Latest Tokyo News

Ishiba survived a rare runoff to remain Japan's prime minister but will face turmoil

Nov. 12, 2024 06:42 AM EST

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, battered in parliamentary elections last month, has survived a rare runoff vote against the opposition to remain the country's leader but he still faces turmoil ahead. One of his top priorities is dealing with the aftermath of a...

Japan's SoftBank returns to profit after gains at Vision Fund and other investments

Nov. 12, 2024 05:22 AM EST

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese technology group SoftBank swung back to profitability in the July-September quarter, boosted by positive results in its Vision Fund investments. Tokyo-based SoftBank Group Corp. reported Tuesday a fiscal second quarter profit of nearly 1.18 trillion yen ($7.7...

Sony: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Nov. 08, 2024 05:09 AM EST

TOKYO (AP) — TOKYO (AP) — Sony Corp. (SONY) on Friday reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $2.28 billion. The Tokyo-based company said it had profit of 37 cents per share. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts...

Japan's defense chief steps aboard visiting South Korean warship as the two nations strengthen ties

Nov. 07, 2024 12:29 PM EST

TOKYO (AP) — Japan' s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani was welcomed aboard a South Korean warship during its port call near Tokyo on Wednesday, a first for a Japanese defense chief, as the two countries step up security ties against a backdrop of growing tension in the region. ...

Japan plans automated cargo transport system to relieve shortage of drivers and cut emissions

Nov. 02, 2024 01:27 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan is planning to build an automated cargo transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed a “conveyor belt road” by the government, to make up for a shortage of truck drivers. The amount of funding for the project is not yet set. But it's seen as one key...

Olympic medalist race walker Koki Ikeda of Japan suspended in doping investigation

Nov. 01, 2024 12:57 PM EDT

MONACO (AP) — Olympic silver medalist race walker Koki Ikeda of Japan has been provisionally banned for suspected blood doping, track and field’s Athletics Integrity Unit said on Friday. Ikeda was second in the 20-kilometer event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and placed seventh...

TEPCO ex-chair at time of Fukushima nuclear disaster dies at 84 while on trial over responsibility

Oct. 31, 2024 02:13 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' former chairperson, who led the emergency response after a meltdown at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and was accused of being responsible for failing to prevent the disaster as top management, has died, with his trials still pending. He...

A second high court rules that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional

Oct. 30, 2024 07:58 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — A second Japanese high court ruled Wednesday that the government's policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest in a series of decisions upholding plaintiffs' demands for marriage equality. The Tokyo High Court called the ongoing ban “a...

Shohei Ohtani's rural hometown honors its superstar son -- from city hall to the hair salons

Oct. 29, 2024 20:42 PM EDT

OSHU CITY, Japan (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's hometown in northern Japan is a rural place, famous for its high-quality Maesawa beef, its history of making traditional ironware and the intense green hills and mountains that surround it. Japanese call such places “inaka” — roughly...

What does a shocking parliamentary loss for Japan's long-ruling party mean?

Oct. 29, 2024 03:39 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s ruling party and its junior partner lost their majority in Sunday’s parliamentary election. The loss, much bigger than expected, is bad news for a leader who's only been in power for a month. It's largely a reflection of...