August 10, Thursday, 2023

1. The Chinese government has allowed the resumption of group tours by its citizens to 78 more countries and regions. The destinations include Japan, South Korea, India, the United States, Australia, Britain and Germany. China announced the lifting of the ban on Thursday. It had been imposed from January 2020 to counter the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. A brother of a Japanese abductee to North Korea has called on junior high school students to gain a better understanding of the abduction issue and to support efforts to bring his sister home for a reunion with their elderly mother. Yokota Takuya, a younger brother of abductee Yokota Megumi, gave a speech at a gathering of junior high school students in Tokyo on Thursday. He heads a group of the abductees’ families.
3. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is considering a reshuffle of his Cabinet and executives of his main ruling Liberal Democratic Party as early as mid-September. The information comes from several government and party officials, who say Kishida, who is also LDP President, is looking to bolster his leadership amid flagging public support. Thursday marks exactly one year since Kishida last reshuffled his Cabinet and party executives.