Kyodo News Digest: June 6, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 20:25 | All, Japan, World
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Court rejects Fukushima crisis damages order against ex-TEPCO execs
TOKYO - A Japanese high court on Friday overturned a ruling ordering former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. to pay the utility damages for failing to prevent the 2011 crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The Tokyo High Court determined it was difficult for TEPCO's management at the time to foresee the massive tsunami that caused the disaster, overturning the 2022 court decision ordering the former executives to pay around 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) in compensation.
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Japan OKs 20 tril. yen plan for disaster resilient infrastructure
TOKYO - The Japanese government on Friday approved a plan to enhance the disaster resilience of the country's infrastructure over the next five years, with the project expected to cost more than 20 trillion yen ($139 billion).
Focusing on measures to address aging infrastructure, the plan specifies 326 measures to be taken by government bodies from fiscal 2026 through 2030, while regional authorities bear part of the costs.
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Japan Diet OKs defense cooperation pact with Philippines
TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Friday approved legislation for a defense cooperation agreement with the Philippines, as the two countries step up security ties with an eye on China's maritime assertiveness in nearby waters.
The reciprocal access agreement eases restrictions on the movement of personnel between the two forces to facilitate joint drills and disaster relief operations, making the Philippines Japan's third RAA partner after Australia and Britain.
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Trump administration still reviewing Nippon-U.S. Steel deal
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday continued to review Nippon Steel Corp.'s proposals to acquire United States Steel Corp., taking the decision past the expected deadline.
It was earlier thought that Trump had until Thursday to decide whether to formally approve Nippon Steel's buyout plan. But Trump could now make a final decision by June 18, given that U.S. authorities in January extended to that date a deadline for the Japanese and U.S. steelmakers to abandon the plan.
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Japan ispace fails in bid for 1st Moon landing by Asian private firm
TOKYO - Japanese startup ispace Inc. failed in its attempt to become the first private firm in Asia to touch down on the Moon when its lunar lander apparently crashed on Friday, dealing a blow as it seeks to catch up with U.S. rivals following an unsuccessful inaugural mission in 2023.
With touchdown planned for 4:17 a.m. on Friday, Japan time, the lander, Resilience, began descending from an altitude of around 100 kilometers but was unable to decelerate to the required speed, ispace said.
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Japan vows to achieve wage-driven growth in draft policy blueprint
TOKYO - The Japanese government has pledged to pursue economic growth driven by sustainable wage hikes, aiming to nearly double gross domestic product by around 2040, according to a draft policy blueprint unveiled Friday.
Facing uncertainty from higher U.S. tariffs and prolonged inflation weighing on household spending, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government vowed in its draft economic and fiscal policy plan to achieve wage increases that outpace rising prices.
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Japan extends life of nuclear reactors beyond 60 years
TOKYO - A law enabling nuclear reactors in Japan to operate beyond 60 years took effect Friday, scrapping a limit imposed after the Fukushima crisis, with the government viewing the power source as vital to the country's energy mix.
Under the new system, the life of a reactor will, in principle, be extended beyond 60 years by no longer including offline periods for safety reviews or suspensions ordered by courts that are not due to the inappropriate actions of an operator.
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H.K. activist Wong faces new charge of colluding with foreign forces
HONG KONG - Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, who has been jailed over a subversion case, was newly charged Friday with "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.
The 28-year-old, who was sentenced in November to four years and eight months in prison over an unofficial primary election, allegedly conspired with fellow activist Nathan Law to urge foreign countries to impose sanctions or take other hostile actions against Hong Kong and China between July 1 and Nov. 23, 2020.
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