Kyodo News Digest: May 7, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 5 hours ago - 09:21 | All, World, Japan
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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U.S., China to hold talks on weekend for de-escalation: Bessent
WASHINGTON - The United States and China will hold high-level talks this weekend in Switzerland to de-escalate trade tensions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday.
"My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about (a) big trade deal," Bessent told Fox News, referring to his upcoming meeting with China. "We've got to de-escalate before we can move forward."
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India strikes inside Pakistan after April terrorist attack in Kashmir
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD - India said Wednesday it has attacked "terrorist infrastructure sites" in Pakistan following a deadly incident that occurred on the Indian side of the disputed Kashmir region last month.
The strikes hit nine such locations in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting the roots of cross-border terror planning, the Indian Defense Ministry said.
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Germany elects Merz new chancellor in unprecedented second vote
BERLIN - Germany's parliament on Tuesday elected Friedrich Merz, a conservative from the ruling bloc, as new chancellor in an unprecedented second vote amid political chaos following the collapse of his predecessor Olaf Scholz's regime late last year.
Merz, a 69-year-old lawyer-turned-politician, formally took office after being nominated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, forming a new coalition involving the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union as well as the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
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JAXA to push recognizing Ryugu asteroid sample as int'l standard
TOKYO - Japan's space agency is hoping to make the samples collected by its Hayabusa2 space probe from an asteroid recognized as standard reference material for international research, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
A research team including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is considering the establishment of a new organization as soon as this summer that would specialize in analyzing and releasing the composition data, the sources said.
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BOJ to launch own survey on wage hikes: sources
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan plans to launch its own survey on wage hikes to obtain data of small and midsize companies without labor unions affiliated with Rengo, the country's largest trade union group, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
The BOJ will announce the new study, which will be part of its quarterly Tankan business sentiment survey, later this fiscal year and begin it in 2027 at the earliest, the sources told Kyodo News.
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Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year
TOKYO - The popular Japanese all-male idol group Arashi, which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020, announced Tuesday that it will disband after a tour next spring with all five members.
"The environment surrounding us has changed," as have each member's circumstances, the group said in a post on its official social media accounts and on an official fan website.
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Japan among popular destinations for China travelers despite warning
TOKYO - Japan was among popular destinations for Chinese travelers during the five-day Labor Day holiday through Monday, despite an earlier warning by the Chinese Embassy in the country about violent crimes and incidents of food poisoning.
Chinese online travel agency Trip.com Group Ltd. said Japan ranked alongside South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia as a major overseas travel destination for Chinese holidaymakers.
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Japan's former Emperor Akihito hospitalized for heart checkup
TOKYO - Japan's former Emperor Akihito was admitted to a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday for a medical examination after an earlier checkup found signs of myocardial ischemia, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The 91-year-old will undergo a series of tests at University of Tokyo Hospital. He has not complained of any symptoms of myocardial ischemia, which reduces blood flow to heart muscles, according to the agency.
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Princess Kako wishes for lasting ties with Brazil on 130th anniv.
KYODO NEWS - 6 minutes ago - 17:37 | All, World, Japan Japanese Princess Kako expressed hope that Japan's friendly ties with Brazil will "continue for many years to come" during a speech before its congress Wednesday, as the two countries mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations. "It is truly delightful to celebrate together and reflect on the relationship between our two countries, which is rooted in a long history," said the niece of Emperor Naruhito at the ceremony in Brasilia, which also commemorated the arrival of Japanese immigrants in Brazil more than a century ago. "I feel appreciation for the friendly relationship built by many people, including those who moved from Japan to Brazil and their descendants," said the princess in kimono, thanking Brazilian society for accepting Japanese immigrants. Brazil is home to the largest community of Japanese immigrants, with about 2.7 million people living there. The first group of Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in June 1908 under a government policy at the time to encourage emigration in the wake of an economic downturn and a growing population. But many died due to the harsh living conditions and exposure to malaria. The 30-year-old younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko attended a luncheon hosted by the Brazilian government after the ceremony and offered a toast in Portuguese. In the afternoon, she paid a courtesy call on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and conveyed a message from the emperor and Empress Masako that said they wished for the continuous development of the friendly relationship between the two countries. Princess Kako is scheduled to visit eight cities during her trip to Brazil, which began June 5, before returning to Japan on Tuesday. ==Kyodo
2 hours ago
Jera Finalizes 20-Year Deals to Procure LNG from U.S.
News from Japan Jun 12, 2025 17:15 (JST) Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)--Jera Co., Japan's largest power generation company, said Thursday that it has finalized 20-year deals to procure up to 5.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually from the United States. The total value of the deals with four U.S. LNG developers is estimated to reach 50 billion to 60 billion dollars. Through the long-term partnerships, the company aims to procure LNG at stable prices. The deals follow an agreement reached at a Japan-U.S. summit in February that Japan would increase its imports of U.S. LNG, and may be used as a bargaining chip by the Japanese government in its tariff negotiations with the United States. In an online press conference on the day, Jera Senior Managing Executive Officer Ryosuke Tsugaru noted that the company's decision to procure U.S. LNG was not influenced by requests from the Japanese or U.S. governments. The new LNG procurement will account for around 15 pct of Jera's annual handling volume of around 35 million tons, and will increase the proportion of U.S. LNG in its overall procurement to about 30 pct from around 10 pct. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
2 hours ago
Japan to Move Up Auctions for Imported Rice
News from Japan Jun 12, 2025 17:04 (JST) Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will hold the first round of annual auctions earlier than usual for rice imported under a minimum market access agreement as part of efforts to stabilize rice prices, agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Thursday. This year's first auction for rice as staple food will take place on June 27 instead of September as usual, Koizumi told reporters, adding that delivery would be possible in September. Japan imports up to 100,000 tons of rice as staple food under the minimum access agreement, which is sold through several batches of auctions. The June auction is expected to cover 30,000 tons, with additional auctions scheduled monthly, ahead of the usual timeline. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
