Tokyo, 27 June, /AJMEDIA/
AJMEDIA NEWS Digest: June 27, 2025
U.S. State Secretary Rubio’s 1st visit to Japan eyed for July
TOKYO – Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make his first visit to Japan early next month, a Japanese government source said Friday, with U.S.-imposed tariffs and the Middle East situation expected to be key topics.
The trip is being arranged as part of Rubio’s travel to Asia to attend a series of foreign ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia from July 8 to 11, according to the source. He also plans to visit South Korea.
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Nikkei ends above 40,000, 1st time since Jan. as tariff woes ease
TOKYO – Tokyo stocks rose Friday for a fourth straight day, with the Nikkei ending above the 40,000 mark for the first time since January, as concerns eased over steep U.S. tariffs and tensions in the Middle East.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closed up 566.21 points, or 1.43 percent, from Thursday at 40,150.79, its highest level since Dec. 27. The broader Topix index finished 35.85 points, or 1.28 percent, higher at 2,840.54.
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Trump could extend 90-day tariff pause in July, White House says
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump could extend his administration’s 90-day pause on so-called reciprocal tariffs, set to expire on July 9, the White House said Thursday.
As Japan’s top tariff negotiator arrived in Washington seeking to hold another round of talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing, “The deadline is not critical.”
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Japan executes man convicted of 9 murders, 1st hanging since 2022
TOKYO – Japan executed on Friday a man convicted of the 2017 serial murders of nine people near Tokyo, the government said, marking the country’s first hanging since July 2022.
The death sentence of Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, dubbed Japan’s “Twitter killer,” was finalized in 2021, after he withdrew an appeal. He was found guilty of murdering, dismembering and storing the bodies of his nine victims, who had posted suicidal thoughts on social media, in his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
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Japan gov’t asks operators to address disinformation before election
TOKYO – Japan’s government on Friday asked major platform operators to help counter harmful social media posts in an effort to prevent disinformation and defamation targeting candidates ahead of a nationwide parliamentary election next month.
The request by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications came as both the ruling and opposition camps emphasized the need to address disinformation during elections, though they have yet to agree how strictly the issue should be regulated.
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Rice imports to Japan surge in May, 3.5 times FY 2024 total
TOKYO – Private sector imports of tariffed rice to Japan in May were 3.5 times the total volume brought in during all of fiscal 2024, revised government trade data showed Friday, as soaring prices of domestic rice have spurred demand for cheaper alternatives.
According to the Finance Ministry’s trade statistics, revised from a preliminary report issued earlier this month, 10,605 tons of tariffed rice were imported in May, a sharp increase from 115 tons in the same period last year. The United States, which accounted for 7,894 tons, was the largest source, followed by Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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Rubio to host meeting of Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a four-way meeting with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India on Tuesday to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, the State Department said.
The department’s deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said at a press briefing Thursday that the meeting among ministers of the so-called Quad grouping in Washington is aimed at reinforcing “peace and prosperity” in the region.
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Toyota global sales in May up 6.9%, record for month
NAGOYA – Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday its global sales for May rose 6.9 percent from a year earlier to 898,721 units, a record high for the month, due to last-minute demand in the United States amid concerns over possible price hikes due to high tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, global production dipped 0.7 percent to 806,677 units, falling below the same period the previous year for the first time in five months.