TOKYO – The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
Japan says China boosting military capabilities in broader areas
TOKYO – Japan’s Defense Ministry is concerned that China is expanding the operational capabilities of its military over a wider area, its annual report said Tuesday, reflecting heightened vigilance against increasingly assertive activities by Chinese forces in the western Pacific.
Also taking into account security threats from North Korea and Russia, the ministry’s 2025 white paper said that Japan is on track to meet its goal of raising defense-related outlays to 2 percent of gross domestic product, “fundamentally reinforcing defense capabilities” amid U.S. pressure for higher spending.
Nissan to end vehicle production at Oppama plant by end of FY 2027
TOKYO – Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday that it will end vehicle production at its flagship Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo by the end of fiscal 2027, transferring the operation to a factory in southwestern Japan, as part of restructuring efforts.
The struggling automaker will consolidate the production of current models and those set for production at the Oppama plant at its subsidiary, Nissan Motor Kyushu Co.
2 dead as building under demolition in southwestern Japan collapses
FUKUOKA – A two-story building that was being demolished in Fukuoka Prefecture collapsed on Tuesday, leaving two construction workers dead, local authorities said.
Authorities were alerted by an emergency call at around 1:40 p.m. about a building that had collapsed in the southwestern Japan city of Kurume. Three construction workers were brought out of the rubble, but two of them, one in his 40s and another in his 20s, were later confirmed dead, police said.
Minor party head calls Japan foreign labor intake “national doping”
TOTTORI, Japan – Sohei Kamiya, head of the ultraconservative minor party Sanseito, likened Japan’s intake of foreign workers to “national doping” in a speech Tuesday on the House of Councillors election campaign trail.
Sanseito has made responses to the country’s foreign population a key issue in the upper house election, and its “Japanese First” banner has gained traction with conservatives holding nationalist or anti-establishment views.
China’s Xi, Australian PM seek trade expansion amid Trump tariffs
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated their willingness to boost bilateral trade on Tuesday, according to their governments, as the two countries face steep tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
During a meeting with Albanese at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi hailed the improvement in Sino-Australian ties, saying their relationship has risen from “setback and turned around, bringing tangible benefits” to both peoples.
Japan sees no widespread fentanyl abuse, health minister
TOKYO – Japan does not currently face widespread fentanyl abuse, the health minister said Tuesday, amid growing international concern over misuse of the deadly opioid in the United States and Europe.
Takamaro Fukuoka said at a press conference that customs authorities had not intercepted any fentanyl over the six years through last year, while pledging to continue working with other countries to crack down on the illegal trade of the drug.
“Tax cut,” “consumption tax” trending on social media before election
TOKYO – “Tax cut” and “consumption tax” were listed among the policy-related words trending on X in recent weeks, highlighting public interest in measures to combat inflation ahead of Japan’s upper house election for this weekend, a Kyodo News analysis showed Tuesday.
Among the other common phrases on the social media platform were those about coexisting with foreigners in Japan. Some minor parties are pushing for tighter controls on foreign residents, while others are placing emphasis on protection of their rights.
Japan forecasts record hike in 2025 rice production
TOKYO – Japan is expected to produce 7.35 million tons of rice this year, marking a record increase of 560,000 tons from the harvest last year, the farm minister said Tuesday, amid persistent demand for branded rice.
Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the projected amount of rice, a staple food in Japan, is based on his ministry’s survey of farmers as of the end of June, which showed they plan to use 1.36 million hectares of land for growing it, up 104,000 hectares from 2024.