Tokyo, 31 August, /AJMEDIA/
Japan to increase COVID entry cap on arrivals to 50,000 from Sept. 7
TOKYO – Japan will raise its daily entry cap on arrivals to 50,000 from the current 20,000 from Sept. 7 in a further easing of strict COVID-19 border controls, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday.
With the country lagging behind other major economies in opening its doors to inbound tourism, foreign tourists will no longer need to travel on tours with a guide, Kishida said.
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110 tril. yen sought for Japan FY 2023 budget, defense costs to rise
TOKYO – General-account budget requests by Japan’s ministries and agencies for fiscal 2023 totaled over 110 trillion yen ($790 billion), with defense spending likely to hit a record high, a Kyodo News tally found Wednesday.
The requests for the year starting in April marked the first drop in five years from a record 111.66 trillion yen sought for fiscal 2022, but they are set to increase further due to additional costs to address higher commodity prices and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Toyota to invest up to 730 bil. yen in EV battery production
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it plans to invest up to 730 billion yen ($5.6 billion) to produce batteries for electric vehicles in Japan and the United States.
Toyota said it aims to begin battery production between 2024 and 2026. The automaker will spend about 400 billion yen on facilities in Japan, while about 325 billion yen will be earmarked for a Toyota plant in North Carolina.
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Kishida vows to sever LDP’s ties with Unification Church
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday his Liberal Democratic Party will require its lawmakers to sever ties with the Unification Church, which has come under the spotlight following the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe in early July.
Kishida also told a press conference that he will answer questions in parliament on the government’s decision to hold a state funeral for Abe. Opposition parties had urged Kishida to do so as the public remains divided over holding such an event for Abe, who often stirred controversy with his policies as prime minister.
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Arizona governor latest among U.S. officials visiting Taiwan
WASHINGTON/TAIPEI – The governor of Arizona arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, his office and the self-ruled island’s Foreign Ministry said, making him the latest U.S. official to travel there despite China’s warnings against such visits.
Gov. Doug Ducey will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and people in the semiconductor industry during a three-day visit, the ministry said in a statement. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., a world-leading chip maker, is currently building a $12 billion factory in Arizona, aiming to begin production in 2024.
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China’s drills around Taiwan endanger regional peace: gov’t report
TAIPEI – China’s large-scale military exercises held around Taiwan earlier in August threatened the island’s security, as well as peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, a report submitted by the Defense Ministry to the legislature showed Wednesday.
The report on the military power of the People’s Republic of China submitted to the Legislative Yuan, a copy of which was obtained by Kyodo News, is a review of military and security developments in China, including updates to last year’s version.
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PM Kishida says ex-Soviet leader Gorbachev was man of “strategic vision”
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday offered condolences over the death of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, describing him as a man of “strategic vision” and “bold execution skills.”
Kishida praised Gorbachev, the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, for his role in bringing about a historic agreement with the United States on reducing nuclear weapons. He also lauded him for playing a part in overcoming post-World War II divisions in Europe and ending the Cold War.
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Osaka learning painful lessons, playing rest of season by ear
NEW YORK – Japan’s former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka says she has no plans for the rest of what has been an injury-plagued season after Tuesday’s first-round U.S. Open exit.
“I’m more of like a winging-it type of person, so I’m never the type that really has a full set plan. I think I will just take it day by day,” Osaka told a press conference when asked if she might just focus on rehabbing for next year.
