September 4, Monday, 2023

1. People in Japan are turning to a tax-reduction plan to help the nation’s fishing industry after China imposed a ban on seafood imports last month. The program known as furusato nozei allows people to donate to municipalities of their choice in return for a tax reduction and gifts. China suspended all seafood imports from Japan in response to the release of treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The move is a huge blow for people in the fishing industry.
2. Researchers in Japan say they have found that a type of intestinal bacteria may protect against the development of diabetes. They say these bacteria may activate insulin, a hormone that helps reduce blood sugar levels. The group of researchers from the Riken research institute, the University of Tokyo and others published their findings in the science journal Nature. They surveyed more than 300 adults who were found to be at risk of developing diabetes because of their weight and blood test results.
3. Japan’s men’s basketball team has finished 19th in the FIBA World Cup after winning three matches and losing two. In the previous World Cup, Japan was in 31st place. In the Classification Games 17-32, Japan topped its group after beating Venezuela and Cabo Verde. The victory over the West African nation put Japan at the top of the six Asian nations that took part in this year’s World Cup.