The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Opening ceremony for Osaka Expo held ahead of full public start
OSAKA - Dignitaries including Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attended the opening ceremony for the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka on Saturday, a day before the long-anticipated event opens its doors to the public.
The first world expo in Japan since the 2005 event in Aichi Prefecture, it is themed on "life" and ways to create a sustainable future society. In total, 158 countries and regions are set to exhibit at the expo lasting for six months until Oct. 13.
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New U.S. envoy to Japan voices optimism over upcoming tariff talks
WASHINGTON - The new U.S. ambassador to Japan, George Glass, expressed optimism Friday about upcoming tariff negotiations between Washington and Tokyo, given the importance of the bilateral relationship.
The envoy's remarks came as the two countries plan to launch full-fledged negotiations as early as next week for a trade deal, after U.S. President Donald Trump paused for 90 days the imposition of his most sweeping round of tariffs.
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China, Japan hold technical talks over seafood import ban
BEIJING - China and Japan said Saturday they have held technical talks over Beijing's ban on Japanese seafood imports, which was imposed in August 2023 following the discharge of treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The online negotiations on Thursday between China's General Administration of Customs and the Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry followed talks in Beijing in March.
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New Ajinomoto president seeks to boost frozen dumpling sales abroad
TOKYO - Japanese seasoning and food maker Ajinomoto Co. is aiming to bolster sales and production of its frozen food overseas, such as gyoza dumplings, amid the popularity of quality quick-fix meals, according to its new president.
"We would like to produce them (in Brazil) in line with demand," Ajinomoto President and CEO Shigeo Nakamura said in a recent interview with Kyodo News, hoping to tap into the growing market for frozen food in the South American country.
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Drone detected flying near Chinese pavilion at 2025 World Expo
OSAKA - A drone was detected flying near the Chinese pavilion at the World Exposition site in Osaka on Friday, despite a ban on such flights for security reasons, police said, prompting authorities to question its operator.
The operator, believed to be a Chinese man, is suspected of violating an Osaka prefectural ordinance banning drone flights, in principle, within 1 kilometer of the artificial island of Yumeshima on which the expo site is located, according to local police.
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No. of Golden Week holidaymakers to drop 6.9% as inflation bites
TOKYO - The number of holidaymakers traveling domestically in Japan and abroad in the upcoming Golden Week holiday period starting late April is expected to drop 6.9 percent from a year earlier to 23.45 million due largely to rising living costs, according to a major travel agency.
Although traveler numbers increased in recent years after the coronavirus pandemic, there is also a growing trend of holidaymakers opting to avoid crowds and taking their vacations outside Golden Week, which falls between April 26 and May 6 this year, JTB Corp. said.
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7-Eleven stores of future to open at Osaka expo, with avatar robots
OSAKA - Seven-Eleven Japan Co. will open two convenience stores at the World Exposition in Osaka starting Sunday to showcase what it expects its outlets to look like in 2030, featuring service by remotely controlled avatar robots and floors that generate power when stepped on.
The stores at the expo venue on the artificial island of Yumeshima will sell made-to-order Japanese confectionaries such as fish-shaped "taiyaki" waffles and sweet "dango" rice cakes in addition to the usual items including drinks and rice balls.
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Baseball: Yamamoto dominates over 6 innings as Dodgers down Cubs
LOS ANGELES - Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a six-inning gem and Tommy Edman crushed a three-run homer to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
A lights-out Yamamoto (2-1) fanned nine while allowing just two hits and a walk at Dodger Stadium in his first scoreless outing of the season.
Video: The 2025 World Exposition's Grand Ring in Osaka is lit up on the eve of the event's opening day
