The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Yen falls to 20-year low in 130 zone vs. dollar after BOJ meeting
TOKYO - The Japanese yen slumped to the 130 range against the dollar on Thursday for the first time since April 2002, after the Bank of Japan maintained its ultraeasy monetary policy at its board meeting in sharp contrast to the U.S. central bank that has raised interest rates.
The yen was trading in the upper 130 range in the afternoon in Tokyo, plunging from the lower 128 zone quoted in the morning after the BOJ underlined its resolve to keep rates at rock-bottom levels.
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BOJ stands pat on ultra-low rate policy, yen tumbles
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan on Thursday underscored its resolve to persist with ultraeasy monetary policy and vowed to rein in rising long-term interest rates, judging that recent inflation, driven by surging raw material costs amid the war in Ukraine, will not last and its 2 percent target remains elusive.
The yen tumbled to fresh 20-year lows below 130 and then 131 to the U.S. dollar after the no-change decision at a two-day policy meeting, raising concern about increased import costs for resource-poor Japan.
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Japan's lower house urges gov't to ease Okinawa's base-hosting burden
TOKYO - Japan's lower house on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the government to reduce the burden on Okinawa in hosting the bulk of U.S. forces in the country, in a move that marks the 50th anniversary of the southern island prefecture's reversion to Japanese rule.
The resolution was adopted at a time when defense experts fear for the security of the base-hosting prefecture amid increasing challenges facing the Japan-U.S. alliance in light of situations such as cross-strait tensions between Taiwan and China and the ongoing Ukraine war.
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Japanese, German leaders meet as Ukraine, China loom large
TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Tokyo on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well as China's increasing military and economic clout in the Indo-Pacific.
Their first in-person meeting comes as Japan, Germany and other members of the Group of Seven major developed nations have been stepping up pressure on Moscow through a slew of economic sanctions over the ongoing war.
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Excessively rapid forex movements negative for economy: BOJ chief
TOKYO - Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said Thursday that while a weak yen is positive for the Japanese economy, the negative aspects of excessively rapid foreign exchange moves should also be noted after the currency tumbled to a fresh 20-year low against the U.S. dollar.
Speaking at a press conference after a two-day policy meeting, Kuroda said it is "appropriate" to continue with the central bank's powerful monetary easing because the sustainability of recent inflation is in doubt.
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ANA forecasts return to profit in FY 2022 on recovering demand
TOKYO - ANA Holdings Inc. said Thursday it plans to return to the black for the business year ending next March, after posting massive losses the past two years, as it expects travel demand to recover from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The parent of All Nippon Airways Co. expects a net profit of 21 billion yen ($164 million) in the current fiscal year, due to increasing bookings for domestic and international flights following the Japanese government's easing of anti-virus measures. Revenue is projected to be 62.7 percent higher at 1.66 trillion yen.
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Operator of missing Hokkaido boat continued tours in bad weather
SHARI, Japan - A tour boat that disappeared off Hokkaido with 26 people aboard last weekend sailed even on days when bad weather was forecast, the head of the company operating the vessel has said.
Seiichi Katsurada, president of Shiretoko Yuransen, said at a press conference on Wednesday that he allowed the boat to depart on the condition that the captain of the vessel would turn back if the seas got rough, admitting that the tours were conducted that way "for many years."
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Baseball: Angels' Ohtani gets win, has 1st three-hit game of 2022
ANAHEIM, California - Shohei Ohtani showed power at the plate and on the mound as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Cleveland Guardians 9-5 Wednesday night in a 25-hit slugfest.
Ohtani (2-2), making his fourth pitching start this year, survived a rough beginning to deliver the win, the Angels' fourth straight. The Angels moved into first place in the American League West, a half-game ahead of the Seattle Mariners.
