Tokyo, 05 October, /AJMEDIA/
Japan to buy Tomahawks from U.S. in FY 2025, 1 yr sooner than planned
WASHINGTON – Japan will start procuring Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States in fiscal 2025, a year earlier than initially planned, in response to the worsening Asian security environment, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Wednesday.
Kihara, who took up his new post in a Cabinet reshuffle in mid-September, made the announcement when he met the press in Washington after holding his first face-to-face talks with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin.
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Land minister sues Okinawa gov. over U.S. base landfill plan
TOKYO – Japan’s land minister on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Okinawa governor, seeking to proceed with the central government’s modified plan for landfill work for the relocation of a key U.S. base within the southern island prefecture.
The suit filed at the Fukuoka High Court’s Naha branch is part of the central government’s attempt to enable the land minister, instead of the Okinawa governor, to approve modifications to the project to reinforce soft ground at the designated relocation site of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
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Japan begins 2nd round of Fukushima treated water discharge
TOKYO – The second round of the discharge of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea began Thursday, the plant operator said, after a spat over it quickly escalated between Japan and China.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said it plans to eject about 460 tons of treated water per day about 1 kilometer off the coast via an underwater tunnel for less than three weeks.
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Campaigning begins for upper house by-election in western Japan
TOKYO – Official campaigning commenced Thursday for a House of Councillors by-election in western Japan, the first national contest since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revamped his Cabinet last month in a bid to re-energize his political base.
The upper house race in the Tokushima-Kochi district kicked off before campaigning for a House of Representatives by-election starts next Tuesday. The two by-elections on Oct. 22 are expected to be one-on-one battles between the ruling and opposition forces.
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M6.5 quake triggers small tsunami in Japan’s Izu islands in Pacific
TOKYO – Small tsunami waves arrived in parts of Japan’s Izu island chain following an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning, with no damage reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for the island chain after the quake was detected at around 11:00 a.m., predicting 1-meter waves would reach the area. Tsunami waves as high as 30 centimeters were measured at Hachijo Island at 12:17 p.m.
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Tokyo stocks snap 5-day losing streak on bargain-hunting
TOKYO – Tokyo stocks rebounded sharply Thursday, snapping a five-day losing streak on bargain-hunting, with sentiment lifted by advances in U.S. and other Asian markets.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 548.48 points, or 1.80 percent, from Wednesday at 31,075.36. The broader Topix index finished 44.87 points, or 2.02 percent, higher at 2,263.76.
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Mt. Fuji gets season’s 1st snowcap, 5 days later than last year
KOFU, Japan – Mt. Fuji sported its first snowcap of the season on Thursday, five days later than last year and three days later than an average year, a local weather agency said.
An official of the Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory in Yamanashi Prefecture observed a layer of snow on the summit of the 3,776-meter mountain around 7:30 a.m.
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Japan, eight ASEAN nations to bolster cybersecurity collaboration
TOKYO – Japan and eight Association of Southeast Asian Nations members agreed Thursday to bolster private sector cybersecurity collaboration, with 2023 marking 50 years of Japan-ASEAN friendship and cooperation.
The commitment was made at the International Conference on ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Community in Tokyo, which gathered various stakeholders, including nongovernmental organizations, amid growing concern over China’s alleged involvement in various hacking activities.