Japan not planning to evacuate embassy staff from Ukraine

Tokyo: The Japanese Embassy in Ukraine is operating as normal and is not planning to evacuate its staff despite recommendations from the Japanese government. According to Ukrinform, Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda told this to Suspilne (Ukraine’s Public Broadcasting Company). Commenting on the Japanese government’s recommendation that Japanese citizens leave Ukraine and postpone their […]

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Record 300 day-care centers in Japan shut due to pandemic

Newswire Tokyo: A record 327 day-care centers temporarily shut down in Japan this week as the coronavirus resurgence grips the country, the health ministry said, causing a headache for working parents. The number of such facilities suspending services as of last Thursday, excluding privately operated or locally licensed ones, increased fourfold in a week along […]

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Japan to allow in some foreign students, making exception to ban

Newswire Tokyo: Japan plans to allow 87 government-sponsored foreign students into the country, making an exception to the country’s current entry ban on nonresident foreigners amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the top spokesman said this week. Entry of the students will possibly be allowed from later this month and they will be required to quarantine for […]

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Japan looks to expand COVID quasi-emergency to Tokyo, 10 other prefs.

Newswire Tokyo: Japan is considering placing 11 prefectures, including Tokyo and its vicinity, under a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency to curb rapidly spreading coronavirus cases, government sources said Monday. Any declaration of a quasi-emergency hinges on requests made by these prefectures, but the Japanese government is preparing to make a decision as the highly transmissible […]

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The Exhibition ‘NINGYO: Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls’ inaugurated at the National Art Gallery

Newswire Islamabad: To kick start the 70th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan, the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan and the Japan Foundation in cooperation with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) are presenting a superb collection of Japanese dolls in an exhibition titled “NINGYO: Art and […]

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Japan’s Princess Kako turns 27, duties still curbed due to pandemic

Princess Kako, the niece of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, turned 27 this week, following another year of restrictions to official duties due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko has expressed concern for those affected by the pandemic after receiving briefings from experts, as well as […]

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Japan launches COVID-19 vaccine certificate app

Newswire Tokyo: The Japanese government this week launched a smartphone app that allows people to display proof of vaccination that can be used for multiple purposes, including immigration procedures. The app, called the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate Application and available for both iPhone and Android smartphones, displays information such as the number of doses a user […]

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Japan’s Yusaku Maezawa returns to Earth after 12-day space flight

Newswire Tokyo: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has returned to Earth after a 12-day journey into space, ending a practice run for his planned trip around the moon with founder Elon Musk’s SpaceX in 2023. The 46-year-old fashion tycoon and his assistant, Yozo Hirano, parachuted onto Kazakhstan’s steppe at 03:13 GMT on Monday, along with Russian […]

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Japan committed to provide support to Pakistan: WADA Mitsuhiro

Newswire Islamabad: Newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan WADA Mitsuhiro this week said his government is committed to provide support to Pakistan for its socio-economic development and the effect of utilizing Japan’s strengths toward the development of Pakistan and the region will continue. “It is my pleasure to contribute to the development of Japan-Pakistan […]

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Japan PM seeks to boost workers’ wages, defence capability

Tetsushi Kajimoto and Kiyoshi Takenaka Newswire Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed this week to ensure worker wage hikes to protect the economy from rising global inflation, while strengthening the country’s defences as it deals with an assertive China and unpredictable North Korea. Kishida made the remarks on the opening day of parliament’s extra […]

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Japan-sponsored vocational training centre completed in Mirpurkhas

Newswire Karachi: The Government of Japan extended a grant of $89,283 to Advocacy, Research, Training and Services (ARTS) Foundation for “The Project for Constructing ARTS Vocational Training Centre in Mirpurkhas” under the scheme of Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). Through this grant, they constructed a vocational training centre in the rural area […]

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Japan Fest in Pakistan kicks off to a great start

Newswire Karachi: To commemorate the friendship between Pakistan and Japan, the Consulate-General of Japan in Karachi organized “Japan Fest 2021” at the official residence of the Consul-General this week. The festival started off in a traditional Japanese style wadaiko (Japanese drums) performance led by Deputy Consul-General ASHIDA Katsunori, followed by the speech of the Consul-General […]

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Pakistani in Japan strives to support needy, promote multiculturalism

Islamabad: Having moved to Japan from Pakistan some 30 years ago, Haroon Qureshi is setting an example for others in the country by supporting the needy people including refugees through food, accommodation and employment. Qureshi, 55, who also serves as Executive Director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Japan, housing Masjid Otsuka, in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, […]

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Japan begins accepting new entry applications amid COVID decline

Newswire Tokyo: The Japanese government started accepting new entry applications this week from companies and educational institutions for individuals from overseas, easing restrictions that were introduced in January amid the coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 quarantine period has been cut to three days from 10 for business travelers who have been vaccinated as progress in inoculations […]

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Japan: Kishida’s coalition wins absolute majority in parliament

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s coalition has secured a comfortable majority in the parliamentary election. Defying some predictions, Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) claimed 259 seats in the 465-member lower house, a result that gives the party an absolute stable majority and control over parliamentary committees. The LDP’s junior coalition partner Komeito won 32 […]

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Japan-funded PIMS maternal and child health center expansion launched

Newswire Islamabad: Construction of the extension of Intensive Care at Maternal and Child Care Centre and Children’s Hospital was launched at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad this week. The grant assistance from Japan worth $32 million (3.62 billion Japanese Yen) was signed in Tokyo two years ago. On this special occasion, MATSUDA […]

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Outgoing Japanese envoy calls on president, PM

Newswire Islamabad: Outgoing Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda held two separate meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi this week. During the meeting in the Prime Minister’s House, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed that the world community must remain positively engaged with the new Afghan administration, provide urgently-needed humanitarian […]

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Japan, France to hold 2-plus-2 security talks this year

Newswire Tokyo: Japan and France plan to hold security talks involving their foreign and defense ministers within the year, the French government said this week. Sources knowledgeable about the matter said the so-called two-plus-two talks will be held in the Japanese capital, likely between late November and early December. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian […]

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Japan contributes $6.5 million to support safe access to quality education for children in rural Damascus and Aleppo

Newswire Damascus: The Government of Japan has contributed US$6.5 million to support scaling up the access of vulnerable children to safe learning facilities, via light rehabilitation, as well as enhanced education outcomes, through teacher training in the governorates of Aleppo and Rural Damascus in Syria. The funding will ensure close to 24,000 children benefit from […]

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Japanese ambassador pays farewell call on FM

Newswire Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi this week received Ambassador of Japan Kuninori Matsuda for his farewell call at the Foreign Office. The foreign minister expressed satisfaction on the progression of bilateral ties between the two countries and appreciated Ambassador Matsuda’s contribution in further strengthening them. Qureshi also lauded Japan’s role as a development […]

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Japan’s love affair with the fax machine – a strange relic of technological fantasies

Hansun Hsiung With Japan riding the crest of its postwar economic miracle, Sony chairman Akio Morita and Japan’s Minister of Transport Shintaro Ishihara unleashed a manifesto. The document, published in 1989, contained a prophecy that propelled it to domestic bestseller status, and into the concerned hands of officials at the CIA. At the time, the […]

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Japan telecom NTT eyes remote work as norm for all 320,000 employees

Newswire Tokyo: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. said Tuesday it is considering allowing all 320,000 employees of the telecom giant group to work remotely as the norm and abolishing job relocations, in a drastic shake-up of its management style for a post-coronavirus society. The parent of NTT Docomo Inc., NTT Data Corp. and NTT Communications […]

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