Japan

Photo Story: Japan reports first fatal case of Oz virus in human

An undated handout photo made available by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) shows an electron micrograph of the Oz virus (issued 23 June 2023). Japan’s Ministry of Health,…

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Japan protests Chinese navy ship entering Japanese waters

TOKYO, June 8 (Reuters) - Japan has conveyed "strong concern" and lodged a protest against China after the Chinese Navy entered Japan's waters near Yakushima Island on Thursday, Chief Cabinet…

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Japan’s growing military strength not a threat – minister

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Japan will not use its growing military strength to threaten other countries, its defence minister said on Saturday, while affirming its aim to prioritise diplomatic…

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UPDATED: Japan puts missile defences on alert as North Korea warns of satellite launch

By Hyunsu Yim and Nobuhiro Kubo TOKYO/SEOUL, May 29 (Reuters) - Japan put its ballistic missile defences on alert on Monday, vowing to shoot down any projectile that threatened its…

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UPDATED: Earthquake jolts eastern Japan, no tsunami warning

TOKYO, May 26 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake shook eastern Japan on Friday evening, but there was no tsunami warning, according to public broadcaster NHK. The temblor struck at 1003…

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Four dead, suspect arrested in rare shooting in Japan

TOKYO, May 26 (Reuters) - Japanese authorities said on Friday they arrested a 31-year-old man in a rural area for suspected murder after four people were killed in a rare…

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China says NATO’s plan for Japan office not welcomed in Asia-Pacific

BEIJING, May 24 (Reuters) - The Asia-Pacific region does not welcome NATO's plan to open a liaison office in Japan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press…

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UN chief says it’s time to reform Security Council, Bretton Woods

By Sakura Murakami HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 21 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that it was time to reform both the Security Council and Bretton Woods to align with…

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Photo Story: US President Biden meets Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 Summit

A handout picture made available by the Chigi Palace (Palazzo Chigi) Press Office shows US President Joe Biden (R) with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (L) in Hiroshima, 20 May…

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UPDATED: France’s Macron: Zelenskiy’s Japan visit a ‘game changer’

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Japan for the Group of Seven (G7) summit a "game changer," as the…

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G7 leaders agree to new initiative to fight economic coercion

TOKYO, May 20 (Reuters) - Leaders of the Group of Seven agreed on Saturday to establish a new initiative to counter economic coercion, and pledged to take steps to ensure…

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UPDATED: G7 pledges support for Ukraine as summit awaits Zelenskiy

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - Leaders of the world richest democracies agreed on Friday to stiffen sanctions against Russia and pledged financial support for Ukraine as its president, Volodymyr…

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Japan pledges to mobilise $1 bln to help nations around Ukraine accept refugees

By Tetsushi Kajimoto NIIGATA, May 11 (Reuters) - Japan will unveil a plan on Thursday to mobilise $1 billion to help countries surrounding Ukraine accept refugees from the war-torn country,…

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UPDATED: Japan earthquake of magnitude 6.5 injures some, damages buildings

TOKYO, May 5 (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck on Friday off Japan's western prefecture of Ishikawa, authorities said, as media reported some buildings had collapsed…

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Japanese police officer dies in possible suicide near premier’s residence

TOKYO, May 5 (Reuters) - A Japanese police officer died after being found shot in a toilet near the prime minister's residence early on Friday and police were investigating a…

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Alibaba founder Jack Ma takes up Tokyo University visiting professorship

TOKYO, May 1 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma has been invited to be a visiting professor at Tokyo College, a new organization run by the University of Tokyo,…

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Japan’s ispace says bid to make first commercial moon landing failed

By Kantaro Komiya and Joey Roulette April 26 (Reuters) - Japanese startup ispace inc 9348.T said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed after losing contact…

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Japan considers widening long-term foreign worker visa scheme

TOKYO, April 24 (Reuters) - Japan is considering expanding the areas in which skilled foreign workers can receive long-term work visas to 12 from three, the Nikkei newspaper reported on…

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Japan prepares to shoot down North Korea satellite if it falls on Japan

