Tokyo, 29 November, /AJMEDIA/
Kishida orders funds to raise Japan’s defense budget to 2% of GDP
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday instructed his defense and finance ministers to secure funds to increase Japan’s defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product in fiscal 2027.
Japan has long capped its annual defense spending at about 1 percent of GDP, or over 5 trillion yen ($36 billion). The Defense Ministry has said 48 trillion yen will be required for the next five years to improve the country’s defense capabilities amid China’s growing military strength and North Korea’s missile development.
———-
Rare protest against “zero-COVID” policy erupts in central Beijing
BEIJING – About 1,000 people marched in central Beijing through the early hours of Monday, protesting China’s strict “zero-COVID” policy, with some openly seeking an end to the “dictatorship” of President Xi Jinping — a rare show of public anger in the tightly controlled country.
It was the first major demonstration in the capital since Xi came to power in 2012. Similar protests erupted in Shanghai and about a dozen other Chinese cities over the weekend, according to witnesses and videos on social media, reflecting rising public anger over prolonged heavy coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns amid a spike in infections.
———-
Ad agency Hakuhodo searched as Olympic bid-rigging probe widens
TOKYO – Japanese prosecutors and a fair trade watchdog on Monday searched offices including the headquarters of major advertising agency Hakuhodo Inc. on suspicion of rigging bids for contracts related to test events for last year’s Tokyo Olympics, just days after raiding another ad giant over the case.
The latest searches, also covering Tokyu Agency Inc. and two event production companies, were conducted as investigations related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have expanded from a scandal involving the alleged receipt by a former games organizing committee executive, Haruyuki Takahashi, of 200 million yen ($1.4 million) in bribes from five companies.
———-
Japan’s Oct. jobless rate unchanged at 2.6%
TOKYO – Japan’s unemployment rate stood at 2.6 percent in October, unchanged from the previous month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said Tuesday.
The job availability ratio rose 0.01 point from September to 1.35 in October, meaning there were 135 job openings for every 100 job seekers, according to separate data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
———-
WHO renames monkeypox to avoid stigma
GENEVA – The World Health Organization on Monday renamed the viral disease monkeypox as “mpox” due to concerns about racism and stigmatization.
The new name will be used “simultaneously for one year” while the old one is phased out, the WHO said in a statement.
———-
French man desperate to find clues on missing sister in Japan
UTSUNOMIYA, Japan – The brother of a French woman who went missing in 2018 from Nikko, a popular tourist destination north of Tokyo, is back in Japan for the first time in about three years and desperately searching for any clues about her.
“It has been hard seeing time pass without knowing whether she is alive,” said Damien Veron, who will be staying in the country until mid-December.
———-
Filmmaker released from Myanmar urges Japan to condemn junta
TOKYO – A Japanese filmmaker recently released from detainment in a Myanmar prison called on Monday for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government to use its economic influence to condemn the repression perpetrated by the military junta.
Citing Japan’s significant presence in Myanmar due to its economic ties with the coup-hit country, Toru Kubota urged the government to push for the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other people detained unjustly and the establishment of a democratic government.
———-
Lawson opens 1st avatar-staffed convenience store in Tokyo
TOKYO – Lawson Inc. opened Monday its first futuristic convenience store in Tokyo staffed by “avatars” remotely controlled by employees, making it possible for even those with mobility issues to enter the workforce.
The chain’s first “Green Lawson,” located in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, promotes an environmentally friendly lifestyle by eliminating the sale of plastic bags, and discontinuing the provision of disposable forks and straws to customers starting Jan. 10.
