Japan

Japanese, South Korean lawmakers agree to repair bilateral ties

Japanese and South Korean lawmakers agreed on Friday to work toward easing tensions and mending bilateral ties that have sunk to their lowest point in years due to a dispute…

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Second minister in a week resigns from Japan cabinet

Japan’s justice minister stepped down on Thursday - the second resignation from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s newly formed cabinet in less than a week - after a media report that…

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Photo Story: Fire engulfs 500-year-old world heritage site in Japan

The main building of the Shuri Castle is seen on fire in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, southern Japan, early 31 October 2019. The fire started early Thursday at Shuri Castle in…

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Photo Story: Halloween parade in Kawasaki, Japan

Participants in costumes wait for the start of a Halloween parade in Kawasaki city, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, on Sunday 27 October 2019. Some 2,000 participants dressed in costumes participated in…

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Torrential rain hits Chiba Prefecture in Japan

Torrential rain in the Chiba Prefecture, southeast of Tokyo on 25 October caused floods and landslides, leaving eight people dead and a further four missing, public broadcaster NHK reported, just…

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Japan trade minister resigns

Japanese Trade Minister Isshu Sugawara resigned on Friday, following accusations of election law violations just a month after taking up the key post charged with handling a trade dispute with…

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Photo Story: Emperor Naruhito enthronement in Tokyo

Japanese Empress Masako (R) and Emperor Naruhito wave as they are on their way to the Imperial Palace for the court banquet in Tokyo, Japan. Some 400 guests from Japan…

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Japan all set for Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony

Visitors walk through the Imperial Palace outer garden in Tokyo, Japan, 21 October 2019, the day before Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony. Some 2,000 guests from Japan and over 180 countries…

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Dutch health minister calls for international strategy to combat dementia

The Dutch health minister has called for a global strategy to deal with dementia at a meeting of world experts in Japan. Hugo De Jonge likened the growth in this…

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Aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Japan

Scenes from the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Japan. According to media reports, at least 40 people died, more than 180 people were injured and at least 16 went missing…

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At least 35 people have died in Japan after one of the worst typhoons to hit the country

More than 110,000 people are taking part in search and rescue operations after Typhoon Hagibis struck Japan during the weekend. The typhoon - the worst storm to hit the country…

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Japan hit by 5.7 magnitude earthquake

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake has jolted the main island of Japan as Typhoon Hagibis, one of the strongest storms to hit in decades, continues to reap devastation throughout the central…

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Japan braces for what could be worst typhoon in 60 years

A powerful typhoon approached Japan, threatening to batter its capital with the heaviest rain and winds in 60 years, shutting down stores, factories and subway systems and disrupting a Formula…

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Japan braces for impact of Typhoon Hagibis, Rugby World Cup matches cancelled

A handout photo made available by NASA shows a visible image acquired from the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra Satellite of Typhoon Hagibis approaching the southeast coast of Japan, 09…

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North Korean fishing boat collides with Japanese patrol boat

A handout photo made available by the Japan Coast Guard shows Fisheries Agency patrol boat Okuni (R), which reportedly collided with a North Korean fishing boat, in waters locally known…

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Exiting nuclear power unrealistic for Japan, minister says, disputing colleague

Exiting nuclear power in Japan is unrealistic, the country’s new industry minister said on Thursday, in comments that reiterated the government’s line but are at odds with those made earlier…

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Japan’s new environment minister says country should stop using nuclear power

Japan’s newly installed environment minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, wants the country to close nuclear reactors to avoid a repeat of the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011. The comments by the son of…

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Typhoon Faxai cuts power to 900,000 homes in Tokyo

More than 900,000 homes have been left without power after Typhoon Faxai made landfall near Tokyo. With winds of up to 210km/h, Faxai is one of the strongest typhoons to…

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Japan braces for Typhoon Faxai

Japan is braced for Typhoon Faxai on Sunday cancelling trains and flights in Tokyo with destructive winds of up to 216 kph and heavy rain expected to hit the region…

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New dinosaur species discovered in Japan

Hokkaido University professor Yoshitsugu Kobayashi (L) and Mukawa town mayor Yoshiyuki Takenaka (R) pose with a replica of the skeleton of the hadrosaurid dinosaur 'Kamuysaurus japonicus' at the National…

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Train crash in Japan’s second-largest city

An express train and a truck collided in Japan's second-largest city of Yokohama on Thursday, train operator Keikyu Corp said, with fire officials confirming that about 30 people were injured.…

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South Korean military drills around disputed island

South Korea’s military began two days of drills on Sunday around a tiny island also claimed by Japan, prompting a protest from Tokyo just days after Seoul decided to scrap…

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Photo Story: Military drills in Japan

Japanese tanks and armoured vehicles fire munitions during a fire drill conducted by elements from Japan's Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) at the Higashi-Fuji training field in Gotemba, central Japan, 22…

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Extreme heat in Japan leaves 23 dead, 12,751 hospitalized in one week

An estimated 12,751 people were rushed to hospitals with heat-related conditions across Japan over the week from Aug. 5 of whom 23 died, the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency…

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Photo Story: Japan’s retired Air Force One is up for sale

Japan's Air Force One taxies as they arrive at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Helsinki, Finland, on the 9 July 2017. According to media reports, Japan has retired its version of Air…

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Japan drops South Korea as a preferred trading partner

Japan removed South Korea from its list of trusted trade partners, deepening a bitter row between the two countries. The decision to strike South Korea off its so-called "white list"…

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Japan approves human-animal embryo experiments

