Latest news with #Bernama-Kyodo
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Japanese designer takes top honour at Chelsea flower show
LONDON (Bernama-Kyodo): Japanese landscape designer Kazuyuki Ishihara won the Garden of the Year award for the first time at the Chelsea Flower Show, a globally renowned landscaping competition in London, in May with a Japanese tea garden. According to Kyodo News Agency, veteran participant Ishihara also won the gold medal in the Show Garden category for the first time, among other awards at the annual event held by the Royal Horticultural Society, Britain's leading garden charity, according to his office. It was the 13th gold medal overall for the 67-year-old, who has been competing in the show since 2004. Describing the Show Garden gold as the most difficult to obtain, he said he was "proud" to have won it with his Japanese Tea Garden. He also won the People's Choice award, voted for by the public. The garden, themed on communication and harmony and called Cha No Niwa in Japanese, uses plants and trees commonly seen in the Japanese countryside, such as Japanese maples and irises, around its tea house. "I wanted to convey the beauty of the spirit of Japan that enables heart-to-heart communication through tea and beautiful scenery in a world of chaos," said Ishihara. Japanese designer Masataka Taniguchi, 42, won the gold medal in the category of container gardens featuring small-scale landscapes with his work Komorebi Garden. Komorebi is a Japanese word for sunlight piercing through a tree canopy. -- BERNAMA-KYODO
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Japan prisons to place more focus on rehabilitation than punishment
FILE photo taken on April 12, 2017, shows the building housing the Justice Ministry in Tokyo. - Photo: Kyodo file TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) An amendment to the Penal Code placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation efforts in prison took effect on Sunday (June 1), marking the first time changes have been made to the forms of punishment under Japan's more than a century-old crime laws. According to Kyodo News Agency, imprisonment is no longer divided into the categories of with and without labour, and prison work is no longer mandatory for inmates, allowing more time to be allocated for rehabilitative guidance and education to reduce recidivism, the Justice Ministry said. The revised law, which will affect people convicted from Sunday, stipulates anew that imprisonment consists of "confinement in a penal institution" and that inmates can be assigned to undertake "necessary work" or can undergo "necessary guidance" for rehabilitation and improvement. Prior to the change, the treatment of inmates was largely based on the likelihood of reoffending, potentially subjecting an elderly repeat shoplifter and a yakuza gang member to the same regime. The new system sets up 24 programmes tailored to an inmate's age, characteristics and other factors, including a Daily Care-Senior curriculum for those aged 70 and older and suffering from dementia and Addiction Recovery targeting drug abusers. Other programmes target those aged between 20 and 26, and those facing prison terms of at least 10 years. Elderly inmates are expected to be able to focus more on maintaining their physical and cognitive functions rather than engaging in typical prison work, while younger inmates will undergo a programme to enable their return to school after leaving prison, according to the ministry. Inmates will be sent to prisons that can offer appropriate programmes for them. Their situation will be reviewed every six months, enabling them to switch to different treatment programmess if needed. Japan's Penal Code was enacted in 1907. The legislation to realise the latest change was enacted by parliament in 2022. - Bernama-Kyodo
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Japan, South Korea launch tourist fast-track lanes for ties anniversary
TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) Japan and South Korea on Sunday (June 1) opened dedicated entry lanes for tourists visiting each other's countries at four airports, marking the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties, Kyodo News Agency reported. The lanes were implemented to improve convenience for inbound travellers by speeding up the immigration process. They will remain in use through June 30 at four airports: Haneda in Tokyo, Fukuoka in southwestern Japan, Gimpo in Seoul, and Gimhae in Busan. Park Kyung Mo, a 40-year-old tourist visiting Japan with his family, said he likes the neighbouring nation and expressed hope that the two countries will deepen their relations. It is the first time a Japanese airport has designated a lane for a specific nation, according to the Immigration Services Agency. People who have visited the respective countries within the past year and have registered in advance are eligible to use the perk, which is available for flights arriving between 9am and 4pm (local time). Japan and South Korea, although often at odds over historical and territorial disputes, have become popular tourist destinations for each other in recent years, with many people drawn to pop culture, drama, and food. The two nations signed a basic treaty on June 22, 1965, a treaty that led to the normalisation of diplomatic ties. - Bernama-Kyodo
Barnama
28-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Japan to Supply Lower-Priced Reserve Rice to Rural Areas Amid Price Surge
TOKYO, May 28 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The Japanese government has pledged to supply reserve rice to rural areas at lower prices, in response to soaring retail costs and high demand from major retailers, Kyodo news agency reported. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries said on Wednesday that it will ensure the stockpiled rice is distributed more broadly and stably by giving priority to small retailers, after suspending bulk orders from large chains. 'We will continue with our efforts to make sure reserve rice will reach people living in rural areas as much as possible,' said Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during a parliamentary session, hinting at potential purchase limits for large retailers. bootstrap slideshow The move came after around 70 major retailers submitted requests totalling over 200,000 tonnes -- two-thirds of the 300,000 tonnes made available -- just one day after the launch of the new release scheme on Monday. The ministry has since stopped accepting new orders from major retailers and will allocate the remaining 100,000 tonnes to small supermarkets and local rice shops. Applications are expected to reopen as early as Friday, with the government covering transport costs. Currently, only major retailers that handle over 10,000 tonnes of rice annually can make bulk purchases under the ministry's criteria. The government has been under pressure to stabilise food prices, as the average price of retail rice has doubled compared to a year ago. Earlier stockpile releases through auction failed to curb the spike, prompting the government to adopt direct sales to retailers. Major players such as Aeon Co, Ito-Yokado Co and Rakuten Group Inc have purchased rice under the new scheme. However, most opted for 2022 harvest stocks, leaving the 2021 rice supply for smaller businesses.
The Star
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Japan PM sacks Agriculture Minister Taku Eto over rice gaffe, Shinjiro Koizumi named ahead of key polls
Taku Eto (left) and Shinjiro Koizumi (right). - Photos: The Yomiuri Shimbun file TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday (May 21) dismissed Agriculture Minister Taku Eto over a controversial remark on rice prices, in a move seen as an effort to quell public anger ahead of a key parliamentary election. According to Kyodo news agency, Eto had said at a recent fundraising event that he receives so much rice from supporters that he is "not buying any,' a comment widely criticised as insensitive at a time of soaring food prices. Eto, 64, later admitted the remark was inappropriate and said he had meant it as a joke, but acknowledged it had gone too far. "I concluded that it is not appropriate for me to stay at the helm at a critical time for rice prices,' he told reporters after tendering his resignation -- becoming the first Cabinet member to step down under Ishiba's administration. The gaffe came as the Agriculture Ministry moved to release emergency rice stockpiles in a bid to stabilise prices, which have nearly doubled compared to a year ago, fuelling discontent among consumers. Amid mounting pressure from the opposition and within the ruling coalition, Ishiba appointed former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, to replace Eto as agriculture minister. "I accept full responsibility for having appointed him,' Ishiba said, expressing hope that Koizumi's appointment would help restore public trust. Koizumi, a prominent figure in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, pledged to focus on addressing concerns over rice policy. "I will devote myself to addressing public concerns and rebuilding trust,' he said after his appointment. The scandal adds to growing challenges for Ishiba's administration, which is battling low approval ratings ahead of a critical House of Councillors election this summer. - Bernama-Kyodo
