Japan

Japan approves biggest military buildup since WWII amid China fears

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan unveiled a new national security strategy on Friday along with details of its biggest military build-up since World War Two, in a marked shift away from…

Read More Here

Tokyo makes solar panels mandatory for new homes built after 2025

TOKYO, Dec 15 (Reuters) - All new houses in Tokyo built by large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions, according to a…

Read More Here

Japan’s ispace launches world’s first commercial moon lander

TOKYO (Reuters) -A Japanese space startup launched a spacecraft to the moon on Sunday after several delays, a step toward what would be a first for the nation and for…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Tokyo Comic Convention 2022

A visitor takes pictures of a collectible figure displayed at the Tokyo Comic Con 2022 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, 25 November 2022. For the first time since 2019,…

Read More Here

Third Japanese cabinet minister in a month resigns in blow to PM

By Elaine Lies TOKYO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Japan's internal affairs minister resigned on Sunday in connection with a funding scandal, becoming the third cabinet member to leave in less than a…

Read More Here

Japan’s inflation hits 40-year

Japan CPI +3.6% yr/yr vs forecast +3.5%, highest since 1982 Bulk of price hikes due to cost-push inflation, unsustainable BOJ sees consumer inflation falling below 2% next fiscal year By…

Read More Here

U.S., Japan, S. Korea vow ‘unparalleled’ response if N. Korea holds nuclear test

TOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The United States, Japan and South Korea warned on Wednesday that an "unparalleled" scale of response would be warranted if North Korea conducts a seventh…

Read More Here

Japan rushes to rearm with eye on 2027 – and China’s Taiwan ambitions

TOKYO (Reuters) - Between China's 20th Communist Party Congress, that just ended, and the next one in 2027, Japan will undertake its biggest arms buildup since World War Two in…

Read More Here

Japan considers extending nuclear plants’ life beyond 60 years

TOKYO, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Japan's government is considering extending its 60-year limit on the operation of nuclear power plants and may submit legislation on new rules next year, as…

Read More Here

North Korea conducts longest-range missile test yet over Japan

Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years on Tuesday, prompting a warning for residents to take cover and a temporary suspension of train operations in northern Japan.…

Read More Here

With flowers and a gun salute, Japan bids farewell to slain Abe at state funeral

With flowers, prayers and a 19-gun salute, Japan honoured slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday at the first state funeral for a former premier in 55 years -…

Read More Here

Tokyo tightens security for slain Shinzo Abe’s funeral

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday is under the spotlight as authorities seek to avoid the kind of security blunders exposed in…

Read More Here

Japan bans chemical weapons-related goods to Russia, concerned by nuke threats

TOKYO, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Japan has decided to ban exports of chemical weapons-related goods to Russia in an additional sanction against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, and is…

Read More Here

Typhoon lashes central Japan, killing two

TOKYO, Sept 24 (Reuters) - A typhoon lashed central Japan on Saturday with torrential rain and fierce winds, killing two and leaving tens of thousands of households without power, the…

Read More Here

Japan weighing plan for ban on hotel guests without masks

TOKYO, (Reuters) - Japan's government is considering allowing hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other measures to control infection during an outbreak, Fuji…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Typhoon batters Japan with record rain, killing two

TOKYO, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Typhoon Nanmadol brought ferocious winds and record rainfall to western Japan on Monday as one of the biggest storms to hit the country in years…

Read More Here

Japan issues special typhoon warning as ‘unprecedented’ storm approaches

TOKYO, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special typhoon warning on Saturday for Kagoshima prefecture on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's main islands, as the region braces for…

Read More Here

Japan set to resume visa-free tourist travel in October

Sept 15 (Reuters) - Japan is expected to lift a ban on individual tourist visa requirements and remove a limit on daily arrivals in October as it aims to benefit…

Read More Here

Japan probes possible involvement of pro-Russian group in cyberattack

TOKYO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Japan is investigating the possible involvement of a pro-Russian group following the failure of multiple government websites, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday.…

