Voters went to the polls on Sunday for the tightly-contested election, being held at a time of frustration at the coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito over rising prices and the threat of US tariffs.

Speaking after polls closed on Sunday, the prime minister said he “solemnly” accepts the “harsh result” but that his focus was on trade negotiations.

Having already lost its majority in Japan’s more powerful lower house last year, the defeat will undermine the coalition’s influence.

The ruling coalition needed 50 seats to retain control of the 248-seat upper chamber. It ended up with 47.

The Constitutional Democratic Party, the main opposition, came in second with 22 seats.

Half of the seats in the upper chamber were being voted on in Sunday’s election, with members elected for six-year terms.

Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer in Japanese Studies at Kanda University of International Studies, told BBC News support for more right wing parties had cut into the LDP’s conservative support base.

“Prime Minister Ishiba is considered not conservative enough by many supporters of the former Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe,” he said.

“They think that he just doesn’t have the nationalistic views on history, he doesn’t have the strong views against China that Abe had.”

Shinzo Abe was formerly the leader of the LDP and was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, in office twice between 2006 and 2007, and 2012 and 2020.

Mr Hall said some of the party’s support had gone towards the Sanseito party – who would now be saying things which “haven’t been said in public before by members of the upper house,” – noting the party’s pull towards “conspiracy theories, anti-foreign statements, [and] very strong revisionist views about history”.

Ishiba’s centre-right party has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955, albeit with frequent changes of leader.

The result underscores voters’ frustration with Ishiba, who has struggled to inspire confidence as Japan struggles against economic headwinds, a cost-of-living crisis and trade negotiations with the United States.

Many are also unhappy about inflation – particularly the price of rice – and a string of political scandals that have beleaguered the LDP in recent years.

The last three LDP premiers who lost a majority in the upper house stepped down within two months, and analysts had predicted that a significant loss in this election would yield a similar outcome.

This would open the field for a potential run at the leadership by other notable LDP members, including Sanae Takaichi, who finished second to Ishiba in last year’s leadership election; Takayuki Kobayashi, a former economic security minister; and Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

In any case, a change of leadership within the ruling party would almost certainly unleash political drama and destabilise Japan’s government at a pivotal moment in US-Japan trade negotiations.

On Monday, the Tokyo Stock Exchange was closed for a public holiday, but the yen strengthened on global markets against other major currencies as the results appeared to have been expected by investors.

Support for the ruling coalition appears to have been eroded by candidates from the small, right-leaning Sanseito party, led by Sohei Kamiya, who has been compared to Trump by some media outlets.

The party, which is known for its “Japanese First” policy, drew conservative votes with its anti-immigration rhetoric. On Sunday, it won 14 seats – a big addition to the single seat the party won in the last election.

Sanseito rose to prominence during the pandemic, as it peddled conspiracy theories on YouTube such as the “deep state” and warned people not to wear masks or vaccinate themselves.

The fringe party’s nativist rhetoric widened its appeal ahead of Sunday’s vote, as policies regarding foreign residents and immigration became a focal point of many parties’ campaigns.

Famous for its isolationist culture and strict immigration policies, the island nation has experienced a record surge in both tourists and foreign residents in recent years.

The influx has further driven up prices for Japanese people and fuelled a sentiment among some that foreigners are taking advantage of the country, aggravating discontent.

Against that same backdrop, Ishiba last week launched a task force aimed at tackling “crimes or nuisance behaviours committed by some foreign nationals”, including those relating to immigration, land acquisitions and unpaid social insurance.

Source: BBC

Prof. Akoriyea made this declaration during the official renewal ceremony of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the KOKO Plus Foundation (KPF), the Ajinomoto Foundation (TAF), and the Ghana Health Service.

The renewed agreement is part of ongoing collaborative efforts to tackle child malnutrition and improve health outcomes across Ghana.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Prof. Akoriyea expressed gratitude for Japan’s continued support and underscored Ghana’s readiness to learn from and work closely with Japanese partners to develop sustainable health solutions.

“We are ready to partner and learn with you to improve Ghana’s health sector,” he stated during the signing ceremony, addressing the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Yoshimoto Hiroshi.

Also present at the event was Dr. Kennedy Bomfeh, Director of Production, Project Management, and Academic Affairs for KOKO Plus and the Ajinomoto Foundation.

He reaffirmed the foundations’ commitment to supporting Ghana’s fight against child malnutrition.

Dr. Bomfeh highlighted that the renewed MoC would enable the foundations to scale their efforts, reach more children, and significantly enhance nutritional outcomes nationwide.

The partnership marks continued dedication to improving child health through sustainable, evidence-based interventions, further strengthening the longstanding relationship between Ghana and Japan in the health sector.

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Midfielder Kamada came off the bench to put Japan in front after 66 minutes and Kubo added the second three minutes from time to keep the Samurai Blue in pole position in Group C of Asia’s preliminaries.

The win guarantees Japan a top-two finish in the standings and sees them qualify for an eighth straight World Cup.

The first two in each of Asia’s three qualifying groups are certain to progress to the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year, with the third- and fourth-placed teams advancing to a further round of playoffs.

After an underwhelming first half, Moriyasu introduced Crystal Palace midfielder Kamada in the 63rd minute and within three minutes he had put his side in front.

The 28-year-old finished off a fine move that started with defender Hiroki Ito finding Ayase Ueda in the centre circle, and his pass released Kubo to set up Kamada to score.

Kubo had been Japan’s most potent threat and it was fitting that the Real Sociedad playmaker added the second, beating goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfallah at his near post to put the outcome beyond doubt.

AUSTRALIA CRUISE

The result means Japan continue to lead Group C by nine points from second-placed Australia, who overcame an early scare to thrash Indonesia 5-1 in Sydney in Patrick Kluivert’s first game in charge of the visitors.

Indonesia’s Kevin Diks hit the post with an eighth-minute penalty and the Socceroos took advantage.

Martin Boyle put Australia ahead from the spot and Jackson Irvine scored twice, with Nishan Velupillay and Lewis Miller also on target to enhance Australia’s qualification hopes.

Saudi Arabia host China in the remaining Group C game in Riyadh later on Thursday.

South Korea suffered a minor setback in Group B as Hong Myung-bo’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Oman in Goyang.

Hwang Hee-chan had given the home side the lead in the 41st minute but an 80th minute strike by Ali Al-Busaidi levelled for the Omanis against a Korean outfit that saw Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in leave the field with an ankle injury.

The Koreans remain in first place on 15 points, four ahead of Iraq who are at home to Kuwait later on Thursday, while Jordan host Palestine.

In Group A, leaders Iran entertain the United Arab Emirates while second-placed Uzbekistan, who are three points back, host Kyrgyzstan and Asian champions Qatar take on visitors North Korea.

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The bottlenose dolphin is believed to be behind 18 attacks near the town of Mihama so far this year, with one primary school-aged child’s finger needing at least 20 stitches.

At least six people were injured in attacks last year, leaving one swimmer with broken ribs. Another person was injured in a 2022 attack.

It has led officials to warn that not only can the mammals “bite you with their sharp teeth and cause you to bleed”, but they can also “drag you into the sea, which could be life-threatening”.

Despite their reputation as friendly animals, dolphin attacks can be fatal. In 1994, a dolphin in Brazil attacked two male swimmers who tried to ride it, killing one and injuring the other. The dolphin, nicknamed Tião, was believed to have injured at least 22 people before that.

Tadamichi Morisaka, a cetology professor at Japan’s Mie University, said the dorsal fin of a dolphin spotted biting a man’s fingers at a beach in Tsuruga – a port city next to Mihama – matched that of a 2.5m long dolphin observed off the coast of Fukui province last year.

The dorsal fin is like a dolphin’s fingerprint, as each has distinctive notches, ridges and pigmentation.

“It is reasonable to assume that it is the same individual, as the wounds on the tail fin are similar to those of the dolphins seen off the coast last year, and it is rare for dolphins, which normally move in groups, to be alone for such a long time,” Prof Morisaka told NHK.

He added that male bottlenose dolphins communicate by “play-biting each other”. “They are not trying to injure people, but are using the dolphins’ way of communication with people,” he said.

Others have suggested various theories on why the same creature may be behind these attacks – including a desire for sex.

“Bottlenose dolphins are highly social animals and this sociality can be expressed in very physical ways,” said Dr Simon Allen, a biologist and principal investigator with the Shark Bay Dolphin Research project.

“Just as in humans and other social animals, hormonal fluctuations, sexual frustration or the desire to dominate might drive the dolphin to injuring the people it interacts with. Since they are such powerful animals, this can lead to serious injury in humans.”

Dr Matthias Hoffmann-Kuhnt, a marine mammal expert at the National University of Singapore, said the dolphin could also be acting in its own defence.

“Most of the time, in my experience, this is more a defensive behaviour when humans get to close to these dolphins and do not know how to conduct themselves,” he said, referring to reports of people trying to ride the animals or sticking their fingers into the dolphins’ blowholes.

