TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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71% worry about fiscal health after Japan tax cut, Cabinet support at low
TOKYO - Around 71 percent of respondents were worried about Japan's fiscal health following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decision to temporarily reduce the country's consumption tax on food items as an inflation relief measure, a Kyodo News poll showed Sunday.
The weekend poll also found that the approval rate for Takaichi's Cabinet fell 3.5 percentage points from the previous survey in July to 50.2 percent, its lowest level since she took office last year. The disapproval rate rose 0.2 point to 33.9 percent.
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Many foreigners have hard time obtaining disaster info in Kumamoto quake
KUMAMOTO, Japan - Many foreigners in Kumamoto Prefecture may have had difficulty in obtaining information in the aftermath of last month's magnitude-7.1 earthquake, as only few municipalities in the hard-hit areas had services specifically designed for non-Japanese residents, a Kyodo News tally showed Sunday.
Although government statistics show some 31,000 foreign nationals resided in the southwestern Japanese prefecture as of Jan. 1, only three of the 19 municipalities surveyed said they had such arrangements in place.
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M5.9 quake hits eastern Japan including Tokyo, dozens injured
TOKYO - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 hit eastern Japan early Sunday, leaving over 40 people injured in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, authorities said, prompting a warning by the weather agency about similar quakes in the coming days.
The 2:00 a.m. quake, which originated in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 68 kilometers, did not trigger a tsunami, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It had issued an emergency earthquake alert.
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Police seize radios in Tobu Railway firm search over fatal train accident
UTSUNOMIYA, Japan - Police have seized radios in connection with a train accident that killed four workers on the tracks north of Tokyo, an investigative source said Sunday, as they seek to determine whether the communication devices were used properly.
Police in Tochigi Prefecture searched a Tobu Railway Co. group company Sunday on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.
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Chinese robots beat human 100-meter, 400-meter records at Beijing games
BEIJING - Chinese robots beat the human records in the 100-meter and 400-meter races at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, which opened Saturday for a five-day run, showcasing rapid advances in artificial intelligence-driven robotics technology.
The Tien Kung Ultra robot developed by Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics Co. finished the 100-meter preliminary heat Saturday in 9.32 seconds, beating the 9.58-second world record set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt in Berlin in 2009. After finishing the race, the machine crashed into a mat set up for deceleration and caught fire.
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1,000 help tow 400-ton keep of Hirosaki Castle closer to original position
AOMORI, Japan - About 1,000 people towed the roughly 400-ton keep of a traditional castle in northeastern Japan's Aomori Prefecture on Sunday, moving it 109 centimeters closer to its original position after it was relocated 11 years ago.
The keep of Hirosaki Castle, a national historical treasure in the city of the same name, was moved in 2015 to repair the stone walls that supported it. By the end of this year, it will be moved about 78 meters to where it was.
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Asian Games: Governing body urged to address participant surge: sources
TOKYO - As the number of athletes and officials expected to take part in the upcoming Asian Games is likely to exceed initial projections by up to 2,000, Japan's organizing committee has urged the games' governing body to address the issue, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
The possible increase is believed to be due partly to more entries than anticipated from participating countries and regions, based on figures compiled by the Olympic Council of Asia and international sports federations, according to the sources.
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Football: Machida move top of J1 as Urawa continue losing start to season
TOKYO - Machida Zelvia moved top of the J-League first division on Sunday after beating winless Urawa Reds 3-1 at home for their third straight win to open the season.
Takuma Nishimura restored Machida's lead in the 54th minute before Neta Lavi completed the scoring seven minutes later at Tokyo's MUFG Stadium, where Urawa's Ryoma Watanabe canceled out Hotaka Nakamura's early opener in the only J1 match on the day.
