Africa

Japan innovates to deepen African relations

Guest Writer 5 September 2025 0

Operationalizing themes of co-ownership, blended finance, and adding value to African supply chains, Japan’s engagements in Africa continue a long legacy of innovation and mutuality that reinforce Japan’s commitment to the continent as Africa’s geostrategic importance grows. Japan’s distinctive

News

Japan denies plans for special visa scheme for Nigerians

Promise Eze 26 August 2025 0

Japan has dismissed reports that it plans to create a special visa category for Nigerians wishing to relocate to Kisarazu, a city recently designated as Nigeria’s “hometown” under a new exchange programme. The Japanese foreign ministry issued a statement on Monday in response to claims by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information at the State House. […]

Top Stories

Tinubu to Diaspora: Return home, Nigeria is rising again

Ihesiulo Grace 22 August 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to return home, saying the country is “rising again” and open for their ideas and investment. He made the call at a town hall meeting in Yokohama before departing Japan for Brazil, the second leg of his two-nation diplomatic mission to strengthen Nigeria’s global partnerships and […]

Business Top Stories

Tinubu arrives Japan for TICAD9, eyes investment deals in energy, technology

Ihesiulo Grace 19 August 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Tokyo, Japan, for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), where he is expected to push for fresh investments in Nigeria’s energy, technology, and infrastructure sectors. Tinubu’s aircraft landed at the presidential wing of Haneda International Airport at 12:50am local time on Tuesday. He was received by

Business

Nigeria -Japan annual trade value jumps to $10bn

Ihesiulo Grace 3 September 2023 0

By Joy Obakeye The trade value between Nigeria and Japan has risen to $10 billion annually. This is even as Japanese Ambassador and permanent representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, commended the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for facilitating the growth in the value of Nigeria – Japan trade volumes. […]

Foreign

Japan aims to raise age of consent from 13 to 16 in sex crime overhaul

Ihesiulo Grace 21 February 2023 0

BENJAMIN OMOIKE WITH AGENCY REPORTS A panel of the Japanese Justice Ministry has proposed raising the age of consent from 13 to 16. It forms part of a wider overhaul of Japan’s laws on sex crimes, after multiple rape acquittals in 2019 caused outcry. The proposal also aims to criminalise the grooming of minors and […]

News

Japanese parliament approves bill for free COVID-19 vaccines for all residents

Ihesiulo Grace 2 December 2020 0

Japan will give free coronavirus vaccines to all of its residents under a bill passed Wednesday, as the nation battles record numbers of daily cases. The bill, which says the government will cover all vaccine costs for Japan’s 126 million residents, was approved by the upper house of parliament, having cleared the powerful lower house. […]

News World

Farmer’s son Yoshihide Suga named Japan prime minister

Ihesiulo Grace 16 September 2020 0

 Former prime minister Abe, resigned because of ill health making his chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga succeed him with the hope to launch his own cabinet later Wednesday. READ ALSO: Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe resigns over poor health Yoshihide Suga was elected by Japan’s  parliament to be prime minister on Wednesday, replacing long-serving leader

News World

Prime Minister of Japan resigns amidst troublesome health condition

Ihesiulo Grace 28 August 2020 0

The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe announced at a news conference on Friday that he will step down after a record seven years and eight months amidst troublesome health conditions, DAILY TIMES gathered. According to the 65-year-old Abe, he resigned to ‘avoid causing problems’ for the government because of his deteriorating health conditions. “I […]

World

VJ Day: Japan marks 75 years since end of WWII

Ihesiulo Grace 15 August 2020 0

The prime minister of Japan has promised to “never repeat the tragedy of war” on the 75th anniversary of his country’s surrender in World War Two. “We will continue to remain committed to this resolute pledge,” Shinzo Abe said on Saturday. He marked the occasion by sending an offering to a controversial war shrine in […]

Sports

Japan pulls out of hosting bid for Women’s World Cup in 2023

Ihesiulo Grace 22 June 2020 0

Japan on Monday withdrew its bid to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup just three days before FIFA’s decision on the venue. FIFA had confirmed that Japanese Football Federation had pulled out of the running due to the Tokyo 2020 Games being delayed a year to commence on 2021 and the impact of the coronavirus […]

News

COVID-19: Japanese firm offers couples unused hotel rooms to prevent divorce

Ihesiulo Grace 5 May 2020 0

A japanese firm is offering couples who want to get away from each other due to constant fights and quarrels due to the Coronavirus lockdown, an escape route, by advertising hundreds of empty vacation rentals to stressed-out couples. The owner of the company, Keisuke Arai, had switched to working from home after an emergency was declared in […]

Foreign

Japan extends pandemic state of emergency until May 31

Ihesiulo Grace 4 May 2020 0

 Japan will extend the state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic by nearly a month, as it is still reporting hundreds of new infection cases daily, the government said on Monday. The government will extend the nationwide state of emergency until May 31, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic revitalisation, told the […]

Foreign

Fax-loving Japan to introduce online system for reporting coronavirus

Ihesiulo Grace 1 May 2020 0

Japan’s health ministry will introduce a system for health centres to report new coronavirus cases online instead of by hand-written faxes, phone or email – drawing praise from some but scorn from others wondering what took it so long. Despite Japan’s high-tech image, many businesses and government offices still rely on fax machines, generating documents […]

Sports

Iniesta happy in Japan and with no plans to retire soon

Ihesiulo Grace 29 April 2020 0

Andres Iniesta said he has no intention of retiring from football anytime soon in an interview with former club Barcelona on Wednesday. The 35-year-old midfielder was speaking from his home in Kobe, Japan, exactly two years after he won his last trophy at Barcelona and a week after the launch of his documentary: Andres Iniesta […]

Foreign

Japan to add 14 more countries to entry ban, including Russia

Ihesiulo Grace 27 April 2020 0

Japan is adding 14 more countries – including Russia and Saudi Arabia – to an entry ban to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday. The measures will take effect on Wednesday, Abe said. The move adds an additional 14 nations to the ban, bringing the total […]

Foreign

Japan records 53 new COVID-19 cases, 7,744 in total

Ihesiulo Grace 14 April 2020 0

Japan’s Health Ministry and local governments said on Tuesday that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose by 53 to 7,744. The latest figure is coming one week after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency over the crisis for Tokyo and six other prefectures. The death toll from the pneumonia-causing […]

World

Japanese PM’s ‘stay home’ message attracts angry reactions

Ihesiulo Grace 13 April 2020 0

Many Japanese have criticised Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “stay home” message on social networks as more people struggle to make ends meet due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis. The one-minute video clip on Abe’s Facebook showed the premier sitting on a sofa, cuddling a dog, taking a sip from a cup and […]

Covid-19

State of emergency in Japan expanded as coronavirus cases jump

Ihesiulo Grace 10 April 2020 0

The Japanese prefectures of Aichi and Gifu declared a state of emergency on Friday as the number of coronavirus infections in the regions continued to rise. Speaking at a news conference, Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura vowed to take various measures to overcome the coronavirus crisis and requested that its 7.5 million residents stay at home. […]

Sports

Canada first out of Olympics as Japan admits Games not viable

Ihesiulo Grace 23 March 2020 0

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe does not believe the Tokyo Olympics can be held under current circumstances after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) admitted it was considering postponing the Games due to the coronavirus crisis. “If I’m asked whether the Olympics can be held at this moment, I would have to say the world is not […]