Kyodo News Digest: March 31, 2024

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on March 30, 2024, shows yellow sands blanketing the area around Abeno Harukas, Japan’s second-tallest building in Osaka. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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U.S. arranging for trilateral summit with Japan, South Korea in July

TOKYO – The U.S. government is making arrangements for trilateral talks with the leaders of Japan and South Korea in July on the occasion of a NATO summit in Washington, a diplomatic source said Sunday.

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to discuss with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol a range of issues including bolstering deterrence against China’s growing clout and North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats as well as improving cooperation with NATO, the source said.

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Central Tokyo logs 28.1 C on March 31, record-high temperature for March

TOKYO – Central Tokyo experienced a record-high temperature for March at 28.1 C on Sunday as a high-pressure system brought summer-like heat to parts of the Japanese archipelago, the country’s weather agency said.

The high was marked at 1:32 p.m. in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, making it the hottest temperature recorded in March since data began being collected in 1876.

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Japan, China hold “expert dialogue” over treated water release

TOKYO – Japan and China held an “expert dialogue” on Saturday over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in their latest effort to address the dispute about the issue.

During the talks in Dalian, northeastern China, the Japanese side explained their belief that the water release is safe and detailed ongoing radiation monitoring activities. China has upheld an import ban on all seafood products from Japan in response to the multiple discharges that began in August last year.

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Another factory in Japan searched over dietary supplement deaths

WAKAYAMA, Japan – The health ministry inspected another factory in western Japan on Sunday as it seeks to find the cause of five deaths and numerous hospitalizations thought to be linked to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. red yeast rice dietary supplements.

The factory in Wakayama Prefecture, run by a subsidiary of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, took over the production of ingredients for the supplements following the closure of an aging plant in Osaka in December. The Osaka factory was searched on Saturday.

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Boxing: Jerusalem dethrones Shigeoka in split decision

NAGOYA – Japan’s Yudai Shigeoka relinquished his WBC minimumweight championship to Filipino challenger Melvin Jerusalem in a split-decision upset on Sunday.

Younger brother Ginjiro Shigeoka defended his IBF minimumweight crown with a second-round knockout of Jake Amparo of the Philippines earlier in the world championship doubleheader at Nagoya Congress Center.

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Japan to OK home care visits by more foreign workers amid shortages

TOKYO – The Japanese government plans to lift restrictions on foreign nursing workers making home care visits to the elderly as soon as fiscal 2024, the labor ministry has told an expert panel.

The plan comes as Japan attempts to expand the parameters in which foreign laborers can work amid an increasingly older population and shortages of working-age people. Some 40 percent of firms offering such services reported losses in fiscal 2022 as the demographic pressures mount.

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Yamamoto turns in strong outing in Dodgers’ 10-inning loss

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto bounced back from his rocky major league debut to throw five scoreless innings in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, but Yamamoto’s Japanese teammate Shohei Ohtani popped out to shortstop Brandon Crawford, drawing a huge sigh from fans who endured a mid-game rain delay at Dodger Stadium.

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Sasaki pitches well in season debut in Lotte loss

CHIBA, Japan – Lotte Marines flamethrower Roki Sasaki left with a one-run lead but settled for a no-decision in his season debut Sunday after the team allowed the Nippon Ham Fighters to rally late for a 3-2 victory.

The 22-year-old right-hander, who is on the radar of major league scouts, allowed one run and six hits in five innings while striking out seven and walking one at Zozo Marine Stadium.

Video: Yellow sands cover Abeno Harukas