Ministry urged to improve English skills of students, teachers

July 14, 2017

TOKYO- Japan’s internal affairs ministry advised the education ministry on Friday to take effective measures to improve the English proficiency of students and teachers under the government’s five-year basic education promotion plan starting in fiscal 2018. The move comes at

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Confirmation of Hagerty as US Ambassador welcomed

July 14, 2017

TOKYO- The Japanese government on Friday welcomed the US Senate’s confirmation of William Hagerty as ambassador to Japan. “We sincerely welcome the confirmation,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference, pointing out that US President Donald Trump has

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Japan mourns death of Liu Xiaobo

July 14, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Friday expressed condolences over the death of prominent Chinese pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. “Liu devoted his life to the pursuit of freedom and democracy,” the top Japanese

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Okinawa to file suit over US base relocation

July 14, 2017

NAHA, OKINAWA PREF.- The Okinawa prefectural assembly approved on Friday a plan to file a lawsuit aimed at blocking landfill work by the Japanese government for the relocation of a US military base within the southern prefecture. The prefectural government

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Abe Cabinet support dives to 29.9%, disapproval 48.6%: Jiji poll

July 14, 2017

TOKYO- The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet plunged 15.2 percentage points in July from the previous month to 29.9 percent, dropping below 30 pct for the first time since his current administration was launched in December

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Japan’s revised penal code goes into force

July 13, 2017

TOKYO- Japan’s revised Penal Code, stipulating tighter penalties against sex offenses, went into force on Thursday. Through the first major overhaul of sex crime-linked provisions since the code was established in 1907, the amended law now includes the crime of

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Kankeiren chief bullish on Osaka’s world expo bid 

July 13, 2017

OSAKA- A business leader in the Kansai western Japan region has sounded bullish on Osaka’s bid to host the 2025 World Exposition. “I’ve heard that Paris is a little bit ahead of us in the bidding race, but we’re competitive

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Dentsu to face trial over illegal overtime

July 13, 2017

TOKYO- Tokyo Summary Court decided Wednesday to put Dentsu Inc.  on a formal trial in a high-profile illegal overtime case. On July 5, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office brought a summary indictment against the Japanese advertising giant on charges of violating

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