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Japan top spokesman visits quake-hit Kumamoto

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (C) is briefed by Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi (L) about damage to Kumamoto Castle during a visit to Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 22, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region on July 28.

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Japan top spokesman visits quake-hit Kumamoto

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara meets the press during a visit to quake-hit Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 22, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region on July 28.

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Japan top spokesman visits quake-hit Kumamoto

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara meets the press during a visit to quake-hit Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 22, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region on July 28.

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Japan top spokesman visits quake-hit Kumamoto

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara meets the press during a visit to quake-hit Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 22, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region on July 28.

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Japan top spokesman visits quake-hit Kumamoto

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara meets the press during a visit to quake-hit Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 22, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region on July 28.

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Japan top spokesman visits quake-hit Kumamoto

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (R) is briefed by Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi about damage to Kumamoto Castle during a visit to Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 22, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region on July 28.

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"Riku-Ryu" pair engaged

File photo shows Riku Miura (top) and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan performing in the pairs figure skating free program en route to winning gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics in Milan on Feb. 16, 2026. The pair, known as "Riku-Ryu," announced their engagement on social media on Aug. 23, 2026.

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"Riku-Ryu" pair engaged

File photo shows Riku Miura (L) and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan posing for a photo after winning the pairs figure skating gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics in Milan on Feb. 16, 2026. The pair, known as "Riku-Ryu," announced their engagement on social media on Aug. 23, 2026.

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Japan top spokesman visits Aeon Mall explosion site

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara lays flowers on Aug. 21, 2026, at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping complex in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, to pay respects to the seven people killed there in a July 28 gas explosion triggered by a powerful earthquake in the region.

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Japan top spokesman visits Aeon Mall explosion site

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (2nd from L) visits the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping complex in Kashima in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 21, 2026, to pay respects to the seven people killed there in a July 28 gas explosion triggered by a powerful earthquake in the region.

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Japan top spokesman visits Aeon Mall explosion site

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara visits the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping complex in Kashima in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Aug. 21, 2026, to pay respects to the seven people killed there in a July 28 gas explosion triggered by a powerful earthquake in the region.

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Japan top spokesman visits Aeon Mall explosion site

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows on Aug. 21, 2026, at a flower stand at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping complex in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, to pay respects to the seven people killed there in a July 28 gas explosion triggered by a powerful earthquake in the region.

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Japan top spokesman visits Aeon Mall explosion site

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows on Aug. 21, 2026, at a flower stand at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping complex in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, to pay respects to the seven people killed there in a July 28 gas explosion triggered by a powerful earthquake in the region.

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Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks to junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at enhancing public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks to junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at enhancing public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary comments on Japan monetary policy

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on Aug. 5, 2026, following U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments taken as seeking credit tightening by Japanese monetary authorities. Kihara declined to comment after Bessent said in a CNBC interview the previous day he believes Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda "will do what is needed" when asked whether the BOJ's next move should be a rate hike.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary comments on Japan monetary policy

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on Aug. 5, 2026, following U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments taken as seeking credit tightening by Japanese monetary authorities. Kihara declined to comment after Bessent said in a CNBC interview the previous day he believes Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda "will do what is needed" when asked whether the BOJ's next move should be a rate hike.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary comments on Japan monetary policy

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on Aug. 5, 2026, following U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments taken as seeking credit tightening by Japanese monetary authorities. Kihara declined to comment after Bessent said in a CNBC interview the previous day he believes Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda "will do what is needed" when asked whether the BOJ's next move should be a rate hike.

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Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 shook Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

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Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 shook Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

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Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 shook Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

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Japan top spokesman Kihara

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on July 21, 2026.

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Japan top spokesman Kihara

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on July 21, 2026.

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Japan top spokesman Kihara

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on July 21, 2026.

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Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (front, L) bows after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

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Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stands up after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

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Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stands up after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

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Japan revises Imperial House Law

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stands up after the House of Councillors passed a bill to revise the Imperial House Law during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 17, 2026. The amendment to the 1947 law permits the imperial family to adopt males aged 15 or older who are descended from emperors through the male line in 11 former branch families and also allows female members to retain their imperial status even after marrying commoners.

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Vietnamese deputy prime minister in Tokyo

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (R) and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang shake hands at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on July 13, 2026.

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Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

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Lower house passes bill for imperial law revision

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows after the House of Representatives passed a bill for a law revision to address the dwindling number of imperial family members during a plenary session in Tokyo on July 10, 2026.

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Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on June 25, 2026, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 struck northeastern Japan earlier in the day.

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Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on June 25, 2026, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 struck northeastern Japan earlier in the day.

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Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara holds a press conference in Tokyo on June 25, 2026, after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 struck northeastern Japan earlier in the day.

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U.N. symposium on N. Korea's abductions of Japanese

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara makes a keynote speech remotely from Tokyo on June 24, 2026, at a U.N. symposium on North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Japanese lawmakers studying UFO cases

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (far L) meets in Tokyo on May 28, 2026, with members of a parliamentarians' group created to study reported cases of unidentified flying objects.

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Law to establish National Intelligence council enacted

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara bows after the House of Councillors approved a bill to establish a new National Intelligence Council during a plenary session in Tokyo on May 27, 2026, marking enactment of the law to create an entity to centralize information gathering in response to overseas threats.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (C) and Ryuichi Kihara (R) pose for a photo with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026, after throwing the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (L) and Ryuichi Kihara meet the press at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026. The pair visited the ballpark to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (R) and Ryuichi Kihara are pictured at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026. The pair visited the ballpark to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (R) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for a photo at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026. The pair visited the ballpark to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (L) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for a photo at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026. The pair visited the ballpark to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (R) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for a photo at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026. The pair visited the ballpark to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (top) and Ryuichi Kihara throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (top) and Ryuichi Kihara throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (top) and Ryuichi Kihara throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026.

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Baseball: Rockies vs. Dodgers

Milan Cortina Olympic figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura (top) and Ryuichi Kihara throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 25, 2026.

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Lao foreign minister in Tokyo

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (R) shakes hands with Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 22, 2026.

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Abductee's mother meets with top gov't spokesman

Sakie Yokota (C), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, meets the press after holding a meeting with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 8, 2026. Standing beside Yokota is Satomi Mori, who heads a group to support her.

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Abductee's mother meets with top gov't spokesman

Sakie Yokota (C), whose daughter Megumi was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at age 13, meets the press after holding a meeting with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 8, 2026. Standing beside Yokota is Satomi Mori, who heads a group to support her.