Japan has become the first country to allow the birthing of human-animal embryos to create human organs. Experts at the Science Ministry approved a proposal by University of Tokyo researcher Hiromitsu…

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Nissan to cut 12,500 jobs worldwide

Japanese car giant Nissan has announced 12,500 job cuts as it attempts to shore up its finances after recent troubles. It will reduce its production capacity and the number of…

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Photo Story: Presentation of the medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Tokyo Olympics medals (L-R: Silver, Gold and Bronze) are displayed after the One Year to Go Ceremony at Tokyo Forum in Tokyo, Japan, 24 July 2019. The Tokyo Organising Committee…

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South Korean petrol stations refusing to fill up Japanese cars

Petrol stations and garages in South Korea are refusing to fill up or service Japanese cars as part of a growing boycott of Japanese goods sparked by trade and political…

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IAEA chief Amano dies aged 72

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano has died aged 72, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday in a note to member states. “The Secretariat of the International…

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Man dies after setting himself on fire at Japanese embassy in South Korea

A South Korean man died on Friday after setting himself on fire in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, police said, amid ongoing trade and diplomatic disputes with…

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At least 24 dead in arson attack on Japanese animation studio

At least 24 persons died and dozens more have been injured in a fire at an animation studio in the Japanese city of Kyoto. Police say the blaze broke out …

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Photo Story: Floods in Japan

The Wada river is reaching its overflow level in Kagoshima, Kagoshima prefecture, southwestern Japan. According to media reports, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings of heavy rain that could…

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Japan’s starts first commercial whale hunt in more than 30 years

Five small ships sailed out of harbour on Monday in Japan’s first commercial whale hunt in more than three decades. The decision has aroused global condemnation and fears for the…

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Photo Story: The Other Side of the G20

Partners and wives of the G20 leaders during the partners program at the Garden Oriental in Osaka, Japan, 28 June 2019. It is the first time that Japan hosts…

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Trump tells Putin not to meddle in the U.S. election

Under pressure to stand firm against Russian election meddling, President Donald Trump insisted he has "very, very good relationship" with President Vladimir Putin on Friday before telling Putin…

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The issues likely to dominate the G20 summit in Japan

World leaders are meeting in Osaka, Japan, for a summit on Friday and Saturday of the Group of 20 (G20) big economies. Here are the issues likely to dominate the…

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Japan urges UK to avoid no-deal Brexit

Japan's foreign minister has told the BBC that he has been telling the two prospective Conservative leaders to avoid a no-deal Brexit. Taro Kono told the Today programme that he…

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Photo Story: The G20 summit in Osaka

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, 27 June 2019 to attend the G20 Summit. About 32,000 police officers are deployed for…

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Photo Story : At least 26 injured after strong earthquake rocked Japan

An earthquake of estimated magnitude 6.7 that Tuesday struck an area of Japan along the coast of the Sea of Japan,left at least 26 persons injured. There were no…

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Massive manhunt after policeman stabbed in Japan

A massive manhunt is underway in the western Japanese city of Suita after a police officer was stabbed several times in the chest with a kitchen knife and his loaded…

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Controversy in Japan about the obligation to wear high heels at work

Japan’s health minister, Takumi Nemoto, claimed that workplaces that require women to wear high heel shoes are “necessary and appropriate”. This week a petition collected nearly 20,000 signatures against the…

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Earthquake shakes Tokyo as Trump was due to arrive

A medium-strength earthquake hit eastern Japan on Saturday hours before the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump. Japanese NHK national television said the tremor caused buildings to shake in Japanese…

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Strong earthquake off Southern Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 hit off the coast of southern Japan on Friday but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of…

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Photostory: Car hits group of toddlers in Japan, killing two

Two cars are loaded onto vehicle transport trucks after they collided at a crossing, causing one of the vehicles to plunge into a group of nursery school children and teachers,…

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Japan prepares for emperor’s abdication

Japan authorities ramped up security for the start of Japan's new "Reiwa" imperial era. The new era begins on Wednesday when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne a day…

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Nuclear fuel removal from Fukushima power plant begins

The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima power plant on Monday began the delicate operation of removing atomic fuel from inside a building housing one of the reactors that melted down…

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British Foreign Minister assures Japan on Brexit

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt reassured Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the British government was determined to avoid a no-deal exit from the European Union. Brexit has raised concern…

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Sony creates colossal 16K screen

Sony developed the biggest 16K screen, which is longer than a bus, and will shortly go on show in Japan. Sony's display contains 16 times as many pixels as a…

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Japan grounds F-35 fighter jets after an aircraft crashed over the Pacific

The Japanese Defence Ministry has grounded all F-35 stealth fighter jets after a Japanese F-35 with one pilot on board disappeared from radar while on a training mission over the…

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Photostory: The €800 burger

Patrick Shimada, chef de cuisine of The Oak Door, poses with the 'Golden Giant Burger' to celebrate the new era and new Emperor at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo restaurant in…

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Japan reveals name of new imperial era

Japan on Monday revealed the name of the era that will define the new emperor's reign when he ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne next month following a historic abdication. An era…

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Strong earthquake hits Osaka in western Japan leaving three people dead

Residents in western Japan were cleaning up debris on Monday after a powerful earthquake hit the area around Osaka, the country's second-largest city of commerce, killing three people and injuring…

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Japan notifies WTO that it is reserving right to impose tariffs against the USA

On Friday, Japan notified the World Trade Organization that it was reserving the right to impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum…

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Reactions after the Korean summit outcome – Updated

China China, considered to be North Korea’s key international ally welcomed the summit and described the outcome as helpful for inter-Korean reconciliation. China's foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang said that…

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