Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been confirmed dead after he was shot at a campaign event on Friday, public broadcaster NHK and Jiji news agency reported. “According to…
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Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been confirmed dead after he was shot at a campaign event on Friday, public broadcaster NHK and Jiji news agency reported. “According to…
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TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court ruled Monday that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage does not violate the constitution, and rejected demands for compensation by three couples who said…
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The first tuna auction of 2022 takes place at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market, as the special observation deck reopened on Thursday, following a recent decline in coronavirus infections. It had…
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China’s destroyer flotilla has conducted a live-fire multi-subject combat drill in the South China Sea, reported by Chinese state media CCTV. The report said the drill was to verify the…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha strongly advised Asia to be a strong advocate for sustainability, to be a more inclusive society and to be more resilient, noting that growth will be…
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Leaders of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday for a summit of the “Quad.” What is the group, where did it come from and why…
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The leaders of Japan, India, Australia and the United States meet in Tokyo on Tuesday seeking common ground on countering China’s growing regional economic and military clout. The summit of the so-called Quad grouping takes place with…
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TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, in a series of critical comments about China…
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Japan will trial small group tours with travelers from the US, Australia, Thailand, and Singapore from this month, the government said, as it experiments with easing strict Covid border rules….
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During his three-nation visit to ASEAN member countries over the past five days, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demonstrated his country’s middle-of-the-road approach to diplomacy when it comes to special…
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Thailand and Japan signed a deal on the transfer of defence hardware and technology, as well as two other agreements, on financial cooperation and a Japanese grant for Thailand’s post-COVID…
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Members of the LGBTQ community and their supporters have paraded in central Tokyo for the first time in three years and called for a society free of discrimination and prejudice….
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TOKYO (Reuters) – Thousands of Japanese households remained without power on Thursday as companies worked to assess damage the morning after a powerful quake hit the northeast coast of Japan, leaving at least four…
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During the 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Thailand has joined 140 countries voting in favour of the resolution to condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, while…
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TOKYO (Reuters) Keiichi Kurogi was one of dozens of men in Japan who offered to join an “international legion” to fight Russian invaders after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for volunteers. Kurogi, a…
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Japan will ease border controls imposed to counter the pandemic, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday, softening measures that have been among the strictest imposed by wealthy nations and…
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SEOUL (AP) — North Korea on Monday fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea in its fourth weapons launch this month, South Korea’s military said, with the apparent goal…
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All tsunami warnings issued in Japan, following Saturday’s massive volcanic eruption in Tonga, have been lifted. The final alert which had been in effect for Iwate Prefecture was downgraded to…
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Tsunami alerts are in effect over wide areas along the Pacific coast of Japan, after a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga on Saturday. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami…
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An underwater volcano off Tonga erupted on Saturday, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in Japan and causing large waves in several South Pacific islands, where footage on social media…
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TOKYO (AP) — Twin panda cubs made their first public appearance Wednesday before devoted fans in Tokyo, but they will be on display only briefly for now — over three…
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Japan has launched multi-pronged initiatives aimed at promoting ASEAN-Japan relations, taking it from a development to a co-creation partner, according to Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Koichi Hagiuda….
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SYDNEY (AP) — Australia and Japan will sign a treaty on Thursday to increase defense and security cooperation in a move that has been hailed as “historic” but which might…
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Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on Tuesday that it has filed a plan for handling the water with Japan’s nuclear regulators. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power…
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Osaka (AFP) – At least 24 people were killed after a blaze gutted a mental health clinic in a commercial building in the Japanese city of Osaka on Friday, local media said,…
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Beijing (AFP) – Beijing summoned the Japanese ambassador to China over former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s “extremely erroneous remarks” on Taiwan, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as tensions rise over the…
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PARIS (AP) — The Dutch health authority says it has found the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in two local cases going back as far as 11 days, showing…
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan announced Monday it will suspend entry of all foreign visitors from around the world as a new coronavirus variant spreads, prompting an increasing number of countries…
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Starbucks Japan is introducing rental cups on a trial basis to some stores in a bid to reduce waste. The company will begin the test next Monday at 10 stores…
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Thailand has extended the list of “low risk” countries and territories whose citizens will be allowed to enter the kingdom without quarantine from Tomorrow (Monday), according to an announcement issued…
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Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s Princess Mako married her university sweetheart Kei Komuro on Tuesday, the Imperial Household Agency said, but proceedings were kept low-key following years of controversy. Since announcing their…
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With new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in power, Japan has become a heavy-weight player in shaping China-US relations. In his first major speech he reiterated not just that the…
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Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dissolved the lower house of parliament Thursday, paving the way for elections on Oct. 31 that will be Japan’s first of the pandemic. At…
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TOKYO (Reuters) – Child suicides in Japan are the highest they have been in more than four decades, local media have reported, citing the country’s education ministry. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted school closings and…
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Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesia will reopen the resort island of Bali to select international travellers next week, a senior minister said, after the pandemic starved the holiday hotspot of one of…
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TOKYO (AP) — Fumio Kishida was elected Japan’s prime minister in a parliamentary vote Monday and will be tasked with quickly tackling the pandemic and other domestic and global challenges…
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan fully came out of a coronavirus state of emergency for the first time in more than six months as the country starts to gradually ease virus…
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The Thai Foreign Ministry has expressed its appreciation to the Japanese government for its donation of 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which arrived in Bangkok today (Sunday). September 26th marks…
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Haruki Murakami fans can marvel at a vast collection of the Japanese author’s novels, scrapbooks and vinyl at a cavernous new library unveiled Wednesday at his old university in Tokyo….
