Japanese PM Abe resigns over worsening health
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving premier, announced his resignation because of poor health on Friday, ending a stint at the helm of the world’s...
Shinzo Abe
Japan PM tells S. Korea’s Moon 2015 ‘comfort women’ deal final
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe restated Tokyo’s opposition to revising a 2015 agreement on “comfort women” in talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on...
Japan’s Abe to push pacifist constitution reform after win
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, buoyed by a huge election win for lawmakers who favour revising Japan’s post-war, pacifist constitution, signalled a push towards his long-held goal...
Philippine’s Duterte tells Japan his China visit was just economics, blasts US
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sought to assure Japan on Wednesday that his high-profile visit to China last week was about economics not security, and he...
Strong quake in Japan kills at least nine, nuclear plants safe (Update 2)
By Kiyoshi Takenaka A strong earthquake hit southwestern Japan on Thursday, bringing down some buildings, killing at least nine people and injuring hundreds, local media...
Japan PM Abe’s new slogan stirs memories of wartime rhetoric
By Linda Sieg A new slogan adopted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and meant to show that all Japanese will benefit from economic growth is...
Japan govt pushes bills to expand military role despite protests
By Linda Sieg The Japanese government began a final push on Friday to enact contentious defence legislation that could let its troops fight overseas for...
Japan’s Abe: new video of Islamic State captive Goto “despicable”
By Elaine Lies and Takashi Umekawa Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday termed as “despicable” a new video appearing to show Islamic State captive...
The spirits of Mandela and Lincoln
By Timothy Spyrou IN THE dying month of this year and the fourth month of the new, mankind will pass two anniversaries with barely a...
Obama reaffirms commitment to Japan on tour of Asia allies
By Mark Felsenthal and Linda Sieg US President Barack Obama assured ally Japan on Thursday that Washington was committed to its defence, including of tiny isles at the heart of a row with China,...
Japan lawmakers in shrine visit
By Elaine Lies A Japanese cabinet minister and some 150 lawmakers on Tuesday visited Yasukuni Shrine, which is seen by critics as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism, in a move that...
N.Korea fires missiles as US, Japan, S.Korea leaders meet
By Jack Kim and Thomas Escritt North Korea fired missiles into the sea on Wednesday just as US President Barack Obama brought together the leaders of South Korea and Japan to discuss...
Japan, S.Korean military planes defy China’s new defence zone
By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Ju-min Park Japanese and South Korean military aircraft flew through disputed air space over the East China Sea without informing China,...
Japan’s new CO2 goal dismays UN climate conference
By Elaine Lies and Stian Reklev China, the EU and environmentalists criticised Japan at U.N. climate talks on Friday for slashing its greenhouse gas emissions...
High radiation spreads at ruined Fukushima plant, Japan vows aid
By Sumio Ito and Mari Saito High radiation levels are spreading at the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant, its operator said on Monday, and the Japanese...
Japan seeks biggest defence budget rise in 22 years
By Kiyoshi Takenaka Japan’s Defence Ministry said on Friday it was seeking a three per cent increase in next year’s budget allocation, the biggest rise...
Japan govt. to take bigger role in Fukushima clean-up
By Osamu Tsukimori and Antoni Slodkowski The Japanese government will get directly involved in containing rising levels of radioactive water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear...