Kyodo News Digest: Aug. 2, 2025
----------
Japan PM Ishiba not to make WWII statement on 80th anniv. of its end
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided not to express his views on World War II on the 80th anniversary of its end on Aug. 15 but may do so later, government sources said Friday.
Although Ishiba, believed to be relatively dovish, has already decided not to have a prime minister's statement approved at a Cabinet meeting, he remains eager to offer his perspective and may do so on another occasion, the sources said.
----------
Japan astronaut Yui heads to ISS on SpaceX craft on 2nd space mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - A team of astronauts from Japan, Russia and the United States headed to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX craft from Florida on Friday, marking the second space flight for Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui.
The Crew-11 mission, also involving two Americans and one Russian, will stay at the ISS for about six months, partly to conduct experiments in hopes of helping future lunar exploration. It is expected to reach the ISS in the early hours of Saturday.
----------
Japanese woman attacked in subway station in China, suspect detained
SUZHOU, China - A Japanese woman was assaulted while walking with her child at a subway station in Suzhou, eastern China, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury, the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai and sources familiar with bilateral relations said Friday.
Chinese authorities detained a suspect allegedly involved in the Thursday evening incident in Suzhou, the same city in Jiangsu Province where a Japanese mother and child were injured and a Chinese woman was killed in a knife attack in June last year.
----------
Extra Diet session begins, PM faces emboldened opposition after poll
TOKYO - Japan's parliament convened Friday for its first session since the ruling coalition's recent major election setback, as the opposition camp seeks to leverage its increased strength to push for the removal of a temporary gasoline tax while Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is on the defensive.
During the five-day session, Ishiba will engage in debates with opposition lawmakers over the recently reached Japan-U.S. tariff deal, all the while his standing as ruling party head and prime minister remains precarious amid pressure to resign.
----------
Vietnamese man acquitted of smuggling fake yen banknotes into Japan
KUMAMOTO, Japan - A Japanese court ruling that acquitted a Vietnamese former technical intern of smuggling and using over 170 forged 10,000 yen ($66) bills was finalized Friday, after prosecutors did not appeal the verdict.
The man, 38, was accused of working with an unknown party from late June to mid-August 2023 to smuggle forged 10,000-yen old banknotes last issued in the 1980s into Japan.
----------
JR East gets OK to raise fares for Yamanote, other lines in March
TOKYO - East Japan Railway Co. said Friday it has received government approval to raise fares by an average 7.1 percent from March, the company's first blanket hike since 1987 when it was created from the privatization of the national railway company.
The fare hike comes as the operator of Tokyo's busy Yamanote loop line and other train routes seek to secure funds for maintaining its railway services amid a falling population and rising prices.
----------
Japan experienced hottest July for 3rd year, 2.89 C above average
TOKYO - Japan logged its hottest July for the third year in a row, with average temperatures 2.89 C above normal, the weather agency said Friday.
The average temperature was the highest since comparable records started being kept in 1898, exceeding the previous record set in 2024 by 2.16 degrees.
----------
Japanese man's acquittal of 1986 schoolgirl murder finalized
NAGOYA - The acquittal of a Japanese man who served seven years in prison for the 1986 murder of a junior high school student was finalized on Friday after prosecutors waived the right to appeal.
The Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court acquitted 60-year-old Shoshi Maekawa over the murder of a teenage girl in Fukui, central Japan, in a retrial last month, dismissing the credibility of the testimony of his acquaintances that led to his initial guilty verdict.
----------
Video: Morioka Sansa dance festival in Iwate Prefecture
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
10 hours ago
80 Years On: Thai Man Wants to Return Soldiers' Remains to Japan
Long, Thailand, Aug. 3 (Jiji Press)--A Thai man who built a memorial to Japanese soldiers killed by members of a Thai resistance group during World War II hopes that their remains will be returned to their home country. The memorial in the Long district in Phrae Province, northern Thailand, was built by Puchong, 83, a local man whose father was a member of the Free Thai resistance group, which fought against Imperial Japan. During World War II, Japan allied with Thailand, using the Southeast Asian country as a base for operations in India and Burma, now Myanmar. Thais dissatisfied with the alliance formed the anti-Japanese group, which expanded its presence in the country with support from the Allied forces. According to Puchong, whose father was a senior member of the group in the province, the two Japanese soldiers died in a gunfight with Free Thai fighters in the Wiang Ta subdistrict in Long about two years before the end of the war. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Nikkei Asia
12 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
China and Russia collaborate in global spread of surveillance states
Comment Political meddling in Georgia shows threat of growing authoritarian coordination Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping are working to expand their countries' influence in Georgia, a crucial South Caucasus link between Asia and Europe. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) HIROYUKI AKITA TBILISI, Georgia -- It was a rare instance of a senior Chinese official speaking with unusual candor: On July 2, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told European Union top diplomat Kaja Kallas that he does not want to see Russia lose the war in Ukraine.
