Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrive for a document exchange ceremony and joint news conference after their meeting in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 28, 2023
With eye on China, Japan and Vietnam take ties to ‘new heights’
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong agreed to elevate the relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Yoko Kamikawa
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 26, 2023
Kamikawa conveys ‘comfort women’ stance to South Korean envoy
Kamikawa urged Seoul to "immediately take appropriate measures" to rectify the situation.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (center) and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi pose for a photo ahead of trilateral talks in Busan, South Korea, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 26, 2023
Japan, South Korea and China seek leaders' summit at 'earliest' time
The talks were seen as a steppingstone toward reviving the three-way summit, but progress on hammering out a specific date appeared elusive.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa shakes hands with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during bilateral talks in Busan, South Korea, on Saturday evening.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2023
Japanese and Chinese top envoys eye more talks on Fukushima row
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, on Saturday in Busan, South Korea, ahead of a trilateral summit.
A U.S. service member passes in front of an MQ-9 Reaper drone in 2018. The U.S. military in Japan has relocated its reconnaissance drone operations unit to Okinawa, despite local objection.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2023
U.S. spy drones relocated to Okinawa despite local objection
The shift is part of moves to strengthen surveillance of Chinese activities in nearby waters following a temporary deployment to the Kyushu region.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa speaks during a news conference after a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on Nov. 8.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2023
Japan, South Korea and U.S. envoys seek united front on North Korea
The three countries' top diplomats strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of a military spy satellite and vowed to boost trilateral security cooperation.
The Diet building in Tokyo. Japan is not considering penalties for noncompliant businesses in its planned guidelines on the development and use of generative artificial intelligence.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 24, 2023
Japan's generative AI guidelines to carry no penalties
The government aims to accelerate the development and use of generative AI under the guidelines that it expects to compile later this year.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masahiko Shibayama discusses a bill during a Lower House Judicial Affairs Committee session in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 24, 2023
Japan's parliament debates relief for Unification Church victims
The two separate bills being discussed are in part aimed at safeguarding and preventing the transfer of the church’s assets.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 24, 2023
Japan says North Korean ‘object’ orbiting Earth after launch
"We need to continue to carefully analyze the details, including whether the satellite is orbiting the Earth as intended," the defense minister said.
A North Korean rocket carrying a military spy satellite is launched in this undated photo released Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 22, 2023
North Korea calls spy satellite launch a success, but questions linger
A rocket carrying the payload passed over the Japanese archipelago late Tuesday, but Tokyo said it had not confirmed the veracity of Pyongyang's claims.
A Komeito delegation, including party leader Natsuo Yamaguchi, is visiting Beijing in a bid to improve China-Japan ties.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 22, 2023
Komeito delegation visits China to bolster frayed ties
A group led by Natsuo Yamaguchi has met with Cai Qi, head of the powerful Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a Budget Committee session in the Lower House in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 22, 2023
LDP faces scrutiny in parliament over underreporting of funds
Sizable omissions in political funding reports by the ruling party took center stage in parliamentary debate as the opposition questioned the government.
Newly elected Yawata Mayor Shoko Kawata (right) receives flowers at city hall on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 22, 2023
LDP and CDP join forces against Nippon Ishin in local elections
While such coordination isn't uncommon, in the past it has generally been aimed at beating candidates from the Japanese Communist Party.
A man walks past a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a space rocket, at the main railway station in Seoul in August.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2023
North Korea says it could launch satellite as early as Wednesday
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office said it had "strongly demanded" that North Korea halt preparations for the launch.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks with reporters at the Defense Ministry on Monday evening after holding a teleconference with his British and Italian counterparts.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2023
Japan joint fighter development group planned for fiscal '24
The 'control tower' will oversee the countries’ requirements for the joint development of the fighter by 2035.
Kiyoto Tsuji, a state minister for foreign affairs (center), and Kazuchika Iwata, a state minister of economy, trade and industry (right), talk to Ukrainian officials during their visit to Kyiv on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2023
Japan state ministers visit Ukraine to examine recovery needs
The delegation included representatives from Japanese firms such as JFE Engineering and IHI, and agricultural machinery maker Kubota.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 20, 2023
Kishida’s support rate hits new lows in three major polls
Polls by three major newspapers — the Yomiuri, Asahi and Mainichi — showed Kishida’s support rate at 24%, 25% and 21%, respectively.
A cook prepares sashimi in China's Shandong Province in August.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2023
China's imports of Japanese fishery products down 99% in October
China fully banning imports of fishery products from Japan from Aug. 24 when the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant water discharge started.
U.S. Marines stand by a transfer case during a repatriation ceremony for the possible remains of unidentified service members lost in the Battle of Tarawa during World War Two in the Republic of Kiribati, July 18, 2019.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2023
The bloody, 76-hour battle on a tiny atoll that helped end World War II
The Battle of Tarawa, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, took a heavy toll on American forces and led to outrage at home.
A Ground Self-Defense Force marine takes part in a landing drill as a part of the country's nationwide 05JX military exercises on the island of Tokunoshima, in Kagoshima Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2023
Japanese marines drill on island seen as vulnerable to China
The joint exercises were meant to show the readiness of ground, sea and air forces to defend Japan's territory and infrastructure.

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