The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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PM Kishida says Japan-Russia ties are "difficult" amid Ukraine war
TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday said Japan's relations with Russia are currently "difficult" amid Moscow's war in Ukraine, but pledged to continue making efforts to resolve a territorial dispute and sign a peace treaty.
At an annual rally in Tokyo held to demand the return of Moscow-controlled, Tokyo-claimed islands off Hokkaido, Kishida also urged Russia to restart visa-free exchange projects, including those that allow visits by former Japanese residents of the islands to family graves.
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Japanese court approves nonsterilized trans man's gender change
OKAYAMA, Japan - A Japanese court Wednesday recognized a transgender man's petition to legally change his gender without having first undergone sterilization, in a ruling believed to be the only of its kind in Japan, his lawyer said.
The Okayama Family Court's Tsuyama Branch ruled that 50-year-old Tacaquito Usui can change his gender on his family register in the wake of an October Supreme Court decision that ruled a provision effectively requiring the removal of a person's reproductive capabilities to officially change their gender is unconstitutional.
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Tokyo gov't HQ to host "world's largest" projection mapping display
TOKYO - The Tokyo metropolitan government will begin nightly projection mapping displays, which it says will be the world's largest, from late February on one of the two towers that host its headquarters, it said recently.
The Tokyo government has applied to Guinness World Records and expects the year-round shows at one of the capital's most recognizable landmarks in the bustling Shinjuku district to be recognized as the world's largest.
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Japan's key economic index rises in Dec. on recovering exports
TOKYO - A key index reflecting the current state of the Japanese economy rose in December on recovering exports, government data showed Wednesday.
The Cabinet Office kept the assessment that the economy is "improving," the most optimistic expression, as the coincident index of business conditions rose 1.6 points from the previous month to 116.2 against the 2020 base of 100. It fell 1.3 points in November.
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Education minister signed Unification Church-supporting document
TOKYO - Education minister Masahito Moriyama, who also has religious affairs within his ministerial portfolio, admitted Wednesday to signing a document pledging support for issues championed by the Unification Church ahead of the October 2021 general election.
At a parliamentary session, Moriyama said, "I think I may have signed the document without sufficiently checking its contents, but I don't remember very well," after a major newspaper reported his ties with the controversial religious group.
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Japan firm probed over sale of ship to Iran
TOKYO - A Japanese firm is being probed on suspicion of falsely declaring that it was planning to sell a ship to a company in the United Arab Emirates before selling the vessel to a company in Iran, an investigative source said Wednesday.
The Osaka-based firm was searched by police Tuesday on suspicion of violating the customs law after allegedly making a false declaration around May 2021 that it was selling a 499-ton used cargo ship to a company in the UAE, the source said.
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Taiwan's Lai seeks cooperation with Japan as he meets Tokyo governor
TAIPEI - Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te called for cooperation with Japan during his talks Wednesday with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike so that the two sides can create a "win-win situation" for regional peace and stability, according to the presidential office.
Lai, the incumbent vice president, said Koike, who formerly served as defense and environment minister, plays an important role in Japanese politics and that he hopes by winning her assistance, the island and Japan can further cooperate to achieve economic and industrial prosperity, the office said in a statement.
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Nippon Steel rebuffs Trump criticism over U.S. Steel deal
TOKYO - Nippon Steel Corp. said Wednesday its planned $14.1 billion acquisition of United States Steel Corp. will proceed as planned, dismissing opposition expressed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he will block the deal if he returns to power.
"The deal is beneficial to both countries, as well as relevant industries," Nippon Steel Executive Vice President Takahiro Mori told a press conference. "It should not be blocked by ulterior motives in the political world."
Video: Around 10 killer whales trapped in drift ice in Hokkaido
