Kyodo News Digest: May 16, 2025
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan Jan.-March GDP shrinks for 1st time in 1 yr amid weak spending
TOKYO - Japan's economy shrank an annualized real 0.7 percent in the January-March period, the first contraction in a year, government data showed Friday, underscoring that domestic demand was sluggish even before higher U.S. tariffs took full effect.
In the first quarter of 2025, real gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, declined 0.2 percent from the October-December period, as weak consumer spending amid inflation and increased import costs weighed on growth, the Cabinet Office said.
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New Japan law allows preemptive defense of infrastructure cyberattack
TOKYO - Japanese parliament on Friday enacted a law to allow preemptive acts of cyberdefense, giving the government the ability to legally monitor communications data during peacetime and to neutralize hostile servers in the event of an attack.
The "active cyberdefense" law will oblige operators of key infrastructure, such as those in the electricity and railway sectors, to report cyber breaches to the government.
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Stores to get priority on gov't rice stockpiles to ease prices faster
TOKYO - The Japanese government pledged Friday to set aside a quota of its stockpiled rice for supermarkets and other retailers, in an effort to accelerate distribution and help consumers benefit from lower prices more quickly.
Of the 300,000 tons of reserve rice to be released over three months through July, 60 percent will be allocated to retailers. To encourage broader participation from distributors in the auctions, the buyback deadline will be extended from one year to five years.
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Human remains found at Japan defense force jet crash site
TOKYO - The Air Self-Defense Force said Friday that human remains were discovered at a large reservoir in central Japan where an ASDF training jet carrying two personnel crashed earlier this week, possibly those of a missing crew member.
The accident occurred shortly after the T-4 jet took off from Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture on Wednesday afternoon, leaving both crew members missing, according to the ASDF.
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Scandal-hit Fuji Media logs 1st net loss since 1997 listing
TOKYO - Fuji Media Holdings Inc. on Friday reported a net loss of 20.13 billion yen ($138 million) for the last fiscal year, its first red ink since the firm was listed in 1997, amid a sexual misconduct scandal involving famed former TV host Masahiro Nakai.
The loss in the year ended March 31 was a sharp swing from a net profit of 37.08 billion yen a year earlier.
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Japan's Defense Ministry asked to launch office on UFOs, anomalies
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry was urged to set up an office tasked with tackling UFOs at a meeting with a cross-party group of lawmakers on Friday.
The group, chaired by former Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, handed a proposal to the current defense chief, describing such sightings -- formally referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP -- as realistic and serious national security concerns.
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Baltic Pavilion calls for return of stolen Osaka expo mascot figure
OSAKA - The Baltic Pavilion at the World Exposition in Osaka said Friday that its display of the expo's official mascot, Myaku-Myaku, was stolen from the reception area, prompting officials to call for the return of the character figure that has gone viral among visitors.
"Very sadly, hardworking Myaku-Myaku at the Baltic Pavilion suddenly disappeared. Any idea where Myaku-Myaku is now?" Lithuanian Ambassador to Japan Aurelijus Zykas said on social media as his country is showcasing exhibits in the pavilion with Latvia.
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Japan enacts laws to introduce digital arrest warrants by FY 2026
TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Friday enacted bills to introduce digital arrest warrants and other documents related to criminal procedures by March 2027, signaling a major shift in the country's investigation processes that are predominantly carried out in person and documented on paper.
The revisions of laws including the Code of Criminal Procedure are expected to ease the burden on investigators who currently must be physically present at court to apply for and receive warrants. Under the revisions, the slips can be requested and received online and executed by displaying them on tablet devices.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
17 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Upper House Election: Sanseito Expands National Presence with Wins in Tokyo, Aichi, Fukuoka; Strategy of Fielding Candidates in Every Constituency Race Pays Off
Sanseito has secured seats in constituencies such as Tokyo, Aichi and Fukuoka while widening its support in the proportional representation vote. This represents dramatic growth, as it previously had only a single seat. During this election, the party fielded candidates in every constituency race, and it placed 10 names on the proportional ballot. Altogether it ran 55 candidates, the second largest slate after the Liberal Democratic Party, and this scale became the driving force behind its gains. 'The public now knows who we are,' said party leader Sohei Kamiya on an NHK program Sunday night. 'In the next House of Representatives election we want to win 50 to 60 seats and secure a position in a coalition cabinet.' Campaign messaging revolved around a 'Japanese First' theme, emphasizing opposition to what Sanseito calls excessive acceptance of foreign nationals and proposing stricter screening of land purchases by foreigners. As its top policy priorities, the party also advocated tax cuts and an aggressive fiscal stance.
