Pedestrians walk in front of JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo as snow falls on Jan. 2, 2026. (For editorial use only)(Photo not for sale)(Kyodo)
TOKYO – The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan’s Takaichi, Trump agree to work toward spring meeting in U.S.
TOKYO – Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday that she and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to work toward meeting in the United States in the spring, with the aim of further strengthening the alliance between the two countries.
Takaichi’s plan to make her first visit to the United States since taking office in October, confirmed during their phone call, comes at a time of strained relations between Japan and China, and ahead of Trump’s possible trip to Beijing in April to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Tokyo sees 1st snow of season, 14 days later than last season
TOKYO – Snow fell in central Tokyo on Friday, the season’s first snowfall in the capital, the country’s weather agency said.
It was a day earlier than the average and 14 days later than last season, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
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Overtourism continues in Hokkaido town despite felling of photogenic trees
ASAHIKAWA, Japan – The small town of Biei in Hokkaido made headlines in January last year when it cut down a row of photogenic white birch trees amid calls to mitigate overtourism. But busloads of sightseers have continued to descend upon it, with locals likening the situation to a “cat-and-mouse game.”
Tourism-related issues had escalated in recent years around the landmark trees in the northern Japanese town of about 9,000 people, known for its patchwork-like hills of farmland. Visitors often trespassed into surrounding farm fields to take photos and the area was jammed at times with as many as a dozen tour buses.
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N. Korean leader Kim’s daughter makes 1st public visit to state mausoleum
BEIJING – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, believed to be called Ju Ae, has been shown visiting a state mausoleum for the first time in a photo carried by the country’s state-run media Friday, raising speculation about her possible succession.
The photo shows the daughter in the center standing between her parents, with senior officials of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea behind them. Experts abroad often examine photos released by North Korea for clues about the rankings of senior party officials.
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FOCUS: Lack of moderate voices around Japan PM Takaichi sparks concern
TOKYO – With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Japan’s potential involvement in a Taiwan emergency sparking tensions with China, concern is mounting that the absence of moderate voices around her could allow her hardline tendencies to go largely unchecked.
With senior moderates within her party and a centrist coalition partner drifting away from the hawkish Takaichi, doubts are also growing over her ability to steer diplomacy beyond China, as well as coordinate economic and social policies.
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Japan aims to cut 25% of clothes waste by 2030 via recycling, reuse
TOKYO – Japan aims to reduce clothes waste by 25 percent by fiscal 2030 compared with 10 years before to address the environmental impact of carbon dioxide emissions-heavy garment production.
The move to promote the reuse and recycling of clothing comes as textile product waste has become a major issue worldwide, with the fashion sector generating an estimated 92 million tons annually, according to the U.N. Development Program.
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Japan emperor hopes for peaceful 2026 in New Year’s address
TOKYO – Emperor Naruhito expressed his hope for a peaceful 2026 in his New Year’s address Friday, with other members of the imperial family joining him in greeting the public, including Prince Hisahito who appeared for the first time.
“I am concerned about the many people who are struggling with their lives in the wake of disasters, such as earthquakes, heavy rain, forest fires and massive snowfall, that occurred in various parts of the country last year,” the emperor, standing behind glass on a balcony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, told the many well-wishers who had gathered to hear him speak.
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Japan department stores launch New Year sales
TOKYO – Some major Japanese department stores launched the year’s first sales on Friday, attracting many shoppers with merchandise such as “lucky bags” whose contents remain unknown prior to purchase, after taking New Year’s Day off to help improve working conditions.
Sogo & Seibu Co. opened some of its stores on New Year’s Day last year but began operating all stores the day after this year. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., another operator of chain department stores, also started business on Friday.
VIDEO: Japan’s emperor offers New Year’s greetings