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A high school baseball manager created a controversy for resting its ace pitcher in the prefectural final in late July. The school’s failure to reach the prestigious national tournament sparked a debate across Japan on whether a team should put a pitcher’s health ahead of its victory.
Japan’s upper house conducted renovation work last week to improve barrier-free access for two severely-disabled lawmakers. They won seats in the recent election as members of a new political party established by actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto.
Thursday’s arson attack on an animation studio in Kyoto, renowned for its high-quality works, sent shock waves across the world. The 41-year-old suspect, who is being treated in hospital for severe burns, told police that his novel was stolen.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an apology on Friday to family members of former leprosy patients who suffered discrimination under the state’s segregation policy. The statement came after the government decided not to appeal a recent ruling ordering compensation payments.
Japan on Thursday tightened curbs on technology exports to South Korea amid a growing dispute over wartime forced labor. In response, Seoul said it plans to take countermeasures, including filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization.
After attending the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, U.S. President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sunday at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. He then became the first sitting American leader to step into North Korean territory.
Rui Hachimura became the first player from Japan to be selected in the first round draft of the National Basketball Association with the ninth pick by the Washington Wizards in New York on Thursday. His mother is Japanese and his father is from the West African nation of Benin.
Japan enforced a stricter law on Friday ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup in order to clamp down on ticket scalping. Those caught reselling tickets for a profit will face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 1 million yen, or both penalties.
A council at the Financial Services Agency estimated that an elderly couple will need at least 20 million yen assuming they live until 95 years old. It urged workers to start investing earlier to better prepare for their retirement.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday concluded a state visit to Japan featuring a round of golf and watching sumo wrestling with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe designed to demonstrate the strength of the alliance. However, Japanese officials denied that they had agreed to reach a trade deal within months.
Telecom operators in Asia and Europe on Wednesday suspended taking pre-orders for Huawei’s new smartphone models equipped for next generation 5G networks, following Washington’s decision to restrict the Chinese giant’s access to US software and component suppliers amid a trade war with Beijing.
