Kyodo News Digest: March 2, 2025

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a sightseeing boat approaching whirlpools at Naruto Strait off Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, on March 1, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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

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Japan MSDF destroyer sailed Taiwan Strait in Feb., 1st since Sept.

TOKYO – A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait in early February in a challenge to China’s military assertiveness in the area, a Japanese government source said Saturday.

The destroyer Akizuki navigated the waterway between China and Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by Beijing, after taking part in a joint drill on Feb. 5 with U.S., Australian and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.

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More firefighters across Japan urged to join battle against wildfire

MORIOKA, Japan – Japan’s disaster management agency on Sunday requested more fire departments across the country to join the battle against a forest fire that has continued to spread in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate.

Nearly 1,700 firefighters from around 450 departments across the country have already joined the effort to control the blaze, which has spread over five days since Wednesday in Ofunato, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

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Japan weighs South Koreans as eligible for 2nd working holiday visa

TOKYO – Japan is considering adding South Korea to the list of eligible countries for its working holiday visa renewal system, as the two countries commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization this year, sources familiar with the matter said.

Currently young people from eight countries are able to renew their working holiday visa, which is generally only available once for up to one year.

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Figure skating: Japan’s Mao Shimada wins 3rd straight world junior title

DEBRECEN, Hungary – Japan’s Mao Shimada became the first figure skater to win three consecutive singles titles at the world junior championships Saturday with a personal-best total in Hungary.

The 16-year-old, who led the women’s competition after the short program, landed a triple axel and quadruple toe loop in her free skate routine on the way to a total of 230.84 points.

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Rugby: Eagles snap losing streak with 33-22 win over Sungoliath

TOKYO – South Africa international Jesse Kriel delivered a man-of-the-match performance Sunday as the Yokohama Eagles jump-started their pursuit of a Japan Rugby League One playoff berth with a 33-22 win against Tokyo Sungoliath.

Kriel scored one try and had a hand in another for the Eagles, who snapped a three-game losing streak with the come-from-behind victory at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground.

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Japan PM Ishiba pledges to avoid division amid Trump-Zelenskyy row

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that he will strive to avoid division between the United States, Ukraine and the Group of Seven nations, following a televised dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The blowup between Trump and Zelenskyy during their meeting in Washington on Friday was “a rather unexpected development,” Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo.

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Japanese TV host Monta Mino, Guinness world record holder, dies at 80

TOKYO – Japanese TV personality and Guinness World Records certificate holder for busiest live TV host Monta Mino died early Saturday, a company he headed as president said. He was 80.

Mino, a Tokyo native whose real name was Norio Minorikawa, joined radio broadcaster Nippon Cultural Broadcasting Inc. in 1967 before moving to television, where he appeared in numerous programs, including as host of the Japanese version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

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Athletics: Ethiopia’s Takele, Kebede win Tokyo Marathon

TOKYO – Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele won his first Tokyo Marathon men’s title on Sunday, while compatriot Sutume Kebede successfully defended her women’s crown.

The 22-year-old Takele ran a personal-best time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 23 seconds to finish 28 seconds ahead of countryman Deresa Geleta, with Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi repeating as third-place finisher in 2:04:00.

Video: Whirlpools at Naruto Strait off Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture