Tokyo, 3 June, /AJMEDIA/
Toyota admits to improper vehicle testing as quality scandal widens
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. admitted Monday to improperly obtaining vehicle certifications for seven car models by carrying out safety tests in ways not specified by the government, in a renewed blow to the company following a recent spate of quality scandals at its group firms.
Similar instances of misconduct were also found at Honda Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp., and Yamaha Motor Co., according to the transport ministry.
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NTT Docomo to commercialize flying telecom bases in 2026
TOKYO – Japan’s largest mobile carrier NTT Docomo Inc. said Monday it aims to commercialize high-altitude platform services in 2026 to establish a system that can quickly restore connectivity in the event of disruptions caused by earthquakes or other disasters.
NTT Docomo said it will lead a consortium of Japanese businesses to invest up to $100 million in a subsidiary of European aerospace giant Airbus SE to leverage its technology for operating such platform stations in the stratosphere for long periods.
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Sharp, KDDI eye launch of large-scale AI data center in Osaka Pref.
OSAKA – Sharp Corp. and Japanese telecom giant KDDI Corp. plan to launch one of the largest artificial intelligence data centers in Asia by converting the electronics maker’s liquid crystal display panel plant in Osaka Prefecture, the companies said Monday.
The data center is expected to be equipped with next-generation graphics processing units from U.S. semiconductor giant Nvidia Corp., according to a plan agreed upon by the two firms plus Japanese system development firm Datasection Inc. and U.S. tech firm Super Micro Computer Inc.
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Golf: Yuka Saso wins U.S. Women’s Open title for 2nd time
LANCASTER, Pennsylvania – Yuka Saso ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to win her second U.S. Women’s Open title Sunday, becoming the first Japanese golfer to win two golf majors.
The 22-year-old Philippines-born Saso, who previously won the major in 2021, overcame a three-shot deficit she had at the start of the day with a 2-under 68 for a 4-under 276 total, putting her three strokes clear of second-place Hinako Shibuno, also of Japan.
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M6.0 quake hits Noto Peninsula in central Japan, no tsunami threat
TOKYO – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan on Monday, the same area that was severely damaged by a powerful quake on New Year’s Day, with no tsunami warning issued, Japan’s weather agency said.
The 6:31 a.m. quake occurred at a depth of around 10 kilometers and registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the cities of Wajima and Suzu, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The magnitude was revised to 6.0 from 5.9.
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Chinese man suspected of graffitiing word “toilet” at Yasukuni shrine
TOKYO – A Chinese national who has already left Japan is suspected of spray-painting the word “toilet” in English on a stone pillar at the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo last week, investigative sources said Monday.
The graffiti was discovered on a pillar bearing the name of the shrine near its entrance on early Saturday morning. Two pieces of paper with the messages “People of the world, unite” and “But not you guys” in Chinese were also found near a guardian lion-dog statue on the premises.
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Oppenheimer grandson calls for dialogue over geopolitical risks
TOKYO – The grandson of physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the U.S. atomic bombs used against Japan at the end of World War II, underscored the need for dialogue between major nuclear states during a visit to Tokyo on Monday.
Charles Oppenheimer emphasized his opposition to nuclear weapons at a press conference, noting that amid heightening geopolitical tensions the world is “entering a new phase of more danger than ever before.”
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Former Empress Michiko tests positive for COVID, symptoms light
TOKYO – Former Empress Michiko has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and has light symptoms, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday.
The 89-year-old has a cough and discomfort in her throat and is recuperating at her residence, the Sento Imperial Palace, in Tokyo, the agency said. Her husband, former Emperor Akihito, 90, tested negative for COVID-19, it said.
