News

Russia has permanently banned nine Japanese citizens from entering the country in retaliation for Japan's sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. This follows similar measures taken against other countries, including the U.S. and Canada, in response to their opposition to Russia's military actions.

Japan's largest labor union, Rengo, is demanding the biggest salary increase in over 30 years, seeking an average wage hike of 6.09% for this year, as both the government and central bank look for signs of sustainable wage growth to drive the economy. This demand could lead to another year of sizeable wage increases, potentially narrowing the income gap between workers at smaller and larger firms.

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture plans to export 350,000 tons of rice in 2030 to address future shortages and position exports as an "adjustment valve" for domestic supply. This initiative aims to increase rice exports to 1 million tons by 2040, ensuring greater flexibility in redirecting rice to the domestic market during shortages.

Major discount store operator Trial Holdings Inc. will acquire supermarket company Seiyu Co. for about 380 billion yen ($2.5 billion), expanding its business areas to the Kanto and Chubu regions. The acquisition will make Seiyu a wholly owned subsidiary of Trial, creating the sixth-largest domestic retailer with annual sales of approximately 1.2 trillion yen.

Japan's new family registration system allows individuals from Taiwan to list Taiwan as their place of origin, sparking a strong reaction from China which claims Taiwan as its own territory. This change coincides with the introduction of phonetic readings in hiragana above kanji characters to aid pronunciation.