Society

Abe, Canada's Justin Trudeau extol TPP trade pact without U.S.

Apr 30 (Japan Times) - Canadian and Japanese leaders on Sunday jointly trumpeted a rebooted Pacific trade pact that came into effect at the start of the year, without the United States.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (or CPTPP) removed trade barriers among 11 nations representing nearly 500 million consumers in the Asia-Pacific region in a bid to counter Chinaâ€™s growing economic influence.

U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2017 before it was ratified.

At a joint press conference in Ottawa, visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his host, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said the pact has â€œbenefitted tremendouslyâ€ citizens and businesses of member nations, including Canada and Japan.

â€œContinuing to move forward on freer and more open trade according to the rules that we can all agree on is something that we need more in the world,â€ Trudeau said.

The CPTPP â€œstands in stark contrastâ€ to rising protectionism sparked by the United States, he said, noting that Canadian beef exports to Japan have tripled in recent months â€œwhile the Americans do not have that kind of access.â€

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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