Honda and Mazda Respond Fully to Spring Wage Offensive

TOKYO, Feb 21 (News On Japan) - In this year's Shunto (spring wage negotiations), Honda and Mazda provided full responses to their labor unions on the 21st, marking the earliest responses among major automakers. Both companies plan to implement wage increases at a high level, and the focus is on whether this trend will spread further.

During this year's Shunto, Honda's labor union demanded a wage increase amounting to 20,000 yen per month, which represents the highest level in 32 years when combining base pay increases and regular wage hikes. In addition, they demanded a one-time bonus equivalent to 7.1 months of salary, which would be the highest ever. On the 21st, during the second round of labor-management negotiations, the company fully met the union's demands, acknowledging issues such as rising prices. The company aims to lead the direction of labor-management negotiations within its group companies.

On the other hand, Mazda responded fully on the 21st to the labor union's demand for a combined wage increase of 16,000 yen per month, which includes the equivalent of a base pay hike and regular wage increases. This represents the largest wage increase since the current personnel system was established in 2003. As both companies are the earliest responders among major automakers, with each company's labor union demanding high-level wage increases, the focus is now on whether this movement will continue to expand.

Source: NHK

Typhoon No. 22 Forecast to Approach South of Japan Before Turning East

As of 7:30 a.m. on October 7th, satellite images showed Typhoon No. 22 (Halong) rapidly developing as it moved northward, with its eye becoming increasingly distinct. Earlier in the morning, dry air had surrounded the center, but by this time the area was fully covered by thick cloud bands, indicating significant strengthening. By 9 a.m., the typhoon had reached “strong” intensity, with maximum sustained winds near the center reaching 35 meters per second and a central pressure of 975 hectopascals. The system was moving due north at around 15 kilometers per hour.

Magnitude 4.9 Quake Off Fukushima, No Tsunami Warning Issued

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Trump Congratulates Japan on First Female Prime Minister Takaichi

Former U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to congratulate Japan following the selection of its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, writing that "Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength.” While Trump did not name Takaichi directly, his post came as she assumed leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and was set to be formally elected as prime minister.

Osaka University Professor Sakaguchi Wins Nobel Prize

Osaka University’s Shimon Sakaguchi, a specially appointed professor, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking work in immunology. Sakaguchi is best known for discovering “regulatory T cells,” a type of immune cell that suppresses excessive immune responses, a finding that has had far-reaching implications in medical science.

Driver In Training Behind Tokyu Line Collision That Caused Train Derailment

A collision occurred on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line on the night of October 5th when a local train attempting to arrive at Kajigaya Station in Kawasaki City struck a stationary out-of-service train, causing several cars of the latter to derail. Investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board arrived at the scene on the morning of October 6th to begin examining the cause of the accident.

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