Read More Here

Japan plans to develop longer-range missiles to counter China, Russia

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will develop and mass produce a cruise missile and a high-velocity ballistic missile, it said this week, as it seeks the ability to strike more distant…

Read More Here

Japan police chief to resign over Abe shooting, citing ‘fresh start’

TOKYO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Japan's National Police Agency chief said on Thursday he will resign to take responsibility for the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, citing the…

Read More Here

Japan signals return to nuclear power to stabilise energy supply

TOKYO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Japan will restart more idled nuclear plants and look at developing next-generation reactors, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday, setting the stage for a…

Read More Here

Japan PM Kishida’s support tumbles, hit by questions over church and COVID

TOKYO, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Support for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has tumbled, battered by questions about the ruling party's ties to the Unification Church and its response…

Read More Here

Japan PM Kishida infected with COVID, recuperating

TOKYO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been infected with COVID-19 and is recuperating at his official residence, his office said on Sunday. Kishida, just returned…

Read More Here

Japan considers deploying long-range missiles to counter China

TOKYO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Japan is considering the deployment of 1,000 long-range cruise missiles to boost its counterattack capability against China, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday. The missiles…

Read More Here

Japanese space mission shows Earth’s water may be from asteroids

Water may have been brought to Earth by asteroids from the outer edges of the solar system, scientists said after analysing rare samples collected on a six-year Japanese space mission.…

Read More Here

Japan PM promises to never again wage war

TOKYO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to never again wage war on the anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender, while members of his cabinet…

Read More Here

Japan’s PM shakes up cabinet in ‘damage control’ amid Unification Church furore

TOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reshuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, removing some ministers with links to the Unification Church in a bid to stem plunging support amid…

Read More Here

Three missing, thousands ordered to evacuate as rain pounds northern Japan

TOKYO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - At least three people were missing and thousands in northern Japan were ordered to evacuate on Thursday after torrential rains pounded the area, flooding roads and causing…

Read More Here

Keep calm and cut the air con – Japan’s energy saving is model for Europe

TOKYO, (Reuters) - As Europe braces for energy shortages from Russian gas cuts, Japan's own energy crisis a decade ago offers survival lessons to households and businesses - such as dimming the…

Read More Here

Volcano erupts on western Japanese island of Kyushu, no reports of damage

TOKYO (Reuters) -A volcano on Japan's major western island of Kyushu erupted on Sunday evening, sending black smoke billowing high into the air, but there were no immediate reports of…

Read More Here

Shinzo Abe’s suspected assassin to undergo psychiatric evaluation – media

TOKYO (Reuters) - The suspected assassin of Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will undergo psychiatric evaluation until later this year, Japanese media reported on Saturday. Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed…

Read More Here

Tokyo’s daily COVID cases cross 30,000 for first time in pandemic

TOKYO, July 21 (Reuters) - New coronavirus cases in Japan's capital hit a record on Thursday, surging past 30,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, spurring officials to call for…

Read More Here

Japan to forgo setting ceiling on next year’s defense spending

TOKYO, July 16 (Reuters) - Japan will forgo setting a ceiling on defense spending in next fiscal year's annual budget, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Saturday, highlighting Tokyo's interest in…

Read More Here

Tokyo court orders ex-Tepco execs to pay $95 bln damages over Fukushima disaster

TOKYO, July 13 (Reuters) - The Tokyo district court on Wednesday ordered four former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) 9501.T to pay 13 trillion yen ($95 billion) in damages to the operator…

Read More Here

Japan bids sombre farewell to slain Shinzo Abe, its longest-serving premier

With prayers, flowers and flags draped in black ribbons, Japan on Tuesday said farewell to Shinzo Abe, a polarising figure who dominated politics as the country's longest-serving premier, before being gunned down…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Mourning Abe, Japan’s ruling party secures sombre election win

TOKYO/NARA, July 11 (Reuters) - With flags at half-mast, Japan mourned the killing of former premier Shinzo Abe on Monday even as the ruling party that he had dominated secured…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Japan’s ruling coalition makes strong election showing after Abe murder

