Tokyo, 24 January, /AJMEDIA/
Japan ruling party-backed Nago mayor defeats anti-U.S. base transfer rival
NAHA, Japan – Incumbent Taketoyo Toguchi won a second term as Nago mayor in the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa on Sunday, in a relief for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida who is pushing for the controversial relocation of a U.S. military base to the city’s coastal area.
Toguchi, 60, backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, defeated anti-relocation candidate Yohei Kishimoto in the election, dealing a setback to local efforts to thwart the base construction by the national government.
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Japan to expand quasi-emergency areas as virus cases continue surging
TOKYO – The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to place more prefectures under a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency as the number of cases continues surging, government sources said Sunday.
The decision, likely to be formalized Tuesday, may see 32 of the nation’s 47 prefectures under restrictions, such as shortened hours at restaurants and bars. While the measures are already in place in 16 prefectures including Tokyo, 16 more prefectures, including Hokkaido, Kyoto and Osaka, have requested or plan to request the inclusion of their regions.
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New U.S. envoy Emanuel arrives in Japan to further bolster alliance
TOKYO – The new U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, arrived in Japan on Sunday, filling a key post that has been vacant for more than two years and taking on the crucial task of enhancing their countries’ alliance amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
The 62-year-old former top aide to former President Barack Obama is known for his close ties with President Joe Biden.
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Kishida Cabinet’s approval rating at 55.9%, down 4.1 points: Kyodo poll
TOKYO – The approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stood at 55.9 percent, down 4.1 points from the previous survey in December, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, as Japan grapples with recent surges in COVID-19 infections driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The two-day telephone survey through Sunday found the disapproval rate was up 2.5 points to 25.2 percent and also showed that 89.7 percent plan to refrain from dining and traveling in the wake of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
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Singapore-bound plane returns to Japan after pilot falls ill
CHIBA, Japan – A Singapore-bound plane returned to Narita airport near Tokyo on Sunday after the pilot fell ill, Japan’s transport ministry officials said.
None of the 41 passengers and crew onboard Air Japan Co.’s Flight 801 was hurt. The plane landed back at the airport at 9:10 p.m., after the pilot complained of stomach problems when the plane was flying above western Japan past 8 p.m.
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Sumo: Mitakeumi makes case for ozeki promotion with 3rd championship
TOKYO – Sekiwake Mitakeumi won the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, beating yokozuna Terunofuji to capture his third career championship and earn consideration for promotion to ozeki.
Needing a win to avoid a three-way championship playoff with the yokozuna and No. 6 maegashira Abi, Mitakeumi defeated Terunofuji (11-4) for just the fifth time in 17 career bouts, forcing him out for his 13th win in the 15-day tourney at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.
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Home run record holder Balentien leaves Japanese baseball
TOKYO – Japanese pro baseball’s single-season home run record holder, Wladimir Balentien, announced on his Twitter account Sunday that he is leaving Japanese baseball.
The 37-year-old Balentien hit 301 homers in Japan, including a record 60 in 2013. He played the last two seasons for the Pacific League’s SoftBank Hawks, who released him in October, and had expressed an interest in playing for another team.
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Snowboarding: Japan’s Tomita claims 1st X Games women’s halfpipe title
ASPEN, Colorado – Japan’s Beijing Olympian Sena Tomita won her 1st X Games snowboard halfpipe championship Saturday, when compatriot Haruna Matsumoto was third for the third straight event.
Tomita landed a front-side 1080 with a tail grab in her third run, finishing ahead of Spanish runner-up Queralt Castellet to secure her first major title abroad. Fellow Japanese Beijing Olympian Kurumi Imai came fourth.
