz Research Institute, who has observed domestic political developments through close ties with important lawmakers. As the most prominent example, the LDP's setback in the Tokyo assembly contest in 2009 undermined then Prime Minister Taro Aso's authority, marking a clear prelude to the following month's historic general election loss that ousted his party from power. In the 2017 Tokyo election, the party established by Gov. Yuriko Koike secured a decisive victory, while the LDP experienced heavy losses, accelerating political realignment that briefly altered the composition of the opposition bloc in the national parliament. The most recent case was the 2021 assembly election in which the ruling coalition failed to win a majority, eroding then Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's standing and ultimately dashing his hopes to seek reelection in the LDP's presidential race. All these Tokyo metropolitan elections were held when support for the central government had declined against a backdrop of scandals and poor policy handling, allowing new forces to rise, pundits said, adding that Ishiba seems set to face the same battle. Indeed, Shinji Ishimaru, who placed second in the 2024 Tokyo gubernatorial race using social media as a key cog in his campaigning machine, has set up a new regional political party ahead of the June assembly election. He is a former mayor of a city in Hiroshima Prefecture. Ryohei Yoshida, a senior economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research, said that if public backing for the Cabinet slides below that of the party, it would indicate the leader and his team have become a burden. Support for the LDP was around 30 percent in a Kyodo News survey in late May. "For lawmakers running in elections, the growing risk of losing their seats is certain to fuel momentum to replace the current prime minister as the face of the party," Yoshida warned.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store