投稿者: tomoyasu

1. Japan’s Cabinet has approved a draft budget for the next fiscal year starting April. It marks a record high of 122.3 trillion yen, or about 780 billion dollars.
2. A survey of survivors of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake in central Japan shows that two-thirds feel there has been little or no progress in recovery and reconstruction, a result similar to a survey conducted a year ago.
3. Pope Leo XIV has used his first Christmas message as the head of the Roman Catholic Church to call on “the parties involved” to advance dialogue on the situation in Ukraine.

1. Santa Claus has set off from Finland to deliver Christmas gifts to children across the globe. His journey started in his home village, which is located on the Arctic Circle in Finland. A video clip shows Santa Claus preparing to deliver gifts by reading letters he has received from children around the world.
2. Thailand and Cambodia have resumed ceasefire talks following a renewed outbreak of military clashes between the two countries this month. Clashes have continued along the border.
3. A Japanese government investigation team has published an interim report on a deadly collision between two aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in 2024. The January 2, 2024 incident involved a Japan Coast Guard aircraft on a runway that was hit by a Japan Airlines passenger plane that had just landed.

1. NHK has learned that the Japanese government is in the final stage of compiling a draft budget worth about 122.3 trillion yen, or about 784 billion dollars, for the next fiscal year starting in April. The size is the largest ever in yen terms. That marks a rise from the initial budget for this fiscal year at about 115.2 trillion yen, which was a record high at the time.
2. NHK has learned that the Mie Prefectural government is considering halting the employment of foreign nationals as early as in fiscal 2026, which begins next April.
Sources say the prefecture in central Japan plans to conduct a survey of about 10,000 residents from January to gauge their opinions before making a formal decision.
3. NHK has found that the foreign population has risen in most municipalities across Japan over the past decade. The Immigration Services Agency says a record high of more than 3.95 million foreign nationals were living in the country as of the end of June.

1. Japanese nuclear regulation officials say water containing radioactive tritium has leaked during dismantling work at the Fugen advanced thermal reactor in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. Officials say workers did not suffer internal radiation exposure caused by, for example, accidentally swallowing radioactive water. But detailed examinations are underway to check for possible external exposure caused by radioactive water splashing on the skin or through other ways.
2. Japan has decided to review its support for large-scale solar-power generation facilities, amid growing concerns about their impact on the environment. The government approved a package of measures to regulate solar-power plants at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The package includes reviewing the scope of environmental assessments and expanding the area of the Kushiro wetland, a national park in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
3. Researchers in Japan will conduct a test to mine mud from the seabed that is known to contain rare earth elements, in waters near the Japanese island of Minamitorishima. Under a project led by Japan’s Cabinet Office, researchers will carry out the test for about a month starting in January, using the exploration vessel “Chikyu” operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

1. The Japan aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, says the eighth launch of the H3 rocket has ended in failure due to a problem with the second stage engine. JAXA said the rocket’s second stage engine stopped burning earlier than planned and that the satellite could not be put into its planned orbit. It is investigating the cause of the problem.
2. Prices of used condominiums in central Tokyo continue to surge, with the average staying above 100 million yen for a seventh straight month. Real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei says the average price of a 70-square-meter unit in Tokyo’s 23 wards stood at nearly 115 million yen, or about 730,000 dollars, last month. That marks a 34.6 percent increase from the same month a year earlier.
3. Japan’s education ministry says 7,087 public school teachers took sick leave for depression and other mental health issues in the last academic year through March 2025. The number was down 32 from the previous year’s record high, but exceeded 7,000 for the second year in a row. Of teachers who took mental sick leave, 3,458 were working at elementary schools, 1,639 at junior high schools and 1,006 at senior high schools. As of April 2025, 1,458 of them, or 20 percent, had quit their teaching job.

1. The Bank of Japan says it will raise its benchmark interest rate to around 0.75 percent. That’s the highest level in 30 years.
2. The European Central Bank has left its key interest rate unchanged amid signs consumer price increases are likely to hold near its target. The ECB’s Governing Council on Thursday said it will keep its benchmark deposit facility rate at 2 percent.
3. A Shinto shrine in central Japan has put up a huge “hagoita” wooden paddle bearing a picture of a horse. The horse is next year’s zodiac sign.

1. The Bank of Japan kicked off its two-day policy meeting on Thursday. Policymakers are considering raising interest rates to a level not seen in 30 years. Analysts expect the central bank to raise the policy rate to around 0.75 percent. This would mark the highest level since September 1995.
2. Finland’s prime minister has apologized to countries in East Asia over online posts by the winner of the country’s beauty pageant and some members of parliament that drew accusations of racism. The development comes after this year’s Miss Finland posted a photo on a social media app of her pulling the corners of her eyes with a caption that translates as “eating with a Chinese person.” She was stripped of her crown last week following criticism that she was being discriminatory against Asians.
3. A procession of about 1,000 people dressed in traditional Japanese attire took place Wednesday in the ancient capital of Nara, western Japan. The parade is the highlight of the annual Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri, a tradition that dates back to 12th century.

1. The Japanese box office sensation “Kokuho,” an epic drama about the life and career of a celebrated kabuki actor, has been shortlisted in two categories for next year’s Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards on Tuesday. “Kokuho,” directed by Lee Sang-il, was among the 15 films chosen in the International Feature Film category. It was also one of 10 films listed in the Makeup and Hairstyling category.
2. A top Japanese business association picked IBM Japan President Yamaguchi Akio as chairperson after his predecessor resigned. Yamaguchi is 61 years old and joined IBM Japan in 1987. Yamaguchi said: “I want to steadily proceed with passion about what I think is right. And also I want to attach my mind to the outcome.”
3. A hot spring spa in northern Japan has added yuzu citrus fruits to its bath in order to provide visitors with a special experience. The facility in Hokkaido’s Hokuto City began offering yuzu baths on Tuesday. It provides the special service every year before the winter solstice, which falls on December 22 this year.

1. Japan is moving to tighten its monitoring of residential real-estate purchases by non-residents. The decision reflects concern some buyers are acquiring such property for investment purposes rather than for living in the country.
2. European leaders have proposed creating a multinational force to guarantee Ukraine’s security once a ceasefire with Russia is in place. The joint statement released by leaders of Germany, France, the European Union and others says the multinational force would be led by Europe and supported by the United States. It would be launched with contributions from countries within the framework of the Europe-led “Coalition of the Willing.”
3. Children in western Japan took part in an annual kite flying event on Sunday. About 150 people, including children and their parents, gathered in the city of Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, for the event. Helped by their parents, children pulled the lines of their kites in order to fly them as high as possible.

1. Sources say twin giant pandas at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens are expected to be returned to China in late January. Japan will then be without the iconic bears for the first time in 53 years. The deadline for returning the four-year-old pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei is February 20, 2026. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been discussing the timing of the move with China. The pair are the last two giant pandas left in Japan.
2. Japanese police have arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with Sunday’s stabbing attack in the western city of Fukuoka, which injured two people. The police say the suspect, Yamaguchi Naoya, who lives in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, hinted at his involvement in the case in interviews conducted before the arrest. They say the instrument believed to be used in the attack has already been found.
3. A closely-watched survey of business sentiment in Japan shows a slight improvement among major manufacturers cam in at plus 15 – up for the third straight quarter. That’s 1 point higher than in the previous poll. A positive number indicates there are more companies feeling optimistic about business conditions than pessimistic.