Dolphin attacks injure 18 at Japanese beaches this summer

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) - A series of dolphin attacks at beaches in Japan's central Fukui Prefecture has resulted in 18 injuries this summer, marking a significant increase from previous years, Kyodo News reported on Sunday. The Tsuruga Coast Guard Office said that the incidents, which began in 2022, have escalated rapidly. Among the injured was an elementary school student whose finger required extensive stitching and a month to heal. Experts suggest that a single Indo-

August 26, 2024

Japan to launch project identifying frequent medical visitors among welfare recipients

SEOUL, August 23 (AJU PRESS) - Japan's health ministry plans to implement a model project to swiftly identify welfare recipients who frequently visit the same medical institutions, using an online system linked to personal identification numbers, the Japan Times reported on Thursday. The initiative aims to provide necessary support and guidance to individuals before their medical visits become excessive. The project will utilize an online system containing information such as

August 23, 2024

Italian aircraft carrier makes maiden visit to Japan

SEOUL, August 23 (AJU PRESS) - Italy's flagship aircraft carrier Cavour docked at a Japanese naval base on Thursday, marking its first-ever visit to Japan as the European nation aims to expand its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, Kyodo News reported. The Cavour, accompanied by the frigate Alpino, arrived at the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. The vessels are set to engage in joint exercises with Japanese forces during their five-day stay.

August 23, 2024

Japanese cartoonist of atomic bomb manga inducted into U.S. comics hall of fame

SEOUL, August 22 (AJU PRESS) - Keiji Nakazawa, the creator of "Hadashi no Gen" (Barefoot Gen), a seminal manga depicting the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, has been posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame on Thursday, Kyodo News reported. Nakazawa, who survived the bombing at age six, lost several family members in the attack. His autobiographical work, first published in 1973, has been widely translated and used as an educational tool to te

August 22, 2024

Japan businessman indicted in China on espionage charges

SEOUL, August 22 (AJU PRESS) - A Japanese businessman detained in Beijing since March 2023 on suspicion of espionage has been indicted by Chinese prosecutors, potentially prolonging his time in custody, Kyodo News reported. The man, an executive at Astellas Pharma Inc's local subsidiary and former senior official of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, was detained on March 20, 2023, just before his scheduled return to Japan. He was formally arrested in Octobe

August 22, 2024

Japanese students call for nuclear disarmament at U.N. conference

SEOUL, August 21 (AJU PRESS) - A delegation of 22 Japanese high school students attended the United Nations disarmament conference in Geneva on Tuesday, submitting signatures advocating for the abolition of nuclear weapons, Kyodo News reported. The students, aged 15 to 18, were selected as peace ambassadors by a Nagasaki-based civic organization. They met with Carolyne-Melanie Regimbal, chief of service at the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs' Geneva branch, to present their

August 21, 2024

Japan, India agree to deepen cooperation on space, cybersecurity

SEOUL, August 21 (AJU PRESS) - Japan and India have agreed to enhance their cooperation in the areas of outer space and cybersecurity, according to a joint statement issued after the two countries' "two-plus-two" talks on Tuesday, Kyodo News reported. The statement said the foreign and defense ministers of the two nations had decided to update a 2008 declaration on security cooperation, which is expected to be signed when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japa

August 21, 2024

Nintendo to open its first museum in Kyoto in October

SEOUL, August 20 (AJU PRESS) - Nintendo Co. announced on Tuesday that it will inaugurate its first-ever museum on Oct. 2 in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. The facility, housed in a renovated factory dating back to 1969, will showcase vintage video games and feature interactive exhibits, the Japan Times reported. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario Bros, said in a video release that the museum aims to highlight "Nintendo's commitment to manufacturing that places importance

August 20, 2024

Japan's ruling party to elect Kishida successor on Sept. 27

SEOUL, August 20 (AJU PRESS) - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced on Tuesday that it will hold its presidential election on Sept. 27 to choose a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who unexpectedly declared last week he would not seek reelection, Kyodo News reported. The LDP, which controls both houses of parliament, has set a 15-day campaigning period beginning Sept. 12, extending it from the 12 days allotted in the 2021 contest. This extension is se

August 20, 2024

Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo targeted by graffiti again

SEOUL, August 19 (AJU PRESS) - Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine was hit by another graffiti attack early Monday, prompting a police investigation, Kyodo News reported. A shrine employee discovered Chinese characters and Latin alphabet letters, including the word 'toilet' in Chinese, written in black on a stone pillar at the entrance around 3:50 a.m. local time. The incident follows a similar defacement in June, when the word 'toilet' was spray-painted in red

August 19, 2024