Nikkei Asia
13 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Marcos in India, Hiroshima anniversary, Joshua Wong trial
Welcome to Your Week in Asia. In the wake of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over their disputed border, the two sides on Monday will work to resolve their differences at a special committee meeting. From the same day, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be in India following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with business engagements and meetings with the country's growing Filipino community on the agenda. Get the best of our coverage of Asia and much more by following us on X, where our handle is @NikkeiAsia. We are also now on Bluesky, with the handle @ MONDAY Thailand-Cambodia border committee meeting Thailand and Cambodia will hold a General Border Committee meeting in Malaysia to discuss the ongoing border dispute. The meeting, which will last until Thursday, is a follow-up to the cease-fire agreement reached last week between the two countries. The venue was changed from Phnom Penh at Thailand's request. Representatives from Malaysia, the U.S. and China will also attend as observers on the final day of the meeting. Marcos visits India Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. heads to India for his first state visit to the country in a bid to deepen diplomatic and economic ties. The five-day trip through Friday comes at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Marcos' visit follows the first joint maritime exercises between the two countries, which kicked off on Sunday, in waters near the South China Sea, a maritime flashpoint in the region with China. Ong Beng Seng hearing Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng is expected to plead guilty for his role in providing kickbacks to former Singapore transport minister S. Iswaran, who was given a year's jail term over the corruption case. He finished serving the sentence in June. Earnings: Mitsubishi Corp., Rohm, JFE TUESDAY Japanese automaker earnings Mazda Motor will release its April-June earnings on Tuesday, followed by Honda on Wednesday and Toyota on Thursday. Investors will be assessing how automakers are coping with the 25% U.S. automotive tariff introduced in April. Earnings: SoftBank Corp. Data: Singapore retail sales WEDNESDAY Hiroshima atomic bombing anniversary Japan will mark 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima amid worries over nuclear war following U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran in June and Russian aggression against Ukraine since 2022. Last year, a group of atomic bombing survivors won the Nobel Peace Prize for their persistent campaign against nuclear weapons. Philippine Senate on Sara Duterte impeachment case Philippine senators are set to convene to decide whether to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a week after the country's top court dismissed a previous impeachment attempt. The political maneuvering highlights the volatile nature of domestic politics as the Marcos and Duterte families remain locked in a feud. RBI monetary policy meeting The Reserve Bank of India is widely expected to hold its key policy rate after the conclusion of a monetary policy committee meeting, pausing a dovish cycle that saw a 100 basis point reduction over the past few months. Though the focus remains on spurring growth, the central bank shifted back to a "neutral" stance in June from the more dovish "accommodative" position it had taken two months prior, indicating that it would be cautious and closely parse incoming data before the next shift in interest rates. Data: Vietnam inflation, trade and industrial output Earnings: Cathay Pacific THURSDAY Data: Philippines gross domestic product Earnings: DBS, UOB, Sony FRIDAY China robot show Beijing's flagship robot conference is due to feature 1,500 exhibits from about 200 companies. On the list are 50 makers of humanoid robots -- a key area of focus for China as it strives to develop high-tech industries. Joshua Wong trial Prominent Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong once again faces trial, after he was charged in June for allegedly conspiring to collude with foreign forces. Wong, who was already sentenced last November to four years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to subvert state power, could see his prison time increase by anywhere from three years to a life sentence as a result of the new national security charge. Earnings: SGX Group, Tata Motors, State Bank of India, Eneos, Inpex, Idemitsu Kosan
