Society

Japan's next PM Fumio Kishida is a 'safe choice'

Oct 01 (Sky News Australia) - ANU Australia-Japan Research Centre Director Shiro Armstrong says Japan’s next prime minister, Fumio Kishida, is “seen as a consensus builder within the party”, which is why he was elected over the more popular candidates.

Japan’s ruling party has elected Fumio Kishida as its new leader, paving the way for him to become the country's next prime minister.

“I think we can expect continuity, no big changes, so, as I mentioned, he’s a safe choice, in fact, he was a foreign minister for a long time,” Mr Armstrong told Sky News Australia.

“He’s stable and with the Quad for example, we can expect continuity of course he’s strongly locked in but also on China, interestingly, he has been quite clear.

“He is expanding, defence expanding, a priority for him he’s made clear is managing that China relationship.”

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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