Tokyo, 15 October, /AJMEDIA/
Yen falls to 148 range vs. U.S. dollar in N.Y., fresh 32-yr low
NEW YORK – The yen fell to the 148 range against the U.S. dollar on Friday in New York, setting a fresh 32-year low amid speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates to fight persistent inflation.
The weaker tone, which brought the yen to a level unseen since August 1990, also reflected the Bank of Japan’s commitment to maintaining its ultraloose monetary policy, with the interest rate gap between the two countries expected to widen.
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Japan PM scrambles to cut utility bills with new economic package
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday a new economic package now being compiled will seek to lower utility bills next year for households hit by accelerating inflation, targeting electricity and gas.
Kishida, who faces faltering public support, expressed his intention to draw up a package later this month that will satisfy the public.
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North Korea launches another ballistic missile toward Sea of Japan
TOKYO/SEOUL – North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan early Friday, the Japanese government and South Korean military said, the latest in a series of missile tests that have heightened regional tensions.
The missile, launched at around 1:47 a.m., apparently traveled some 650 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 50 km and splashed down outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, some 370 km from its coast, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters.
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Japan always ready to act against excessive forex moves: official
WASHINGTON – Japan is always prepared to take “decisive” steps if excessively volatile movements in the currency market are repeated, a senior Finance Ministry official said Friday after the yen hit a fresh 32-year low against the U.S. dollar.
Masato Kanda, vice minister of finance for international affairs, issued the warning when he spoke to reporters on the sidelines of annual meetings in Washington of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
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Japanese minister visits war-linked Yasukuni shrine before festival
TOKYO – Yasutoshi Nishimura, economy, trade and industry minister, visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine on Friday ahead of its autumn festival next week, sources close to him said.
Past visits by Japanese leaders and lawmakers to the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with the war dead, have riled Japan’s Asian neighbors as they view it as a symbol of the country’s past militarism.
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Report on rare protest in Beijing deleted before key congress
BEIJING – A Hong Kong media report published online about a rare protest Thursday in Beijing against Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the country’s radical “zero-COVID” policy has disappeared, shortly before the ruling Communist Party’s twice-a-decade congress begins this weekend.
It is not clear whether Thursday’s report, published by online media platform HK01, was removed by authorities or whether the company took it down on its own in consideration of its sensitivity before the 20th party congress, starting Sunday, at which Xi is widely expected to secure an unprecedented third five-year term as general secretary.
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FOCUS: Japan travel scheme rollout stunted as firms spend quota prematurely
TOKYO – The Japanese government’s rollout of a new travel subsidy program aimed at boosting domestic tourism has hit a snag, with some travel-related firms having already spent the allocated funds.
The Japan Tourism Agency is asking participating businesses across the country to review their budgets while also considering increasing funding for the scheme, dubbed the “National Travel Discount.”
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Deceased “Yu-Gi-Oh!” manga artist tried to rescue girl in sea
NAHA, Japan – The creator of the popular “Yu-Gi-Oh!” manga series who died in July apparently lost his life in an attempt to help a sea rescue of a U.S. girl in Okinawa, coast guard officials said Friday.
The Japan Coast Guard refrained from making public any details about the death of Kazuki Takahashi after consultation with his bereaved family, considering that psychological care for the young survivor should take priority, they said.
