North Korea took aim at the United States on Thursday for convening a U.N. Security Council meeting, saying the "provocative act" had helped it decide which path to take in deadlocked nuclear talks. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced a year-end deadline in April ...

The annual tax revision focused on steps to encourage firms to spend their internal reserves of over ¥460 trillion ($4.23 trillion), lawmakers said.

Japan Display Inc. is in talks with private fund Ichigo Asset Management Ltd. about a capital injection of around ¥90 billion that would shore up its ailing finances, sources close to the matter said Thursday. The struggling display-maker said in a statement that it was ...

Rising concerns worldwide about what an increase in tourism is doing to historic cities, cultural sites and the environment loomed over the start Thursday of a two-day gathering in Kyoto on tourism and culture organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization and UNESCO. Kyoto ...

Electronics retailer Yamada Denki Co. will take over home furnishing store Otsuka Kagu, the companies said Thursday, after the furniture chain struggled to compete with cheaper rivals and overcome a family-and-boardroom feud. Otsuka Kagu, which could run out of cash in several months, will issue ...

Machinery orders sank again in October in a fresh sign that business spending, previously one of the few points of strength in the world's third-largest economy, is stalling as slumping exports bruise investment appetite. Core machinery orders fell 6.0 percent in October from the previous ...

China aims to double the amount of water it transfers from the flood-prone south to arid northern regions, officials said Thursday, as the government prepares to launch the second phase of its controversial cross-country water diversion program. The South-North Water Diversion Project was first proposed ...

Australia's competition regulator has raised concerns over an $11 billion deal by Anheuser-Busch InBev to sell its local operations to Japan's Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., dealing a blow to the world's largest brewer's efforts to cut debt. The Belgium-based brewer, weighed down with some $100 ...

Repeat violations are punishable by a fine of up to ¥500,000.

The character "rei" (令) — as used in the era name of Reiwa, which has been translated to mean "beautiful harmony" — was chosen as kanji of the year, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced Thursday. The character garnered 30,427 votes, the largest share ...

A government energy panel called on Wednesday for the strengthening of a national reserve plan that ensures the availability of oil and rare metals amid increased global competition. Resource-poor Japan faces an increasing risk of supply disruptions as it buys 90 percent of its oil ...

At a two-day gathering for Honda's suppliers in March, Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo sounded the alarm. At the Hotel Higashinihon in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Hachigo told them the automaker was facing a crisis after a string of costly recalls and other quality blunders and needed ...

Police in New Zealand are planning a mission to volcanic White Island on Friday to retrieve bodies of people killed in this week's eruption, while the known death toll from the disaster climbed to eight, with two people dying in the hospital. Eight more people ...

Overcoming years of conflicting emotions, a 71-year-old Dutchman this year made his first visit to Japan, seeking to retrace the footsteps of his father, who spent his youth in Yokohama and was later interned by the Japanese as a prisoner of war during World ...

As time marches on from when World War II ravaged nations and claimed millions of lives in the Pacific over seven decades ago, the relevance of wartime memories and other memorabilia keeps growing in the Philippines. Aside from museums built and operated by the government, ...

Koizumi defended the government’s policy by saying the country was not getting enough credit for its efforts to move to more environmentally friendly energy sources.

A five-minute test flight of an all-electric commercial aircraft by Vancouver-based Harbour Air has taken a significant step in the quest to replace aircraft powered by fossil fuels, a mode of transportation increasingly viewed through the prism of global warming. The neon-green and indigo-blue seaplane ...

Tokyo's busy Ginza Line, which runs from Shibuya to Asakusa on a route that connects two of the capital's top spots for tourists, will be partially suspended over the New Year's holiday due to construction of a new platform at Shibuya Station, operator Tokyo ...

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is defending his government's record on tackling climate change, rejecting claims that it is in any way exacerbating bush fires sweeping the continent. While he labeled the fires a "national disaster" on Thursday, Morrison told reporters in Melbourne that Australia ...

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faces tough challenges as she heads into a general election campaign next year, with economic growth slowing, divisive referendums looming and a country reeling from disasters both natural and man-made. Two years since she became the world's youngest female ...

Agriculture minister Taku Eto stressed the safety of wagyu beef during a visit with Beijing's top diplomat in Japan to a cutting-edge meat-processing plant with stringent hygiene controls on Wednesday, as Tokyo hopes to resume exports of the Japanese specialty to China at an ...

Nokia Corp. said Wednesday that it has tied up with five Japanese companies to offer next-generation 5G network services to corporate customers. The Finnish telecommunications giant will build the ultrafast communications networks with its Japanese partners, including computer systems company NS Solutions Corp. and telecommunication ...

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has updated its Red List of Threatened Species, moving the dugong that dwell in waters off Okinawa Prefecture to the critically endangered category and putting it a step away from extinction. The organization warned that the number of ...

China's bitcoin miners now control two-thirds of the crypto-network's processing power, research showed on Wednesday, a growing share that is likely to benefit the country's miners. Miners in China control 66 percent of the global "hashrate," a measure of the power of computers hooked up ...

Japan and Iran are making final arrangements for their leaders to hold talks on Dec. 20, a source close to bilateral relations said Wednesday. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is planning to arrive in Japan on the evening of Dec. 19 for a three-day visit after ...

North Korean state-backed hackers appear to be cooperating with Eastern European cybercriminals, a report said on Wednesday, a finding that suggests digital gangsters and state-backed spies are finding common ground online. Mountain View, California-based SentinelOne says that the Lazarus Group — which American prosecutors accuse ...

A fresh doctrine — "pluralism" — aims to help allies and friends balance Beijing in the Indo-Pacific.

The Indo-Pacific era should not and must not be defined by the U.S.-China strategic competition.

While stories about mandatory heels and a ban on glasses are making the rounds in the media, the reality of working at a Japanese firm when you're a woman is not as bad as you may think.

Actor and TV personality Tatsuo Umemiya, who appeared in a number of popular films and television dramas, died of chronic kidney failure Thursday morning at a hospital near Tokyo, his agency said. He was 81. Born in what was then known as Manchukuo, now northeastern ...

The pianist brings together past members of his Yosuke Yamashita Trio for celebratory Tokyo show.

Hidetaka Yoshioka reprises his role as the nephew of Kiyoshi Atsumi's Tora-san in the 50th anniversary installment of the 'Tora-san' series.

Master thief Lupin III returns to steal treasure — and a few hearts — in Takashi Yamazaki's take on the loveable rogue.

Japan is considered a frontrunner in a field that may include a joint Australia-New Zealand bid, a rumored unified Korean bid, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

Ryuju Nagayama won the men's 60-kg division in an impressive display Thursday at the Qingdao Masters. Compatriot Ai Shishime was also victorious, taking the women's 52-kg title on the first day of the competition, which serves as a selection event for next year's Tokyo Olympic ...

Mathias Calfani's passion for basketball is evident on every possession. He's an active presence on both ends of the floor. On defense, his arms constantly move with purpose to distract opposing players. His eyes never stop focusing on what's happening around him. He exudes confidence ...