TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan, China foreign ministers chat, 1st since spat over Taiwan began
MANILA - Japan's foreign minister said Thursday he had spoken the previous day with his Chinese counterpart for the first time since last November, when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about Japan's potential response to an attack on Taiwan triggered a sharp backlash from Beijing.
Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters in Manila that he and Wang Yi briefly spoke about bilateral ties as they crossed paths between their separate meetings with ASEAN foreign ministers at the same venue.
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Japan economy may surpass 73-month postwar growth record in July
TOKYO - The Japanese government is likely to maintain its view that the economy is recovering moderately in its monthly assessment for July, a source close to the matter said Thursday, raising the possibility that the economy will surpass the postwar record of 73 consecutive months of expansion.
But even if it is later confirmed that the previous record expansion seen between February 2002 and February 2008 has been exceeded, the achievement will come as households continue to struggle with a rising cost of living.
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Tokyo used condo prices fall in June for 1st time in 26 months
TOKYO - The average asking price for a used condominium in Tokyo fell 0.8 percent from May to 127.41 million yen ($781,000) in June, marking the first month-on-month decline in 26 months, a real estate research firm said on Thursday.
Tokyo Kantei Co. said buyers have struggled to keep up with surging prices in the capital's 23 wards, prompting some real estate companies to cut prices. While prices were down on a month-on-month basis, they were still up 23.3 percent from a year before.
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Japan to act "resolutely" when required against yen fall: finance chief
TOKYO - The Japanese government will act "resolutely" when required, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Thursday as the yen fell to its lowest in over 39 years, passing the 163 line against the U.S. dollar, fueling speculation of intervention by Japanese authorities.
"Our stance has not changed at all," Katayama told reporters, while adding she does not make comments on specific levels of the dollar-yen pair.
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Seven-Eleven Japan warns franchisees of rampant unauthorized merch resales
TOKYO - Japan's largest convenience store operator Seven-Eleven Japan Co. has issued a warning to its franchisees nationwide that unauthorized resale of merchandise featuring popular anime and game characters may be rampant, multiple sources close to the matter said Thursday.
Some owners and employees have been caught setting aside merchandise before its release or buying up large quantities to sell on resale sites. Such activity is seen as a betrayal of consumer trust and likely to call into question the governance structure of store operations.
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Japan space agency conducts Epsilon rocket engine test after failures
TOKYO - The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on Thursday conducted a ground test of the Epsilon S small rocket's engine, following two consecutive failures in similar tests in recent years.
The test of the 27-meter-long, solid-fuel rocket was completed as planned, marking a step toward launching an Epsilon S rocket demonstrator by the end of March.
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UNESCO calls on Japan to strengthen explanations of Sado mine site history
TOKYO - UNESCO on Thursday called on the Japanese government to strengthen its explanation of the history of a gold and silver mine complex on Sado Island added to the organization's World Heritage list in 2024.
The mine complex in Niigata Prefecture was added on the condition that Japan provide a full explanation of its entire history, as South Korea has long maintained that people from the Korean Peninsula were subjected to wartime forced labor there.
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Sumo: Aonishiki loses to enter 4-way tie for lead in Nagoya meet
NAGOYA - Aonishiki lost to another sekiwake to create a four-way tie for the lead in the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Thursday, just a day after clinching his return to the second-highest ranking of ozeki with 10 wins.
Ozeki Kirishima, No. 13 maegashira Takerufuji and No. 14 maegashira Shishi also ended Day 12 with 10-2 records, joining the title race at the IG Arena.
