Jul 31, 2013

Japan eyes creation of U.S.-style NSC by year's end

The government plans to set up an institution similar to the U.S. National Security Council as early as year’s end to strengthen the leadership of the prime minister’s office in crafting long-term security policy for the changing security environment in East Asia, government sources ...

Jul 31, 2013

Obama may visit as early as spring

Tokyo and Washington are arranging for President Barack Obama to make an official visit to Japan possibly next spring for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on strengthening the bilateral alliance, government sources said Wednesday. It would be Obama’s first visit to Japan since ...

Jul 2, 2013

Ties said on mend despite summit lack

Kyodo Japan will not easily give in to Chinese conditions for holding a summit, but the two nations are moving toward restoring ties damaged by the Senkaku Islands dispute, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday. “We will not compromise where we cannot, and ...

Jun 18, 2013

North Korea needs sincere stance on denuclearization: Suga

A day after North Korea called for unconditional high-level dialogue with the United States, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihike Suga said Pyongyang should first show a willingness to discuss denuclearization. “We do not speculate what North Korea’s intentions are but any dialogue should lead to ...

May 19, 2013

Suga clams up as source spins Iijima trip to North

by Reiji Yoshida

During his surprise visit to Pyongyang, Isao Iijima, a special advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, explained to officials there that Tokyo continues to seek “comprehensive solutions” to the North’s abductions of Japanese and to its nuclear arms and missile threats, a source said ...