“Thus it is no wonder that the animals then turn aggressive or at least protective against humans in the water,” he said.

It could also be that the dolphin previously had a bad encounter with a human being and now projects that relationship onto other humans it encounters, Dr Hoffmann-Kuhnt said.

“They have good memory, similar to elephant who will remember who mistreated them before,” he said.

Source: BBC

Japan started the game aggressively, putting significant pressure on the Black Queens’ defense in the first quarter, which required extra effort from the Ghanaian side.

The Black Queens played most of the match with ten players after Captain Portia Boakye was sent off for fouling Japan’s Tanaka Mina.

Ghana’s first offensive attempt saw Doris Boaduwaa’s shot curl wide, as Japan continued to dominate. Goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan Findiib emerged as the standout performer for Ghana, making several top-class saves to keep the hosts at bay.

In the 52nd minute, Tanaka Mina scored from a penalty area scramble following a Nagano free-kick, putting Japan in the lead. Quick goals from Hanata and Fujino Aoba in the 64th and 67th minutes, respectively, further weakened Ghana’s defense. Kitagawa added another goal for Japan in the 80th minute.

Despite their best efforts, the Black Queens could not recover from the four-goal deficit by the end of the game.

The match provided the technical team with an opportunity to evaluate the squad against high-level competition as they prepare for upcoming international assignments.

The Ghanaian team will face Japan at the Go Go Curry Stadium in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, on Saturday.

Speaking to the press, the Swiss coach discussed her team’s readiness for the game while acknowledging Japan’s high calibre.

“We know Japan were World Champions in 2011, and are currently ranked number seven in the World and for us, this is a high-class team,” she said as reported by the Ghana FA website.

“The opposition they provide is exactly what we want so as to improve in different areas such as ball possession. We also need to be smart in defence because Japan is very excellent on the ball in good transitioning moments and they observe their opponents very well.”

Häuptle emphasized that the Black Queens will approach the game with a strategic and clever game plan.

“We will present a smart game plan by trying to surprise our opponents a little bit and we are really going to see how we end tomorrow’s game”, she added.

The match is set to kick off at 06:24 GMT.

The women’s senior national team will face the Asian side on July 13 in a high-profile friendly game for Nora Hauptle’s side.

The game will also serve as a preparatory test for Japan who are set to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

19 players left Accra for Japan on Sunday, July 7, with three more players expected to join in Kanazawa for the game.

The three players are Bay FC’s Princesses Dankwa Marfo. Linda Eshun and Grace Asantewaa who plays in Mexico.

The Queens held a four-day training session in Ghana before their departure for the game.

The contingent included 19 players, technical team and management members. Four more players are set to fly to join their colleagues for the tie.

The Black Queens have been training in Accra for the four days in readiness for the much anticipated friendly.

Nora Häuptle will use the game to assess her players for future competitions including the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Ghana will face the former World Champions at the Kanazawa Go-Go Curry Stadium on Saturday, July 13, 2024, as part of their build-up to the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Below is Ghana’s squad:

The roster includes Bay FC’s Princess Marfo, Luton FC defender Bridget Adu, and former FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Boot winner Mukarama Abdulai.

Also invited are Wasila Diwura Soale, Nina Norshie, Mavis Owusu, Adama Alhassan, and Victoria Osei.

The Black Queens will use this match as preparation for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Japan, a dominant force in women’s football, views Ghana as an ideal competitor as they prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris.

This much-anticipated friendly will take place at the Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

All selected players are expected to report to the Accra camp on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Below is the full squad

Having secured their spot in the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) by defeating Namibia in the final qualifying round, the Black Queens aims to maintain their form ahead of the tournament.

Head coach, Nora Häuptle sees this match as an opportunity to assess new additions to the team.

Meanwhile, the Japanese team is using this game to bolster their preparation for the Paris Olympics.

Ranked seventh in the world, Japan is looking to fine-tune their squad for the upcoming tournament.

Ghana’s Black Queens, currently ranked 64th globally and 4th in Africa, are eager to test their skills against a strong opponent like Japan.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is committed to providing the team with international exposure, having previously arranged friendlies against Senegal and Benin during FIFA Women’s international windows.

This match promises to be a thrilling encounter as both teams gear up for their respective competitions.

Mitsuko Tottori, a senior managing executive officer who joined the airline in 1985, the year it suffered one of the worst crashes in airline history, will become president from April 1, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The appointment comes as Japanese companies face increasing pressure to boost gender diversity and tackle a gender pay gap that is the worst among the Group of Seven nations and almost double the average of the OECD grouping of advanced economies.

“There are female employees out there who are struggling with their career steps or going through big life events,” Tottori told a news conference. “I hope my appointment as a president can encourage them, or give them the courage to take the next step.”

The change comes as the airline seeks to recover from the pandemic-era downturn and tourists flock back to Japan.

Airline safety is under a fresh spotlight after a collision between a JAL plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda airport this month. All 379 people aboard the airliner escaped as it burst into flames.

JAL has said Tottori acquired a “high level of insight and field experience” in safety operations and service.

The current president, Yuji Akasaka, will become chairperson while continuing to hold a representative director title, the airline said in its statement.

Yoshiharu Ueki, the current chairman, will retire from his post in April and leave the director position upon shareholder approval in June.

Japan airline has set itself a target for women to make up 30% of managers across the group by the end of the fiscal year to March 2026.

Japan were seen as title contenders after gliding through the group stage and defeating Norway in the last 16.

Here, they fell behind to Amanda Ilestedt’s goal before Manchester City midfielder Filippa Angeldahl doubled Sweden’s lead from the penalty spot.

Japan were awarded a controversial penalty, but Riko Ueki’s 76th-minute attempt hit the bar, before West Ham’s Honoka Hayashi pulled a goal back in the 87th minute.

That lifeline came moments after Aoba Fujino hit the woodwork from a free-kick, but Sweden saw the game out to make it into the last four.

New Arsenal defender Ilestedt has emerged as one of the players of the tournament, and she now has four goals.

She struck from the edge of the six-yard box in the 32nd minute after Japan failed to clear.

Goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita kept Japan in the contest when she tipped an attempt by Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani onto the post, while Stina Blackstenius had earlier missed a glorious chance when the game was goalless.

There looked to be no coming back for Japan when Angeldahl doubled the lead from the spot after the video assistant referee (VAR) spotted a handball by Japan’s Liverpool midfielder Fuka Nagano.

Japan have shone at this World Cup, scoring 14 times in their previous four matches.

But they struggled to test Sweden keeper Zecira Musovic enough at Eden Park as Sweden moved to within one win of a first World Cup final since 2003 when they lost to Germany in the final in the United States.

The 2011 champions made the ideal start when Norway defender Ingrid Engen turned Hinata Miyazawa’s cross into her own net.

However, Norway equalised a few minutes later when Guro Reiten headed home.

Risa Shimizu’s heavily defected strike restored Japan’s lead before Hinata Miyazawa raced through to score a third and seal her side’s progress.

The goal cemented Japan’s place in the quarter-finals and kept Miyazawa on target for the Golden Boot – she leads the scoring charts in Australia and New Zealand on five.

Norway were second best for much of the game but almost set up an exciting finish when goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita superbly kept out Karina Saevik’s bullet header.

Japan will play either defending champions the United States or Sweden in the last eight.

The 2011 world champions made it look easy as they scored three times before half-time, with Hinata Miyazawa getting two to take her tally to four goals and become the tournament’s leading scorer.

The attacking midfielder put Japan ahead with a calm finish after Spain’s defence had been exposed, before Riko Uek doubled the lead with a deflected finish which looped into the net.

Miyazawa, who scored two in Japan’s opening group game against Zambia, made it 3-0 by firing across goal and into the net in front of a crowd of 20,957.

Substitute Mina Tanaka added to Spain’s pain with a fourth goal in the 83rd minute.

Japan started the third and final group game trailing Spain on goal difference after both teams had made 100% winning starts in New Zealand.

Japan will stay in Wellington, where they will meet Norway, the 1995 world champions, on Saturday at 09:00 BST.

Group runners-up Spain head to Auckland, where they will play Switzerland at Eden Park on Saturday at 06:00 BST.

Hikaru Naomoto and Aoba Fujino both scored in the space of three first-half minutes to ease the 2011 champions to three points.

Japan will be the first side to secure their place in the knockout stages if Spain earn at least a point against Zambia later.

Costa Rica will be eliminated from the World Cup if Spain avoid defeat.

Japan get the job done

Aoba Fujino scored her first senior goal for Japan to put them 2-0 ahead against Costa Rica

Since stunning the football world by beating the United States in the 2011 final, Japan have underwhelmed on the global stage.

But following the Tokyo Olympics – where Japan were eliminated in the quarter-finals on home soil – Futoshi Ikeda was appointed manager and has put together a side which has impressed with its attacking possession-focused football.

Japan will face much tougher tests than Costa Rica and Zambia in their opening game, and they will need to be more clinical than they were at Dunedin Stadium. However, two wins and seven goals cannot be ignored.

