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The Mainichi
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Hall of Famer Ichiro 'totally obsessed' with cooking
KOBE (Kyodo) -- Renowned for his perfectionism as a player, Baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki recently turned his hand to something he never tried during his career. "I'm totally obsessed with cooking now, rather than just being passionate," the former Seattle Mariners outfielder said in a recent interview with Kyodo News. "I can only make several dishes, but mainly pasta and risotto." Ichiro, who is widely known by just his first name, says he is the type of person who wants to gain knowledge and experience once he develops a new interest. The first Asian player to be elected to the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame is scheduled to attend Sunday's induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, along with starting pitcher CC Sabathia and closer Billy Wagner. Ichiro took up cooking last December when he had a whole month in Seattle, which is unusual for the evergreen 51-year-old. "When I'm at home, I just wait for my wife to cook for me. But I began to think that wasn't good for me, so I asked one of my friends to teach me how to make pasta. That's how I got started," said Ichiro, who also played for the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. "No one could've imagined that I would wear an apron and become so into cooking. I had never even held a knife. Of course, my wife still cooks me nutritionally balanced meals, and she also teaches me how to cook." Cooking has become a part of his daily routine. Ichiro now enjoys the whole process, from preparing the ingredients to washing up after the meal and putting the dishes back on the shelves. Ichiro has maintained a demanding daily training regimen since his retirement in March 2019. "I've done more than in my playing days. I'm trying to go a step further, even if my body is at its limit, he said. "Now I can judge, 'Oh, I'll get hurt if I go this far.' I couldn't do such reckless things like that during my playing career, so that's a big difference." He had 3,089 hits during his Major Baseball League career between 2001 and 2019 while winning 10 Gold Gloves. He also set the major league record for most hits in a season with 262 in 2004. "I'm very curious about how an athlete's body changes," Ichiro said. "Today's athletes are kind of overprotected, but they get injured a lot. Why do athletes who are large and appear strong at first glance get injured so often? I hope to motivate Mariners players by practicing together." Looking at Ichiro's ageless athleticism, people often wonder if he could come out of retirement to play again. Mariners right-handed pitcher Bryan Woo once said in an interview that he is learning from Ichiro's throwing mechanics.
Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan asked again by U.N. body for info on missing French tourist
A U.N. committee has again asked Japan to provide detailed investigative information on a French woman who went missing nearly seven years ago during a trip to a tourist spot north of Tokyo. A letter from the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances, obtained by Kyodo News, marks the fifth such request made to the Japanese government regarding the disappearance of Tiphaine Veron on July 29, 2018, in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, at the age of 36. The letter, dated June 18, states the French side has still not received sufficient information on the investigation by Japanese authorities, indicating a lack of cooperation. It requests that photographs of the hotel room where Veron stayed, forensic results and testimonies from hotel staff be provided to French authorities by Aug. 18, noting they also have repeatedly asked for information-sharing, most recently last summer. According to Tochigi prefectural police, Veron went missing a day after checking in at her accommodation in Nikko, leaving her luggage and passport in her room. She is about 165 centimeters in height with brown hair. The police are looking into both accidental and criminal potential causes for her disappearance. Veron's brother Damien, 45, is currently in Japan and plans to distribute flyers in Nikko, seeking information on her whereabouts. © KYODO
Kyodo News
12 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Japan asked again by U.N. body for info on missing French tourist
GENEVA - A U.N. committee has again asked Japan to provide detailed investigative information on a French woman who went missing nearly seven years ago during a trip to a tourist spot north of Tokyo. A letter from the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances, obtained by Kyodo News, marks the fifth such request made to the Japanese government regarding the disappearance of Tiphaine Veron on July 29, 2018, in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, at the age of 36. The letter, dated June 18, states the French side has still not received sufficient information on the investigation by Japanese authorities, indicating a lack of cooperation. It requests that photographs of the hotel room where Veron stayed, forensic results and testimonies from hotel staff be provided to French authorities by Aug. 18, noting they also have repeatedly asked for information-sharing, most recently last summer. According to Tochigi prefectural police, Veron went missing a day after checking in at her accommodation in Nikko, leaving her luggage and passport in her room. She is about 165 centimeters in height with brown hair. The police are looking into both accidental and criminal potential causes for her disappearance. Veron's brother Damien, 45, is currently in Japan and plans to distribute flyers in Nikko, seeking information on her whereabouts.