Asahi Shimbun
17 minutes ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Sanseito, DPP sharply increase their presence in Upper House
Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya is all smiles over the Upper House election results on July 20. (Nobuo Fujiwara) Opposition party Sanseito, which espouses 'Japanese First' policies and spouts anti-immigrant rhetoric, made a strong showing in the July 20 Upper House election and seized 14 seats, galvanizing support among unaffiliated voters. The party formed in 2020 won seven seats in urban electoral districts, including Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures. 'We advocated 'Japanese First,' something that many people have routinely felt (important),' Saya, 43, who uses only one name, told supporters after her projected win in the Tokyo constituency. 'Many voters endorsed politics that values Japanese people.' Sanseito, which had only one seat up for re-election, called for tax cuts and fiscal spending to stimulate the economy, among other policies. 'Our 'Japanese First' policies resonated with people suffering from many problems and troubles,' Junko Sugimoto, 47, who won a seat in the Aichi constituency, told supporters on July 20. 'That led to our victory.' The party garnered the remaining seven seats in the proportional representation portion. 'We will focus on gaining a solid footing,' Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya told a TV Tokyo Corp. program on July 20 after the party's advances became clear. A champion of tougher immigration controls, Sanseito has faced criticism and protests over its policies that have a discriminatory undertone. Kamiya, for example, described policies promoting a gender-equal society as a mistake and said, 'Older women cannot bear children,' a remark that drew a storm of protest. The party's campaign pledges also include making terminally ill patients cover all medical expenses for their life-prolonging treatments. Asahi Shimbun exit polls indicate that many men who graduated from school in the so-called employment ice age voted for Sanseito in the proportional representation portion. Sixty percent of those who voted for the party in the proportional representation portion were male. Those in their 40s and in their 50s accounted for 21 percent each. Seventy-three percent of those who voted for the party in the proportional representation portion said they were influenced by posts on social media as well as video-sharing sites when deciding how to vote. The percentage was larger than supporters of any other political party. The Democratic Party for the People also sharply increased strength following its gains in the Lower House election in October. The DPP garnered 17 seats, compared with its four up for re-election. Together with five seats not up for grabs this year, the party now controls 22 seats, which enables it to submit a bill that requires a budget to the Diet on its own. In the Tokyo constituency, where seven seats were contested, the two DPP candidates, Mayu Ushida, 40, and Yoshihiro Okumura, 31, both won seats. 'Our policies aimed at increasing take-home pay struck at the hearts of working-age generations,' Ushida said. In the Lower House election, the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito lost its majority. The DPP has cooperated with the coalition on some issues, such as supporting the government's supplementary budget bill last year. However, party leader Yuichiro Tamaki categorically denied any possibility of working with the Ishiba administration on a TV Asahi Corp. program on July 20. 'We will first see how politics within the ruling coalition will develop,' Tamaki said.
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Anti-immigration Sanseito makes gains in election after drawing attention online
TOKYO -- The opposition party Sanseito made a strong showing in the July 20 House of Councillors election in both constituency and proportional representation races, greatly boosting its strength from the single seat it secured for the first time in the chamber in the previous 2022 election via proportional representation. Under its "Japanese First" mantra, the party claimed that "globalism increased the poor," attracting voters harboring insecurity about their livelihoods. While the party managed to broaden its support base by garnering attention via the internet, radical remarks made by its leader Sohei Kamiya also sparked criticism. Supporters of Sanseito clipped highlights from campaign speeches by Kamiya and party candidates and spread them over YouTube and TikTok. Sanseito overwhelmed other parties in terms of the number of video views and web searches. The party initially aimed to win six seats, but it raised the target to 20 two days before election day after media organizations projected the party's seat growth based on their election surveys. At a press conference on election night on July 20, Kamiya confided, "Honestly speaking, we hadn't expected our party would gain this much support." On June 30, shortly before campaigning for the upper house election officially got underway, Sanseito announced that upper house member Mizuho Umemura joined the party after leaving Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party). As Sanseito fulfilled the requirements to be eligible for a national political party, its appearances on terrestrial TV broadcasting increased, raising its profile even among voters who seldom access information online. "We filled the party requirements at the last minute. For me to have been able to speak (on TV) side by side with other party leaders served as the best opportunity for us to get a head start," Kamiya reflected. During the campaign period, Kamiya repeatedly stressed his stance to toughen the response to foreigners in Japan, remarking, "We'd like to make proposals for running a country not dependent on immigrants and foreigners." Sanseito topped the list of parties that became subject to fact-checking efforts by newspaper companies, TV broadcasters and news agencies for any false and inaccurate information. While Kamiya said, "Some of my remarks were ill-considered, so I need to reflect on some points," he claimed, "The fact that my statements were partially clipped or slammed negatively worked the other way around to fuel the minds of our party members." Regarding how the party intends to deal with the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, Kamiya told a program on public broadcaster NHK, "We will decide whether to approve policies on a case-by-case basis." Kamiya stated, "If our party can clinch 50 to 60 seats in the next House of Representatives election, there may be a coalition government of small parties akin to those in Europe. We're aiming to secure a position in this."