This game was settled by the 27th minute – first Naomoto found the far left corner with a low shot from the left of the box, before Fujino shrugged off a tackle on the right wing, cut into the box and beat keeper Daniela Solera at the near post for her first Japan goal.

It was a moment of redemption for Fujino following a bizarre incident on 15 minutes where she prevented team-mate Risa Shimizu scoring with an inadvertent sliding tackle as both went to finish a chance.

Solera shines but Costa Rica outclassed

Costa Rica were outclassed here just as they were in their opening loss to Spain.

Nervous in possession, they were not technically able enough to play out from the back and inaccurate with long balls, constantly ceding possession to their opponents.

Solera – who has now made a tournament-high 19 stops at this World Cup – was once again the only factor between Costa Rica and a truly embarrassing scoreline.

After a 1-1 draw at extra time, Livakovic kept out the first two efforts before stopping Maya Yoshida’s kick, then Mario Pasalic tucked his penalty into the corner to take his side through.

Zlatko Dalic’s side, beaten in the final by France four years ago, will face tournament favourites Brazil or South Korea in the next round on Friday (15:00 GMT).

Japan were the livelier side and took a deserved lead two minutes before half-time when Celtic forward Daizen Maeda converted from Yoshida’s knock down.

Croatia levelled in the second half courtesy of Ivan Perisic’s brilliant bullet header from Dejan Lovren’s cross, becoming his country’s all-time leading scorer at major tournaments with 10 goals.

Neither side could find a breakthrough and the game ticked into the additional 30 minutes, with Brighton midfielder Kaoru Mitoma’s spectacular strike pushed over by Livakovic.

At the other end, Marko Livaja’s flicked header looked to be looping in, but Shuichi Gonda managed to gather and Lovro Majer dragged a shot in the 120th minute.

The contest went to nerve-shredding penalties, where Livakovic emerged as the man to lead Croatia’s celebrations.

Alvaro Morata’s header gave La Roja the lead in the first half, but two quickfire goals from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka after the break were enough for Hajime Moriyasu’s side to seal Japan’s place in the knockout stages.

Spain finish as group runners up on four points by virtue of their superior goal difference over Germany, who came from behind to beat Costa Rica 4-2, but had to settle for third.

Japan will play Croatia on December 5 while runners-up Spain will take on Morocco on December 6.

Spain dominated possession from the first minute with Japan struggling to make any inroads aside from Junya Ito’s driven strike which crashed into the side netting in the eighth minute.

So it was little surprise when Morata got his third World Cup goal of the campaign in the 12th minute. He nodded in a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta at point-blank range to get his 30th Spain goal.

Japan boss Moriyasu brought Doan and Kaoru Mitoma into the game at half-time and both were pivotal in their two goals.

In the 48th minute, Unai Simon’s poor clearance was intercepted by Japan before Doan’s piledriver from 25 yards out could only be batted into the top corner by the Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper.

Five minutes later and Japan got a shock second when Mitoma just about kept the ball in play on the byline before squaring for Tanaka to prod into the net. The ball was originally adjudged to go out of play, but the decision was overturned by VAR.

Japan sat deeper as Spain looked to break down their compact defence. But Spain were guilty of overplaying and Japan were able to seal a historic victory over the 2010 World Cup winners.

Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi and midfielder Reo Hatate notably missed out on selection for the Samurai Blue, who will take on Germany in their Group E opener on November 23 before facing Costa Rica on the 27th and Spain on December 1.

Vissel Kobe forward Yuya Osako and Union Berlin midfielder Genki Haraguchi also went unnamed by Moriyasu, with Nagoya Grampus winger Yuki Soma getting a surprise call.

“I’ve made the best, comprehensive selection possible, placing importance on our activities thus far, the situations the players are facing (at their clubs) and with how we plan to play at the World Cup in mind,” Moriyasu said.

“There really are lots of players in all positions that could have been picked. It was extremely difficult.”

Japan has reached the knockout stage of the tournament three times, the most of any Asian nation, and Moriyasu reiterated Japan’s ambition is “reaching the last eight” for the first time in their seventh straight appearance.

Kamada and Kubo are among 19 first-time World Cup selections, also including attackers Junya Ito, Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma, as well as midfielder Hidemasa Morita and defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Captain Maya Yoshida and Hiroki Sakai will play their third straight World Cups at the back. Experienced defender Yuto Nagatomo, 36, will travel to his fourth straight finals along with 39-year-old goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

Moriyasu kept faith in defender Ko Itakura and forward Takuma Asano, who have both been out since mid-September due to knee ligament injuries, but are expected to recover in time for the World Cup.

With Kubo, Morita and Ao Tanaka also picking up knocks in the past week, Moriyasu said he could be forced into making late changes, especially with games in European leagues taking place until a week before the Nov. 20 World Cup opening.

“We never know what might happen. Players (not picked) have equivalent abilities and I hope they retain their will to fight for Japan,” he said.

Moriyasu’s side will play a warm-up game against Canada on November 17 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Japan’s World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden)

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Maya Yoshida (Schalke), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal)

Midfielders/Forwards: Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Junya Ito (Reims), Takuma Asano (Bochum), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)

It prompted a warning from the Japanese government for people on the island of Hokkaido to take cover during its flight, and the temporary suspension of some train operations.

It is the first North Korean missile launch over Japan since 2017.

The UN prohibits North Korea from ballistic and nuclear weapons tests.

“North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate into buildings or underground,” the Japanese government said in a rare alert issued at 07:29 local time on Tuesday (22:29 GMT Monday).

Officials said the missile fell into the Pacific Ocean about 3,000 km (1,860 miles) from Japan, and that no injuries had been reported in connection with it.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly condemned the actions, describing the launch as “violent behaviour”, and the Japanese government has called a meeting of its National Security Council.

The launch appears to be a deliberate escalation designed to get the attention of Japan and the US, who have largely been ignoring North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un.

It is in complete contravention of international norms to fly missiles towards or over other countries without any pre-warning or consultation.

Most countries avoid doing it completely as it can easily be mistaken for an attack, and while it is not as a big as a nuclear test – which could be next – it is nevertheless hugely provocative.

The US has responded, with the top US diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, describing North Korea’s decision as “unfortunate”.

It comes as Japan, the US and South Korea staged trilateral military exercises earlier last week, which have been known to provoke Pyongyang.

The missile launch is the fifth carried out by Pyongyang in a week. On Saturday, two rockets came down in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Many of North Korea’s missile tests are conducted on a high, lofted flight path – reaching a high altitude, avoiding flights over its neighbours.

But firing over or past Japan allowed North Korean scientists to test missiles under circumstances “that are more representative of the conditions they’d endure in real-world use”, analyst Ankit Panda told news agency Reuters.

Earlier this month, North Korea passed a law declaring itself to be a nuclear weapons state, with leader Kim Jong-un ruling out the possibility of talks on denuclearisation.

Pyongyang conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, despite widespread sanctions.

The younger generation drinks less alcohol than their parents – a move that has hit taxes from beverages like sake (rice wine).

So the national tax agency has stepped in with a national competition to come up with ideas to reverse the trend.

The “Sake Viva!” campaign hopes to come up with a plan to make drinking more attractive – and boost the industry.

The contest asks 20 to 39-year-olds to share their business ideas to kick-start demand among their peers – whether it’s for Japanese sake, shochu, whiskey, beer or wine.

The group running the competition for the tax authority says new habits – partly formed during the Covid pandemic – and an ageing population have led to a decline in alcohol sales.

It wants contestants to come up with promotions, branding, and even cutting-edge plans involving artificial intelligence.

Japanese media say the reaction has been mixed, with some criticism about the bid to promote an unhealthy habit. But others have posted quirky ideas online – such as famous actresses “performing” as virtual-reality hostesses in digital clubs.

Contestants have until the end of September to put forward their ideas. The best plans will then be developed with help from experts before the final proposals are presented in November.

The campaign’s website says Japan’s alcohol market is shrinking and the country’s older demographic – alongside declining birth rates – is a significant factor behind it.

Recent figures from the tax agency show that people were drinking less in 2020 than in 1995, with numbers plummeting from 100 litres (22 gallons) a year to 75 litres (16 gallons).

Tax revenue from taxes on alcohol has also shrunk over the years. According to The Japan Times newspaper, it made up 5% of total revenue in 1980, but in 2020 amounts to just 1.7%.

The World Bank estimates that nearly a third (29%) of Japan’s population is aged 65 and older – the highest proportion in the world.

Concerns about the future of sake is not the only problem that poses for Japan’s economy – there are worries about the supply of younger staff for certain types of jobs, and care for the elderly in the future.

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Known for his innovative styles and perfume, Miyake built a global fashion brand, which included designing Steve Jobs’ famous black turtle neck jumpers.

Miyake was known to work with traditional and modern fashion techniques during his long career.

He died of liver cancer on Friday, and a private funeral has already taken place, Japanese media is reporting.

Born in Hiroshima in 1938, Miyake was just seven years old when the city was devastated by an atomic bomb dropped by the United States.

