Society

Abe, Trump to aim to sign trade deal next month

Aug 26 (NHK) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump have agreed to seek the conclusion and signing of a trade deal at a bilateral summit next month.

The two leaders met for talks in France on Sunday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit.

They agreed to meet again during a UN General Assembly session late next month.

During Sunday's meeting, Abe welcomed an agreement reached on Friday on important industrial and agricultural issues between Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan's minister in charge of trade negotiations with US and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Abe said the officials reached the agreement after negotiations based on a Japan-US joint statement issued last September.

Abe said that with many issues still to be worked out at working levels, he wants to accelerate relevant discussions toward concluding an agreement.

Abe said he is glad that negotiations have made reciprocal progress, and believes the deal will be beneficial for both countries.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

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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

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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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