Cabinet ministers’ visits to the shrine, which honors war dead including convicted Class-A war criminals, have been strongly criticized by Japan’s neighbors, causing ties to sour.

Attendees observed a moment of silence for the 3.1 million Japanese war dead at noon, when the late Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender in a radio address.

After a 30-minute phone call, Abe expresses appreciation for Trump’s pledge to defend U.S. allies amid threat of missiles launches.

Japan and Russia are exploring the idea of conducting cruises around the Moscow-held, Tokyo-claimed islands off Hokkaido as part of envisioned economic collaboration, a diplomatic source said. The countries will hold a vice foreign ministerial meeting Thursday in Moscow to discuss possible joint projects before ...

British Prime Minister Theresa May is planning to visit Japan later this month for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a Japanese government official said Saturday. Abe and May are expected to discuss rising tensions over North Korea's missile threats and bilateral economic relations. If ...

Speculation grows that a vulnerable Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will call a Lower House election in October to keep the opposition camp in disarray while new parties emerge.

Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba is the public's top choice as Japan's next leader now that gaffes and scandals have damaged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's image, a poll says. According to the poll, conducted by Jiji Press, 18.0 percent of the respondents chose ...

The new education minister says he will decide on whether to approve scandal-tainted school operator Kake Gakuen's bid to open a new veterinary department after weighing the results of an ongoing screening by the ministry's panel of experts. "I want to respect the panel's judgment," ...