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A United Nations Command soldier conducts a media tour of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas as a South Korean soldier and other UNC soldiers stand guard at the Joint Security Area in the truce village of Panmunjom last October.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Aug 16, 2023

North Korea claims U.S. soldier seeking refuge from mistreatment

Pyongyang said U.S. Army Pfc. Travis King had “admitted that he illegally intruded” into North Korea last month.

The Pentagon on Tuesday looked to soften the blow of an explosive report that Chinese hackers had infiltrated Japan's most sensitive defense networks, saying that it was "confident” about sharing intelligence with Tokyo.

JAPAN

Aug 9, 2023

U.S. ‘confident’ in Japan intel sharing, but Taiwan concerns linger

The Pentagon has moved to soften the blow of a report that said that “shockingly bad” hacking had been uncovered by the U.S. in the fall of 2020.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo in June.

JAPAN

Aug 8, 2023

China hacked sensitive Japanese defense networks, report says

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Tuesday that Tokyo has not confirmed that top secret information was leaked.

Taro Aso, a former prime minister and current vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei on Tuesday.

JAPAN / Politics

Aug 8, 2023

Taiwan situation ‘tilting toward emergency,’ former Japan PM says

Taro Aso said this shift was “definitely not out of the blue” but was now “more evident,” pointing to military exercises by China around Taiwan.

People use umbrellas and parasols to seek relief from soaring temperatures while waiting to cross a street outside Tokyo's Shinjuku Station last week.

JAPAN / Science & Health

Aug 5, 2023

Japan marks hottest day of year as mercury hits 40 C

The record temperature was marked in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, as a heat wave continues to scorch much of the country.

U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol greet each other ahead of a trilateral meeting during the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima on May 21.

JAPAN / Politics

Jul 29, 2023

U.S. announces trilateral summit with Japan and South Korea

The leaders of the three countries will use the summit at the Camp David presidential retreat to expand trilateral cooperation “across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

A screen displays Chinese leader Xi Jinping, at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing last October.

JAPAN / Politics

Jul 28, 2023

China eyes accelerated plan for ‘world-class military,’ Japan says

An annual defense white paper said the world was facing its greatest test since World War II amid China's military buildup and the Ukraine war.

Then-Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang holds a copy of China's constitution during a news conference at the National People's Congress in Beijing in March.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Jul 26, 2023

China ousts foreign minister as world grasps for clues as to why

There are still several questions over Qin Gang's fate and whether he will continue to serve in the government as a state councilor.

People walk past a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test at the main railway station in Seoul on Tuesday.

JAPAN

Jul 25, 2023

North Korea fires missiles as it gears up for apparent military parade

The launch of two missiles came as the North Korea appeared to be gearing up for an large-scale military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice's signing.

A man watches a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on Wednesday.

ASIA PACIFIC

Jul 22, 2023

North Korea fires cruise missiles into Yellow Sea, but remains silent on U.S. soldier's fate

Experts say cruise missiles, which fly far slower than ballistic weapons, present a unique danger in that they can fly low and maneuver, making them potentially very difficult to intercept.

People walk with umbrellas to shade against the sun in Tokyo's Ginza area on Saturday. The Meteorological Agency announced the same day that the rainy season was believed to have ended in the Kanto-Koshin and Tohoku regions.

JAPAN

Jul 22, 2023

Eastern Japan exits rainy season as high temperatures continue

Compared with an average year, the rainy season ended three days later in the Kanto-Koshin region, the agency said.

Japan Times

ASIA PACIFIC

Jul 22, 2023

North Korea fires cruise missiles into Yellow Sea, but remains silent on U.S. soldier's fate

Experts say cruise missiles, which fly far slower than ballistic weapons, present a unique danger in that they can fly low and maneuver, making them potentially very difficult to intercept.

Japan Times

ASIA PACIFIC

Jul 19, 2023

U.S. soldier facing disciplinary action slips across inter-Korean border into North Korea

An American soldier facing disciplinary action at home “willfully and without authorization' fled Tuesday into North Korea, where he was apparently taken into custody.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 19, 2023

North Korea fires off two ballistic missiles, with both falling outside Japan's EEZ

The rare early-morning launches of apparent short-range weapons followed a test last week of the North’s Hwasong-18 solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile.

Japan Times

ASIA PACIFIC

Jul 18, 2023

U.S. national in North Korean custody after crossing inter-Korean border during tour

The U.S. citizen crossed into the nuclear-armed country while on a tour of the Joint Security Area at the border with the South, the United Nations Command said Tuesday.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 18, 2023

Heat continues to bake Japan, but some relief is on the way

The government issued heatstroke alerts in 23 of the nation’s 47 prefectures Tuesday, affecting tens of millions of people.

Japan Times

ASIA PACIFIC

Jul 18, 2023

U.S. nuclear sub visits South Korea for first time in decades as allies hold key talks

The U.S. said the ballistic missile submarine had arrived after the allies held the inaugural meeting of their Nuclear Consultative Group on Tuesday.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 17, 2023

Searing temperatures across Japan trigger heatstroke concerns

The government issued heatstroke alerts in 32 of the nation’s 47 prefectures, affecting tens of millions of people.

Japan Times

ASIA PACIFIC

Jul 17, 2023

North Korean nuclear test 'would not come as a surprise' to U.S.

The remarks by U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan come just days after Pyongyang held a successful test of its most powerful long-range missile.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 16, 2023

Japan, South Korea and U.S. hold trilateral missile defense drill after North's ICBM launch

The rare exercises come as North Korea’s continued weapons tests push trilateral security ties closer than ever.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.

How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan

By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

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