He was reluctant to talk about it as an adult, and wrote in the New York Times in 2009 that he did not want to be known as “the designer who survived the atomic bomb”.

“When I close my eyes, I still see things no one should ever experience,” he wrote, adding that he prefers to think of things “that can be created, not destroyed, and that bring beauty and joy”.

Miyake wanted to be a dancer or athlete when he was young – but that changed after he read his sister’s fashion magazines.

He studied graphic design at a Tokyo art university and then moved to Paris in the 1960s, where he worked with lauded fashion designers Guy Laroche and Hubert de Givenchy.

He moved to New York for a short time, before heading back to Tokyo in 1970 to open the Miyake Design Studio.

By the 1980s he was celebrated as one of the world’s most pioneering designers as he worked with materials from plastic to metal – and also traditional Japanese materials, and paper.

Miyake developed a new way of pleating fabric by wrapping it between layers of paper in a heat press.

A phenomenal success after various tests proved the pleats stayed in place and didn’t wrinkle, it lead to his signature Pleats, Please line.

He became known for creating a style that was high-tech, yet practical and comfortable, and was a household name in not only Japan’s fashion industry – but on the global catwalk.

His fashion house developed highly sought-after clothes for men and women, as well as bags, watches and perfumes – a bottle of L’Eau d’Issey, launched in 1992, was rumoured to sell every 14 seconds.

His A-POC (A Piece of Clothing) line, which can now be seen in museums, used a special weaving machine that made outfits out of one continuous tube of fabric.

Miyake was asked by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to design his iconic turtle neck jumpers and reportedly made 100 of them, at $175 each.

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Members of the Unification Church are sometimes referred to by a pejorative colloquialism derived from the name of the group’s founder — the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who considered himself to be the second coming of Christ.

Japanese police have said that Yamagami told them he was motivated by animosity toward the religious group he blamed for his mother’s financial ruin, while a Tokyo-based representative confirmed on Sunday that Yamagami’s mother was a member of the church.

Abe did not belong to the Unification Church, but he did give paid speeches at church-related events, and Unificationists formed a reliable voting bloc for Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party.

Abe appeared at an event hosted by an organisation affiliated with the church last September where he delivered a speech praising the affiliate’s work towards peace on the Korean peninsula, according to the church’s website.

Yamagami believed Abe had promoted the religious group to which his mother made a “huge donation”, Kyodo news agency has said, citing investigative sources.

Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japan branch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, known as the Unification Church, told reporters at a briefing in Tokyo that Yamagami’s mother was a member of the church. He did not give her name.

Tanaka declined to comment on her donations, citing the ongoing police investigation.

The church has agreed to cooperate with police investigations.

Yamagami’s mother first joined the church around 1998 but stopped attending in a period between 2009 and 2017, Tanaka said.

About two to three years ago she re-established communication with church members and in the last half year or so has been attending church events at a frequency of about once a month, he said.

The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, a self-declared messiah and strident anti-communist. It has gained global media attention for its mass weddings where it marries thousands of couples at a time.

Moon, who spoke fluent Japanese, launched an anti-communist political campaign in Japan from late 1960s and built relations with Japanese politicians, according to the church’s publications.

Moon died in 2012. The church has about 600,000 members in Japan, out of 10 million globally, Tanaka said.

Abe was shot at twice while he was giving a speech on a street in the city of Nara on Friday morning.

Security officials at the scene tackled the gunman and a 41-year-old suspect is now in police custody.

The suspect, named as Tetsuya Yamagami, admitted shooting Abe with a homemade gun, and said he had a grudge against a “specific organisation”, police said.

Several other handmade weapons, similar to those used in the attack, had been confiscated after a search of the suspect’s house, police officers told a news conference.

Explosives were also found at the home and police said they had advised residents to evacuate the area.

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The suspected shooter told officers he had a grudge against a specific group he believed Abe was connected to, police said, adding that they were investigating why the former PM was targeted out of other people related to the group.

Asked by a member of the Japanese media whether the gunman’s intention was to kill Abe, police say only that Mr Yamagami admitted to shooting the former PM.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the attack, saying: “It is barbaric and malicious and it cannot be tolerated.”

This attack was “an act of brutality that happened during the elections – the very foundation of our democracy – and is absolutely unforgivable,” Mr Kishida said, speaking before Abe’s death was confirmed.

Abe suffered two bullet wounds to his neck during the attack, and also suffered damage to his heart, doctors said.

He was said to be conscious and responsive in the minutes after the attack, but the 67-year-old’s condition deteriorated.

Doctors said no vital signs were detected by the time the former prime minister was transferred for treatment. Abe received more than 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours, before he was pronounced dead at 5.03pm local time (0803 GMT).

The blistering heat has drawn official warnings of a looming power shortage, and led to calls for people to conserve energy where possible.

But the government is still advising people to use use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke as cases of hospitalisation rise with the heat.

Weather officials warn the heat is likely to continue in the coming days.

Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

Tokyo charted temperatures above 35 degrees on Wednesday for a fifth straight day, marking the worst documented streak of hot weather in June since records started in 1875.

Meanwhile, the city of Isesaki, northwest of the capital, saw a record 40.2C – the highest temperature ever recorded in June for Japan.

Social media users took to Twitter to lament the soaring temperatures.

“It’s too hot outside and just being out … means I’m in a self-sauna. I want to bathe in the water,” remarked one user.

“I’ve been outside since morning, and almost melting from this extreme heat,” tweeted another.

A third user wrote “So hot that the fire alarm at our workplace got short-circuited,” with a clip of what appeared to be water sprinklers going off at a plant nursery.

暑すぎて職場の火災報知器がショートした?‍?? pic.twitter.com/swHA5ZsREZ

— 大野屋?石焼き芋? (@Oonoya919) June 29, 2022

June is usually considered the rainy season for Japan, but the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) declared an end to the season for Tokyo and its surrounding areas on Monday.

The announcement – which came 22 days earlier than normal – marks the earliest end to the rainy season since 1951.

Cases of heatstroke have also spiked amidst the sweltering heat, with emergency services saying on Wednesday at least 76 people had been taken to hospital.

On Tuesday, local officials issued calls for people to reduce their energy consumption amidst warnings of a power crunch.

But it advised to do so in moderation to lower the risk of heatstroke, especially amongst the country’s elderly.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expects demand for power to be “severe” this afternoon local time.

It said people should switch off unnecessary lights but still use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke.

For weeks, officials have warned of a power crunch as temperatures rise.

Over the weekend, the temperature in central Tokyo rose above 35C, while the city of Isesaki, northwest of the capital, saw a record 40.2C. That was the highest temperature ever recorded in June for Japan.

June marks the start of summer in Japan, with temperatures typically staying below 30C during the month.

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In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said that excess generating capacity for electricity was expected to drop to 3.7% on Monday afternoon in Tokyo and eight surrounding prefectures. It views a buffer of 3% as necessary for stable power supply.

The government asked people to turn off unnecessary lights for three hours from 15:00 Tokyo time (07:00 BST) while “properly using air conditioning and hydrating during hot hours”.

Although electricity providers are working to increase supply, the ministry said the situation was “unpredictable” as temperatures climb.

“If there is an increase in demand and sudden supply troubles, the reserve margin will fall below the minimum required of 3%,” it said.

Japan’s power supply has been tight since an earthquake in its northeastern region in March forced some nuclear power plants to suspend operations.

Officials have also closed several aging fossil fuel plants in an attempt to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

These issues, along with a surge in demand for electricity, have resulted in a power squeeze.

Earlier this month, the Japanese government called on households and companies to save as much electricity as possible during the summer.

Meanwhile, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that 46 people in Tokyo had been taken to hospital for suspected heatstroke, as of Sunday afternoon.

It also said a 94-year-old man in the nearby Kawagoe city was suspected to have died from the condition.

The news comes after Australian officials urged households in New South Wales – a state which includes the country’s biggest city Sydney – to switch off their lights in the face of an energy crisis. Restrictions on the Australian wholesale energy market were lifted late last week.

A spokesperson told the BBC that bolts on the bZ4X’s wheels “can loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle” after “low-mileage use”.

The recall comes less than two months after the car was launched in Japan.

Car maker Subaru also says that for the same reason it will recall 2,600 electric cars it developed with Toyota.

On Friday, Toyota said in a statement that it had issued a safety recall for 2,700 bZ4X SUVs in the US, Europe, Canada and Japan.

“If a wheel detaches from the vehicle while driving, it could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash,” a spokesperson said.

“No one should drive these vehicles until the remedy is performed,” they added.

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The BBC understands that some bZ4X models have not been recalled. However, a Toyota spokesperson declined to comment on how many of the vehicle the company had manufactured.

Toyota said it had notified Japanese safety regulators about the defect on Thursday and the cause of the issue was “still under investigation”.

Another Japanese car manufacturer, Subaru also said it was recalling 2,600 units of the Solterra, its first all-electric car jointly developed with Toyota, because of concerns over loose bolts. The firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

Toyota is viewed as a relative latecomer to the electric vehicle market, as compared to rival manufacturers like Tesla, which launched its first electric car 14 years ago.

