Tokyo, 15 January, /AJMEDIA/
Japan PM vows to pitch vision of world without nuclear weapons at G-7
WASHINGTON – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Saturday to pitch his vision of a world without nuclear weapons at the Group of Seven summit to be held in Hiroshima in May, amid fears that Russia might use an atomic device against Ukraine in the ongoing war.
Kishida’s remarks came after he held talks with his French, Italian, British, Canadian and U.S. counterparts earlier this week during a weeklong trip to five of the G-7 countries in Europe and North America in the run-up to the gathering in the western Japan city.
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Japan mulls lifting anti-COVID recommendation to wear masks indoors
TOKYO – The Japanese government is considering no longer asking the public to wear masks indoors in principle unless they have symptoms, a government source said Saturday, possibly changing the public’s daily anti-coronavirus practice drastically.
The policy change has been floated as the government discusses downgrading COVID-19’s legal status to the same level as seasonal influenza and as Sunday marks three years since Japan detected its first coronavirus infection.
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China reports about 60,000 COVID-related deaths amid int’l criticism
BEIJING – Chinese health authorities reported Saturday nearly 60,000 deaths related to COVID-19 in just over a month, amid growing international criticism that Beijing’s official data do not reflect the reality on the ground.
Between Dec. 8 last year and Thursday, the COVID-related death toll reached 59,938, according to China’s National Health Commission. Beijing significantly relaxed its antivirus measures on Dec. 7, in an abrupt departure from its “zero-COVID” policy involving lockdowns and isolation measures.
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Yukihiro Takahashi, drummer of legendary Japan band YMO, dies at 70
TOKYO – Yukihiro Takahashi, the drummer of legendary Japanese electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra, has died, a source close to him said Sunday. He was 70.
Takahashi was known as the composer of “Rydeen,” one of the most popular tracks of YMO, the trailblazing band he formed in 1978 with Ryuichi Sakamoto, world-renowned musician and composer, and Haruomi Hosono.
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Tonga still recovering 1 year after devastating eruption, tsunami
NUKU’ALOFA – Tonga on Sunday marked one year since three people died in a devastating volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami that caused widespread destruction, with the Pacific nation steadily progressing in rebuilding damaged homes and infrastructure.
The eruption of the undersea Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano in January last year was one of the largest recorded in the modern era, sending tsunami across the Pacific Ocean and causing extensive damage to homes, infrastructure and disruption to water supplies and communication networks in Tonga.
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Youth tournaments banning angry coaches spread to multiple sports
NIIGATA, Japan – Youth tournaments where coaches cannot vent their anger at children have increased in popularity and encompassed a growing number of sports since debuting in Japan in 2015.
Former Japan women’s volleyball player Naomi Masuko spearheaded the first such tournament in the hope of creating a better sporting environment for youths who may otherwise have borne the brunt of abusive coaching.
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Japan startups team with farmers to put tech to work in agriculture
TOKYO – From robots to artificial intelligence and blockchain-based marketing, technological innovation is increasingly being harnessed in Japan to improve farming methods and create a more sustainable industry.
Among those embracing the digital trend is Metagri-Labo, a community launched in March 2022 that aims to merge agriculture and blockchain technology to increase farming revenues while revitalizing regional areas.
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Snowboarding: Taiga Hasegawa gets win in 1st Japan big air podium sweep
KREISCHBERG, Austria – Taiga Hasegawa led the first-ever Japanese sweep of an FIS snowboard big air World Cup podium Saturday.
The 17-year-old Hasegawa won his maiden World Cup title with 186.00 points as the 2022-23 big air season came to a close in Kreischberg, Austria.
