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Japan Today
an hour ago
- Business
- Japan Today
BOJ deputy chief signals further rate hikes
The two buildings hosting the Bank of Japan. One of the Bank of Japan's deputy chiefs on Wednesday reiterated the bank's readiness to pursue a path toward monetary normalization if the Japanese economy and inflation move in line with expectations, while noting uncertainties regarding U.S. tariffs. "Given that real interest rates are at significantly low bank, in accordance with improvement in economic activity and prices, will continue to raise the policy interest rate," BOJ Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said in a speech in Kochi, western Japan. Saying it is not yet clear how economic activity and prices at home and abroad will develop, Uchida said he will pay close attention to the economic data "as there are extremely high uncertainties and as domestic and overseas economies seem to be at a critical juncture." Uchida's remarks came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said that he has struck a "massive" trade deal with Japan, under which Tokyo has agreed to a "reciprocal tariff" of 15 percent, lower than earlier proposed. In his speech, Uchida did not directly address the newly announced deal. Expressing concern about the potential downward pressure on prices in Japan from U.S. trade policy, Uchida also noted upward pressure from cost-push factors, particularly in food prices. "My attention will therefore be on how such upward and downward pressure may affect the outlook for prices through, for example, firms' wage- and price-setting behavior." The BOJ has shifted from a decade of unorthodox easing, lifting its key rate three times since March last year. But the central bank kept its benchmark rate unchanged at 0.5 percent at its June policy meeting, the third straight gathering without a policy adjustment, with Trump's tariffs clouding the outlook for Japan's export-oriented economy. The BOJ will hold a two-day policy meeting from July 30, during which it is set to issue its updated quarterly outlook for growth and inflation. © KYODO
Japan Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Ex-Japanese PM Suga eyes visit to S Korea next week
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is making final arrangements to visit South Korea at the end of July, also hoping to meet President Lee Jae Myung, a source close to the matter said Monday. Suga, who heads a group of Japanese lawmakers working to promote friendly Japan-South Korea relations, is planning the visit on July 30 and 31, the source said. Akihisa Nagashima, a special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and secretary general of the lawmakers' group, is expected to accompany Suga. Lee assumed the South Korean presidency in early June, succeeding his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol who created political chaos due to his short-lived declaration of martial law. © KYODO
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Japanese students' English skills improving, but targets unmet
Over half of Japanese public junior and senior high school students met official English proficiency milestones, but further progress is needed to reach the government's more ambitious targets, a recent education ministry survey showed. As generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, rapidly evolves, the country's education authorities are looking to utilize the technology as an educational tool to improve the English skills of students and help them develop into "global human resources." The government has set targets based on the Eiken Test in Practical English Proficiency, a widely used exam in Japan backed by the ministry that assesses the skills of examinees on an eight-level scale, with Grade 1 being the highest. The government's fiscal 2027 goal is for over 60 percent of students to attain English proficiency equivalent to Grade 3 or above upon completing junior high school, and Grade Pre-2 or higher by the end of senior high school. Those who reached Grade 3 are expected to be able to understand and use English related to everyday topics. Those with Grade Pre-2 can participate in general aspects of daily life using English. As of December, 52.4 percent of final-year junior high school students and 51.6 percent of senior high school students were judged to have met the targets, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Among them, 27.8 percent of junior high school students actually passed the test, while another 24.5 percent were confirmed to have met targets set by their teachers. For senior high school students, the figures were 31.8 percent and 19.8 percent, respectively. For junior high school students by prefecture and major city, Saitama had the highest passing rate at 89.2 percent, followed by Fukui Prefecture at 79.8 percent, Fukuoka at 65.9 percent and Yokohama at 65.4 percent. As for English teachers who have passed Grade Pre-1 -- a level roughly equivalent to intermediate university English -- or higher, 46.2 percent of junior high and 82.2 percent of senior high school teachers met the target, the ministry said. In the 2024 English Proficiency Index released by EF Education First, a Swiss company that operates language schools worldwide, Japan ranked 92nd out of 116 non-native-speaking nations and regions, below South Korea, Vietnam and China. © KYODO
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Japan to promote sign language with new law ahead of Deaflympics
Japan's central and local governments are required under a new law to take steps to promote the use of sign language, aiming to build momentum ahead of hosting the Deaflympics in November. The law took effect on June 25 following the approval in parliament of legislation drafted by cross-party lawmakers. It marks the first time Japan has enacted a law specifically on sign language, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. Calling the legislation "historic," the Japanese Federation of the Deaf said in a statement it is "deeply moved" when thinking of the predecessors who worked tirelessly to raise awareness of sign language. Protecting sign language will "shine a light on the future of deaf and hard of hearing people," it said. The law requires the national and local governments to take necessary steps to improve environments that ensure reasonable accommodations for learning and using sign language. The governments must take steps to preserve and develop sign language culture, including in areas such as theater and traditional arts, and to deepen public understanding. The state is also required to adopt fiscal measures to fund these efforts. The governments are also urged to assign teachers or staff proficient in sign language to ensure that students who need it can receive an education. According to the federation, ordinances promoting sign language have been enacted in 40 prefectures and approximately 550 municipalities. The legislation comes ahead of Japan's first time hosting the Deaflympics, an international sporting event for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes, to be held in Tokyo and other areas, with around 6,000 athletes and officials expected from 70 to 80 countries and regions. © KYODO
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Japanese man provided info to intelligence agency: Chinese court
A Japanese businessman, who was convicted earlier this week by a Chinese court for engaging in spying, provided information to an intelligence agency and received rewards, sources familiar with Sino-Japanese relations said Saturday. On Wednesday, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced the Astellas Pharma Inc. employee in his 60s to three years and six months in prison for espionage activities, but the verdict did not touch on specific details of how he acted illegally in China. It remains unknown which intelligence agency requested the man to collect information about Chinese domestic affairs. The ruling can be appealed within 10 days from Thursday, but the Japanese citizen does not plan to do so, the sources said. The man was detained in March 2023, just before his scheduled return to Japan, formally arrested in October that year and indicted in August 2024. He stood trial for the first time in November last year in a closed-door hearing at the Beijing court. The Japanese government continues to demand the early release of the businessman as well as other Japanese nationals detained in China, saying the issue has become "one of the major obstructive factors" for people-to-people exchanges and improvement of public sentiment. © KYODO