TOKYO, April 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday ordered the country's military to prepare to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite should it fall within…

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G7 ministers set big new targets for solar and wind capacity

By Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi SAPPORO, Japan (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday set big new collective targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity,…

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Japan’s Kishida vows safety of G7 meetings after ‘smoke bomb’ attack

TOKYO, April 16 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a day after he was evacuated from an apparent attack, vowed on Sunday to do everything possible to ensure the…

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Japan, China hold maritime talks as Beijing simulates attack on Taiwan

TOKYO, April 10 (Reuters) - Senior Japanese and Chinese officials met on Monday to discuss maritime concerns in disputed waters in the East China Sea as Beijing conducted wargames around…

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Ryuichi Sakamoto, composer of ‘The Last Emperor’ film score, dies aged 71

TOKYO, (Reuters) - Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer famed for his scores for "The Last Emperor", "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" and other epic films, has died aged 71. Sakamoto…

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Japan’s consumer inflation off 41-year high but cost pressure persists

Feb core CPI up 3.1% yr/yr, matches forecast Index excluding fresh food, fuel costs rises 3.5% in Feb Data shows cost-push pressure from raw materials easing By Takahiko Wada and…

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The many disputes overshadowing relations between South Korea and Japan

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's trip to Japan on Thursday was aimed at overcoming decades of disputes and mistrust between the two countries. Some issues, like…

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As wages go up, Japanese women reckon with a vast pay gap

By David Dolan and Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO, (Reuters) - As Japanese companies offer their heftiest wage raises in decades, women in the world's third-largest economy are hoping it won't take…

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South Korea and Japan hail spring thaw amid missiles and weight of history

By Sakura Murakami and Ju-min Park TOKYO/SEOUL, March 16 (Reuters) - The leaders of Japan and South Korea promised to turn the page on years of animosity at a meeting…

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South Korea and Japan to drop trade dispute as leaders seek common ground

By Sakura Murakami TOKYO, March 16 (Reuters) - Japan and South Korea agreed to drop an almost four-year-old trade dispute on high-tech materials on Thursday, an emphatic sign they aim…

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WATCH: Japan’s new rocket fails after engine issue, in blow to space ambitions

Japan's new medium-lift rocket failed on its debut flight in space on Tuesday after the launcher's second-stage engine did not ignite as planned, in a blow to its efforts to…

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Plastic consumption on course to nearly double by 2050 – research

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Plastic use in G20 countries is on course to nearly double by the middle of the century unless a comprehensive and legally binding global treaty to curb…

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Earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hits northern Japan, no tsunami warning

TOKYO, Feb 25 (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 hit off the eastern part of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Saturday, authorities said, and no tsunami warning was…

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Leiji Matsumoto, manga creator of Captain Harlock space saga, dies aged 85

TOKYO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Leiji Matsumoto, the famed Japanese manga and anime creator of epic space sagas including "Galaxy Express 999" and "Space Pirate Captain Harlock", has died aged…

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UPDATED: US stages joint air exercises with Asian allies after North Korea’s ICBM launch

By Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The United States held joint air exercises bilaterally with South Korea and Japan involving strategic bombers on Sunday, a day after North…

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Former UK PM Truss calls for tougher China policy in first speech since resigning

TOKYO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Former British prime minister Liz Truss will call on Friday for Taiwan to be given more arms and for the Group of Seven nations to…

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Heavy snow in Japan disrupts flights and trains, closes roads

TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Heavy snow across much of Japan on Friday grounded 100 flights, blocked dozens of roads and disrupted train services, government authorities and operators said. Domestic…

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Washington weighing deploying medium-range missiles to U.S. forces in Japan

TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Washington has suggested deploying medium-range missiles in Japan as part of a plan to bolster defences against China along the East and South China Seas,…

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NATO chief stresses importance of Indo-Pacific partners amid security tensions

By Sakura Murakami TOKYO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday stressed the importance of NATO's working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific, saying Europe could not…

