JAPANESE NATIONAL DETAINED IN IRAN LAST YEAR YEAR HAS BEEN RELEASED, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPANESE NATIONAL DETAINED IN IRAN LAST YEAR YEAR HAS BEEN RELEASED, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Sunday that one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has been released and will be returning to Japan.

Motegi, speaking on a Fuji Television talk show, said the person had been detained since last year and was released on Wednesday.

He said another Japanese national who was arrested earlier this year is still in custody.

Motegi said the release came after his repeated demands to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and that he is “working to win an early release” of the other detainee while communicating with his family and other concerned parties.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has named the person detained in Iran in January as a journalist at Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. The CPJ said the NHK journalist was arrested Jan 20 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was transferred Feb 23 to Evin Prison, quoting unidentified sources citing fear of persecution.

Motegi did not identify either of the people detained and said the released Japanese national was detained in 2025.

The Foreign Ministry said earlier this month the detainees were safe and in good health, but only acknowledged that one was detained last year and the other one in January.

The ministry gave no further details such as whether the two cases were related.

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TEPCO NUCLEAR PLANT IN NIIGATA RESUMES GENERATION, PART REPLACED - TOKYO JAPAN

TEPCO NUCLEAR PLANT IN NIIGATA RESUMES GENERATION, PART REPLACED - TOKYO JAPAN 

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TOKYO

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc on Sunday resumed power generation and transmission at a nuclear reactor in central Japan after replacing a cracked metal part found to have caused a fault signal that prompted its removal from the grid.

An alarm went off earlier this month indicating a possible electricity leak at the recently rebooted No. 6 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear complex in Niigata Prefecture.

TEPCO concluded that a damaged electric conductor linking a power generator and earthing device had triggered the alarm, not an electricity leak.

Commercial operation was due to begin on Wednesday but has been postponed until April following the recent incident.

Located on the Sea of Japan coast about 220 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, the unit became in January the first reactor to be restarted by TEPCO since its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex suffered meltdowns in the wake of the 2011 major earthquake and tsunami.

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DEER SPOTTED IN CENTRAL OSAKA - JAPAN

DEER SPOTTED IN CENTRAL OSAKA - JAPAN

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OSAKAA young male deer appeared Sunday at a part in the middle of city area in Osaka, drawing local people wanting to glimpse the unexpected visitor and capture it in photos.

The sudden appearance of a deer in Osaka's Miyakojima Ward, around 2.5 kilometers from JR Osaka Station, fed speculation that it may have traveled all the way from Nara Park, a popular tourist spot known for over a thousand wild deer, following recent similar sightings in Osaka.

Nara Park, which had a record 1,465 wild deer last year, is located a few dozen kilometers from Osaka. Deer sightings were reported in places like Higashiosaka bordering Nara Prefecture.

The deer seen in a riverside park appeared accustomed to people, grazing on grass in the park and laying down as onlookers watched with smiles.

"I've been living here for more than 30 years but this is my first time to see this," said a 69-year-old woman in the neighborhood. "We have no choice but to keep an eye on it."

The city government said it has no plans to capture the deer because it shows no signs of harming people. Local police are urging the public not to approach it or feed it.

A local group promoting the preservation of the deer at Nara Park said it cannot say the deer spotted in Osaka had left the park just because it appeared used to having people around. But the group said it is possible for a young male deer to leave its herd after losing a territorial fight.

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JAPANESE NATIONAL RETURNS HOME AFTER MONTHSLONG DETENTION IN IRAN - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPANESE NATIONAL RETURNS HOME AFTER MONTHSLONG DETENTION IN IRAN - TOKYO JAPAN  

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TOKYOJapan's top government spokesperson said Monday that one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has safely returned home in good health.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara's confirmation came one day after Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced the person's release.

Motegi, speaking on a Fuji Television talk show Sunday, said the person had been detained since last year and was released on Wednesday. He said the person took a flight from Azerbaijan.

Kihara, at a regular news conference Monday, confirmed that the former detainee returned to Japan on Sunday in good health.

Kihara said another Japanese national who was arrested earlier this year is still in custody but “we have confirmed that there is no problem with the safety and health" of the person and that Japan is continuing to press Iran for a release as soon as possible.

