The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Former Japan SDF chief Iwasaki appointed adviser to Taiwan's Cabinet
TAIPEI - Taiwan's Cabinet has appointed Shigeru Iwasaki, a former chief of the Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, as a political consultant, sources familiar with the matter said Friday, triggering a rebuke from China, which views the self-ruled island as its own.
The appointment marks the second time that a Japanese national has been known to take up the post of adviser to the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's Cabinet, in recent years, following Tainan-based businessman Takao Nozaki, who assumed the post in August.
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Another LDP lawmaker gives credence to Japan PM gift-giving custom
TOKYO - Fresh evidence emerged Friday that the controversial giving of gift vouchers to party lawmakers has been common practice among premiers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, with a lower house LDP member saying he received vouchers after being elected in 2012, when Shinzo Abe was prime minister.
Toshitaka Ooka joined a growing list of party lawmakers who say they received vouchers from LDP prime ministers, both current and former, despite incumbent Shigeru Ishiba saying again that he had "no knowledge" that such gift-giving was routine.
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Olympics: Coventry elected new IOC president as Watanabe misses out
COSTA NAVARINO, Greece - Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was elected the first female and African president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday as Japanese candidate Morinari Watanabe missed out.
The 41-year-old former swimmer Coventry, the 200-meter backstroke gold medalist at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, won 49 of the 97 votes during the first round of secret ballot at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece.
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Japan approves lodging tax in 11 more areas as tourism booms
TOKYO - Japan approved Friday the introduction of accommodation taxes in nine cities and two prefectures from this fall, with more local governments moving to impose such duties amid a post-pandemic tourism boom.
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiichiro Murakami approved the introduction of the tax in Miyagi and Hiroshima prefectures, as well as five cities in Hokkaido, two in Gifu Prefecture, and one each in Miyagi and Shimane prefectures, bringing the total number of local governments that have now received the minister's consent to 24.
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Japan hopes to triple tourist food spending by 2030
TOKYO - An advisory panel to Japan's farm ministry proposed on Friday a target to triple tourist food consumption to 4.5 trillion yen ($30 billion) by 2030, as it seeks to use record visitors to overcome falling demand in the graying nation.
Under the plan, pending Cabinet approval, the government would use strong overseas interest in Japanese rice, beef and other food items to boost production. But with specific measures for rapid growth yet to be outlined, the figure could be difficult to achieve.
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Japan ends mission of evacuating nationals from Israel, Lebanon
TOKYO - The Japanese government said Friday it has decided to end the Self-Defense Forces' mission of evacuating Japanese citizens from the conflict-hit Middle East nations of Israel and Lebanon.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani ordered the SDF to stand down from a state of readiness to airlift Japanese nationals in the region following a request from Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, the Defense Ministry said.
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Court nixes illegality claim over drainage work for GSDF Osprey site
SAGA, Japan - A court on Friday ruled that it is legal for the local government to allow its land to be used free of charge for drainage work linked to a Ground Self-Defense Force camp in southwestern Japan that is under construction ahead of hosting Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft.
The Saga District Court rejected the claim by 40 plaintiffs that it was illegal for the Saga prefectural government to permit the state to use its land, based on an ordinance on the local airport, when the lot is located outside the airport.
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Japanese imperial couple to visit Iwoto WWII battle site in April
TOKYO - Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Iwoto Island for the first time in April to pay respects to the victims of the fierce fighting there in the closing stages of World War II 80 years ago, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.
The visit to the island on April 7 could be just one of a number of trips to war-related sites by the imperial couple this year, the 80th anniversary of the war's end, according to a source close to the matter.
Video: Disaster drill held in Fukuoka Prefecture on 20th anniversary of massive earthquake