It launched the bZ4X in Japan last month. The car was only available on lease “to eliminate customer concerns regarding residual battery performance, maintenance and residual value,” Toyota said earlier this year.

This week, the company said it would cut the number of vehicles it plans to produce next month by 50,000 to 800,000 because of a shortage of computer chips and supply disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Although Toyota currently aims to manufacture a total of 9.7m vehicles around the world this year, it has signalled that it may be forced to lower that number.

The ruling dealt a blow to gay couples and rights activists, after another district court in Sapporo ruled in 2021 that the failure to recognise same-sex marriage was “unconstitutional”.

Japan’s constitution defines marriage as one between “both sexes”.

It is the only country in the G7 group of developed nations that doesn’t allow people of the same gender to marry.

Opinion polls show a majority of the general public is in favour of allowing same-sex marriage in Japan.

Several areas – including Tokyo – have begun issuing partnership certificates, to help same-sex couples rent properties and gain hospital visitation rights.

The Osaka case was filed by three same-sex couples, two of them male and one female. The case is only the second of its kind to be heard in the country, where conservative attitudes towards homosexuality remain.

In addition to rejecting their claim that being unable to marry was unconstitutional, the court also dismissed demands for 1 million yen ($7,414; £6,058) in damages for each couple who argued they had suffered “unjust discrimination” by not being allowed to marry.

But the court also noted there had not been enough public debate about same-sex marriage and that “it may be possible to create a new system” recognising the interests of same-sex couples.

“From the perspective of individual dignity, it can be said that it is necessary to realise the benefits of same-sex couples being publicly recognised through official recognition,” the court said in its ruling.

“Public debate on what kind of system is appropriate for this has not been thoroughly carried out.”

The court’s decision is seen as a setback for gay rights activists and couples, who were hoping to ratchet up pressure on the Japanese government to address same-sex unions.

“This is awful, just awful,” an unidentified female plaintiff said to reporters outside the courthouse in footage aired on public broadcaster NHK after the ruling.

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An LGBTQ activist based in Tokyo told the Reuters news agency that the ruling was “disappointing”.

“After the Sapporo ruling, we were hoping for the same ruling or something even better,” Gon Matsunaka said.

The plaintiffs plan to appeal against the decision, Kyodo news agency reports.

Japan’s constitution, put in place after the end of World War Two, defines marriage as one of “mutual consent between both sexes”.

Under the current rules, same-sex couples are not allowed to legally marry, can’t inherit their partner’s assets, and have no parental rights over their partner’s children.

Though partnership certificates issued by some individual municipalities help same-sex couples to rent a place together and have hospital visitation rights, they do not grant them the full legal rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

Activists also say conservative attitudes towards homosexuality mean many LGBTQ Japanese still do not dare to come out to their friends and family.

Ghana suffered a 4-1 defeat in Kobe as they fail to reach the final of the four-nation tournament.

Many fans, who were eager to see the team perform some miracles in the opening game, were stunned at the turn of events.

Otto Addo’s side went to the tournament with a depleted side, with just 18 players at his disposal.

The Black Stars had been phenomenal in recent campaigns including games against Nigeria and the two AFCON qualifiers.

This counts as the first defeat to Otto Addo as head coach of Ghana after five games.

The Black Stars will face Chile, who lost 2-0 to Tunisia earlier on Friday, in their next game of the competition.

Check out some funny comments after the game:

Ghana did not show up to the party with players showing no sign of being in a good physical condition.

The games form part of the Black Stars preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Particularly in the defense, players just run around most of the time as the Japan attack ran the show.

The first goal of the game came in the 29^th minute when Yamane Miki found the back of the Ghana net with a good left-foot finish to give Japan the lead.

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Although Jordan Ayew will score a screamer in the 44^th minute, the Black Stars’ defense went to sleep right away, giving the hosts the chance to retake the lead through a strike from Nitoma Karou a minute later.

In the second half, goals from Kubo Takefusa and Daizen Maeda propelled Japan to cruise to a deserved 4-1 win against a poor Ghana side.

The result means Black Stars will not play in the final, which will be contested by Japan and Tunisia. Earlier in the day, Tunisia defeated Chile 2-0.

Ghana and Chile will compete for third place on the same day as the final, June 14.

Four players have been infected with the virus and are set to miss the opener against the host country on Friday.

Osman Bukari, Dennis Odoi, Elisha Owusu, and Kamaldeen Sulemana have all been ruled out.

The report explains that three of the aforementioned players- Bukari, Owusu, and Sulemana contracted the virus in Angola when Ghana faced Central Africa Republic [CAR] in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON].

Odoi, who was not part of the squad that faced CAR in Angola, contracted the virus when he re-joined the team for the trip to Japan.

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The Black Stars will play host nation Japan on Friday, June 10 at the Misaki Park Stadium.

The game is slated for 9:00 GMT kick-off time.

The winner will progress to the finals while the loser will compete in the bronze medal scheduled on the same day as the final.

The four-nation tournament forms part of Ghana’s preparation for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The Project for Human Resource Development (JDS), funded by the Government of Japan, offers the opportunity to Ghanaian Government officials to undertake two-year Masters’ courses and one-year PhD courses at some of the best Japanese universities.

The Government of Japan has been offering JDS scholarship opportunities to officials of the Government of Ghana since 2012.

This year’s grant amount is worth $2million.

Selected government officials for this year’s programme are expected to depart to Japan in August this year. They will have the opportunity to advance their academic research in the areas of Economics, International Development, International Relations, Public Health, Agricultural Science, and Energy.

Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and Mr Mochizuki Hisanobu, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, signed the exchange of notes on the Japanese Grant Aid for the JDS.

Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong expressed gratitude to the Government of Japan for the commitment to support Ghana’s development agenda and industrialisation drive through grants, loans, and technical assistance in critical areas of the economy.

He said the grant would provide public sector workers with the opportunity for academic research, especially in formulating and implementing social and economic development plans for Ghana.

“…I wish to assure our dependable friends, Government and People of Japan that this gesture is well appreciated and would be used for its intended purpose of strengthening capacities for administering economic and social policies,” he said.

Mr. Mochizuki said the signing of the Exchange of Notes reflected Japan’s adherence to the JDS programme and the determination to continue promoting capacity development in Ghana.

He said the highest priority in Japan’s cooperation with the Government of Ghana was to among other things, provide support to improve the livelihoods of the People of Ghana.

He said since the implementation of the JDS programme in 2012, the Project had offered opportunities to some 104 highly capable young Ghanaian government officials.

“Over the years, there have been some returnees of the programme who came back to Ghana with developed minds and great innovation and continue to have a tremendous impact on the social and economic activities of Ghana,” Mr. Mochizuki said.

Japan will host and play in the Kirin Super Cup, alongside Tunisia, Chile, and Ghana.

The West African country will face the hosts, Japan, on Friday, June 10, 2022, at 09:55 GMT while Tunisia takes on Chile in the first game of the day at 06:15 GMT.

The next round of matches will be played on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, where Ghana will face either Tunisia or Chile, depending on the results from the first couple of games.

This tournament will form part of the Black Stars’ preparations for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Ghana was drawn into Group H, along with Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay with the tournament kicking off in November.

The Black Stars will be hoping to put up a good performance having exited at the group phase of the 2014 Mundial in Brazil.

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They say the search is continuing in frigid waters for 16 others who were on board the Kazu 1 vessel.

Contact with the boat was lost after it said it was taking on water at 13:15 local time (04:15 GMT) on Saturday.

The Kazu 1 is believed to have been on a three-hour sightseeing voyage around the Shiretoko Peninsula.

The area is a designated UNESCO world heritage site, and boat trips are popular with tourists hoping to spot whales and sea lions as well as brown bears on the rocky beaches.

The crew managed to signal that the vessel was tipping at a 30-degree angle and starting to sink, according to Japanese media.

Patrol boats and police and military aircraft were immediately dispatched to find the vessel. Local fishing boats were also taking part in the search operation.

Of the 26 on board, two were crew and two were children.

Earlier reports suggested that several people were pulled out of the waters – but it is unclear if they are among the confirmed 10 victims.

Waves in the area had been high and local fishing boats had apparently decided to return to port by mid-morning.

The crew reportedly said that all those on board were wearing life jackets.

But temperatures in the area can dip as low as 0C (32F) when night falls.

This will enable Ghana to realise its full potential as the regional manufacturing hub of Africa.

President Akufo-Addo made this known when he opened the Accra Office of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

The President welcomed JETRO’s decision to open its African office in Accra, adding it’s an indication that Ghana is the best destination for business.

He said industrialisation is a matter of utmost priority of the government, especially addressing challenges of job creation.

Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, noted despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, programmes aimed at attracting trade and investors have been put in place by the government.

He urged the JETRO Accra office to promote made-in Ghana goods in Japan as well as make Ghana the preferred investment destination among Japanese investors.

JETRO is a government-related organisation that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world.

