Kyodo News Digest: June 11, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 12 minutes ago - 09:06 | All, World, Japan
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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G7 leaders may skip joint declaration, 1st since 2014: Japan source
TOKYO - The Group of Seven nations are likely to skip a joint statement at the end of an upcoming three-day summit in Canada, a Japanese government source said Tuesday, which would mark the first time since 2014 for the meeting to conclude without a consensus document.
The move is apparently aimed at veiling internal divisions in the G7, known for its unity in tackling global challenges, as the leaders gather for their first in-person meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January.
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Toyota proposes selling U.S. cars in Japan to promote tariff talks
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. has proposed to the government that it sell U.S.-made cars in Japan through its domestic dealership network, the company said in an online video.
The proposal is intended to support Japan's trade negotiations with the United States over President Donald Trump's tariffs. Observers said increased imports of U.S.-made cars could help narrow the large U.S. trade deficit, a source of frustration for Trump.
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Japan ruling bloc OKs campaigning on cash handouts in summer election
TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Tuesday to include cash handouts for households hit by rising prices in their platforms for this summer's House of Councillors election, senior lawmakers said.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, unveiled its election pledges Tuesday, highlighting a proposal to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for at least one year, in sharp contrast with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which opposes tax cuts.
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China says 2 aircraft carriers conducted combat training in Pacific
BEIJING - The Chinese military said Tuesday that its two aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, carried out combat training in the Western Pacific, calling it a routine exercise and not targeted at any specific country.
Japan said Monday it had spotted the two Chinese aircraft carriers operating simultaneously in the Pacific for the first time, a move that has further fueled Tokyo's concerns over Beijing's military activities.
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U.S. intel chief speaks out against nuclear arms after Japan visit
WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday posted a video message speaking about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II and called for a world without nuclear weapons.
It is very unusual for an incumbent U.S. Cabinet member to publicly voice opposition to nuclear weapons. "It's up to us, the people, to speak up and demand an end to this madness. We must reject this path to nuclear war and work toward a world where no one has to live in fear of a nuclear holocaust," Gabbard said.
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Ex-Mongolia leader urges Japan lawmakers to end death penalty
TOKYO - A former Mongolian president known for abolishing his country's death penalty urged Japanese lawmakers in a recent interview to take the same step despite the public's continued support for executions.
"If you are a good politician, (and) if there are some bad practices, you have to go ahead and change public opinion," said Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, who led the move to terminate capital punishment in Mongolia in 2017 after taking the post in 2009.
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Japan PM's adviser to visit South Korea for 60th anniversary event
TOKYO - Akihisa Nagashima, a special adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, is planning to visit Seoul for an event next week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-South Korea diplomatic ties, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
South Korean government officials are also expected to attend the ceremony organized by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul next Monday, with the two nations expected to affirm efforts to develop their relations and deepen friendship and cooperation, according to the sources.
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TEPCO tweaks plan to restart reactors at central Japan nuclear plant
TOKYO - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., whose nuclear reactors have remained offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, plans to revise its strategy for restarting reactors in central Japan, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
TEPCO is now preparing to restart the No. 6 unit of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, one of the world's largest nuclear power plants by output capacity, aiming to finish preparations in August, they said.
