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Japan Today
an hour ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Iran envoy urges Japan to take stand against U.S. attacks, Trump's remarks
U.S. President Donald Trump points to a reporter to take a question in the briefing room of the White House in Washington on Friday. Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat has urged Tokyo to stand against U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities in his nation after President Donald Trump's remark likening the U.S. attacks to the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ambassador said in a recent interview with Kyodo News that the comment is an "insult" not only to Iran, but also to Japan, the world's only country to have suffered atomic bombings. Japan should raise a "very loud voice," Seadat said, adding that Japan's voice is "important" to the international community. The interview was held after the United States, Japan's close ally, bombarded key Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday. Israel and Iran had been engaged in a tit-for-tat conflict following Israeli airstrikes on military and nuclear targets on June 13 before announcing a cease-fire on Tuesday. Trump said Wednesday during his visit to the Netherlands for a NATO summit, "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war." Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in a statement Monday that Japan "understands" the U.S. military action as a demonstration of its resolve to de-escalate the situation while preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Stability in the Middle East is vital for resource-poor Japan, given its heavy dependence on the region for crude oil, and it has traditionally maintained friendly ties with Iran. Seadat criticized Trump's reference to the atomic bombings on the two Japanese cities in the closing days of World War II as an "outrageous" and "irresponsible" statement showing "total disregard for human suffering." The envoy said the U.S. attacks on the nuclear sites deserve "global condemnation," calling them "acts of aggression" committed in violation of international law. He also said that "forcing peace is not peace," in reference to Trump's comment on his Truth Social media site that "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region." The U.S. military action right in the middle of nuclear negotiations was an act of "betrayal by the Trump administration," Seadat said. © KYODO
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Dalai Lama to turn 90 amid succession argument between Tibet, China
DHARAMSALA, India (Kyodo) -- With the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader, soon to turn 90, the issue of how to identify his successor, traditionally viewed as his reincarnation, is a key issue facing Tibet's government-in-exile and China, which took control of the Himalayan region more than 70 years ago. While China has claimed the sole authority to determine the successor, the current 14th Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959, has warned that Tibetans will not respect anyone chosen as his reincarnation by the country they see as having invaded their homeland. Amid speculation that the Dalai Lama could identify his successor while still alive, potentially through a process of recognition based on "karmic" connection, the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile has told Kyodo News that selection after the spiritual leader's demise on the basis of reincarnation remains the more likely scenario. "I cannot say for sure, but what we have listened to (from) His Holiness and what has been going around so far indicate (the successor's selection would) more likely (be) by reincarnation" than by identification by the spiritual leader, Penpa Tsering said in a recent interview in Dharamsala, northern India. Dalai Lama has also said in the past that his successor could be a woman. Tsering said the Dalai Lama will make an announcement in a video message at a meeting of representatives of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries on July 2, four days before he turns 90, although he said he did not know whether the succession issue would be touched on. Turning to China, Tsering said the key issue for Chinese government officials is selecting a new Dalai Lama "to fulfill their political needs." The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, assumed the role in 1950 after being identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor when he was 2 years old. He exiled himself to India soon after the failed Tibetan uprising against China's imposition of control in 1959. He later established a government-in-exile in Dharamsala. China considers the current Dalai Lama as a separatist who aims to break Tibet away from China. He, however, has insisted he is seeking autonomy for Tibet, with steps to preserve its religion, culture and language. In 1989, the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize for advocating peaceful solutions to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Tibetan people. Formal talks between Tibet and China were last held in 2010. Tsering, the second president of the government-in-exile who took office in 2021, said the two sides have since only used unofficial channels to communicate. He said he believes that China's policy on Tibet and other ethnic minorities revolves around "eliminating the identity of the nationalities" of the ethnic groups. "That's why they are striking the very root of every nationality's identity, including Tibetan, by having this colonial style -- holding schools where a lot of restrictions are imposed on teaching the native language," he added. Tsering was recently on a month-long tour to officially visit the United States, Canada and Japan to discuss the Tibetan cause. While Dalai Lama had a knee surgery in the United States in June last year, Tsering said the spiritual leader is in good health. "His Holiness keeps saying 'I will live for two decades (from now) and more and live up to 113 years of age,'" Tsering said. "There are also prophecies that he will live very long." (By Rini Dutta)
Kyodo News
8 hours ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 28, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 17 minutes ago - 09:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan, U.S. agree to continue tariff talks as July deadline looms WASHINGTON - Japanese and U.S. negotiators agreed Friday to continue talks toward a tariff deal that will be beneficial to both countries. Japan's government said its top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held talks in Washington, with each side reaffirming its position during "fruitful" discussions on trade expansion, nontariff measures and economic security cooperation. ---------- Japan gov't asks operators to address disinformation before election TOKYO - Japan's government on Friday asked major platform operators to help counter harmful social media posts in an effort to prevent disinformation and defamation targeting candidates ahead of a nationwide parliamentary election next month. The request by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications came as both the ruling and opposition camps emphasized the need to address disinformation during elections, though they have yet to agree how strictly the issue should be regulated. ---------- Nobel committee chair to visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki in July TOKYO - Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, will visit the atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki next month and may meet with atomic bomb survivors, a source close to the matter said Friday. Frydnes will arrive in Hiroshima on July 21 and later head to Nagasaki, likely visiting memorial museums and other sites related to the bombings, according to the source. ---------- Senior China military officer removed from top defense body BEIJING - China's parliament has voted to remove senior military officer Miao Hua from the nation's top defense body during its session through Friday, the official Xinhua News Agency said. In November, Miao was suspended from his position as a member of the Central Military Commission for "serious violations of discipline." The Chinese military leadership has been engulfed in a corruption scandal since around the summer of 2023. ---------- U.S. State Secretary Rubio's 1st visit to Japan eyed for July TOKYO - Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make his first visit to Japan early next month, a Japanese government source said Friday, with U.S.