Motegi said the release came after his repeated demands to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and that he is “working to win an early release” of the other detainee while communicating with his family and other concerned parties.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has named the person detained in Iran in January as a journalist at Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. The CPJ said the NHK journalist was arrested Jan 20 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was transferred Feb. 23 to Evin Prison, quoting unidentified sources citing fear of persecution.

Motegi did not identify either of the people detained but said the released Japanese national was detained in 2025.

The Foreign Ministry said earlier this month the detainees were safe and in good health, but only acknowledged that one was detained last year and the other one in January.

The ministry has given no further details and did not say whether the two cases were related.

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HAY FEVER HITS JAPAN'S WILD MONKEY PARKS - FUKUOKA JAPAN

HAY FEVER HITS JAPAN'S WILD MONKEY PARKS - FUKUOKA JAPAN

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FUKUOKA

Wild Japanese macaques at observation facilities across Japan appear to be dealing with hay fever-like symptoms again this year, with some rubbing their eyes and noses or sneezing -- not unlike the humans watching them.

Staff hope visitors will feel a sense of empathy and kinship, finding common ground in the serious monkey business of spring allergies.

At the Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden in Oita, in southwestern Japan, nearly 10 percent of about 760 monkeys on the mountain were observed sneezing and experiencing runny noses, with some exhibiting these symptoms as early as late February. Staff have occasionally observed what appears to be pollen drifting in the wind, given the presence of Japanese cedar and cypress on the mountain.

In western Japan, Arashiyama Monkey Park in Kyoto and Awaji Island Monkey Center in Sumoto, Hyogo Prefecture, also confirmed similar pollen allergy symptoms among macaques there, including severe cases, the facilities said.

Toshikazu Nobuhara, director of Awaji Island Monkey Center, said some monkeys suffered so badly that they could not open their swollen eyes, adding, "Unlike humans, they have no medicine, so all they can do is wait for hay fever season to end."

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GOVERNMENT OKS EXTRA COST FOR DRUGS SIMILAR FOR OVER - THE - COUNTER MEDICINES - TOKYO JAPAN

GOVERNMENT OKS EXTRA COST FOR DRUGS SIMILAR FOR OVER - THE - COUNTER MEDICINES - TOKYO JAPAN 

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TOKYO

The Japanese government has approved a bill to introduce a system requiring patients prescribed drugs similar in ingredients and efficacy to over-the-counter medicines to pay an additional 25 percent of the medication costs.

By reforming the medical insurance system, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government plans to strictly apply a mechanism reflecting financial income, such as stock dividends, in determining the share of medical costs borne by people aged 75 or older.

The move is designed to ease insurance premium burdens on the working generation, but it will raise out-of-pocket costs for some people, as Japan is facing a rapidly aging population and declining birthrate.

Japan's national burden rate for fiscal 2026, covering taxes and social insurance premiums, is projected at nearly 50 percent, higher than the United States.

The government, meanwhile, considered a provision to review the cap under the high-cost medical care system at least every two years, but it dropped legislation after ruling party talks, fearing it could create the impression that increases would become routine.

The government specified in the bill that any review of the burden should take into account the impact on the household finances of patients undergoing long-term treatment.

The new system for additional payments for OTC-like drugs is targeted to begin next March.

It is expected to cover around 1,100 items with 77 ingredients, including Loxonin tablets for pain and fever, and Allegra tablets for pollen allergy. Children and patients with cancer or intractable diseases will be excluded.

The mechanism for factoring in financial income when calculating the share of medical costs and insurance premiums for people aged 75 or older is part of the government's policy of determining burdens based on ability to pay.

The government aims to establish a system allowing local authorities to obtain financial income data online from financial institutions and launch it around 2030.

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JAPAN EYES INTRODUCTION OF UKRAINE - MADE DRONES FOR DEFENSE - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN EYES INTRODUCTION OF UKRAINE - MADE DRONES FOR DEFENSE - TOKYO JAPAN 

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TOKYO

The Japanese government is considering introducing Ukraine-made attack drones to bolster its defense capabilities, banking on the Eastern European country's combat experience against Russian military aggression, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The signing of a bilateral arms transfer agreement to safeguard secrets is one option for facilitating the move, the sources said, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy eager to exchange his country's defense technology for weapons provided by Japan, which restricts arms transfers under its war-renouncing Constitution.

The idea comes after Ukraine sounded Japan out about it, a diplomatic source said.

While purchasing drones from Israel is also an option, the Japanese government apparently believes that sourcing the unmanned aerial vehicles from Ukraine would be less controversial, amid widespread international criticism of the Israeli military's actions in the Gaza Strip.

