15,000 nuisance calls a day to Japanese Embassy in China

Oct 20, 2023 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Hideo Taru, Japan's ambassador to China, says the Japanese embassy still receives 15,000 nuisance calls a day, and is calling for Sino-Japanese relations to regain rationality.

Speaking at a forum discussing Sino-Japanese relations, the ambassador pointed out that sentiments between the citizens of both countries have deteriorated due to issues such as water treatment. He highlighted the increasing difficulty in building a "constructive and stable" Sino-Japanese relationship.

Furthermore, he stated that in order to move Sino-Japanese relations forward, it is necessary to "regain rationality." He emphasized the importance of increasing exchanges between both sides and confronting each other with a rational attitude.

Typhoon No. 18 Threatens Okinawa as Storm Intensifies

Typhoon No. 18, known as Soudelor, is forecast to intensify into a very strong storm over the weekend before approaching Okinawa early next week, bringing the risk of violent winds and extremely rough seas. As of 5 a.m. on August 22, the typhoon was near the Mariana Islands, where satellite images showed a well-developed circular mass of clouds surrounding the storm.

Death Row Inmate Executed for Deadly Pachinko Parlor Fire

Japan executed 58-year-old death row inmate Sunao Takami on August 21 for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, killing five people and injuring 10 others, in the first execution carried out under the Takaichi administration.

Japan to Abolish Cool Japan Fund

Japan's government is moving toward abolishing the Cool Japan Fund, a public-private investment vehicle created to support the overseas expansion of Japanese anime, food culture and other industries, after its cumulative losses reached 54 billion yen.

Four Workers Killed After Being Struck by Spacia X Train in Tochigi

Four workers were killed after being struck by the limited express train Spacia X while carrying out vegetation-clearing work at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on August 20, prompting an investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board.

Shikoku Shinkansen Plan Revived After 53 Years

Plans to bring Shinkansen service to Shikoku have taken a significant step forward for the first time in 53 years, with the transport ministry beginning preliminary studies that could eventually cut travel times from Osaka to major cities including Tokushima, Takamatsu and Matsuyama to around 90 minutes.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Politics NEWS

Japan's Postal Services on Chopping Block

Japan's Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has begun considering reductions in postal services, including fewer mailboxes and less frequent deliveries, as the country's postal business continues to suffer losses following a prolonged decline in letters and New Year's cards.

Russia Conducts Missile Drills Near Northern Territories

Russia has conducted missile exercises around the Northern Territories, including what appears to have been a launch from one of the disputed islands, prompting Japan's foreign minister to call Russia's growing military presence there unacceptable.

Japan Strongly Protests North Korea Ballistic Missile Launch

Japan strongly protested and condemned North Korea after it launched a ballistic missile at around 5:04 p.m. on August 20, with the projectile believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.

Hyogo Faces Belt-Tightening After Fiscal Downgrade

Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito said on August 19 that the prefecture's shift to a status requiring central government permission to issue bonds would not immediately halt public projects, while stressing that years of high public investment, funding shortfalls and what he described as improper land-acquisition bond practices under former Governor Toshizo Ido had contributed to the deterioration of the prefecture's finances.

Expo Construction Chief Accused of Inflating Invoices

A Takenaka Corp. construction manager who oversaw work on the Grand Ring and other facilities at the Osaka-Kansai Expo was arrested on August 19 on suspicion of causing more than 13 million yen in losses to the major contractor through inflated construction bills, with police investigating allegations that money from the scheme was used for renovations to his home and a cafe operated by relatives.

F-15 Landing Incident Closes Naha Runway

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter jet tilted to one side and came to a stop while landing at Naha Airport on August 18, forcing the closure of one of the airport's two runways and causing delays of more than an hour for some arriving commercial flights.

Takaichi Growth Strategy Faces Pressure As Economy Loses Momentum

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s economic agenda came under fresh pressure on August 18 after weaker-than-expected growth figures exposed the fragility of Japan’s recovery, sharpening the political stakes around the Bank of Japan’s next rate decision, the weak yen, and the government’s plan to cut the consumption tax on food.

Young Researcher Searches for Missing 'Pumpkin' Bombs

The United States dropped 49 mock atomic bombs across Japan in the closing weeks of World War II, killing around 400 people as American air crews practiced the techniques later used in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

< 2 3 4 5 >