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An Air Self-Defense Force F-35A fighter aircraft
JAPAN
Aug 17, 2023

Japan F-35 fighters to fly to Australia in first deployment abroad

Four F-35As, supported by an aerial tanker and transport aircraft, will take part in a long-range navigation and refueling exercise starting next Monday.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol attend a photo op on the day of trilateral engagement during the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 17, 2023

U.S., Japan and South Korea to announce new hotline at summit

The three countries' leaders will to agree on a “very ambitious set of initiatives that seek to lock in trilateral engagement,” a top U.S. official said.
Protesters shout slogans and raise banners reading "Don't throw polluted water into the sea! Keep your promises" during a rally against Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 18, 2023

Fukushima water release poses test for Japan-South Korea unity

The dumping of radioactive water may happen days after a summit in which the U.S. wants Japan and South Korea to lock in friendly ties.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 20, 2023

Japan, South Korea and U.S. hail ties, but staying power questioned

While the three nations agreed to bolster ties in an array of areas, inevitable political change could prove to be a stumbling block for trilateral ties.
People protest after Japan moved to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the sea, in Hong Kong on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 28, 2023

Japan urges China to rein in harassing calls over Fukushima water

The calls, which sometimes numbered in the hundreds for certain targets, were made to businesses, schools and government offices.
Police and security personnel stand outside the entrance of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday. Japan said that harassment being faced by its citizens in China after the Fukushima water release was "extremely regrettable," confirming that a brick was thrown at the country's embassy in Beijing.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2023

Fukushima water release dampens chances of Japan-China detente

Japan is now bracing for a new period of wide-ranging tensions with its neighbor as the strained ties look likely to continue into the months ahead.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2023

Japan announces new fishing industry aid after China ban

The new aid follows a ¥30 billion fund aimed at countering reputational damage. Another ¥50 billion had been earmarked to support the fishing industry.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel after eating fish during his visit to Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2023

U.S. ambassador to Japan visits Fukushima in show of support

Japan has sought an immediate end to the ban and threatened to resolve the matter through the WTO framework.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 1, 2023

China banned seafood from Japan. Some tourists are eating it in Tokyo.

Travelers from China seem largely unfazed despite the ban, with many local seafood restaurants seeing little impact so far.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 3, 2023

Russia's Medvedev: Japan's 'militarization' complicates Asia-Pacific

Relations between Russia and Japan have been marked by a territorial disputes over a handful of small islands off Hokkaido.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 7, 2023

Japan and Britain confirm close economic security partnership

Japan and Britain adopted a joint statement aimed at strengthening supply chains for critical mineral resources.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 12, 2023

Japan elevates Taiwan security ties in move likely to rile China

The defense ministry said it would only pursue "nongovernmental" ties with Taipei.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 14, 2023

Japan's new foreign minister: A change in face, not policy

Yoko Kamikawa's appointment as foreign minister — the first time a women assumed the role in 19 years — is unlikely to bring a change in policy.
New Defense Minister Minoru Kihara says Japan-U.S. joint drills are very important for strengthening the U.S. commitment to the region.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023

Japan and U.S. boosting joint drills with eye on 'actual combat'

The exercises are intended to prepare forces in areas where a contingency could be possible, in view of military activity by China and Russia.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 19, 2023

Watchdog starts on-site probe of Bigmotor and Sompo Japan

The investigation aims to dig deeper into the insurance fraud scandal by the leading used-car dealer. The probe is likely to take several months.
An All Nippon Airways employee (left) escorts a group of Chinese tourists and a tour conductor (right) at the arrival lobby of Haneda Airport in Tokyo in August.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 20, 2023

Chinese visitors help Japan edge toward pre-pandemic tourism levels

Inbound tourism, counted as an export of services, has been a bright spot in Japan’s economic recovery.
South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2023

South Korea seeks revived China-Japan summit to shore up ties

Senior officials from the three Asian nations are set to meet in Seoul on Sept. 26.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a high-level Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 22, 2023

As Kishida takes center stage, Japan's diplomacy enters a new phase

The prime minister looks set to take on a larger role in representing the country on the world stage as he struggles to build a legacy domestically.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 23, 2023

Solomon Islands leader 'appalled' by Japan on Fukushima water

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare warned of effects on his South Pacific archipelago.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 26, 2023

Japan, China and South Korea hold talks to realize trilateral summit

The meeting aims in part to set the stage for the resumption of three-way summits among the countries' leaders, which were last held in 2019.
American disability rights activist Helen Keller paid a visit to Japan 75 years ago this month.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Oct 2, 2023

Japan Times 1948: Helen Keller recounts impression of Japan tour

Kanto residents continued to come to terms with the violence following the previous month's earthquake, and Helen Keller pays a visit to Japan.
Tanks containing water from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 4, 2023

Russia says Japan did not fully inform it about Fukushima water

"Japan has failed to properly respond to these issues and to guarantee the absence of a threat, including a long-term one," a spokesperson has said.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2023

Japan begins releasing second batch of treated Fukushima water

The release, part of a decommissioning process expected to take decades, has stirred tensions with some neighboring nations.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Defense Minister Minoru Kihara to the Pentagon in Washington on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2023

Japan expedites purchase of Tomahawks as security concerns grow

In light of the increasingly challenging Asian security environment, Japan will acquire the cruise missiles a year earlier than initially planned.
A group of Chinese tourists arrive at Haneda Airport in Tokyo in August.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 11, 2023

Japan public opinion turns most negative on China in nine years

More than 92% of respondents to the Japanese section of the poll said their impression of China was "not good,” up from 87% last year.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a high level Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine, on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 20.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 11, 2023

Ukraine fatigue unlikely to reach Japan anytime soon

Japan’s support for Ukraine remains steadfast at a time when popular opinion across several Western countries shows growing signs of weariness.
Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen speaks about the current situation in Israel amid the ongoing conflict with the Hamas militant group, at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 13, 2023

Israeli and Palestinian envoys to Japan detail a week of violence

Both envoys expressed hope for Japan's diplomatic role in the conflict, but from very different perspectives.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 23, 2023

Japan, U.S. and South Korea hold first joint air drills

The military exercise, which involved a B-52 bomber, comes as South Korea, Japan and the U.S. beef up their defense cooperation.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 24, 2023

Japan taps new U.S. and China envoys as Tokyo looks to balance ties

The appointments of new envoys to the U.S. and China come amid growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Two Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets (bottom) fly in formation with a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber as part of a joint exercise with the United States and South Korea in airspace near Kyushu on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2023

U.S., Japan and South Korea cooperation reaches new heights with aerial drill

While some view the move as signaling a "new era" in security ties, questions remain as to how long the current political momentum will hold

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.