Ukrainian drones are known for their long-range capabilities and resistance to jamming.

"While Japan has little expertise in drones, Ukraine has repeatedly upgraded theirs over a short period of time based on real battlefield experience, making them highly capable," a Japanese Defense Ministry source said.

In the draft budget for fiscal 2026, starting April, the ministry earmarked 277.3 billion yen ($1.7 billion) for reinforcing defense through unmanned assets, including by establishing "Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense," or SHIELD, to repel enemy attacks on far-flung islands.

The plan involves acquiring massive numbers of drones, including those for attack and surveillance.

In an interview with Kyodo News in February, Zelenskyy pitched Ukraine's expertise in the "massive production of cheap drones which are destroying big expensive drones and missiles."

He also said air defense is "crucial" for his country in repelling Russia's invasion and expressed hope to cooperate with Japan in the area, as the Asian nation -- a close U.S. ally -- produces Patriot surface-to-air missile interceptors under a U.S. license.

The Japanese government is on course to ease its defense equipment transfer rules, possibly in April, to allow, in principle, exports of lethal weapons.

A proposal by the ruling parties, which was submitted to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi earlier this month, created room for Ukraine to receive weapons from Japan as long as it has signed a defense equipment transfer agreement and is deemed as entitled to be granted exceptional treatment in light of Japan's national security needs.

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62.6% OF UNMARRIED PEOPLE UNDER 30 IN JAPAN DON'T WANT CHILDREN: JAPAN SURVEY

62.6% OF UNMARRIED PEOPLE UNDER 30 IN JAPAN DON'T WANT CHILDREN: JAPAN SURVEY

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OSAKA

Over 60 percent of unmarried young people in Japan said they do not want children in 2025, up from 56.6 percent who said so in 2024, a survey showed despite the government's measures to reverse the record low birth rate.

The poll conducted by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co in December found that 62.6 percent of 400 men and women between 18 and 29 are reluctant to have children, citing concerns over finances and career development.

These respondents also said social media or online posts about pregnancy and childrearing also make them anxious about having children.

Some 64.7 percent of women are unwilling to have children, topping the rate for men, which stood at 60.7 percent in the latest survey, for the first time since 2020 when the survey started collecting answers by gender.

Those hoping for a childfree lifestyle have been on the rise since 2020 when the ratio was 44.0 percent. The figure exceeded 50 percent for the first time in 2023 to 55.2 percent.

A Rohto spokesperson said the results showed the need for society and the workplace to provide support for young people even before they have children, helping them gain appropriate knowledge about childbirth.

To raise the birth rate, the government plans to expand childcare allowances and benefits for those on parental leave, among other measures.

However, its efforts have yet to bear fruit. According to health ministry data, the number of children born in Japan in 2025 fell to 705,809, marking a record low for the tenth consecutive year.

In February, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who made history by becoming Japan's first female prime minister in October, vowed to strengthen measures to reverse the country's declining birthrate, calling the situation a "silent emergency" that undermines Japan's vitality.

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JAPAN'S MIDEAST EVACUATIONS OF CITIZENS ONE OF ITS LARGEST SUCH OPERATIONS - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN'S MIDEAST EVACUATIONS OF CITIZENS ONE OF ITS LARGEST SUCH OPERATIONS - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Japan's evacuations of its citizens and their family members from the war-hit Middle East has become one of the country's largest operations of its kind, exceeding the 2020 evacuation from China's Wuhan, where the COVID-19 outbreak was first detected.

Since the United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, a total of 836 people have returned to Japan on four government-chartered flights, compared with the 828 who evacuated Wuhan.

The number of evacuees has ballooned partly because many college students in Japan travel abroad around this time of year to celebrate graduation. The Japanese school year begins in April and ends in March.

So far, three of the four planes have been chartered from Ethiopian Airlines, carrying a total of 560 people.

According to Narita International Airport Corp, the state-owned flag carrier of Ethiopia began to operate flights to Narita, near Tokyo, in April 2015 and currently operates six round trips per week to the capital Addis Ababa via South Korea.

Ethiopian Airlines was chosen by the Japanese government as it operates regular flights to various parts of the Middle East and the African nation has relatively good relations with Iran and the United States, two of the countries involved in the conflict, sources familiar with the matter said.