Since 2003, JETRO has supported more than 15,000 business investment projects and helped over 1,500 companies successfully invest in Japan.

The Accra office is part of the fallout of the discussion between the then Prime Minister and President Akufo-Addo on trade and investment in 2018. 

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The Accra JETRO office will focus on three pillars of Trade and Investment Promotion, Exhibitions, and Business Delegation Missions in Ghana and in Japan.

It will also focus on Research, Policy Proposal, and Advocacy in order to strengthen business exchanges between the two countries and contribute to the further development of bilateral relations.

A Memorandum of Corporation agreement was signed between the Ministry of Trade and Industry for Ghana and JETRO, to enhance Economic Relations, Trade, and Investment between Ghana and Japan.

The company announced that some of its digital currency wallets have been “compromised.”

It is the second major theft of cryptocurrencies to take place in recent days.

Last week, digital token platform Poly Network was at the centre of a $600m heist.

“We are sorry to announce that #LiquidGlobal warm wallets were compromised, we are moving assets into the cold wallet,” the company said on Twitter.

So-called ‘warm’ or ‘hot’ digital wallets are usually based online and designed to allow users to access their cryptocurrencies more easily, while ‘cold’ wallets are offline and harder to access and therefore usually more secure.

Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said its analysis showed that around $97m in cryptocurrencies had been taken, with Bitcoin and Ethereum tokens amongst the haul.

Liquid has said that it was tracing the movement of the stolen cryptocurrencies and working with other exchanges to freeze and recover the assets.

Founded in 2014, Liquid operates in over 100 countries and serves millions of customers around the world.

It is one of the world’s top 20 biggest cryptocurrency exchanges by daily trading volumes, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Last week, $600m was stolen from blockchain site Poly Network after a hacker exploited a vulnerability in its system.

“The amount of money you have hacked is one of the biggest in defi [decentralised finance] history,” Poly Network said.

Since then the hacker, who goes under the name of Mr White Hat, has returned around $427m of the assets.

Liquid is not the only Japanese cryptocurrency platform to be hit by a major heist.

In 2014, Tokyo-based exchange MtGox collapsed after almost half a billion dollars of bitcoin went missing, while Coincheck was hacked in a $530m heist in 2018.

Japan’s famously hard-working salarymen — and, increasingly, salarywomen — are to be encouraged to reduce the amount of time they spend in the office environment as part of the government’s initiative to improve the nation’s work-life balance.  

The recently unveiled annual economic policy guidelines include new recommendations that companies permit their staff to opt to work four days a week instead of the typical five. 

The coronavirus pandemic has already brought huge changes to the way that Japanese corporations — many of which are still highly rigid and traditional — go about their business.

Political leaders now hope to convince management that flexible working hours, remote working, growing interconnectedness and a host of other developments can be beneficial if they remain in place even after the end of the health crisis.

Employment pluses

The government said in the outline of its campaign that, with a four-day working week, companies would be able to retain capable and experienced staff who might otherwise have to leave if they are trying to raise a family or take care of elderly relatives.

A four-day workweek would also encourage more people to gain additional educational qualifications or even take on side jobs in addition to their regular employment, according to the government. 

Most importantly, authorities hope that an extra day off every week would encourage people to go out and spend, thereby boosting the economy.

It is also anticipated that young people will have more time to meet, marry and have children, going some way to solving the worsening problem of a falling birth rate, an increasingly older national demographic and a contracting population. 

“The government is really very keen for this change in attitude to take root at Japanese companies,” Martin Schulz, chief policy economist for Fujitsu Ltd.’s Global Market Intelligence Unit, told DW.

Recent Japanese administrations have sought a number of ways to overcome a sluggish national economy, but fiscal policy has run its course and the central bank is limited in the tools that it still has at its disposal.

That makes reforms to the lifestyles and working styles of millions of Japanese its next approach, he said. 

“During the pandemic, companies have shifted to new ways of operating and they are seeing a gradual increase in productivity,” Schulz said. “Companies are having their employees work from home or remotely, at satellite offices or at their customers’ locations, which can be far more convenient and productive for many.”

Cut down to size

Fujitsu has seized the opportunity, Schulz pointed out, with the company cutting the office space at its Tokyo headquarters by fully 50% as it shifts further to remote working.

“In the future, there will be some people in my department in the office but it will be rare for all of us to be there together and that space is mostly now for face-to-face meetings that cannot be done remotely,” he said.

There are drawbacks to the government’s plans, however, with Japan already experiencing a labor shortage brought on by fewer young people joining the workforce.

Equally, there is concern that management will be reluctant to do away with some of the attitudes towards business that have served Japan Inc. so well for generations — even if there is clear evidence that traditional approaches are less effective than they were in the past. 

Employees, on the other hand, find the idea of a shorter working week appealing, but they do worry about reduced wages and accusations that they are not fully committed to their company.

Junko Shigeno is just completing her degree in business studies and languages and had several job offers at major corporations, but instead opted for a smaller information technology company that is a longer commute from her home because she felt the “philosophy” of the firm suited her better.

“I did a lot of research about the companies that offered me a full-time position and made sure that I spoke to four or five present employees at each place,” she said. “I was shocked when one of the women whom I asked about the work-life balance just broke down in tears.”

One of the biggest issues for young people today is unpaid overtime, known as “service overtime.” The company that Shigeno will be joining has promised that she will never have to do more than 15 hours of overtime a month.

One of the other companies that interviewed her said she should anticipate around 60 hours every month. 

‘Death by overwork’

There are regular stories in the Japanese media about young staff either falling ill due to excessive overtime or taking their own lives due to stress. Known as “karoshi,” or death by overwork, inquiries often determine that workers cracked after putting in more than 100 hours of service overtime for months on end.

“That’s not for me,” Shigeno said. “I am looking forward to working and learning new skills, but I also want to have my own time, to see my family and friends and to keep up my hobbies. That is very important to me and that is why I chose this company.” 

For Schulz, the key lies in increasing productivity.

“Over the last year, employees have shown that they do not physically need to be in an office five days a week and until late at night to remain productive,” he said.

“The biggest risk right now is that some companies will slip back into the old way of doing things and insist on all their staff coming into the office all day, every day again,” he added. “For the companies that do not make that mistake, the outcome is win-win.”

It’s the first time that a court has ruled on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage in Japan, the only Group of Seven (G7) country that has not recognised either same-sex civil unions or same-sex marriage.

The case began in 2019, when three couples in Hokkaido prefecture filed a lawsuit claiming 1 million yen (about $9,160) in damages each for the psychological harm caused by the government not allowing same-sex marriage.

Japan does not recognise same-sex unions nationwide, although some parts of the country issue “partnership certificates” that grant some rights benefiting heterosexual couples to same-sex couples.

Sapporo District Court in Hokkaido ruled Wednesday the government’s lack of recognition for same-sex marriage was in breach of a section of the constitution that requires equal laws for everyone.

But the court dismissed the couples’ claims for damages. The three couples were among a number across Japan that are suing the government, arguing that the current law on same-sex marriage was in breach of their constitutional rights, and they should be afforded the same legal rights and privileges as heterosexual couples.

Wednesday’s ruling is the first verdict in those ongoing cases.

“Today’s ruling recognised that we actually exist,” said a plaintiff known by the pseudonym Takashi. “I want a society where sexual minorities have hope and a choice in their future.”

Kanae Doi, Japan director for non-profit Human Rights Watch (HRW), said the ruling alone would not legalise same-sex marriage in the country — that would need a Supreme Court ruling, which could take several years. Alternatively, Japan’s legislature, the Diet, could pass a law making same-sex marriage legal, although there is almost no appetite among the ruling party to do so, she said.

But Wednesday’s “landmark” ruling was still significant as it was a step towards legalising same-sex marriage, she said. Takeharu Kato, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, said he was also moved by the verdict. “I never expected the court would rule this clearly,” he said in a news conference, adding that the plaintiffs are now considering taking the case to a higher court.

The law in Japan

Homosexuality has been legal in Japan since 1880, and the country is relatively liberal compared with some other Asian nations.

Only one place in Asia has legalised same-sex marriage — Taiwan. Two Tokyo wards passed an ordinance in 2015 that allowed same-sex couples to get “partnership certificates” giving them some of the same rights as married heterosexual couples.

Since then, dozens of municipalities have passed ordinances unofficially recognising same-sex relationships, although they don’t offer the same level of legal rights as heterosexual marriages. But activists say Japan’s LGBTQ community still faces prejudice and the country hasn’t yet enacted a national anti-discrimination law that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. According to Doi, people have been fired from their jobs because they are gay.

HRW, along with LGBTQ organizations, has been calling on Japan to adopt an Equality Act ahead of the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.”Japan is very, very backward in terms of legislation relating to LGBT people,” said Doi from HRW. “This landmark decision (on Wednesday) is going to pressure those opposing the LGBT Equality Act.”

Some have complained that the procedure caused them “psychological distress”, officials say.

China, which has largely brought the virus under control, started carrying out anal swabs in January.

