Latest news with #JijiPress
an hour ago
- Entertainment
Osaka Expo Marks Highest Visitor Number on Sat.
News from Japan Jun 2, 2025 09:56 (JST) Osaka, June 2 (Jiji Press)--The ongoing World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka attracted 162,000 general visitors on Saturday, marking a new daily record, the organizer said on Sunday. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition expects a total of 28.2 million people to visit the event, which is set to run until Oct. 13. To achieve the goal, the event needs to draw 150,000 visitors on average per day. Saturday's number exceeded the target for the first time. Visitor reservations grew on Saturday thanks to music and fireworks attractions, according to the association. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
14 hours ago
- Politics
Japan, Philippines Agree to Strengthen Defense Cooperation
News from Japan Politics Jun 1, 2025 20:50 (JST) Singapore, June 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the Japanese SDF and the Philippine military. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Pianists Win 2nd, 5th Prizes in Brussels Contest
©Thomas Laonard Wataru Hisasue plays the piano and accompany the orchestra at a competition in Brussels on Saturday. BRUSSELS (Jiji Press) — Japan's Wataru Hisasue and Masaya Kamei won the second and fifth prize, respectively, in the piano category of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, a prestigious international music contest, on Sunday. 'I thought this competition, which emphasizes modern songs, would suit my character,' Hisaue, 30, said at the venue. 'I was really tired because it was a long competition that lasted for a month, but I focused on it and gained valuable experience.' After graduating from high school, Hisasue went to Europe to study at the Freiburg University of Music, the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2017, he won third place at the International Music Competition in Munich. He is currently based in Berlin and is also actively performing in Japan. ©Thomas Laonard Masaya Kamei plays the piano at a competition in Brussels on Saturday. Kamei, 23, said, 'It is an honor to receive an award at one of the world's top competitions.' Of the 12 finalists of the Brussels competition, four were Japanese. The first-place finisher was Nikola Meeuwsen of the Netherlands.
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
Japanese Pianists Win 2nd, 5th Prizes in Brussels Contest
Brussels, June 1 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Wataru Hisasue and Masaya Kamei won the second and fifth prize, respectively, in the piano category of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, a prestigious international music contest, on Sunday. "I thought this competition, which emphasizes modern songs, would suit my character," Hisaue, 30, said at the venue. "I was really tired because it was a long competition that lasted for a month, but I focused on it and gained valuable experience." After graduating from high school, Hisasue went to Europe to study at the Freiburg University of Music, the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2017, he won third place at the International Music Competition in Munich. He is currently based in Berlin and is also actively performing in Japan. Kamei, 23, said, "It is an honor to receive an award at one of the world's top competitions." Of the 12 finalists of the Brussels competition, four were Japanese. The first-place finisher was Nikola Meeuwsen of the Netherlands. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
21 hours ago
- Health
Ceremony Marks 60 Yrs since Niigata Minamata Disease Recognition
Niigata, June 1 (Jiji Press)--A ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the official recognition of Niigata Minamata disease, a neurological disorder caused by polluted industrial wastewater containing methylmercury, took place in the city of Niigata, the capital of the namesake prefecture in central Japan. At the ceremony, held on Saturday, about 300 people observed a moment of silence for the victims. The participants included patients, bereaved families, Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao and representatives from chemical maker Showa Denko K.K., currently Resonac Holdings Corp., the operator of the plant that was the source of the pollution. It was the first time in 10 years for an environment minister to attend the ceremony. "Niigata Minamata disease is not over yet," Eiichi Minagawa, 81, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by uncertified patients against the government and the plant operator company, said in an address. Noting that the plaintiffs are aging, Minagawa said, "We sincerely hope that (the lawsuit) will be settled while we are still alive and are able to walk." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
