The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Weeklong Japan megaquake alert ends amid no new developments
TOKYO - A weeklong government call for increased preparedness based on an advisory over a potential megaquake along the Pacific coast officially ended 5 p.m. Thursday, after no new major seismic activity was confirmed around the Nankai Trough.
The Nankai Trough megaquake advisory, the first since the system was implemented in 2017, prompted the central government and local communities to intensify disaster preparations over the past week. It also negatively impacted some tourism-related businesses during the summer holiday season.
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Japan marks 79th anniv. of WWII end at event with no COVID curbs
TOKYO - Japan marked on Thursday the 79th anniversary of its surrender in World War II, with a memorial to mourn the war dead held without COVID-related restrictions for the first time in five years.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, along with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and 4,023 people related to those killed attended the government-sponsored ceremony to mourn the roughly 3.1 million Japanese military personnel and civilians who died in the war.
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Tokyo area braces for typhoon approach as transport services halted
TOKYO - Tokyo and other eastern areas of Japan are bracing for the approach of Typhoon Ampil with some transport services halted amid the Bon summer holiday travel period, despite the lowering chances of the powerful storm making landfall.
With the weather agency warning of natural disasters caused by strong winds and heavy rain through Saturday, flights and shinkansen bullet train services in some regions have already been cancelled for Friday, likely disrupting travelers returning home during one of the year's peak periods.
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Japan's GDP grows 3.1% in April-June as consumption rebounds
TOKYO - Japan's economy grew at an inflation-adjusted annual rate of 3.1 percent in the April-June quarter, boosted by a recovery in private consumption and capital spending as the negative impact of a safety data scandal in the auto sector eased, government data showed Thursday.
Real gross domestic product marked the first increase in two quarters, rebounding from a sharp contraction in the first three months of 2024. On a nominal basis, Japan's GDP topped 600 trillion yen ($4 trillion) for the first time, amid persisting inflation caused by a weakening yen.
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Battle to replace Kishida as Japan PM kicks off
TOKYO - The battle to become Japan's next leader kicked off Thursday, with several incumbent and former Cabinet members suggesting they intend to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election next month a day after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's sudden announcement that he will not stand.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi quoted the outgoing premier as saying all ministers are free to participate in the race, although the top government spokesman, who is seen as close to Kishida, declined to say whether he will do so.
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Cabinet members visit war-linked Yasukuni shrine, PM sends offering
TOKYO - Three Cabinet ministers visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine on Thursday, the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II, while Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a ritual offering.
The move comes a day after Kishida surprised many by announcing he would not run in his ruling party's leadership race next month to take responsibility for a party slush funds scandal, ending his three-year term as prime minister.
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Japan foreign minister set to visit Qatar, Bahrain in late August
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is set to visit Qatar and Bahrain later this month, diplomatic sources said Thursday, as part of efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East by collaborating with regional actors.
During the planned visit, being arranged for two days from Aug. 28, Kamikawa intends to meet with her counterparts and other key figures in the two Arab countries to reaffirm cooperation toward improving the situation, according to the sources.
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S. Korea's Yoon says total liberation comes after Korean unification
SEOUL - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that liberation from Japanese colonial rule remains incomplete as long as South Korea and North Korea are divided.
Speaking at a Liberation Day ceremony marking 79 years since the end of Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule, Yoon stated that it is his responsibility to seek the peaceful unification of the two Koreas based on freedom and democracy.
Video: Ceremony marks 80 years since sinking of ship carrying schoolchildren