Kyodo News
15 hours ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: July 24, 2025
TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan, U.S. reach deal on reduced 15% auto, "reciprocal" tariffs TOKYO/WASHINGTON - Japan and the United States have struck what President Donald Trump called a "historic" trade deal that will set tariffs on Japanese cars and other products at 15 percent -- lower than initially threatened -- and boost Japanese investment in the world's biggest economy. The deal, first announced by Trump on social media Tuesday, capped off rounds of bilateral negotiations since mid-April, during which export-reliant Japan aimed for a win-win agreement ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline for Washington to impose a "reciprocal" 25 percent tariff on Japanese goods. ---------- Japan PM's resignation seen as inevitable, decision to come in Aug. TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's resignation is seen as inevitable following the governing coalition's major setback in the House of Councillors election, lawmakers said Wednesday, adding that he will make a final decision on his future in late August. Ishiba, who leads the Liberal Democratic Party, met with his predecessors to address the LDP's predicament after the ruling bloc lost its majority in both houses of parliament. Speaking to reporters, he dismissed media reports that he plans to resign. ---------- Japan, EU agree to boost economic security, defense cooperation TOKYO - The leaders of Japan and the European Union agreed Wednesday on new initiatives to strengthen cooperation in economic security, trade and defense, amid uncertainty over U.S. tariff policies and China's growing military and economic influence. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement issued after their summit in Tokyo that they will establish a "Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance" to collaborate in ensuring economic security and bolstering their industries. ---------- Business leaders laud Japan-U.S. trade deal, admit ongoing challenges TOKYO - Japanese business leaders on Wednesday praised the government for reaching a trade deal with the United States under which tariff rates on Japanese cars and other products will be set at 15 percent, while acknowledging it will still cause hardship for firms. "The persistent negotiations paid off," Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japanese Business Federation, the country's most powerful business lobby, also known as Keidanren, told reporters, adding that his group has "high regard" for the outcome. ---------- Man acquitted of 1966 murder case to file damages suit vs Japan gov't SHIZUOKA, Japan - Iwao Hakamata, who was acquitted in a retrial over a 1966 murder case in Shizuoka Prefecture, plans to file a damages suit against the Japanese government and the prefecture over fabricated evidence by investigative authorities, his legal team said Wednesday. His lawyers said at a press conference they plan to file the suit around the anniversary of the Shizuoka District Court's Sept. 26 acquittal of Hakamata, 89, in the murder of four members of a family. They have not decided the amount of damages they will seek. ---------- Senior "Luffy" crime group member gets 20 yrs over Japan robberies TOKYO - A Tokyo court on Wednesday sentenced a senior figure in a crime ring that orchestrated robberies across Japan from the Philippines to 20 years in prison, marking the first conviction of a leading member. Tomonobu Kojima, 47, was convicted of assisting in a robbery and other crimes remotely directed by the group, whose members used monikers such as "Luffy," the name of a popular manga character, and recruited perpetrators via social media. ---------- Sumo: Ichiyamamoto falls into share of lead, Onosato stays in hunt NAGOYA - Rank-and-filer Ichiyamamoto suffered his second loss of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at the hands of veteran komusubi Takayasu on Wednesday, dropping him into a four-way tie for the lead at 9-2. Grand champion Onosato, the lone yokozuna at Nagoya's new IG Arena after Hoshoryu's injury withdrawal, managed to beat Mongolian-born sekiwake Kirishima, leaving the two at 8-3 after Day 11 of the 15-day tournament. ---------- Split Japan antinuke groups, Hidankyo unite for 80th A-bomb anniv. TOKYO - Two Japanese antinuclear groups that split during the Cold War issued a rare joint statement Wednesday to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, appealing for the people of Japan to carry the cities' message to the world. The statement by the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, known as Gensuikin, and the Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, known as Gensuikyo, was also cosigned by Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors and the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. ---------- Video: Egypt Day performances at World Expo in Osaka
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Donald Trump announces trade deal with Japan
'This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs – There has never been anything like it,' Mr Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the United States 'will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan'. The president said Japan would invest 'at my direction' 550 billion dollars into the US and would 'open' its economy to American cars and rice. The 15% tax on imported Japanese goods is a meaningful drop from the 25% rate that Mr Trump, in a recent letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said would be levied starting on August 1. Early Wednesday, Mr Ishiba acknowledged the new trade agreement, saying it would benefit both sides and help them work together. Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba acknowledged the new trade agreement (Kyodo News via AP) With the announcement, Mr Trump is seeking to tout his ability as a dealmaker — even as his tariffs, when initially announced in early April led to a market panic and fears of slower growth that for the moment appear to have subsided. Key details remained unclear from his post, such as whether Japanese-built cars would face a higher 25% tariff that Mr Trump imposed on the sector. But the framework fits a growing pattern for Mr Trump, who is eager to portray the tariffs as a win for the US. His administration says the revenues will help reduce the budget deficit and more factories will relocate to America to avoid the import taxes and cause trade imbalances to disappear. The wave of tariffs continues to be a source of uncertainty about whether it could lead to higher prices for consumers and businesses if companies simply pass along the costs. The problem was seen sharply on Tuesday after General Motors reported a 35% drop in its net income during the second quarter as it warned that tariffs would hit its business in the months ahead, causing its stock to tumble. A staff member distributes an extra edition of a newspaper reporting that President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with Japan (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) As the August 1 deadline for the tariff rates in his letters to world leaders is approaching, Mr Trump also announced a trade framework with the Philippines that would impose a tariff of 19% on its goods, while American-made products would face no import taxes. The president also reaffirmed his 19% tariffs on Indonesia. The US ran a 69.4 billion dollar trade imbalance on goods with Japan last year, according to the Census Bureau. America had a trade imbalance of 17.9 billion dollars with Indonesia and an imbalance of 4.9 billion dollars with the Philippines. Both nations are less affluent than the US and an imbalance means America imports more from those countries than it exports to them. The president is set to impose the broad tariffs listed in his recent letters to other world leaders on August 1, raising questions of whether there will be any breakthrough in talks with the European Union. At a Tuesday dinner, Mr Trump said the EU would be in Washington on Wednesday for trade talks. 'We have Europe coming in tomorrow, the next day,' Mr Trump told guests. The president earlier this month sent a letter threatening the 27 member states in the EU with 30% taxes on their goods to be imposed starting on August 1.
