Japanese Princess Kako visits the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo on Jan. 1, 2024, to meet with former Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko for New Year greetings. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
 

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Over 300 unaccounted for after Japan quake, snow hampers rescue work

KANAZAWA, Japan - The death toll from a New Year's Day earthquake in central Japan rose to 168 on Monday, with more than 300 unaccounted for, authorities said, as snow and rain hamper rescue operations and efforts to relocate survivors to hotels amid fears of COVID-19 spreading in evacuation centers.

The number of people unable to be contacted increased by more than 100 from Sunday to 323, including 281 in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, according to the prefectural government.

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Japan anime giant Miyazaki's latest fantasy wins Golden Globe

LOS ANGELES - Renowned Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki won the genre's best film award at the U.S. Golden Globes competition on Sunday, marking his comeback as the winner of a major international contest.

The 124-minute fantasy "The Boy and the Heron" marked the first time a film by a Japanese director has won the award in the category that was created in 2007.

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Japan to back Ukraine's peace plan, foreign minister tells Zelenskyy

KYIV - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Japan will support Ukraine's proposed peace plan to end the war with Russia.

Kamikawa told reporters after meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday that Japan will co-chair a working group on radiation and nuclear safety, one of the 10 points in Ukraine's "peace formula" amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

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Runway at Tokyo's Haneda reopens after JAL jetliner collision

TOKYO - A runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport that had been closed since a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft reopened Monday.

The closure of Runway C, one of four runways at the country's busiest airport, following the Jan. 2 collision led to the cancellation of over 1,200 flights, affecting more than 200,000 passengers during the New Year holiday season.

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Taiwan spots 1,700 Chinese warplanes entering defense zone in 2023

TAIPEI - Taiwan spotted over 1,700 Chinese military aircraft entering the island's air defense identification zone last year, official data showed, with the number roughly staying at the same level as 2022 when the figure spiked following a U.S. high-level visit to the territory.

The Taiwan Defense Ministry's data showed the number of Chinese warplanes entering the island's ADIZ stood at just over 950 in 2021 but rose sharply to 1,732 the following year, including more than 400 detected in the area in August 2022 alone, when then U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei.

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Fire breaks out in compound of former Japan PM Tanaka's residence

TOKYO - A fire broke out Monday at a house within the premises of the late former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka's residence in Tokyo, authorities said.

His daughter and former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka and her husband Naoki, a former defense minister, were in the compound at the time of the incident but evacuated safely, police said.

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Japan's labor productivity ranked 30th among 38 OECD members in 2022

TOKYO - Japan ranked 30th in labor productivity among the 38 Organization for Economic Cooperation Development members in 2022, down two spots from the previous year and to a new lowest-ever position, a Tokyo-based group said.

Measured by the worth of goods or services a worker can produce per hour, labor productivity totaled $52.30 in Japan, the lowest calculated among the Group of Seven advanced economies since 1970 when comparable data became available, the Japan Productivity Center said.

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Baseball: Cubs among 4 teams chasing lefty Imanaga

NEW YORK - Left-hander Shota Imanaga is continuing to draw interest from the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox ahead of Thursday's deadline to sign him under the posting system, MLB.com reported.

The New York Mets have agreed to a two-year deal with southpaw Sean Manaea and their starting rotation, which includes Kodai Senga, is believed to be complete, according to the report published Sunday.


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