The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Ex-economy minister Amari tapped as Japan ruling party's No. 2
TOKYO - Fumio Kishida, the new leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and presumed next prime minister, decided Thursday to appoint former economy minister Akira Amari to the ruling party's No. 2 post of secretary general, LDP sources said.
Former education minister Hirokazu Matsuno is set to become chief Cabinet secretary, while Sanae Takaichi, one of Kishida's rivals in Wednesday's LDP presidential election, has been tapped as chair of the party's Policy Research Council, the sources said.
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Sumo: Record-setting yokozuna Hakuho retires
TOKYO - Sumo's longest-serving yokozuna Hakuho retired on Thursday when the Japan Sumo Association's board of directors accepted his request to end a 20-year competitive career in Japan's ancient sport.
The Mongolian-born grand champion, winner of a record 45 grand sumo tournaments, has been dogged by injury the past few years and had surgery on his right knee in March. For the time being, he will serve as an instructor with his Miyagino stable as sumo elder Magaki.
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Japan condemns N. Korean missile launch as violating U.N. resolutions
TOKYO - Japan's top government spokesman on Thursday said a North Korean missile launch earlier this week violated U.N. Security Council resolutions while condemning the test as "extremely regrettable."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference that Japan, which does not have formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, lodged a protest through its embassy in Beijing.
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China seeks support of Japan to run Beijing Olympics amid pandemic
BEIJING - China asked Thursday for the cooperation of Japan, the host of this summer's Tokyo Olympics, to run the Beijing Games safely, a day after a decision was made that no spectators from overseas can attend them amid the pandemic.
"Japan has just successfully hosted the Tokyo Olympics" without spectators at almost all venues, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "China gave strong support to the Tokyo Olympics, so we hope we will receive the understanding and support of Japan."
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Japan e-commerce giant Rakuten aims to take online bank public
TOKYO - Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Group Inc. said Thursday it is preparing to list shares in its online banking unit Rakuten Bank, enabling it to secure its own financing and boost the group's fintech business.
Rakuten Bank is expected to remain a consolidated subsidiary of the group even after the listing, the date of which has yet to be decided, according to the company.
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Tokyo Game Show kicks off with virtual experience for gamers of world
TOKYO - The Tokyo Game Show started Thursday east of the capital, with a physical exhibition open to a select group of guests for the first time in two years and a virtual setup for game enthusiasts who wish to attend remotely.
The annual gaming extravaganza, one of the world's biggest shows of its type, attracted media and game influencers to Chiba's Makuhari Messe convention center, allowing them to try out new titles on display and interview exhibitors. The event was held entirely online last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Japan to see price hikes in food, tobacco products from Oct.
TOKYO - Japan will experience price hikes in some food and tobacco products as well as services from October, partly due to a spike in global raw material prices, dealing a further blow to households hit by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Starting Friday, dairy producers Meiji Co. and Megmilk Snow Brand Co. will increase prices of their margarine products, as international prices have soared due to a surge in global demand and lowered output in major producing areas due to poor weather.
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Tokyo Disney parks, USJ to accept more people as COVID emergency ends
TOKYO - Tokyo Disney theme parks and Universal Studios Japan will increase the maximum number of visitors they admit every day from 5,000 to 10,000 starting Friday, as Japan's months-long COVID-19 state of emergency expires, their operators said.
Oriental Land Co., which runs Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, said Thursday, however, it will maintain the current shortened opening hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
