月: 2025年6月

1. A strong earthquake with an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 was observed at around 6:33 p.m. on Monday in Toshima Village in Kagoshima Prefecture southwestern Japan. There is no tsunami threat. An intensity of lower 5 was observed in Akusekijima Island in Toshima Village and 3 in Amami City.
2. Japanese seafood exporters and government officials have reacted positively to China’s announcement it will resume imports of the country’s marine products.
3. Wild bears continue to be spotted in human inhabited areas across Japan. Two people sustained injuries in separate bear attacks on Monday.

1. The White House says it is in communication with Iran on holding more nuclear talks, while the Iranian foreign minister says no agreement has been made on the matter. The question now is whether the two countries will be able to agree on a resumption of talks.
2. Japan’s Supreme Court has ruled that the government’s decision to lower benefits for people on welfare was illegal, but denied state compensation for the plaintiffs. The court’s third petty bench rendered the decision on Friday. It nullified the benefit reductions that were in place in the three years from 2013.
3. About 3,000 visitors to a theme park in western Japan attended a farewell ceremony for four giant pandas on Friday, the day before their departure for China. The four female pandas – Rauhin and her daughters Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin – are part of a joint conservation project with China that is set to expire. They are scheduled to be sent to China from the park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture.

1. A Ukrainian media outlet has reported the Russian military is expected to train about 600 Chinese troops at armed forces bases and military centers in Russia as early as this year. A source told the media, “The Kremlin has decided to allow Chinese military personnel to study and adopt the combat experience Russia has gained in its war against Ukraine.”
2. A research group in Japan has made a supercomputer simulation on how ancient people crossed the waters between Taiwan and the southwestern Japanese island of Yonaguni about 30,000 years ago. The simulation was a follow-up of a 2019 experimental dugout canoe voyage conducted at a strait between Taiwan and Yonaguni by a project team including researchers from Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science and others.
3. No attacks were reported in either Israel or Iran on Thursday as people work to restore their daily lives. In the central part of Israel’s biggest commercial city, Tel Aviv, barbers were busy cleaning up broken glass after their shop was damaged by a missile attack.

1. The ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding, with no reports of major attacks or damage so far. US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire. He wrote on his social media platform that “an official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the world” on Wednesday.
2. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has reiterated his cautious stance on rushing to cut interest rates. He cited the need to assess how tariff measures by President Donald Trump’s administration will affect the economy. Powell told a House committee on Tuesday that “increases in tariffs this year are likely to push up prices and weigh on economic activity.”
3. Leaders of NATO member countries have gathered in the Netherlands for a summit meeting to discuss increasing defense spending, among other issues. The leaders, including US President Donald Trump, were Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also present. For NATO this is an opportunity to emphasize solidarity with Ukraine.

1. Iranian state-run television reports a ceasefire has begun. This comes hours after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire. The Israeli side has not yet issued confirmation.
2. Leaders and top diplomats from around the world are calling for a return to diplomacy to deal with Iran’s nuclear programs. They are urging Tehran to come back to the table, and avoid further escalation following their missile launch against a US base in Qatar.
3. Convenience store operator Lawson is going digital to boost sales amid a severe labor shortage. It opened a next-generation outlet equipped with state-of-the-are technology with help from telecom giant KDDI. At the store, robots cook food and stack shelves. Electronic labels eliminate the need for manual price changes. Artificial intelligence analyzes customer behavior based on footage from over 20 cameras. The information is used to compile data on hot items and improve efficiency.

1. The United States has carried out a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, in an operation codenamed “Midnight Hammar” – using one of the largest bombs in American military history. A fleet of seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers played a central role in the strike. The aircraft are the only ones capable of carrying the GBU-57, a 13-ton bunker-busting bomb designed to destroy hardened underground facilities. It was the first time for the weapon to be used in combat.
2. Israeli military officials say Iran has fired multiple missiles toward their country. This is believed to be Tehran’s first military response since the United States struck three Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday local time.
3. Ukraine is planning to strengthen its air defense capabilities by accelerating the development and production of drones designed to intercept Russian drones.

1. The White House has quoted US President Donald Trump as saying he will decide within two weeks whether to take military action on Iran, while leaving the door open to negotiations. Trump has hinted at the possibility of US military intervention in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, saying, “I may do it, I may not do it.”
2. Cherry growers in northeastern Japan are busy harvesting Yamagata Beniou cherries, a large-sized sweet variety that is well-suited for gift giving. Yamagata Prefecture
Developed the new variety and its commercial production began in earnest two years ago. The fruit is around 3 centimeters in diameter, and has high sugar content and low acidity. The number of registered producers in the prefecture was more than 3,080 as of the end of March this year, increasing year by year.
3. Tokyo-based commercial broadcaster Nippon TV says personality Kokubun Taichi will be removed from a popular weekly program due to multiple compliance-related problems. Kokubun is the keyboard player for the pop group TOKIO. He is a regular member of NTV’s weekly variety show “THE TETSUWAN DASH,” or “The Iron Dash.”

1. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have begun a two-day visit to the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima to pay their respects to the war dead, s 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War Two. The Imperial couple flew in to Hiroshima Airport before noon on Thursday. This is the first visit to the city since the Emperor ascended the throne in 2019.
2. A heatwave has continued to grip much of Japan. The mercury reached 35 degrees Celsius or higher on Thursday for the third consecutive day in some places. The Meteorological Agency says a high pressure system prevailed over a wide area.
3. NHK has obtained what is believed to be an operation manual written in the Russian language for a self-propelled artillery piece made in North Korea. Pyongyang continues to assist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by providing Moscow with large amounts of weapons and ammunition.

1. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru held a news conference before leaving the Group of 7 summit in Canada. He said the joint statement calling for de-escalation in the Middle East was significant.
2. An official of the Israeli military has indicated that its operation in Iran is expected to be completed within one to two weeks. Attention is now focused on how the United States will respond to the ongoing exchange of fire between the two countries, as President Donald Trump is urging Iran to surrender.
3. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung have agreed to communicate closely to further develop bilateral ties.

1. US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a trade agreement at the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday. The deal was reached following bilateral negotiations on US tariffs in May. It includes increased access to British markets for US exports and the United Kingdom’s reduction or elimination of non-tariff barriers against the United States.
2. US media report the government’s “golden share” in US Steel after it’s acquired by Nippon Steel will give the White House significant sway over the company’s management. The New York Times and The Associated Press say the government will have the authority to appoint one of US Steel’s three independent board members. It will also have the right to approve or reject the other two appointments.
3. The Japanese government has set the details of a new system of fines for cyclists guilty of relatively minor traffic violations. The new regulations will come into effect on April 1 of next year. A revision to the Road Traffic Act enacted last year introduces so-called “blue ticket” fines for minor traffic violations. Cyclists issued such tickets by police can avoid indictment by paying a fine.