Tokyo, 17 January, /AJMEDIA/
U.S., Japanese leaders to meet virtually on Fri.: White House
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida virtually on Friday, the White House said, as the two countries seek to further deepen their ties amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
The announcement came after Kishida, who took office in October, gave up on visiting the United States for in-person talks with Biden before the Japanese parliament starts its regular session Monday, deciding to focus on the COVID-19 response at home instead.
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Japan’s Nov. machinery orders rise 3.4% on month
TOKYO – Japan’s core private-sector machinery orders rose 3.4 percent in November from the previous month, government data showed Monday.
The orders, which exclude those for ships and from electricity utilities due to their volatility, totaled 900.3 billion yen ($7.9 billion), according to the Cabinet Office.
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Japan sees tsunami but no major damage after Tonga volcano eruption
TOKYO – Japan saw tsunami waves of about 1 meter high in coastal areas on Sunday but no major damage or flooding after the eruption of an underwater volcano off Tonga led to evacuation orders for nearly 230,000 citizens.
Japan’s weather agency issued tsunami warnings and advisories in the early hours for the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Okinawa, but these were all lifted in the afternoon, after around 14 hours.
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Tennis star Djokovic deported after losing 2nd court battle
SYDNEY – Tennis star Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia on Sunday, just a day before the Australian Open, after losing a second legal challenge against the cancellation of his visa as an unvaccinated player.
The Serbian player departed from Melbourne airport on a flight to Dubai late Sunday, hours after Federal Court of Australia judges upheld the cancellation unanimously, according to local media.
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Japan’s daily COVID-19 cases top 20,000 for 3rd day in row
TOKYO – Japan’s confirmed daily coronavirus cases on Sunday topped 20,000 for the third consecutive day, as the country continues to battle with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The tally comes a day after new infections nationwide almost reached the record high number of 25,992 registered on Aug. 20 last year, when the country was reeling from the worst of the fifth wave of infections.
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N. Korea freight train arrives in China’s Dandong after long hiatus
BEIJING – A freight train from North Korea arrived in China’s border city of Dandong on Sunday after a long interval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said, but it remains uncertain whether the two countries will resume trade in a full-fledged manner anytime soon.
North Korea, which claims no COVID-19 cases have been found in the country, has cut off land traffic to and from China due to worries that the virus, first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, could enter its territory.
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S. Korea, Taiwan expected to top Japan in GDP per capita in 2027, 2028
TOKYO – Japan’s gross domestic product per capita will fall behind that of South Korea in 2027 and Taiwan in 2028, according to a recent projection by a Tokyo-based research institute, citing long-term low productivity on the back of slow progress in digitalization of the world’s third-largest economy.
The inflation-unadjusted nominal GDP, the total value of goods and services produced in the nation, per person is projected at $46,519 in South Korea in 2027 and $47,305 in Taiwan in 2028, compared to the $45,607 and $46,443 forecast for Japan in the respective years, according to estimates released last month by the Japan Center for Economic Research or JCER.
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Sumo: Mitakeumi beats Daieisho, stays 1 win clear of Terunofuji
TOKYO – Unbeaten sekiwake Mitakeumi overpowered komusubi Daieisho at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday to stay one win ahead of yokozuna Terunofuji atop the leaderboard.
Ozeki aspirant Mitakeumi (8-0) became the first wrestler to register a winning record for the 15-day tournament with a composed performance against Daieisho, champion of last January’s New Year meet.