logo
Russian envoy to attend peace ceremony in Nagasaki

Russian envoy to attend peace ceremony in Nagasaki

Japan Times3 days ago

Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdrev will attend a ceremony in Nagasaki on Aug. 9 commemorating the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of the city, Moscow's state-run Tass news agency reported Thursday, citing the Russian Embassy in Tokyo.
Nozdrev will be the first Russian representative to attend the annual peace ceremony since the country's invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
The decision to send the ambassador was made after Nagasaki city officials visited the embassy to extend an invitation, according to the embassy.
In May, Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said that his city would invite Russian and other ambassadors to this year's ceremony.
Last year, Nozdrev criticized the governments of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, another city hit by a U.S. atomic bomb in 1945, for not inviting representatives of Russia to their memorial ceremonies.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba
Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba

Japan Times

time4 hours ago

  • Japan Times

Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba

Any measures to ease inflation in Japan must be speedy and shouldn't impede the government's ability to fund social services, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sunday, in a comment reflecting his aversion to sales tax cuts as opposition parties campaign to lower the duty ahead of a key election next month. "We must secure the necessary funds for medical care, elderly care, and pensions. On top of that, the response to the current inflationary trends needs immediacy. It needs to be speedy,' Ishiba said on Sunday at a conference hosted by nonprofit organization Japan Productivity Center. He added that measures to counter inflation must reach those most in need, and touted recent steps that eased rice and gasoline prices as examples. Ishiba has opposed lowering the sales tax ahead of an Upper House election where voters will vote on the performance of his minority government. The ruling coalition suffered its worst-ever result in a Tokyo metropolitan election last week, with voters raising the high cost-of-living as well as anger over political scandals as factors that helped determine how they voted. A Kyodo News poll conducted over the weekend showed that 50.2% of respondents hoped to see the ruling coalition lose their majority in the Upper House, while 38.1% hoped to see them maintain it. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito need to win only 50 out of 125 contested seats to maintain a majority in the Upper House. The same poll showed that 70% of respondents want a cut in the consumption tax to deal with persistent inflation, while Ishiba's pledge to provide cash handouts was supported by 23.8%. Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the country's largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, promoted his party's promise to temporarily lower the consumption tax on food, saying that a major factor for Japan's inflation, currently the highest among Group of Seven countries, is rising food prices. "I believe the most effective way to counter inflation is by bringing down the current 8% consumption tax on food down to 0%,' Noda said at the same conference, adding that his plan would call for a temporary cut with a pre-determined time limit of up to two years. Inflation in Tokyo slowed in June for the first time in four months as a result of government steps to reduce utility and gasoline prices. Still, voters across Japan have seen more than three years of inflation at or above the Bank of Japan's 2% target.

Ishiba cautious about expanding ruling coalition
Ishiba cautious about expanding ruling coalition

Japan Times

time5 hours ago

  • Japan Times

Ishiba cautious about expanding ruling coalition

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sounded cautious Sunday about expanding the ruling coalition between his Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. "A coalition should be formed after a certain level of agreement is reached on diplomacy, security and public finances," Ishiba said in a speech ahead of Thursday's start of the official campaign period for the July 20 election for the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of Parliament. At a conference hosted by a private policy proposal group, Ishiba also expressed support for the idea of establishing a nonpartisan consultative body on social security reform. On measures against persisting inflation, he stated, "What is needed now is immediate effects," reiterating the need to provide a cash benefit of ¥20,000 to ¥40,000 per citizen, included in his party's election pledges. "We must secure financial resources for medical care, elderly care and pensions," he said, indicating a negative view about opposition proposals for lowering the consumption tax. At the conference, opposition party leaders expressed skepticism about joining the coalition. "It's impossible to form a grand coalition just with one issue," Yoshihiko Noda, president of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said adding that a coalition with the LDP "would not be easy." Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), declared, "We have no intention of joining the (LDP-Komeito) coalition." In contrast, Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, refrained from taking a position, saying that things would depend on the Upper House election results. Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito stated, "Now is not the time to think about any partner other than the LDP and Komeito." Noda and Yoshimura, Osaka governor, approved the idea of setting up the consultative body for social security reform. They also called for a temporary consumption tax cut for food. Japanese Communist Party leader Tomoko Tamura said that the consumption tax rate be lowered to 5%.

