U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urges China to tone down its stance on its territorial disputes with neighboring countries, saying Beijing should cooperate with the United States, Japan and other nations to ensure peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Congress to head off deep, automatic spending cuts set to hit the Pentagon and other federal agencies on March 1 and replace them, at least for a few months, with a new debt-reduction package that includes fresh tax ...

Japanese corporate executives doing business with China as well as diplomats stationed in Japan and neighboring countries are probably breathing a sigh of relief now that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dialed down his hawkish stance from the campaign trail in December and has ...

Bulgaria blamed Hezbollah on Tuesday for a July 2012 bomb attack that killed five Israeli tourists, leading to renewed calls on the European Union to declare the Lebanese movement a terrorist organization. “What we can make as a justified conclusion is that the two ...

The abrupt resignation of the land ministry's parliamentary secretary, was the result of a sex scandal involving a minor, according to the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho.

A replica of Michelangelo's Renaissance sculpture "David" that was erected suddenly last summer in a town in Shimane is unnerving residents, with some calling for the naked masterpiece to be given underpants.

British lawmakers voted in favor of controversial legislation allowing gay marriage Tuesday despite fierce opposition from members of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party. The move puts Britain on track to join the 10 countries that allow same-sex couples to marry, but Cameron had ...

Dell unveiled plans to go private Tuesday in a $24.4 billion deal that would give founder Michael Dell a chance to reshape the former leading PC maker away from the spotlight of Wall Street. “I believe this transaction will open an exciting new chapter ...

In the face of international outrage, Japan is defending its tradition of whale hunting by championing cultural heritage and food resource diversity. But with commercial whaling virtually banned and what little hunting activity there is coming under fire, the quest to keep alive its ...

President Barack Obama’s plan to install his counterterrorism adviser as head of the CIA has opened the administration to new scrutiny over the targeted-killing policies it has fought to keep hidden from the public, as well as the existence of a previously secret drone ...

The government of South Africa has awarded the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo to Toshio Akiniwa, the president of the Japan Asia Africa Latin America Solidarity Committee (JAALA), for his unconditional support for the African National Congress (ANC) during the apartheid era. ...

It’s tough to figure out where to take your band when you get some buzz in the media right out the gate. After getting noticed for its fuzzed-out pop jams from highly regarded online music outlets such as Pitchfork, Noisey and Gorilla vs. Bear, ...

In May 2011, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry promoted the idea of “Cool Japan,” presenting Japanese culture as a product amid the confusing circumstances after the Great East Japan Earthquake. As Japan continues to suffer a declining population and weak economy, it ...

If art is something that you want to feel comfortable with in your home, then Haroon Mirza is probably not your man. As the winner of the 2012 Daiwa Foundation Art Prize, British-born, ethnic-Pakistani artist Mirza is being introduced to Tokyo’s art connoisseurs with ...

Alex Zhang Hungtai is constantly in motion. The Taiwanese-born artist, who performs under the name Dirty Beaches, has said in interviews the idea of “home” doesn’t mean much to him. He’s lived in Taipei, Honolulu, Shanghai and Montreal, and is an avid traveler on ...

“On Mosquitoes Human and Other Animals” is the work of artist Beatriz Inglessis in collaboration with three other people: philosopher Suzanne McCullagh, education specialist Renee Jackson and gallery curator Shai Ohayon. The latest show at The Container gallery in Nakameguro, it’s the result of ...

Shinji Okazaki struck twice as Japan made a winning start to 2013 with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Latvia on Wednesday.