Current law leaves many women and children in legal limbo after an acrimonious divorce or abusive marriage that cannot be dissolved without a fleeing wife disclosing her location.

The ban runs counter to Japan’s support for “basic human rights, including freedom of expression, and the rule of law,” the government’s top spokesman said.

On a recent Tuesday in August, a group of preschoolers and elementary school pupils in Tokyo listened carefully to their cram school teacher's explanation about what would normally be a taboo subject for kids this age — sex. "Sperm, ovum, sexual intercourse, fertilization," the children ...

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who died earlier this month, was remembered by former Japanese diplomats and U.N. experts as a strong supporter of Security Council reform plans that could have given Japan a permanent seat. The Ghanaian-born Annan, who served as secretary-general between ...

President Donald Trump said Wednesday there is no reason to spend a lot of money on military war games with South Korea, but he warned he could "instantly" relaunch the exercises again and they would be "far bigger than ever before." Trump made the comment ...

It is time for Japan to unleash the third "arrow" of Abenomics: a long-term growth strategy underpinned by structural reforms.

The Kremlin isn't completely unresponsive to popular opinion, but it won't tolerate dissent that demands radical change.

When "Crazy Rich Asians" surpassed expectations and grabbed the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend, the film also pulled off another surprising feat: It put Asians of a certain age in theater seats. Younger Asian-Americans have been flocking with their parents ...

Ayumi Hamasaki has seen better days as a J-pop superstar, but she still carries some clout. So it should have been noteworthy that her newest release, the five-song "Trouble," would arrive on streaming services a bit earlier than in stores. That's a win for ...

A muffled bass line is soon matched by Katsumi Tanaka's staccato electric guitar riff loosely emulating a shamisen. Congas and timbales start grooving in the rhythm of cumbia before the horn section dives in, setting the stage for Fredy Tsukamoto to belt out a ...

Hirofumi Yamanaka earned his first win of the season on Thursday as the Tokyo Yakult Swallows defeated the Hanshin Tigers 3-1. In his 10th appearance this year, Yamanaka (1-0) fanned three and allowed an unearned run in 7-1/3 innings, while the Swallows capitalized on three ...

Shohei Ono added an Asian Games gold to his collection of honors on Thursday when he beat An Chang-rim of South Korea in a tight contest. The 73-kg division victory came in dramatic fashion with the 26-year-old putting his opponent to the mat in the ...

Japan's men's 4x100-meter sprint foursome showed on Thursday it has not lost a step since its runner-up finish in Rio, winning the Asian Games title with ease. Running a 38.16-second time, the team of 100-meter bronze medalist Ryota Yamagata, Shuhei Tada, Yoshihide Kiryu and Asuka ...

Masateru Yugami became one of the rising stars in Japanese track and field this year. He did so by breaking the national discus record three times in one day during June's national championships in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The 25-year-old ended up improving the record to 62.16 meters ...

Japan women's soccer head coach Asako Takakura praised China's improvements since their last encounter in April as the two teams prepared for Friday's gold-medal match. In a Thursday news conference, Takakura said China has become a big threat to her country's hopes of winning a ...

Christian Yelich led Milwaukee's big comeback by hitting for the cycle, and Jesus Aguilar homered in the 10th inning, powering the Brewers to a 13-12 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. Aguilar connected off Raisel Iglesias (2-3) for Milwaukee's fourth homer of the ...

The 2018-19 Top League season kicks off Friday with plenty of changes to the format both on and off the field as the Japan Rugby Football Union looks to do all it can to ensure the Brave Blossoms are at their peak when Japan ...

Before he became the NFL's highest-paid player again, Aaron Rodgers wore a denim suit and cowboy hat that made him look as if he were going to serve as a chaperone at a square dance. For Rodgers, it's kind of a big deal either way. The ...

Japan made it to the Asian Games men's soccer final for the first time since winning in 2010 with a 1-0 semifinal victory over United Arab Emirates on Wednesday night. In Sunday's final, Japan will play South Korea, after the defending champion beat Vietnam 3-1 ...

The Japan men's national basketball team's bizarre, unprecedented journey at the Asian Games is nearly — and finally — coming to an end. The Akatsuki Five, who lost four players as a result of a scandal earlier in the tournament, will play with eight men ...

Natsumi Tsunoda shrugged off an injured back to win a gold medal Wednesday, scoring a convincing victory over South Korean Park Da-sol in the women's 52-kg class on the first day of the judo competition at the Asian Games. While Tsunoda, the 2017 world silver ...

An Olympic gymnast said Wednesday that the Japanese gymnastics governing body's decision to indefinitely disqualify her coach was too strict a punishment for his violent behavior toward her. Sae Miyakawa, a 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian and a candidate to compete in the gymnastics world ...