投稿者: tomoyasu

1. Japan’s main equity index surged on Tuesday, fueled by hopes a snap election will boost stimulus spending.  The Nikkei 225 closed above the 53,000 mark for the first time ever. Buying jumped at the opening following reports over the three-day weekend that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae may dissolve the Lower House.
2. Finance Ministers of the Group of Seven countries and other nations have agreed to quickly take steps to diversify supply chains of critical minerals.  That includes rare earth elements. The United States convened the meeting of finance chiefs, with Katayama Satsuki representing Japan.  Ministers of Australia, Mexico, India and South Korea joined their G7 counterparts.  The talks come as China increasingly asserts its dominant position in supplying key minerals.
3. The United States has condemned Russia for attacking Ukraine earlier this month with its latest intermediate-range ballistic missile.

1. US President Donald Trump has said his country is looking at “some very strong options” against Iran, where the death toll from clashes between anti-government protesters and security personnel is reportedly rising.
2. Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in the West Bank on Sunday.  Motegi showed Japan’s support for a future Palestinian state, while calling for steady progress in the reform of the Palestinian Authority.
3. Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu has visited Israel and held talks with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar.  Motegi called for the steady implementation of a US-led peace plan for the Gaza Strip, while pledging a proactive role by Japan in the strip’s reconstruction.

1. Germany’s head of state says democracy is in unprecedented danger amid a “breach of values” by the US following the military operation in Venezuela and other actions by President Donald Trump’s administration.
2. US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could take military action if Iranian authorities kill their citizens including those taking to the streets.
3. A bushfire has broken out on a mountain in Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture, which is located west of Tokyo.

1. The US administration of President Donald Trump says it will indefinitely control sales of crude oil produced in Venezuela, which is said to have one of the world’s largest oil reserves. The Trump administration has made it clear that it will be involved in running Venezuela and managing its crude oil sales.
2. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru says Tokyo will closely examine the impact of an anti-dumping probe by China into imports of a chip-related chemical.
3. The White House says President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum that authorizes the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations, conventions and treaties.

1. Cooking school students in central Japan’s Fukui Prefecture have learned how to make traditional Japanese rice porridge. The dish is eaten by people who want to have good health throughout the year. A culinary institute in the town of Eiheiji holds a class every year to teach students how to make the traditional Japanese dish. The class was held on Tuesday, one day ahead of “the feast of seven herbs of health.” The feast is held annually on January 7 in Japan.  The event is held on the belief that eating rice gruel cooked with seven spring herbs will ward off illnesses.
2. The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations have agreed to collaborate and maintain close communication after discussing the Venezuelan situation over the phone.
3. The US government has announced it will launch a joint mechanism with Israel and Syria to ease tensions between the two Middle Eastern countries.

1. Strong earthquakes struck western Japan Tuesday morning.  There is no tsunami threat.  Officials are calling on residents to stay alert for further possible earthquakes. The Japan Meteorological Agency says the first had a magnitude of 6.4. It occurred in Tottori and Shimane prefectures at 10:18 a.m. The epicenter was in eastern Shimane at a depth of 11 kilometers.
2. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae stated that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni plan to visit Japan in the near future. Disclosing the planned visits by the two foreign leaders, Takaichi said she wants to deepen trust in the relations between countries that share the values of freedom and democracy.
3. China’s Commerce Ministry announced on Tuesday that it will strengthen control over exports to Japan of dual-use items, which can serve both commercial and military needs. The ministry said it will ban exports to Japanese military users, for military purposes and for other end-user purposes that could enhance Japan’s military capabilities.  A ministry spokesperson explained that the ban, effective from Tuesday, aims to safeguard China’s national security and interests.

1. US President Donald Trump says the United States needs “total access” to Venezuela’s “oil and other things” to rebuild the South American country because “we’re in charge” right now. Trump made the remark to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, a day after the US carried out a military operation in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro.  Maduro was flown to the US and is expected to appear at a New York federal district court on Monday on charges including drug-trafficking.
2. A former presidential candidate in Venezuela is claiming that he is the legitimate leader of the South American country.  Edmundo Gonzalez said in a video posted on social media on Sunday that the US military operation and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro is an important step but not enough.  He stressed that the people’s will that was shown through the presidential election should be respected.
3. The Tokyo Stock Exchange marked the first trading day of 2026 with a traditional ceremony and prayers for a prosperous year ahead. Share prices heard the call and the benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained almost 3 percent in the morning session. “We expect the market to rise as Japan moves toward a stronger economy,” said Japan Exchange Group’s CEO, Yamaji Hiromi. “This should be backed by robust performances at Japanese companies, a recovery in private consumption, a rise in corporate investment and the government’s stimulus measures.”

1. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito said he was praying for the happiness of people in Japan and the world in his New Year’s greetings at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
2. Zohran Mamdani from the Democratic Party has become the mayor of New York City. At his inauguration ceremony on Thursday, the 34-year-old vowed to improve the lives of New York residents. Mamdani was born in Uganda. He is the first Muslim mayor of the city.
3. Swiss police say a fire at a bar in the southern ski resort of crans-Montana has left about 40 people dead. They add that more than 100 other individuals have been injured, many of them severely.

1. Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has vowed in her New Year’s message to carry out necessary reforms and bring strength, prosperity and hope to Japan. The prime minister mentions that this year marks 100 years since the start of the Showa era, which spans from 1926 to 1989. Takaichi says Showa was “a time when Japan experienced changes at an unprecedented scale, including the war, the end of the war, reconstruction, and rapid economic growth.” She adds that both Japan and the world are going through significant changes in the current Reiwa era, which began in 2019.
2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that he will only sign a peace deal when it guarantees Ukraine’s security after the end of fighting with Russia.
3. A record low number of New Year’s greeting cards were delivered in Japan on Thursday as 2026 began, the fewest since data became available in 2008.

1. People across Japan are slurping up soba buckwheat noodles on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve. Eating the noodles while wishing for longevity and happiness is a Japanese tradition on the final day of the year. Diners occupied all the tables immediately after the restaurant opened for the day. Most customers ordered soba in hot soup after arriving amid the winter cold with snow falling outside. Many bought noodles to take away and eat later at home.
2. The Tokyo Stock Exchange marked its last trading day of the year on Tuesday with a ceremony. This year saw the benchmark Nikkei Stock Average top the 50,000 mark for the first time, and participants prayed that stock prices will continue to rise next year. The Nikkei average ended the last session of 2025 at 50,339.
3. One of Japan’s largest events for lovers of manga and anime opened in Tokyo’s Koto Ward on Tuesday. The Comic Market, also known as Comiket, is marking its 50th anniversary after being launched in Tokyo’s Toranokomon in 1975. Visitors formed a long line at its venue Tokyo Big Sight before it opened at 10:30 a.m.