TOKYO/NARA, Japan, July 10 (Reuters) - Japan's conservative coalition government was projected to increase its majority in the upper house of parliament in an election on Sunday, two days after the assassination…

Read More Here

The numbers to watch in Japan’s upper house elections

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is aiming for a convincing win in upper house of parliament elections on Sunday to enhance its ability to push through policies…

Read More Here

Factbox: Main parties contesting Japan’s upper house election

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan holds an upper house election on Sunday that is key to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's attempt to gain firmer control of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party…

Read More Here

Inflation to nuclear power: What’s at stake in Japan’s election

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will vote in upper house elections on Sunday that have implications for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's grip on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and his ability to…

Read More Here

Abe’s body returns to his home as Japan grieves for slain ex-PM

NARA/TOKYO, July 9 (Reuters) - A motorcade carrying the body of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived at his home in the Japanese capital on Saturday, a day after he was assassinated…

Read More Here

Japanese mourn ex-PM Shinzo Abe a day after his assassination

NARA, Japan, July 9 (Reuters) - A steady stream of mourners on Saturday visited the scene of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination in the western city of Nara, an unusual…

Read More Here

In mostly gun-free nation, Japanese stunned by Abe killing

TOKYO, July 8 (Reuters) - Japan struggled with shock and sadness on Friday, trying to come to terms with the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a nation where firearms…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Japan ex-PM Abe dies after being shot while making a speech

NARA, Japan, July 8 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was gunned down on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country where…

Read More Here

FACTBOX-Major episodes of violence against politicians in Japan

July 8 (Reuters) - Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, one of Japan's most influential politicians in modern times, died on Friday after being shot at a campaign event. The man who is…

Read More Here

OBITUARY-Shinzo Abe sought to reinvigorate Japan with bold economic policies, strong armed forces

TOKYO, July 8 (Reuters) - Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, who sought to lift the economy out of chronic deflation with his bold "Abenomics" policies, beef up the military and counter…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Global reaction to killing of Japan’s former PM Abe

July 8 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday after being shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election. Abe, who sought to lift the economy out…

Read More Here

Japanese artist who created “Yu-Gi-Oh!” found dead in the sea

A Japanese artist who created the hit manga comic series "Yu-Gi-Oh!", which spawned a worldwide media franchise including a trading card game, has been found dead in the sea, media…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Fatal magnitude 6.1 quake on Iran Gulf coast, 5.9 earthquake strikes Japan’s Hokkaido region

At least five people were killed and 49 injured by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in southern Iran early on Saturday, state media reported, with the area also hit soon after…

Read More Here

Japanese asked to save power as country’s east sizzles

TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - The highest temperatures for the season since record-keeping began have scorched much of eastern Japan for a week, prompting the government to ask citizens to cut power…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition in Tokyo

A staff member attends the press preview of the 'Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition' at Warehouse Terrada in Tokyo, Japan, 30 June 2022. The exhibition opens to the public…

Read More Here

Japan’s June heatwave sizzles into hottest day, crunch time for power supply

TOKYO, June 29 (Reuters) - Japan braced on Wednesday for its hottest day yet of a record-breaking June heatwave as fears grew about a shortage of electricity to keep air conditioners whirring…

Read More Here

Appeal to save energy as scorching summer heat batters Tokyo

YOKOHAMA, June 26 (Reuters) - The Japanese government warned on Sunday that electric power supplies would be strained in the Tokyo area on Monday, calling on people to save energy as scorching…

Read More Here

Japan court rules ban on same-sex marriage constitutional

A Japanese court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is not unconstitutional. The Osaka court said that marriage was defined as being only between opposite genders and not enough…

Read More Here

Earthquake jolts Ishikawa in central Japan – NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 hit central Japan on Sunday, the national broadcaster NHK said. The epicentre of the earthquake was Ishikawa Prefecture, NHK…

Read More Here

Japan runs biggest trade deficit in more than 8 years in May

TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - Japan ran its biggest single-month trade deficit in more than eight years in May as high commodity prices and declines in the yen swelled imports, clouding the…

Read More Here