TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan toughens guidelines for granting permanent residency
TOKYO - Japan's immigration agency on Thursday revised its guidelines for granting permanent residency to foreign nationals, requiring applicants to have an income above the average for Japanese households and demonstrating a certain level of projected pension benefits.
The revised guidelines, which are set to take effect in April 2027, also require applicants to demonstrate Japanese-language proficiency at the level of an "independent user."
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Preemptive cybersecurity laws enforced in Japan amid rising threats
TOKYO - Laws enabling preemptive cybersecurity measures aimed at neutralizing hostile servers came into force in Japan on Thursday to address growing cyberattack threats before they cause damage.
The laws, enacted in May last year, allow police and the Self-Defense Forces to access such servers to prevent attacks, which are becoming more sophisticated and faster than ever, to protect critical infrastructure.
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Japan hikes residency fees for foreign nationals
OSAKA - Japan on Thursday hiked fees for foreign nationals seeking to change or renew their residency status, with the cost of permanent residency jumping twentyfold to 200,000 yen ($1,280).
The increase triggered a last-minute rush to apply under the old rates earlier this week, with long lines forming at immigration offices and heavy traffic making it difficult for some people to use the government's online application system.
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Japan PM Takaichi to vow measures against population decline in Diet speech
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will vow to lay out a comprehensive strategy against population decline within the year in her policy speech to an extraordinary Diet session next week, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Her policy address slated for Monday is also expected to include pledges to avoid relying on bond issuance to fund a planned temporary cut to the consumption tax on food, and increased investments in risk-management areas amid uncertainty due to the war in the Middle East and threats from increasingly severe natural disasters.
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Japan big manufacturers' confidence improves to 24 in Sept. from 22: BOJ
TOKYO - Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers improved to 24 in September from 22 three months earlier, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed Thursday.
The sentiment index measuring confidence among companies such as those in the auto and electronics sectors missed the average market forecast of 26 in a Kyodo News tally.
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Japan, Mongolia defense chiefs vow security cooperation, exchanges
TOKYO - Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Mongolian counterpart Damba Batlut agreed Wednesday to deepen security cooperation and exchanges in the two countries' first bilateral defense ministerial meeting since February 2024.
Koizumi said at the outset of the talks with Batlut in Tokyo that Mongolia is Japan's "special strategic partner for peace and prosperity, sharing values and principles such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law."
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Documents show China weighed military action in Hong Kong in 2014
HONG KONG - Documents seen by Kyodo News have revealed that high-ranking Chinese military officials in November 2014 considered military intervention to suppress a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, raising questions about Beijing's commitment to the former British colony's semi-autonomy years before China introduced a sweeping national security law.
At the time, many in Hong Kong deemed direct military intervention out of the question, believing China was tolerant of the city's pro-democracy activism under the "one country, two systems" framework, which guaranteed it a high degree of autonomy after its handover from Britain to China in 1997.
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Asian Games: Anraku wins on boulder as Kondo siblings get judo golds
NAGOYA - Japan's Sorato Anraku won the men's sport climbing boulder title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, while the Kondo siblings, Hayato and Mitsuki, triumphed in their respective weight classes in judo.
The 19-year-old Anraku was the only climber to top three of four problems in the eight-man final at Portmesse Nagoya, winning on 74.5 points to add to his gold from 2023 in Hangzhou, China, where he prevailed in an event combining boulder and lead.
