TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

----------

Japan idol group Arashi performs last concert after 27 years together

TOKYO - Pop idol group Arashi performed its final concert on Sunday, ending its around 27-year history that has made it into a household name in Japan, with their success spawning beyond music and into drama and TV variety shows and a fan base elsewhere in Asia.

Appearing at a packed Tokyo Dome, the five-member boy band kicked off their performance with the upbeat song "Love Rainbow," with Jun Matsumoto telling a cheering crowd, "Arashi has come back!" The group took a hiatus after a virtual concert at the end of 2020 and returned in the spring of last year.

----------

Typhoon Jangmi expected to bring heavy rain to western, eastern Japan

TOKYO - Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to bring heavy rain to western and eastern Japan along the Pacific coast this week, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Sunday, with airlines already cancelling flights.

The agency said warning-level heavy rain may fall from the southwestern island of Kyushu to the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, along the Pacific coast through Wednesday. It also urged caution for violent winds, storm surges, landslides and flooded rivers.

----------

Niigata gov. claims victory in 1st race since restart of nuclear plant

NIIGATA, Japan - Incumbent Niigata Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi claimed victory Sunday in the first election since he gave the go-ahead to the restart of a nuclear power plant in the prefecture northwest of Tokyo.

Hanazumi's bid for a third term was backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The party, which pushes for greater use of nuclear power, wants to build momentum ahead of unified local elections next year.

----------

Japan's defense minister rejects China criticism, vows Indo-Pacific ties

SINGAPORE - Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday pledged to strengthen his country's defense capabilities and security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, rejecting China's criticism that the buildup represents a "new militarism."

Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, Koizumi said the regional security environment is growing increasingly challenging amid economic coercion, military pressure and intensifying competition in the cyber, space and information domains.

----------

Nearly half of Japanese firms lack supply-chain resilience measures

TOKYO - Nearly half of Japanese companies have not implemented measures to protect their supply chains against disasters and global tensions, according to a recent Cabinet Office survey, raising the risk that factory or logistic shutdowns could halt production and impact the broader economy.

In a survey of 1,759 firms conducted between November and December, only 25.9 percent said they had measures in place to strengthen their supply chains.

----------

Japan's main island gets 1st crested ibises in wild, 1st time in 56 yrs

KANAZAWA, Japan - Crested ibises, designated as natural treasures, were released into the wild in central Japan on Sunday, marking the first time in 56 years the country's main island has had these birds.

The number of wild crested ibises had tumbled due to overhunting and other factors and the last one on the main island of Honshu was captured in 1970.

----------

Tennis: Osaka advances to French Open 4th round for 1st time in career

PARIS - Japan's four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in her career after beating Iva Jovic of the United States 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-4 on Saturday.

Former world No. 1 Osaka became the first Japanese player to reach the round of 16 at Roland Garros since Shinobu Asagoe in 2004.

"I do think I'm really grateful for every match that I am able to win, and I just hope that I can keep continuing," said Osaka, who won the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020 and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.

----------

Football: Ogawa nets winner as Japan beat Iceland in World Cup send-off

TOKYO - Substitute Koki Ogawa scored the 87th-minute winner as Japan saw off Iceland 1-0 in their World Cup send-off match on Sunday.

The 18th-ranked Samurai Blue were given a good test by 75th-ranked Iceland at Tokyo's MUFG Stadium but made sure they depart for the tournament on a winning note ahead of Group F matches against the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden.

----------

Video: Kyodo News reporter in Ukraine