News On Japan

Harris opposes sale of U.S. Steel to Japan's Nippon Steel

Sep 03 (Kyodo) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday she is against the planned acquisition of United States Steel Corp. by Japan's largest steelmaker, promising to build an economy that is good for working-class people, as her race for the White House against Donald Trump heads into the final stretch.

Regarding Nippon Steel Corp.'s plan, Harris, the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, said at a Labor Day campaign rally in Pittsburgh that the U.S. producer should remain domestically owned and operated.

Harris, hoping to shore up support from blue-collar workers, attended the event with President Joe Biden, who abandoned his bid for a second term in July. While vowing to further strengthen the country's manufacturing sector, she called U.S. Steel a "historic company." ...continue reading

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A first-generation Hermes Birkin bag has been sold at a Paris auction for approximately 1.47 billion yen, marking the highest price ever paid for a handbag. The winning bidder was a Japanese collector, and the sale was held by Sotheby’s.

The National Police Agency has announced a plan to tighten regulations on converting foreign driver's licenses to Japanese licenses—a process known as "gaimen kirikae"—by no longer allowing short-term visitors such as tourists to apply.

A sudden swarm of dragonflies blanketed the skies over a residential area in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, stunning local residents and prompting reactions ranging from unease to delight.

The Ground Self-Defense Force has deployed its first V-22 Osprey to a newly opened base in Saga, with all 17 aircraft to be relocated from Chiba by mid-August as part of Japan’s shift to strengthen defense in the southwest region.

Japan’s position on its handling of World Cultural Heritage sites, including Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) in Nagasaki City, has been upheld by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which rejected South Korea’s demand for a renewed review of Japan’s efforts.

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Rakuten Group has filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, claiming that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' decision to effectively ban reward points from the furusato nozei (hometown tax donation program) starting in October is unlawful.

Nissan Motor, which has been grappling with sluggish business performance, is set to delay the production of two electric vehicle models it had planned to launch in the United States. The affected models are sport utility vehicles originally scheduled to be produced at the company’s Mississippi plant starting in 2028. The company did not disclose a new timeline for the start of production.

Japan Post’s improper vehicle safety checks have sparked wider concerns, with more than 30,000 vehicles now potentially subject to suspension—raising fears that Yu-Pack deliveries could also be affected.

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau has pointed out that an asset management company wholly owned by Yusaku Maezawa, founder of online fashion retailer ZOZO, failed to report approximately 400 million yen in income.

Japan’s current account surplus for May reached a record 3.4364 trillion yen, up 16.5% from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Finance. This marked the fourth consecutive month of surplus.

As rice prices across Japan continue to remain high, major convenience store chain Lawson has begun selling rice balls made exclusively with aged rice for the first time, starting on July 9th.

According to Teikoku Databank, the number of corporate bankruptcies across Japan in the first half of this year reached 5,003 cases, surpassing the previous year's total for the third consecutive year.

The announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that a 25% tariff will be imposed on imports from Japan has drawn strong reaction from Prime Minister Ishiba, who said during a government task force meeting that the move is "deeply regrettable."