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Nikkei extends rally to 4th straight day; another 29-year high

Nov 28 (Japan Today) - Tokyo stocks ended higher Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei extending its rally to a fourth straight day and renewing a 29-year high, as buying in real estate and high-tech shares wiped out initial losses on the yen's rise.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 107.40 points, or 0.40 percent, from Thursday at 26,644.71, its highest closing since April 18, 1991. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 8.27 points, or 0.47 percent, higher at 1,786.52.

Other gainers included nonferrous metal, pharmaceutical and electric appliance issues.

The U.S. dollar slid to the upper 103 yen range amid rising concern over a recent resurgence of coronavirus infections in Japan. Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the country's virus response, suggested at a press conference Thursday that the government could declare another state of emergency if the infection situation worsens.

Stock trading was volatile during the day, but the Nikkei managed to reverse course and edged up in the afternoon after it was under pressure from the strong yen, which erodes Japanese companies' overseas profits when repatriated.

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Japan’s Diet elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s 104th prime minister on October 21st, making her the first woman to lead Japan and signaling a sharp shift to the right following a turbulent political season marked by party upheavals, coalition realignments, and public frustration over economic stagnation.

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) is strengthening over the South China Sea and is expected to make landfall in Vietnam later this week, according to forecasts. Satellite images on October 201st show extensive cloud coverage over the central South China Sea. After passing over the Philippines, Fung-shen temporarily weakened but is projected to intensify again as it continues westward through Tuesday.

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

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The October issue of the long-established American lifestyle magazine Town & Country features Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, on the cover under the headline "Princess Ingognito," dedicating a six-page spread to Komuro and her husband Kei, exploring their life in the United States.

Police have arrested a former host and several associates for allegedly coercing female customers into sex work after exploiting their romantic feelings and saddling them with massive debts.

A violent attack early on October 20th in Ibaraki Town, Ibaraki Prefecture left one man dead and another injured after they were stabbed with what appeared to be a bladed weapon inside an apartment. Police are investigating the case as a murder.

A woman in her 40s suffered a serious injury after being trapped in a mechanical parking system in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on October 19th.

A former pet shop owner convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting several female employees and sentenced to 30 years in prison appealed his case at the Fukuoka High Court on October 14th, again claiming that the acts were consensual.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

A Brazilian man has been arrested and indicted for smuggling cocaine into Japan by swallowing the drugs and concealing them inside his body.

Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for a man accused of killing three family members and seriously injuring another with a crossbow in 2020 in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture.