TOKYO -
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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U.S. joined Japan's currency intervention for stability of Asia: Bessent
WASHINGTON - The United States sees the substantial undervaluation of the Japanese yen as a serious risk to economic stability in Asia, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday, citing it as a major reason why Washington joined Tokyo in a recent currency intervention.
During a CNBC interview, Bessent said he believes the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s was in part a result of an "overly weak yen." He said, "So I think a stable yen is not only important for the U.S., but very important for the entire region, because if the yen were to weaken substantially, then the other currencies would follow it."
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Japan proposes tougher income, pension rules for permanent residency
TOKYO - Japan's immigration agency on Tuesday proposed tougher requirements for granting permanent residency to foreigners, including requiring applicants to maintain income above the average for Japanese households and a certain level of projected pension benefits.
The proposed guidelines are part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push to create an "orderly society" in which Japanese and foreign nationals coexist while cracking down on illegal activities.
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Takagi, 10-time Olympic skating medalist, given People's Honor Award
TOKYO - Speed skater Miho Takagi, who won a record 10 Olympic medals for a Japanese woman, received the People's Honor Award from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at an event in Tokyo on Tuesday.
"I am honored to receive such a prestigious award, and at the same time feel it is more than I deserve," Takagi, 32, told reporters after the ceremony at the prime minister's office. She said she accepts it "not just as an individual, but as a representative of speed skating."
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Man dies in rare fatal police shooting in Japan
OSAKA - A man who was reportedly covered in blood and wielding a kitchen knife died after being shot by police in Osaka Prefecture on Tuesday, local authorities said, in a rare fatal shooting by officers in Japan.
An emergency call was made at around 7 p.m. reporting that a man was acting violently in Kawachinagano. Police opened fire after the man, holding a knife, approached officers responding to the call.
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Japan's real wages in June rise 1.6% on year, up for 6th straight month
TOKYO - Japan's real wages in June rose 1.6 percent from a year earlier, increasing for the sixth straight month in the longest positive streak since a seven-month run in 2021, reflecting higher summer bonuses, government data showed Wednesday.
Nominal wages per worker, including base and overtime pay, were up 3.4 percent at 531,677 yen ($3,370), marking the fifth straight month of growth exceeding 3 percent and the first such streak in more than 34 years, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.
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Toyota lifts FY 2026 net profit outlook on weaker yen, robust hybrid demand
TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday raised its net profit forecast for the current business year through next March to 3.25 trillion yen ($20.6 billion) from 3 trillion yen, reflecting a weaker assumed exchange rate and robust demand for hybrid vehicles.
Despite the upward revision, the world's largest automaker by volume maintained its forecast for a third straight annual decline in net profit, expecting it to fall 15.5 percent from the previous year due in part to the impact of tensions in the Middle East.
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Japan defense report calls for stronger industrial base, arms exports
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry said in its annual report released Tuesday that the country must strengthen its defense industry, expand arms exports and deepen ties with security partners to reinforce deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, citing an increasingly severe security environment and "new ways of warfare."
The white paper, "Defense of Japan 2026," stressed the importance of maintaining advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and drones, as well as a stable domestic production base as countries compete to develop next-generation defense capabilities.
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Truck collides with train after crashing into car in Yokohama, 2 injured
YOKOHAMA - A large truck collided with a train in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Tuesday, after entering the tracks following a crash with a car, with both vehicle drivers injured, according to local police.
None of the roughly 100 passengers on the two-car train of the Kodomonokuni Line were injured, according to the operator.
