The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Ex-Tokyo Olympic exec Takahashi arrested on bribery suspicion
TOKYO - A former Tokyo Olympic organizing committee executive, who had wielded huge influence in sports circles, was arrested by prosecutors Wednesday on suspicion of receiving bribes of about 51 million yen ($380,000) from major business suit retailer Aoki Holdings Inc.
In addition to Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, a former senior managing director of Japan's largest advertising agency Dentsu Inc., the prosecutors arrested Hironori Aoki, a former chairman of the retailer, and two other people in connection with the case unfolding about a year after the Tokyo Olympics.
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Japan, China arranging high-level talks amid Taiwan tension
TOKYO - The governments of Japan and China are arranging high-level security talks in China, sources close to the matter said Wednesday, with the two sides seeking to avoid further deterioration of ties following Beijing's major military exercises held near Taiwan earlier this month.
During the envisioned meeting between Japanese national security adviser Takeo Akiba and China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi, Tokyo is likely to convey its concern over the drills Beijing conducted in protest of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
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LDP policy chief visited Unification Church-linked facility
TOKYO - Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Koichi Hagiuda visited a facility linked to the controversial Unification Church in June, accompanying ruling party candidate Akiko Ikuina ahead of the upper house election, Ikuina's office said Wednesday.
Hagiuda, then industry minister, and Ikuina, who was elected in the House of Councillors election on July 10 in the Tokyo constituency, visited the facility in the city of Hachioji in western Tokyo apparently to seek the religious group's support.
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North Korea fires two cruise missiles toward Yellow Sea: Yonhap
SEOUL - North Korea fired two cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a South Korean military official.
The missiles were launched from a central region of the nation as U.S. and South Korean troops on Tuesday began a preliminary drill ahead of their annual exercises from next Monday.
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No. of suicides in Japan increased 8,000 due to pandemic: study
TOKYO - The coronavirus pandemic led to 8,000 more suicides in Japan between March 2020 and June 2022 than would have been expected without it, a recent study calculated.
Women in their 20s saw the largest rise, but women aged 19 or younger also saw a significant increase, according to the study conducted by a team of researchers including Taisuke Nakata, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo.
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Over 100,000 foreign visitors to Japan in July for 4th month in row
TOKYO - The number of foreign arrivals in Japan in July exceeded 100,000 for the fourth straight month following the easing of COVID-19 border control measures in a bid to shore up the tepid economy, official data showed Wednesday.
The foreign arrivals, which totaled 144,500 last month, were 2.8 times higher than those in July 2021. But it represented a 95.2 percent plunge from the same month in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
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Concession, understanding key to solving issues with Japan: Yoon
SEOUL - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that his country and Japan can solve issues stemming from Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula through "concession and understanding."
Yoon's remarks come amid speculation that South Korea's top court may soon, possibly within days, finalize a court decision ordering the liquidation of Japanese corporate assets sought by plaintiffs who have won damages in wartime labor cases, a move that is feared will rupture bilateral ties.
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Heavy rain expected across Japan, raising landslide, flooding fears
TOKYO - Heavy rain is expected in northern to western Japan through Thursday due to unstable atmospheric conditions, raising fears of landslides and flooding, the country's weather agency said.
The agency warned of lightning, tornadoes and strong winds, as a low-pressure front over the Sea of Japan is predicted to move northeastwards on Wednesday. The front is expected to move south again the following day.