Families of Japanese abductees race against time
Families of Japanese abductees race against time

Japan Times

time11 hours ago

  • Japan Times

Families of Japanese abductees race against time

Nearly half a century has passed since the first government-recognized abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s, yet the issue remains unresolved. Sakie Yokota, 89, is now the only surviving parent of a Japanese abductee. Her daughter, Megumi Yokota, became a symbol of the issue after being abducted in 1977 at the age of 13. The Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea continues to press the government for stronger action. The group has collected signatures to rally public support, hoping that Megumi and other abductees can be brought home while her mother is still alive to welcome them. The Japanese government has officially recognized 17 people as victims of abduction by the reclusive Asian regime. Of those, 12 have yet to return, and their whereabouts remain unknown. In recent years, the parents of abductees have died one after another without a chance to be reunited with their children. Following the death of Akihiro Arimoto — father of Keiko Arimoto, who disappeared in Europe in 1983 at the age of 23 — in February at age 96, Sakie Yokota is now the last living parent of a recognized abductee. Reflecting on the long struggle ahead of her 90th birthday next February, Yokota said with a sigh, "I wonder how much longer I will be able to live. It has taken such a long time (to resolve the abduction issue). "I want to face my final moments after seeing (the victims) somehow set foot on Japanese soil and say, 'Thank you, we were able to come home,' with tears of joy," she said, expressing her heartfelt wish. On April 26, five members of the family association, along with supporters, took to the streets of Ginza in central Tokyo to gather signatures for their campaign. Calling out, "Every stroke of your pen is power," they appealed to passersby for support. It was the association's first street campaign in 12 years. The last such effort, in 2013, collected approximately 10,000 signatures. The latest initiative reflects growing concern over the "time limit" imposed by the aging families and fading public memory of the long-standing abduction issue. "The family association has set a time limit of rescuing the victims while any of their parents is still alive," said Takuya Yokota, the 56-year-old younger brother of Megumi and chief representative of the association. "We felt it was necessary to once again appeal to public opinion to help drive swift progress" in bringing the victims home. Since the family association was established in 1997, more than 19,000 signatures have been collected. Koichiro Iizuka, 48, the first son of abductee Yaeko Taguchi, who was snatched away in 1978 at the age of 22, expressed his resolve: "If we give up, it will end there. So we will continue to raise our voices." The family association has long urged the Japanese government to take concrete steps to secure the early return of the abductees. Still, negotiations between Japan and North Korea have remained at a standstill since October 2002, when five victims were repatriated following a historic summit between then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang the preceding month. The two countries still do not have diplomatic relations. The family association is placing its slender hopes on the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit during the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump. In 2017, during his first term, Trump raised the abduction issue in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly. The following year, he held the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit, having talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Trump has met with the families of Japanese abduction victims on multiple occasions. Before his passing, Akihiro Arimoto expressed hope that Trump could help bring renewed attention to their cause. From April 29 to May 4 this year, a delegation including Takuya Yokota visited the United States to seek cooperation from the U.S. government on resolving the issue. During their visit, members of the delegation met with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, other senior officials from the Trump administration and members of the U.S. Congress. The delegation urged the United States to ensure that the abduction issue is raised at any future U.S.-North Korea summit meeting. After returning to Japan, Yokota expressed confidence. "Having the opportunities to meet with key figures in the Trump administration is itself a source of hope and courage for the families of the victims," he said. "I believe it also serves as a clear demonstration of close Japan-U.S. cooperation, which will put strong pressure on North Korea."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store