The Japanese government also chartered an Emirates flight from Dubai, which arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport Wednesday carrying 276 evacuees.

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EXPERTS CALL FOR DOUBLING HEIGHT LIMIT FOR BUILDINGS NEAR KYOTO STATION - KYOTO JAPAN

EXPERTS CALL FOR DOUBLING HEIGHT LIMIT FOR BUILDINGS NEAR KYOTO STATION - KYOTO JAPAN

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KYOTO

Kyoto should consider relaxing its existing 31-meter height limit on buildings near Kyoto Station to up to 60 meters to revitalize the gateway for visitors to the western Japanese city, according to an expert panel.

The envisioned relaxation would help spur rebuilding and create more space for offices and shops, even though it should be weighed against the need to protect the unique landscape dotted with temples and other distinctive features of Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital.

Critics, however, oppose the idea, with the local bar association saying that loosening the regulations would "transform Kyoto's streetscape into a featureless city that could be anywhere."

The expert panel's draft paper said it is "appropriate" for the city to raise the height limit to 60 meters in the area north of Kyoto Station, on a par with the station building, and to 45 meters in other surrounding areas.

It said the areas lacks office space and places for people to interact, due to the height restriction becoming a bottleneck for developers.

The Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry submitted a request to the city in April last year, calling for easing the cap to 60 meters.

"It is essential to develop an environment in which private-sector vitality can be fully demonstrated," it said at the time.

After a meeting of the expert panel, Tetsuharu Oba, a graduate school professor at Kyoto University, said relaxing the regulations would leave more options for future generations.

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JAPAN'S FREE DISASTER PHONE MESSAGE NUMBER IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN'S FREE DISASTER PHONE MESSAGE NUMBER IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

This week marks 15 years since the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal communities in northeastern Japan’s Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures. Even a decade and a half later, the suddenness with which the tragedy occurred serves as a solemn reminder of the necessity of disaster preparedness, and while many people are conscious of the need to maintain a supply of things such as preserved food and water, something that often gets forgotten is the importance of knowing how to deal with communications infrastructure being disrupted or destroyed.

When everything is running smoothly, modern personal electronic devices make staying in touch with friends and family a snap. Just whip out your smartphone, open up your favorite messaging app, and add a new text message to the thread or tap on the other person’s icon to start a voice or video call. However, that system goes to pieces if power has been knocked out in a disaster-hit area and victims have no way to recharge a dead battery, or if their phone was lost or destroyed in a quake or flooding, or had to be abandoned during a hurried evacuation.

So as part of disaster preparation when traveling or living in Japan, there’s an important number to remember: 171. That’s the number you need to dial to access telecommunications provider NTT’s Disaster Message Call (“Saigai Dengon Dairu”) service. Essentially an audio message board, Disaster Message Call allows users to record and store audio messages of up to 30 seconds. When recording a message, the sender also gives the phone number of the person it’s intended for, and those calling in to the service can input their phone number to play back messages that have been left for them. The key thing is that playback doesn’t require the service to be called from the same number that the message was left for, meaning that as long as a person has access to a phone of any sort, they can receive the messages that have been left for them, even if they’ve lost their mobile phone or landline.

The 171 Disaster Message Call system is compatible with landlines, mobile, IP, and ISDN. It even works with payphones, which allow 171 calls to be placed for no charge at all. A total of 20 messages can be stored at one time, with newer messages then replacing the oldest.

Given the open access allowed to the messages, it’s probably wisest not to use Disaster Message Call to relay sensitive or private information. For those looking to confirm that loved ones are OK, though, it can provide immense peace of mind, as even when people in disaster-struck regions still have their smartphones, wireless networks can become temporarily overloaded. Audio messages recorded through the Disaster Message Call system are also linked to its web-based version, Disaster Message Board 171, which also allows for the posting of text messages designated for/accessed by entering the intended recipient’s phone number.

As you’ve probably realized, 171 isn’t the only number you’ll want to know as part of your disaster preparedness: you’ll also need to know the phone number of whoever you’re trying to contact. While this isn’t an issue for those outside the disaster-stricken area who still have their phone and its stored data, victims who’ve lost access to their device will need to have the numbers stored in their head. Considering how wide the average person’s social network has grown in today’s society, memorizing the phone numbers for your entire contacts list is probably out of the question for most people, but remembering the digits for your most critical personal connections will help you find each other should another disaster strike.

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