Last week, it denied it had required United States (US) diplomats to undergo such tests after US media reported some had complained about the procedure.

“Some Japanese reported to our embassy in China that they received anal swab tests, which caused great psychological pain,” Chief Cabinet Secretary, Katsunobu Kato, said.

It was not known how many Japanese citizens received such tests, he added.

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The tests are used on some of those quarantined or entering China, he also said, noting their use “has not been confirmed anywhere else in the world.”

China had not so far responded to the request, he said, adding that the Japanese government had made the request through the embassy in Beijing.

Some Chinese cities have introduced anal swabs, with local experts claiming they can “increase the detection rate of infected people.”

At the time of their launch, state media reported those tests had been “controversial among experts”, and that they were far less efficient than tests in the upper respiratory tracts.

The existing tests were preferred, as they believe most people contract the virus orally, they said.

The tests involve inserting a cotton swab 3-5cm (1.2-2.0 inches) into the anus and gently rotating it.

Besides this, Sakamoto is also in charge of managing the nation’s falling birth rate and strengthening regional economies.

Following Britain’s lead, Japanese government created an isolation/ loneliness countermeasures office in its cabinet on February 19 to counter issues like suicide and child poverty.

Sakamoto said in his inaugural press conference Prime Minister Suga has appointed him to address matters of national importance “including the issue of increasing women’s suicide rate under the pandemic.”

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He added, “(Japan PM) Suga instructed me to examine the issue and put forward a comprehensive strategy, by coordinating with the related ministry… I hope to carry out activities to prevent social loneliness and isolation and to protect ties between people.”

Suga had earlier said that Japan reported nearly 880 female suicides alone in October alone-a 70 per cent surge compared to October 2019, according to BBC.

According to Japanese suicide expert Michiko Ueda, “A lot of women are not married. They have to support their own lives, and they don’t have permanent jobs. So when something happens, of course, they are hit very very hard.”

Japan has reported a total of 4, 26,456 COVID-19 cases whereas 7,529 Japanese people have succumbed to the contagion so far. Japan has reported 4, 01,809 recoveries so far.

Getting your hands on a proper medicinal face mask in Japan is pretty hard these days, but clothing companies around the country are trying to alleviate the shortage by producing reusable cloth masks.

Atsumi Fashion, an apparel manufacturer in the city of Himi, Toyama Prefecture, is one such company, only it’s going about things a bit differently.

You see, Atsumi specialises in women’s underwear garments, and its management decided that applying the same design to face masks wouldn’t be such a bad idea. They were right!

According to SoraNews24, the lace bra face mask started out as somewhat of a joke, but the company underestimated Japanese consumers appetite for ingenuity and sexy underwear, as the prototype Atsumi Fashion originally showcased got a lot of attention online. People became even more interested in the accessory after the company posted a photo of model and TV personality Aya Kondo wearing a lace bra face mask, and before long, a whole collection of bra face masks was announced.

調子に乗って、発売してみた

8813:04 AM – Apr 14, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy310 people are talking about this

On Saturday, the Atsumi Fashion lace bra face masks went on sale to the public. Priced at 1,490 yen (US$14), about half the price of a mid-range Japanese bra, the delicate accessory sold out moments after becoming available, as shoppers flocked to both Atsumi Fashion’s online shop, Lingerie Lab, and its storefront on online marketplace Rakuten.

To be fair, the company did underestimate demand, offering only 50 units for each color available (white, pink, lime, aqua blue, black), but a new batch of lace bra masks is already in the works.

It probably won’t be long until something similar becomes available in the western world as well. That’s usually how it goes with this sort of ingenious and eye-catching products.

Now, with people staying home and avoiding close contact, she’s out of clients and out of money.

With no savings or other sources of income, Mika says she is living off borrowed money. She has tried to find other jobs, but nobody’s hiring in the middle of an economic crisis.

At this rate, she might not be able to pay rent or afford basic necessities, let alone pay off the debt she has recently taken on.

“I’m worried if I will have a place to live or if I can find a job to get money to live,” she said, using a pseudonym to protect her privacy. “I worry about (my health) of course, but now I worry more about how to survive.”

Sex workers across Japan have been hit hard by closures and restrictions due to the pandemic. The entire country is under a state of emergency, with many businesses ordered to shutter and people advised not to go out.

There are now at least 10,797 cases nationwide and 236 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

To soften the economic blow, the central government has launched a massive stimulus package worth 108 trillion Japanese yen (about $989 billion). After some controversy, sex workers are eligible to apply for aid, under certain conditions — a move some activists have hailed as a sign of progress for an industry that has long suffered social stigma.

But for many sex workers, the package offers little reassurance — and its rules for eligibility seem opaque and restrictive. Some aren’t sure how to apply for benefits without effectively outing themselves.

“(The government) haven’t clearly said they will help everybody,” Mika said. “There are many people unable to eat and survive without working.”

The fight for inclusion

Prostitution, or the exchange of sexual intercourse for money, is criminalized in Japan — but other types of sex work are legal. The sex industry in Japan generates an estimated $24 billion a year, according to Havocscope, a research organization on the global black market.

Mika works in the legally permitted “delivery health” industry, a euphemism for escort services that stop short of intercourse. Another popular form of legal sex work is “fashion health,” which offers services like oral sex in massage parlors.

When the Japanese government started putting together the relief package, it excluded those legally in the adult entertainment and sex industries — drawing criticism from activists and opposition members, who called the exclusion “occupational discrimination.”

“Do not exclude sex workers from receiving support money. We want sex workers and their children to be protected, like other workers and their children,” said Japanese advocacy organization Sex Work And Sexual Health (SWASH) in a letter to the government on April 2.

Officials reversed course, announcing several days later that the proposed plan would include those working legally in the sex industry. Under the drafted guidelines, sex work agencies and employers could receive subsidies for those who have to stay home to care for children during school closures. Sex workers could also apply for a cash handout, available for people who have lost income due to the coronavirus.

However the move continues to polarize public opinion in Japan, where attitudes toward sex and sex work tend to lean socially conservative, with some public figures — including well-known TV entertainers — protesting the use of taxpayer money to support sex workers.

In response, the hashtag #NightWorkIsAlsoWork — “night work” being a euphemism for sex work — has gone viral on social media.

In one such hashtagged post, an unverified Twitter user said they had only entered the industry to pay off student loans. The tweet, which garnered 9,000 likes and 3,800 retweets, argued that they weren’t asking for aid to indulge in luxuries like eating Wagyu beef — but rather to pay the minimum costs of food, rent and utilities.

“I wonder when this country started ranking people’s lives,” another tweet read. “Do you abandon single mothers who work in the night business and people who need to work for a living? Stop being prejudiced, stop discriminating based on people’s jobs, stop being misogynistic.”

Sex workers: “I’m stuck”

Many sex workers also say the government’s rules for financial aid and eligibility are confusing and difficult to navigate.

For instance, Mika said, it’s not clear whether the handout is only available to those who have lost a certain amount of their income, or who have been dismissed from their jobs entirely, such as losing agents who liaise between the clients and sex workers.

And there’s another problem: the plan requires applicants to show proof of their salary and lost income — a significant challenge for sex workers, who are often paid under the table and whose salaries can fluctuate.

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Many sex workers don’t report their occupation or full income on their tax return due to the nature of their work and fear of repercussions. Even if their sex work falls within legal bounds, a pervasive sense of shame and stigma means that many are reluctant to identify themselves as sex workers on the record. Not even Mika’s family knows what she does for a living.

And this lack of documentation could prevent them from receiving financial aid. The alternative would be to admit omitting information on their taxes, which could lead to its own set of consequences.

“It’s not clear how freelance workers whose income has not been reported to the government can get approved for the stimulus,” said Mika. “I want to apply for it, but it is not clear how to do it. I’m stuck.”

The central government is still drafting the terms of its stimulus package. One proposed amendment would give 100,000 yen (about $928) to each person, instead of 300,000 yen ($2,785) to each household that has lost income — which could potentially sidestep Mika’s problem of documentation.

She must now wait for the government to finalize the package, which will be formally reviewed and deliberated next week, and hope for more clarity.

Sex workers are struggling in other countries too

Sex workers across Asia face similar hardships — but in some places, governments are stepping in to shoulder the burden.

Bangladesh is one of the few Asian countries where sex work and prostitution are legal, with brothels subject to regulations and licenses.

Last month, the government ordered brothels nationwide to close — including the Daulatdia brothel, the largest in the country with up to 2,000 sex workers. To lessen the impact, sex workers in the town had their rent suspended and each received 20 to 30 kilograms (about 44 to 66 pounds) of rice, according to local media and police statements.

In Malaysia, where all sex work remains illegal, there are some avenues for aid during the pandemic. For instance, the government has set up monthly allowances and temporary accommodation for the homeless and unemployed, many of whom are sex workers — but they often have to hide their occupations to get the benefits.

“The government doesn’t acknowledge sex workers as work,” said Elisha Kor, founder of community aid organization PKKUM.