-imposed tariffs and the Middle East situation expected to be key topics. The trip is being arranged as part of Rubio's travel to Asia to attend a series of foreign ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia from July 8 to 11, according to the source. He also plans to visit South Korea. ---------- Iran envoy urges A-bombed Japan to stand against U.S. attacks TOKYO - Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat has urged Tokyo to stand against U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities in his nation after President Donald Trump's remark likening the U.S. attacks to the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ambassador said in a recent interview with Kyodo News that the comment is an "insult" not only to Iran, but also to Japan, the world's only country to have suffered atomic bombings. ---------- U.S. tariff rate hits historic level of 25.9%: Japan trade report TOKYO - The effective U.S. tariff rate on all imports rose to as high as 25.9 percent under President Donald Trump, surpassing levels not seen since the protectionist policies of the Great Depression, the Japanese government's annual trade report showed Friday. The U.S. tariff measures as of early April, including an increase in the levies on China to 145 percent, reached a "historic scale," the Japanese trade ministry said, adding that frequent changes in Trump's trade policy are creating "heightened uncertainty." ---------- Rice imports to Japan surge in May, 3.5 times FY 2024 total TOKYO - Private sector imports of tariffed rice to Japan in May were 3.5 times the total volume brought in during all of fiscal 2024, revised government trade data showed Friday, as soaring prices of domestic rice have spurred demand for cheaper alternatives. According to the Finance Ministry's trade statistics, revised from a preliminary report issued earlier this month, 10,605 tons of tariffed rice were imported in May, a sharp increase from 115 tons in the same period last year. The United States, which accounted for 7,894 tons, was the largest source, followed by Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Video: Masahiro Matsuoka from disbanded pop group Tokio meets the press
The Mainichi
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Iran envoy urges A-bombed Japan to stand against U.S. attacks
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat has urged Tokyo to stand against U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities in his nation after President Donald Trump's remark likening the U.S. attacks to the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ambassador said in a recent interview with Kyodo News that the comment is an "insult" not only to Iran, but also to Japan, the world's only country to have suffered atomic bombings. Japan should raise a "very loud voice," Seadat said, adding that Japan's voice is "important" to the international community. The interview was held after the United States, Japan's close ally, bombarded key Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday. Israel and Iran had been engaged in a tit-for-tat conflict following Israeli airstrikes on military and nuclear targets on June 13 before announcing a cease-fire on Tuesday. Trump said Wednesday during his visit to the Netherlands for a NATO summit, "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war." Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in a statement Monday that Japan "understands" the U.S. military action as a demonstration of its resolve to de-escalate the situation while preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Stability in the Middle East is vital for resource-poor Japan, given its heavy dependence on the region for crude oil, and it has traditionally maintained friendly ties with Iran. Seadat criticized Trump's reference to the atomic bombings on the two Japanese cities in the closing days of World War II as an "outrageous" and "irresponsible" statement showing "total disregard for human suffering." The envoy said the U.S. attacks on the nuclear sites deserve "global condemnation," calling them "acts of aggression" committed in violation of international law. He also said that "forcing peace is not peace," in reference to Trump's comment on his Truth Social media site that "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region." The U.S. military action right in the middle of nuclear negotiations was an act of "betrayal by the Trump administration," Seadat said.
Saudi Gazette
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Outrage as Trump compares Iran strikes to Japan atomic bombing
SINGAPORE — Japan has condemned US President Donald Trump for comparing recent US strikes on Iran to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II. "That hit ended the war," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing." About 140,000 people died when the US dropped atomic bombs on the two southern Japanese cities in August 1945. Survivors live with psychological trauma and heightened cancer risk to this day. If Trump's comment "justifies the dropping of the atomic bomb, it is extremely regrettable for us as a city that was bombed," said Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki. Trump's comments are "unacceptable", said Mimaki Toshiyuki, an atomic bomb survivor who co-chairs the Nobel Peace Prize-winning advocacy group Nihon Hidankyo, public broadcaster NHK reported. "I'm really disappointed. All I have is anger," said another member of the group, Teruko Yokoyama, in a Kyodo News of the atomic bomb attacks staged a protest in Hiroshima on Thursday, demanding Trump retract his in Hiroshima also passed a resolution on Thursday rejecting statements that justify the use of atomic bombs, and called for armed conflicts to be settled if Tokyo would lodge a complaint over Trump's remarks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said that Japan has repeatedly expressed its position on atomic bombs to comments on Wednesday came as he pushed back on a leaked intelligence report that said US strikes on Iran only set its nuclear programme back by a few had insisted that the strikes "obliterated" the program and set it back "decades" - a claim backed by CIA director John is the only country in the world to have been hit by a nuclear attack and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still stir painful Hiroshima, a peace flame that symbolises the country's opposition to nuclear weapons has been burning since the 1960s while a clock that counts the number of days since the world's last nuclear attack is displayed at the entrance of a war leaders who visit Hiroshima are also asked to make paper cranes to affirm their commitment to peace. — BBC
