TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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PM Takaichi's Cabinet support rate dips to 53.7%, lowest since launch
TOKYO - The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet fell 2.1 percentage points from the previous survey to 53.7 percent, the lowest since she took office last October, a Kyodo News poll showed Sunday.
The poll results come as the ruling bloc holding far more than two-thirds of the House of Representatives seats pushed through its key bills, including the revision to the Imperial House Law and new legislation to create a "second capital" as a backup for Tokyo in emergencies such as disasters, without sufficient deliberation and public understanding.
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UNESCO adds Japan's Asuka-Fujiwara sites to World Heritage list
BUSAN, South Korea - UNESCO decided Sunday to add a group of ancient sites in Nara Prefecture that show the formation of Japan's centralized state to the World Heritage list, marking the country's 27th such site.
The decision on the "Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological sites of Japan's Ancient Capitals and Related Properties" was made during a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea.
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Nissan-based OS to be developed with Honda for next-generation vehicles
TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. have decided to jointly develop an operating system that will serve as the brain of next-generation vehicles, based on Nissan's OS, a source familiar with the matter said Sunday.
The decision is a key part of the companies' standardization efforts and was apparently made following progress in development, with the aim of accelerating next-generation vehicle development to compete with leading automakers in the United States and China.
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Japan care home for disabled marks 10 yrs since mass murder
YOKOHAMA - Ten years on from the tragic stabbing rampage at a care home for people with intellectual disabilities that shook the nation, people laid flowers on Sunday to remember the victims, highlighting the ongoing need for Japan to create a more inclusive society.
In one of the country's worst mass murders, 19 residents of the Tsukui Yamayuri En care home in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, were killed and 26 others were injured. Former care worker Satoshi Uematsu, 36, has been sentenced to death.
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Japan PM Takaichi's "0 to 3 hours sleep" post spurs workstyle debate
TOKYO - A recent social media post by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lamenting her chronic sleep deprivation and demanding workload has drawn mixed reaction, fueling debate over Japan's notorious work culture of extreme hours.
"Zero to three hours of sleep has become the norm" since taking office last October, Takaichi said in a post on X on Monday, saying that she spends her nights reviewing documents until dawn while doing household chores.
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M'bishi Motors teams up with startup to mass produce humanoid robots
TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has teamed up with a startup originating from the University of Tokyo to develop and mass produce humanoid robots equipped with artificial intelligence, setting a target to make 1,000 units a month by the end of 2027.
The automaker expects to utilize its cutting-edge manufacturing expertise to develop the robots with Tokyo-based Highlanders Inc., as such bipedal robots are increasingly expected to help address labor shortages, the companies said in July.
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Sumo: Ukrainian star Aonishiki wins 3-way playoff to clinch Nagoya title
NAGOYA - Ukrainian dynamo Aonishiki captured his third top-division title at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, winning a three-way championship playoff against fellow sekiwake Atamifuji and Mongolian-born ozeki Kirishima after the trio finished deadlocked at 12-3.
Aonishiki's gritty playoff victory capped off a remarkable performance by the 22-year-old, who secured automatic repromotion to ozeki by reaching the 10-win benchmark at the 15-day tournament while laboring with a painful foot condition.
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Football: 59-yr-old Miura scores 1st competitive goal in 4 yrs
TOKYO - Kazuyoshi Miura scored his first competitive goal in four years Saturday at age 59 to help J-League third-division club Fukushima United secure a place in the Emperor's Cup.
"King Kazu" started for Fukushima United and scored in the 52nd minute for a 5-0 lead, with his club going on to thrash Iwaki Furukawa FC 7-0 in the final for the right to represent Fukushima Prefecture in the tournament.