Perhaps the most positive success story so far has been Thailand.

Though sex work is criminalized in the country, the industry still generates an estimated $4-6 billion a year, or about 5-10% of the nation’s GDP, said Liz Hilton, a member of the Thai sex worker advocacy organization Empower Foundation.

Many Thai sex workers found themselves without a workplace or clients after the government shut down bars and other adult entertainment venues last month. They were left scrambling to figure out rent and food costs; on average, each sex worker supports five to eight other people, Hilton said.

Reporters in Arlington, Virginia, sit approximately 4 feet apart during a briefing by Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie on March 13.

That’s why it was a huge relief for many to hear that for the first time, they would be eligible for unemployment benefits and assistance grants under the government’s pandemic relief package.

“We went through tsunamis and floods and natural disasters and been left out every time,” Hilton said. But this time, “sex workers are not being excluded from government help.”

The plan is already being rolled out, with some workers reporting they have received the handouts.

It’s also a symbolic victory for activists and advocates like Hilton, who campaign for better protections, working conditions and societal acceptance for sex workers.

The fact that they have been included in the package shows “an acceptance that the work we do is work,” she said. “If sex work can be recognized in a crisis, it has to be recognized outside of a crisis. There’s no going back.”

The woman, believed to be in her late 40s, could not fall straight onto the ground but hanged precariously on a balustrade on the 12th floor where Nana Kwafo, who is also the Kyedomhene of Aburi Atweasin, was lodging.

Alarmed by the fate of the Japanese woman, Nana Kwafo, an entrepreneur, called in one of his assistants, Alex Apenteng Okyere, who supported him to lift the woman to safety.

Nana Kwafo told the Daily Graphic that he forcibly opened the fortified glass window in his room to rescue the woman with the help of his assistant before officers from the Fsezaki Police Office arrived to whisk her away.

The incident received extensive coverage on local television stations in Yokohama.

Nana Kwafo sponsored other Ghanaians to the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) and were guests at the three-star hotel located in the Kannai District of the Japanese port city.

A hotel staff, Fujita Knko, confirmed the incident in an interview with the Daily Graphic hours after the incident.

He would, however, not go into details, saying the police were handling it.

“Yes it happened but I can’t talk much about it. The police are dealing with it,” he stated.

-Staff of the hotel with Nana Opare Kwafo I (3rd left), Mr Alex A. Okyere (2nd left) and other Ghanaians after the rescue exercise

Details

However, narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic, Nana Kwafo said he and some of his staff from a construction company he owned were attending the TICAD 7 in Yokohama and checked in at the hotel.

He said at about 5.10 a.m. on August 30, a phone call from the hotel came to his room asking him to open the door to enable staff check on something.

“When I opened the door,  I saw two security men of the hotel who quickly rushed in and tried to open the glass window but they faced difficulty,” the Aburi Atweasin Kyedomhene said. 

Nana Kwafo said he then saw a woman hanging on the balustrade outside his room and appeared ready to fall down.

According to him, he forced the window open and the security men jumped over and held the woman by the hand and struggled to pull her to safety.

“They shouted ‘help, help’ and I went to the window and saw the hotel security men holding the hand of the woman.

“With full strength and the help of one of my boys, we lifted the whole body of the woman and brought her into my room,” he said.

Nana Kwafo said the woman was trembling and immediately, the police arrived to take her away.

He said within three to four minutes after the woman was pulled out of  danger, security personnel and paramedics arrived to take her away.

Asked how he felt like knowing that but for his intervention, the woman would have died, he said it was a miracle and the most fulfilling thing he had ever done.

“To God be the glory. It’s a joy for you to be seen to have saved someone. I’m overjoyed because life is sacred. I thank God because initially, I didn’t want to attend the conference until about four days to the time when I took a firm decision to attend,” he said.

On the emergency services response, he said, it was so swift that he was left speechless.

“I was surprised that within four minutes, there were about 20 police and paramedics around.”

Free meals

In appreciation of the rare act demonstrated by Nana Kwafo and Okyere, the management of the three-star hotel offered him and his colleagues free meals for the remaining days they were at the hotel.

“They appreciated what we did so they offered us meals free of charge until we checked out of the hotel,” Nana Kwafo said.

Ghana envoy confirms

Ghana’s Ambassador to Japan, Mr Frank Okyere, also confirmed the story saying it was given extensive coverage on television stations in Yokohama.

“They (Japanese) were surprised an African will demonstrate that bravado to save the life of a Japanese,” the ambassador said.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

This is my favourite moment of the World Cup so far; Japan fans picking up litter after their victory vs Columbia. The lessons in life we can take from the game. Why I support ?? #class✅#respect✅#WorldCup pic.twitter.com/FyYLhAGDbi

— Christopher McKaig (@Coachmckaig) June 19, 2018

After a heated World Cup match, the stands are usually left with food waste, cups and wrappers scattered in the heat of the moment.

Japanese fans certainly had reason to go wild on Tuesday night. Their side won their opening game, beating Colombia 2-1, and securing the team’s first victory against a South American side.

But after the team swept Colombia off the pitch, Japanese fans also did their share of sweeping: meticulously cleaning up their rows and seats in the stadium.

Equipped with large rubbish bags they brought along, the fans marched through the rows picking up rubbish, to leave the place just as neat as they had found it.

And not for the first time – supporters of the “Samurai Blue” have never failed to stick to their good manners.

“It’s not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture,” Japan-based football journalist Scott McIntyre told the BBC. He is in Russia following the team and was not at all surprised by the somewhat different nature of Samurai Blue fans.

“You often hear people say that football is a reflection of culture. An important aspect of Japanese society is making sure that everything is

absolutely clean and that’s the case in all sporting events and certainly also in football.”

A habit built from childhood

It is something that comes as a surprise to many foreigners attending matches in Japan.

“They might leave a bottle or some kind of food package on the ground and then it’s often the case that people get tapped on the shoulder by Japanese people indicating they should clean up or take it home but can’t leave it there,” Mr McIntyre says.

It’s a habit drilled into Japanese people from early childhood.

#Japanese fans clean up the area where they were seated after their #WorldCupRussia2018 encounter. What an example. How wonderful !! well done ?? #japan pic.twitter.com/F7QFs6q7XY

— Leslie Ann Boisselle (@trinilab) June 19, 2018

“Cleaning up after football matches is an extension of basic behaviours that are taught in school, where the children clean their school classrooms and hallways,” explains Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University.

“With constant reminders throughout childhood, these behaviours become habits for much of the population.”

What do fans make of the fact their post-match cleaning spree becomes a regular hit on social media? If anything, they’re proud.

“In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us,” explains Prof North.

“What better place to make a statement about the need to care responsibly for the planet than the World Cup?” he adds.

It doesn’t mean that there is any more or less passion, insists Mr McIntyre. It’s simply that passion doesn’t slip into neglect of basic rules of behaviour let alone violence.

“I know it may sounds bland and boring, but this is the reality of a country that’s built on respect and politeness,” he laughs. “And this simply extends to doing respectful things in football.”

“I think it’s a wonderful thing that the World Cup brings so many nations and people together and get to learn and exchange these kinds of things. That’s the beauty of football.”

The 25-year-old eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito will become engaged to law firm worker Kei Komuro, also 25, whom she met while studying together.

Japan’s imperial law requires a princess to leave the royal family after marrying a commoner.

The move, first reported by local media, is expected to reignite debate on the ever-shrinking royal family.

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Princess Mako and Kei Komuro met in 2012 when they studied at the International Christian University in Tokyo.

He once worked as “Prince of the Sea”, promoting tourism in Japan.

Asked about their engagement plans, Mr Komuro on Wednesday was quoted as saying: “Now is not the time for me to comment, but I want to speak at the right time.”

The Imperial Household confirmed for US broadcaster CNN that plans were under way for the princess’s engagement.

Emperor Akihito, 83, hinted last August that he wanted to stand down, saying his age could interfere with his duties.

Japan is currently considering legal changes to allow the emperor to abdicate.

No Japanese emperor has abdicated for two centuries and the law currently does not allow it but new legislation is expected to leave unchanged a males-only succession law.

“There is no change in our view to proceed with consideration of steps to ensure stable imperial succession,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

There are only four heirs to the Chrysanthemum Throne: Akihito’s sons Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Fumihito, Prince Hisahito (Fumihito’s son) and the emperor’s younger brother, Prince Masahito.

Japan has several penis celebrations, but the Hodare festival is one of the country’s biggest and best.

The fertility festival takes place on the second Sunday of March each year, when women who have married in the past 12 months don traditional Japanese bridal gowns and straddle a wooden phallus, which is paraded through the streets.

The custom is believed to bring fertility, good luck, and marital success to those who take part.

The giant, seven foot phallus, which weighs a whopping 95 stone, is celebrated as an emblem of good fortune, and carries religious significance for locals who believe that praying and touching the giant penis will bring them luck.

Although the festival was once a small village celebration, crowds of thousands gathered yesterday to touch and stroke the giant wooden penis as it went past.