Rim Nakamura of Japan competes in the preliminary round of the BMX freestyle men’s park at the Paris Olympic qualifier series in Budapest on June 21, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan to conduct 1st thorough survey of PFAS chemicals in tap water
TOKYO – Japan will conduct its first thorough survey on the concentration of potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS in tap water after the substances were detected in filtration plants and rivers across the country, a government source said Saturday.
The government called for prefectural governments and water utility companies authorized by the state in late May to provide data on PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.” The results will inform discussions aimed at reconsidering water quality targets.
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Japan’s imperial couple leaves for Britain as state guests
TOKYO – Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Saturday departed for Britain with Empress Masako, embarking on the first state visit to the country by a sitting emperor since his father Akihito’s in 1998.
The couple, bound for London, left Tokyo’s Haneda airport in a government plane in the morning. The official goodwill visit is their second overseas trip following a June 2023 visit to Indonesia after the emperor ascended the throne in May 2019.
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U.S. Marine commandant says littoral regiment to be set up on Guam
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marines will deploy to Guam a littoral regiment capable of a flexible and rapid response in a “few years” as part of efforts to deal with China’s growing assertiveness, its commandant said Friday.
Gen. Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, told a press conference in Washington that the Marine Littoral Regiment is “designed as a counter to PRC aggression,” referring to the acronym for the People’s Republic of China, to protect Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
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Japan PM says new inflation-relief steps to be drawn up around fall
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that the government will compile fresh inflation relief steps around this fall, providing cash handouts to low-income households struggling to weather the cost-of-living crisis.
The aid will come on top of government subsidies that Kishida also vowed to retain to cut household utility bills. Rising prices have weighed heavily on consumers despite his emphasis on wealth redistribution via pay hikes.
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200 million tons of rare metal rocks found in seabed off Japan island
TOKYO – Over 200 million tons of manganese nodules, seabed mineral concretions rich in rare metals, have been found densely packed in the deep sea off the coast of Japan’s easternmost island within its exclusive economic zone, a Japanese survey team said Friday.
The team involving the Nippon Foundation and the University of Tokyo plans to begin trial mining of the nodules found off Minamitori Island, which also contain significant quantities of cobalt and nickel, from 2025 with the aim of commercialization.
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Japan to face 36% truck driver shortfall in FY 2030: think tank
TOKYO – Japan will have 36 percent fewer truck drivers than required to meet the country’s logistical demands in fiscal 2030 due to its graying population and the introduction this year of reforms aimed at curbing overwork, according to a recent study.
The country’s road freight volume in the fiscal year ending March 2031 is projected to be 1.40 billion tons, declining slightly from 1.43 billion tons in fiscal 2020, the Nomura Research Institute said.
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Rugby: Inexperienced Japan get tough lesson in 52-17 loss to England
TOKYO – Eddie Jones’ new-look Brave Blossoms received a rugby lesson from a clinical England side who ran in eight tries to two in a 52-17 victory at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Saturday.
The match pitted Jones, back in charge of Japan for the first time since 2015, against his former assistant and successor as England head coach, Steve Borthwick, whose world No. 5 team is gearing up for a two-test tour of New Zealand.
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Basketball: Japan’s men fall to Australia in Olympic warm-up
SAPPORO – Japan’s men wasted an early lead in the first of their two Olympic warm-up games against an inexperienced Australia squad, a 90-89 loss on Saturday.
The Akatsuki Five, ranked 26th in the world, led 27-13 with 33 seconds left in the first quarter on a Keisei Tominaga three-pointer at Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center, a lead that steadily dwindled until the Boomers took a 68-66 lead in the fourth quarter.
Video: Japanese men’s team gymnasts trains at Ajinomoto National Training Center in Tokyo
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