TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan sets 3 conditions for defense force dispatch to Hormuz: source
TOKYO - Japan has set three conditions to dispatch its Self-Defense Forces to the effectively closed Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the matter said Sunday, amid ongoing uncertainty over an end to the Middle East crisis.
According to the source, Japan would require the United States and Iran to agree to a ceasefire, for communication with the Iranian side to be in place and that the threat in the strait be reduced. Specific operations if such conditions were met include disposal of abandoned mines and protecting commercial vessels, the source said.
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Heavy rain hits southwest Japan, disaster risk rises
TOKYO - Heavy rain hit southern Kyushu in southwestern Japan on Sunday, prompting the weather agency to warn of possible landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and swollen or overflowing rivers.
Linear rainbands -- zones of heavy rain clouds that form in succession over the same area -- had developed in Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures through late Sunday morning, sharply increasing the risk of disasters, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
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Kim's sister calls China-U.S. goal on North Korea denuclearization "false"
BEIJING - Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said that the May confirmation by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of their shared goal to denuclearize North Korea is "false information," state-run media said Sunday.
The sister, who serves as a senior ruling party official, said in a statement Saturday, "This is nothing but an old practice of the U.S. for spreading false information," according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
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Tennis: Japanese tennis star Oda wins 4th French Open wheelchair singles
PARIS - Japan's Tokito Oda, the top seed, won his fourth consecutive French Open men's wheelchair singles title Saturday, beating second-seeded Alfie Hewett of Britain 6-3, 6-3 in the final at Roland Garros in Paris.
The 20-year-old matched compatriot Shingo Kunieda's record of four consecutive titles at the event. Kunieda, a Japanese wheelchair tennis legend, received the government's prestigious People's Honor Award, in 2023.
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Quarter of women in Japan news industry see workplace as gender equal: poll
TOKYO - Just 26 percent of female employees in the Japanese news media industry say that their workplace is gender equal, compared to 40.7 of male respondents saying the same, results from a recent survey showed.
The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association's poll on gender awareness and diversity revealed a gap in perceptions of fairness. The poll was conducted with the aim of improving the heavily male-dominated media industry.
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FEATURE: Deteriorating Japan castles face high costs, debates over renovation
OSAKA - Several Japanese castles with wooden structures dating back to the feudal era were destroyed during World War II. Although they were later rebuilt using steel-reinforced concrete, they have deteriorated over time and have become more susceptible to earthquakes.
Some local governments have closed the castle keeps long cherished by locals and are planning either to repair the concrete structures or restore the original wooden constructions. But the municipalities are facing problems with high costs, while debates over the two options stand in the way.
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Rugby: Steelers beat Spears 22-13 to claim League One championship
TOKYO - Kobe Steelers clinched the Japan Rugby League One championship with a 22-13 win against Spears Tokyo Bay on Sunday.
The closely fought battle provided plenty of action but only one try apiece in front of 50,451 at Tokyo's MUFG Stadium, where Frans Ludeke's Spears finished runners-up for the second year in a row.
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Baseball: Ohtani homers, Yamamoto lights out as Dodgers demolish Angels
LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani crushed his 11th home run and Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched eight innings of one-run, two-hit ball Saturday as the Los Angeles Dodgers rode an early offensive explosion to a 9-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani and Andy Pages cleared the fences as the home side scored all nine of their runs in the first inning at Dodger Stadium, chasing Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz (2-5) after just one out.
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VIDEO: Interview with former Japan men's football team manager Zaccheroni
