Cherry blossoms are lit up at Hirosaki Park in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on April 22, 2025. (Kyodo)
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan negotiator to visit U.S. from Wednesday for more tariff talks
TOKYO - Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief representative in tariff negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, is arranging a three-day trip from next Wednesday to the United States for a second round of talks, a ruling party executive said.
Akazawa, economic revitalization minister, known as a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, traveled to Washington last week for discussions with U.S. officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as with Trump. Akazawa is expected to return to Japan on May 2, the executive said Thursday.
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U.S. has no specific currency targets in Japan tariff talks: Bessent
WASHINGTON - The United States has "absolutely no currency targets" in its trade negotiations with Japan, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday, as the two countries aim to find some middle ground following President Donald Trump's imposition of severe tariffs on imports.
Bessent's statement, making it clear that the Trump administration will not pursue specific foreign exchange rates in the talks, came a day ahead of a meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato in Washington, with currency policy likely to top the agenda.
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Quality scandal sends Toyota global output down for 1st time in 4 yrs
TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday its global production for the year ended March fell 2.9 percent from a year earlier to 9.68 million units, marking the first decline in four years, following a quality-related scandal.
In fiscal 2024, global sales edged down 0.3 percent to 10.27 million units, after the automaker was found to have failed to fully comply with government vehicle safety testing standards, it said.
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Osaka casino resort starts construction near 2025 Expo venue
OSAKA - Construction for a casino resort began Thursday in Osaka at a site close to the venue of the 2025 World Exposition, despite concerns about noise affecting the ongoing international event.
The construction comes as the operator and local governments prepare to open the so-called integrated resort, or IR, comprised of a large hotel, conference facilities and gambling areas, on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, in 2030.
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China launches manned rocket for space station mission
BEIJING - China launched a rocket carrying three astronauts to its space station on Thursday to replace three who have been aboard since last October, Chinese state-run media reported.
A Long March-2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northwest province of Gansu.
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BYD to introduce mini EV model designed for Japan in 2026
TOKYO - The Japanese unit of Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD Co. said Thursday it will introduce a mini electric vehicle model specifically designed for the Japanese market in the latter half of 2026, as it aims to boost sales with the new compact car.
Details such as the driving distance on a single charge and the price of the new EV model have yet to be disclosed, but the EV maker is considering the price at around 2.5 million yen ($17,500), according to a source familiar with the matter.
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Nissan sees wider FY 2024 net loss of up to 750 bil. yen
TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. said Thursday it estimates a net loss of 700 billion yen ($4.9 billion) to 750 billion yen for the year ended March due to restructuring charges, far wider than its earlier forecast of an 80-billion-yen loss.
The automaker now sees an operating profit of 85 billion yen for the just-ended fiscal year, down from the earlier forecast 120 billion yen while sales are projected at 12.6 trillion yen, slightly up from the previous estimate of 12.5 trillion yen.
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All 4 giant pandas at western Japan zoo to return to China in June
WAKAYAMA, Japan - All four giant pandas on loan to a western Japan zoo will return to China around late June, ahead of the expiration of their lease agreement, the zoo operator said Thursday.
The 24-year-old Rauhin and her children -- Yuihin, 8, Saihin, 6, and Fuhin, 4 -- will leave Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, for their new home at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China's Sichuan Province, according to the operator.
Video: Turkey holds national day event at Osaka Expo
