The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan Post, Seino to team up on deliveries to counter driver shortage
TOKYO - Japan Post Co. and Seino Transportation Co. will collaborate in long-distance parcel deliveries, utilizing shared trucks, in response to concerns over a decrease in transport delivery capacity following the implementation of an overtime cap for drivers, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.
The postal service company and the major delivery firm conducted experiments in February and March in which trucks loaded with parcels from both companies operated in designated sections, such as between Tokyo and Osaka, confirming that sharing cargo would ease the impacts of the logistics shortfall resulting from the overtime restrictions, referred to as the "2024 problem."
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Golden Week wraps as post-COVID tourism boom overcrowds stations
TOKYO - Train stations and airports were bustling with travelers returning from trips Monday, the last day of Japan's Golden Week holidays, with people experiencing the first spring holiday period completely unaffected by coronavirus-related travel restrictions in four years.
Despite higher costs resulting from the yen's sharp decline against other currencies, many travelers opted for overseas destinations nearly a year after the government downgraded COVID-19 to a lower-risk disease category.
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Audi builds first charging hub outside of Europe in Tokyo in EV push
TOKYO - Audi AG has set up its first electric vehicle charging hub outside of Europe in central Tokyo to spur use of all-electric cars in a country slow to embrace the technology.
The facility, the seventh by the automaker, opened in late April next to its dealership in Kioicho, a district close to many offices, commercial facilities and government buildings, offering four charging points with 150-kilowatt capabilities, the maker of the Q4 e-tron sport utility vehicle said.
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Baseball: Shohei Ohtani homers twice, goes 4-for-4 as Dodgers down Braves
LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani tied the MLB home run lead of 10 on Sunday after hitting two in a single game for the first time this season, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-1 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Batting second as designated hitter, the two-way star went deep in back-to-back games to put the Dodgers on the board with a two-run shot with no outs in the first inning, launching one off a 2-1 curveball from Max Fried (2-1) over center field at Dodger Stadium.
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Boxing: Inoue knocks out Nery in Tokyo Dome super bantam showdown
TOKYO - Undisputed world super bantamweight boxing champion Naoya Inoue fought back from an early knockdown to stop Mexico's Luis Nery in the sixth round of their title showdown at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
The Japanese star improved to 27-0 with 24 knockouts in the finale of the first boxing card at the venue since Mike Tyson was sensationally knocked out by underdog James "Buster" Douglas in February 1990.
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Basketball: Yuta Watanabe's arrival to elevate B-League's stature
TOKYO - Departing the NBA with 213 games under his belt, Yuta Watanabe will have plenty of suitors in his homeland after declaring he will join Japan's B-League ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
While the signing of one of Japan's biggest-ever basketball stars will be a coup for one team, it will provide an overall boost for a league rapidly gaining popularity following the success of the Watanabe-led national team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Okinawa.
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Japan left to rethink COVID grants as telework facilities empty out
TOKYO - Japanese municipalities are increasingly being left to rethink the use of coronavirus-era government subsidies as remote work facilities built with the funding are falling into disuse, a survey by Kyodo News found Sunday.
Since the legal status of COVID-19 was downgraded to the same category as seasonal influenza a year ago, some facilities have already been forced to close due to dwindling usage, while others have been repurposed, hosting events such as matchmaking gatherings.
Video: Air show by Japanese and U.S. forces in Yamaguchi Prefecture