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Japan Times
30 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Japan and U.S. still far apart in tariff talks, Ishiba cited as saying
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba still sees distance with the U.S. when it comes to trade talks, according to an opposition party leader who met with the leader to discuss U.S. tariffs. Ishiba is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders gathering in Canada starting Sunday. Ahead of that potentially key meeting, the prime minister gathered with opposition party leaders Thursday to canvass their thoughts on the American levies. Speaking to reporters after the gathering, Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara said that Ishiba said there is a large gap between the U.S. and Japanese stances, and that he doesn't have a particular timeline in mind for when the two sides may come to an agreement. "If there's progress before I meet the president, that's in and of itself good,' Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo on Thursday. "But what's important is to achieve an agreement that's beneficial to both Japan and the U.S. We won't compromise Japan's interests by prioritizing a quick deal.' The upcoming summit in Canada is viewed as a potential moment for Japan and the U.S. to reach some kind of an agreement after two months of back-and-forth. Failing to get any kind of deal there could worsen Ishiba's standing ahead of an Upper House election next month as the tariffs threaten to push Japan's economy into a technical recession. Maehara and Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, said that Ishiba also mentioned the U.S. and Japan are discussing Japan's U.S. Treasurys holdings, without elaborating on details. Tamaki told Ishiba that Japan could help U.S. yields stabilize by reinvesting in U.S. bonds — specifically by buying longer-term bonds when current holdings mature. Japan remains the biggest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys. In early May, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato's remarks that suggested U.S. Treasurys could be used as a negotiating tool drew great market interest, but later Kato appeared to walk back those comments and in particular the idea that Japan might use the sale of U.S. Treasurys in negotiations. While Japanese party leaders continued to discuss the tariffs' impact, Trump appears to be ramping up pressure. The U.S. president said he intended to send letters to trading partners in the next one to two weeks setting unilateral tariff rates, ahead of a July 9 deadline to reimpose higher duties on dozens of economies. For Japan, an across-the-board tariff is set to increase to 24% from 10% on that day barring a deal. Tokyo is trying to earn a reprieve from a 25% tariff on cars and car parts and a 50% levy on steel and aluminum. Ishiba's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is expected to travel to North America later this week for the sixth round of negotiations with his counterparts. Still, in a different debate with opposition party leaders held in parliament on Wednesday, Ishiba hinted at how quickly the situation could change. "The final decision is made by the president. There are many instances when the deal is sealed in that final moment,' Ishiba said when asked by the leader of the largest opposition party how far along trade talks were. "There is no doubt that talks are progressing.'
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Ishiba on the counteroffensive in parliament's final rush
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is gradually mounting a counteroffensive as the parliamentary session comes to a close, energized by a recent bump in popularity and weakening momentum for a no-confidence motion among opposition parties. This week, Ishiba used two opportunities — a debate with party leaders on Wednesday and a meeting between ruling and opposition parties on Thursday — to attempt to stage a show of bipartisan unity. Ahead of an expected meeting between Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Alberta, Canada, opposition leaders responded to a request for talks initially put forward by the government.
Asahi Shimbun
an hour ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan continues to rank among lowest for gender equality
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center in the front row, appointed two women as members of his Cabinet. The photo was taken at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 1, 2024. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) BERLIN—Japan again ranked 118th out of 148 countries in terms of gender equality—the lowest among Group of Seven nations—according to the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Global Gender Gap Report 2025. The report, released June 12, ranks countries from most equal (highest) to least equal (lowest) by analyzing gender equality in four areas: education, health, politics and the economy. The report indicates that worldwide progress has been slow, with global gender equality more than a century away at the current pace, and that accelerated efforts are needed. However, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented policies that actively hinder the promotion of diversity, including efforts to address gender disparities, making progress more difficult. Assuming 100 percent represents complete gender equality, Japan's overall gender equality score was 66.6 percent this year, up 0.3 percent from the previous year. Japan achieved a nearly 100 percent equality score in the areas of education and health, but lagged significantly behind in politics and the economy. Japan scored just 8.5 percent in politics, down from 11.8 percent the previous year. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet, which was formed in October last year, has only two female members, while the Cabinet of previous Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had five women. In the Lower House election held in October last year, a record high number of women were elected, but the ratio of women among all lawmakers in Japan is still only about 16 percent. Meanwhile, Japan's equality score for the economy, which reflects women's representation among managers or directors at companies, rose to 61.3 percent this year, up from 56.8 percent the previous year. The global overall gender equality score was 68.8 percent, up 0.3 percent from the previous year. Worldwide, politics (equality score 22.9 percent) and the economy (equality score 61.0 percent) have large gender disparities, but both areas saw improvements in 2025. However, the report estimates that achieving complete global gender equality at the current pace of improvement would take 123 years. The WEF emphasized that the lack of political participation for women is the greatest obstacle to global gender equality. Meanwhile, movements against diversity have been growing around the world. Trump has clearly stated opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and has issued executive orders to ban DEI programs in the federal government and related agencies. Under pressure from conservative organizations, some U.S. firms are reducing their diversity efforts, such as dropping target ratios for women in management. By country, Iceland maintained its position as the world's most gender-equal society for the 16th consecutive year, with a gender equality score of 92.6 percent. Finland ranked second with 87.9 percent, followed by Norway with 86.3 percent. Pakistan ranked last with 56.7 percent. The United States placed 42nd with 75.6 percent, South Korea ranked 101st with 68.7 percent and China ranked 103rd with 68.6 percent. The United States, South Korea and China all ranked higher than Japan.