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NATO, Japan pledge to strengthen ties in face of ‘historic’ security threat

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Japanese premier Fumio Kishida pledged on Tuesday to strengthen ties, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its growing military cooperation with China had created the…

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Japan, Netherlands to join US in China chip controls -Bloomberg

Japan and the Netherlands will join the United States in implementing export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China soon, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. The trilateral talks are set to conclude…

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Japan cuts economic view as exports to Asia weaken

TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Japan cut its view on the overall economy for the first time in 11 months in January, as China's COVID-19 infections and a slowdown in…

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UPDATED: Heavy snow causes havoc in Japan as cold snap sweeps through Asia

TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Heavy snow blanketed wide swathes of Japan on Wednesday, snarling traffic, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, disrupting train travel and leaving at least one person…

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Japan PM Kishida: it’s ‘now or never’ to stop shrinking population

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida pledged on Monday to take urgent steps to tackle the country's declining birth rate, saying it was "now or never" for…

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Japan’s passport is most powerful

Japan has the world’s most powerful passport. The country came out on top of the Henley Passport Index’s 2023 rankings. Japanese citizens can now visit 193 countries visa-free, which amounts…

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Pacific islands urge Japan to delay release of Fukushima waste over contamination fears

(Reuters) - Pacific island nations are urging Japan to delay the release of water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant over fears fisheries will be contaminated, the Pacific Island…

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Most big Japanese firms heed prime minister’s call to raise wages this year

53% committed to wage increases this year 81% of firms are pessimistic over next three months More than half of firms back increase in defence budget 29% support increase in…

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Kishida says G7 should show strong will on Russia’s Ukraine invasion

WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday that the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May should demonstrate a strong will to uphold international order and rule…

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Japan estimates Fukushima water release to start in ‘spring or summer’

TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Japanese government gave an estimation for when the water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant will be released into the sea, saying at…

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U.S. to increase number of anti-ship missiles in Japan -sources

The United States will significantly increase its anti-ship missile capabilities in Japan as part of a broader effort to deter China, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday. Although the…

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Jetstar flight makes emergency landing in Japan due to bomb threat

TOKYO, Jan 7 (Reuters) - A Jetstar flight made an emergency landing at Chubu Centrair International Airport in central Japan on Saturday due to a bomb threat, though no device was found,…

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Japan minister calls for new world order to counter rise of authoritarian regimes

WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Japan's trade and industry minister said on Thursday post-Cold War free trade and economic inter-dependence had bolstered authoritarian regimes and urged the United States and other like-minded…

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Photo Story: Tuna fish reaches 257,000 euros at the first New Year’s auction

A sushi restaurant staff member holds the cut tail of the auctioned 212-kilogram Bluefin tuna after the New Year's first auction of the Toyosu Market, at the Kaiten Sushi Ginza…

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Japan to tighten COVID border controls for travellers from China

By Kantaro Komiya TOKYO, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Japan will toughen from Sunday its COVID-19 border control measures for travellers from China, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, in response to…

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Japan’s ‘anti-Russian course’ makes treaty talks impossible – TASS

Japan's "anti-Russian course" makes peace treaty talks impossible, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said in comments published by the state TASS news agency on Tuesday. Russia and Japan have…

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Japan says it scrambled jets to monitor Chinese aircraft carrier operations

TOKYO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Japan said on Monday it scrambled jet fighters and dispatched aircraft and warships over the past two weeks to keep tabs on China's Liaoning aircraft…

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Japan to develop 3,000 km long-range missiles, deploy in 2030s

TOKYO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Defence is arranging to develop multiple long-range missiles with a range of up to about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) and aims to…

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Japan to make raising wages a top priority

Biggest challenge for Japan is lack of wage growth - Kihara Govt will increase focus on achieving wage growth - Kihara Remarks echo BOJ's view wages must rise for sustained…

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Japan marks record 415 COVID-19 deaths -health ministry

TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday recorded 415 COVID-19 deaths, the highest-ever count for a single day, health ministry data showed. The country counted 216,219 newly confirmed coronavirus…

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