27 May 2024

Kyodo News Digest: May 27, 2024

Japanese Princess Kako (C), a niece of Emperor Naruhito, visits the Parthenon in Athens on May 26, 2024, during her official trip to Greece through June 1. (Kyodo)

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Japan, South Korea, China leaders likely to agree on broad cooperation

SEOUL – Japanese, South Korean and Chinese leaders are likely to agree Monday to work together in a wide range of fields, such as people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation, at their first trilateral summit in more than four years.

Following their meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are expected to issue a joint statement underscoring the importance of improved relations among the three Asian countries.

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North Korea informs Japan it will launch satellite before June 4

TOKYO – North Korea has notified Japan of a plan to launch a satellite-carrying rocket before June 4, the Japanese government announced Monday, putting the region on high alert over the possible use of ballistic missile technology.

The notice, which came ahead of a trilateral summit between Japan, China and South Korea in Seoul on Monday, designated three maritime danger zones believed to be the areas where rocket debris may fall — two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other to the east of the Philippines’ island of Luzon, the Japan Coast Guard said.

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Opposition-backed candidate wins in Shizuoka governor race

SHIZUOKA, Japan – The opposition-backed former mayor of Hamamatsu won Sunday’s Shizuoka gubernatorial election, dealing a blow Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling party.

Yasutomo Suzuki beat Shinichi Omura, who was endorsed by Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party, and other candidates.

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Kishida conveys Japan’s concern about China military activities

SEOUL – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he conveyed Japan’s “serious concern” to Chinese Premier Li Qiang in their talks on Sunday about China’s recently increasing military activities, days after it conducted two days of drills around Taiwan.

Kishida also asked Li for an immediate lifting of Beijing’s blanket ban on Japanese seafood products, imposed after the discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant began in August 2023.

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Japan, South Korea to deepen ties ahead of 60th anniv.: Kishida

SEOUL – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Sunday to make efforts to further develop relations with South Korea ahead of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties next year during his talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol.

At their 10th in-person summit, the two leaders also agreed to work together in addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, the South Korean presidential office said, amid an increasingly unstable regional security environment.

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Record 29.79 million found items reported to Japanese police in 2023

TOKYO – A record 29.79 million reports of found property, excluding cash, were made to Japanese police nationwide in 2023, police agency officials said Monday, as the miniaturization of electronic devices has made them easier to lose.

The figure, an increase of around 3.15 million from the previous year and the highest since comparable data became available in 1971, also comes as foot traffic has returned after an easing of restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Police Agency officials said.

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Tennis: Naomi Osaka off to winning start at French Open

PARIS – Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, playing in the French Open for the first time in two years, advanced to the second round on the strength of a three-set victory over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti on Sunday.

In the first match on Roland Garros’ center court, Court Philippe-Chatrier, Osaka, ranked 134th in the world as she works her way back after giving birth to her first child in 2023, defeated 67th-ranked Bronzetti 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in 2 hours, 1 minute.

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Rugby: Brave Lupus upset Wild Knights in thrilling League One final

TOKYO – Jone Naikabula scored a brace of tries to spearhead Brave Lupus Tokyo to a dramatic 24-20 upset over Saitama Wild Knights in the Japan Rugby League One championship final on Sunday.

The Robbie Deans-coached Wild Knights were denied a match-winning try and an undefeated season after the television match official ruled retiring veteran Shota Horie threw a forward pass in the lead-up to Tomoki Osada dotting down in the 89th minute.

Video: Tokyo Olympics athletes’ village reborn as residential complex

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