Japan oks bills for full coverage of childbirth costs
World 17:37 13/03/2026TOKYO -- The Japanese government adopted at a cabinet meeting Friday bills aimed at introducing a system under which public health insurance will fully cover childbirth costs.
Japan eyes mass drone use for coastal defense
World 17:35 13/03/2026TOKYO -- Amid an increasingly severe security environment, Japan's Defense Ministry plans to establish a coastal defense system using thousands of drones, while there are still many issues to overcome.
Japan to release oil reserves Monday at earliest
World 17:19 12/03/2026TOKYO -- Japan will release its oil reserves as early as Monday amid soaring crude oil prices, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday.
Japan’s Takashimaya eyes expansion in Vietnam
Economy 09:37 12/03/2026Japanese department store operator Takashimaya is planning to expand its presence in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, as it looks for new growth drivers while facing declining Chinese tourism in Japan.
JR East to monitor Yamanote line pantographs with AI
World 17:51 11/03/2026TOKYO -- East Japan Railway Co. has said it will launch a trial in April of a system that uses artificial intelligence to monitor pantographs on trains running on its busy Yamanote Line in Tokyo to detect defects in train cars at an early stage.
Japan's Asahi Breweries to fully resume shipments in April
World 17:51 11/03/2026TOKYO -- Japanese alcoholic drink maker Asahi Breweries Ltd. plans to resume shipments of all its products starting April 7 after a halt due to a computer system failure caused by a cyberattack on its parent.
Japan knock out Vietnam, Taiwan beat India to set up Asian Cup quarter-final with China
Vietnam News 09:31 11/03/2026PERTH, Australia - Japan stayed perfect in the women's Asian Cup group stage as they eased to a 4-0 win over Vietnam, who crashed out of the tournament as Taiwan secured second place in Group C with a 3-1 victory over India on Tuesday.
Japan aims to eliminate areas lacking transportation
World 17:25 10/03/2026TOKYO -- The Japanese government adopted at a cabinet meeting Tuesday a bill designed to eliminate areas underserved by transportation services such as buses and taxis.
Japan to raise foreigners' residency-linked fees up to 30 times
World 17:25 10/03/2026TOKYO -- Japan's cabinet on Tuesday adopted a bill to raise the ceiling on fees for foreigners' applications related to residence status by up to 30-fold and create a prearrival electronic travel authorization system.
IEA called for emergency oil stock release at G7 meeting, Japan says
World 12:16 10/03/2026TOKYO - The International Energy Agency (IEA) called for a coordinated release of emergency oil reserves during an online meeting with Group of Seven finance ministers on Monday, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama told a briefing.
Japan biz bankruptcies reach 13-year high in February
World 18:13 09/03/2026TOKYO -- The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan involving liabilities of at least 10 million yen totaled 851 last month, the highest level in 13 years for a February, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. said Monday.
Mitsubishi chemical cuts ethylene production
World 18:13 09/03/2026TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. has reduced output of ethylene, a material for plastics and other industrial products, to avoid a production halt due to possible supply shortages of raw materials from the Middle East, company officials said on Monday.