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Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China’s growing military…
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TOKYO (AP) — The final act of the delayed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics came Sunday, almost eight years to the day after the Japanese capital was awarded the Games. The…
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The news that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is to step down later this month and will not stand for re-election has not stirred up any reaction within ASEAN. The…
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Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday he will not run for re-election as party leader this month, effectively ending his tenure after just one year, his party’s…
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Tokyo (AFP) – The course of true love never did run smooth, but after public controversy and a wedding delay, Japan’s Princess Mako is reportedly set to tie the knot and…
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Washington (AFP) – Moderna said Wednesday that tainted batches of its Covid-19 vaccine sent to Japan were contaminated with stainless steel particles, but the company did not expect it posed “an…
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Japan will halt the use of 1.63 million doses of Moderna’s Covid vaccine after reports of contamination in several vials, drugmaker Takeda and the health ministry said Thursday. Takeda, which…
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Japan marked the 76th anniversary of its World War II surrender on Sunday with a somber ceremony in which Prime Minister Yosihide Suga pledged for the tragedy of war to…
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ASEAN has accumulated more than US$1.2 billion worth of combined assistance from 11 dialogue partners including the new dialogue partner, the UK. Almost all the countries have contributed special funds…
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TOKYO (AP) — Japanese officials sounded the alarm Thursday as Tokyo reported record-breaking coronavirus cases for the third straight day with the Olympics well underway. “We have never experienced the…
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s capital, Tokyo, reported its highest number of new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, days after the Olympics began. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged people to avoid non-essential…
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Japan’s Momiji Nishiya became one of the youngest individual Olympic champions in history when she won the inaugural women’s skateboarding gold at the age of 13 years and 330 days…
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Hopes that two Asian economic giants, Japan and South Korea, would be able to reconcile and improve their soured bilateral ties at the 2020 Olympics have been dashed. South Korean…
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Thailand is targeting at least one gold medal as 41 Thai athletes launch their campaigns at the Tokyo Olympics, which start on Friday (July 23) under a sealed COVID-19 “bubble”. A Thai…
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FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Host Japan got off to a winning start when the Tokyo Olympics got underway after a one-year delay, beating Australia 8-1 Wednesday in softball behind 39-year-old…
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Since last October Ministry for Foreign Affairs has held consultations with allies and friends to ensure that they will be able to provide vaccines if need be, according to the…
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It took Japan just two weeks to deliver the 1.05 million doses of vaccines to Thailand following Tokyo’s pledge to donate the shots. The speedy delivery is a strong barometer…
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Thailand received 1.05 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday, donated by the Japanese government, amid difficulties in local production of the vaccine by the Thai firm Siam Bioscience,…
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Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided today (Friday) to allocate the upcoming 1.5 million doses of donated Pfizer vaccine from the US government to frontline medical workers as…
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TOKYO (Reuters) – The Tokyo Olympics will take place without spectators, organisers said on Thursday, as a resurgent pandemic forced Japan to declare a coronavirus state of emergency for the capital that will run throughout the event….
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Tokyo, Japan (AFP) – The Olympic torch relay has been scrapped on Tokyo’s public roads, officials announced Wednesday, as virus concerns continue to plague the Games just over two weeks…
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An agreement was signed, between the Thai and Japanese governments today (Tuesday), for the donation by Japan of 1.05 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, with the delivery to Thailand…
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No alcohol, no hugs, no cheers and no autographs: Tokyo Olympic organisers unveiled tough new rules for spectators at the pandemic Games on Wednesday, as they marked one month until…
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TOKYO (Reuters) – Olympics organisers on Monday capped the number of spectators at 10,000 for each venue at the Tokyo 2020 Games, days after experts warned that holding the event without fans would be the least risky…
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Around a third of Japanese now back holding the Olympics, up from just 14 percent last month, a new poll showed Monday, though a majority still prefer cancellation or postponement…
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Japan could allow up to 10,000 fans at sports events ahead of the Olympics, media reported Wednesday, as organisers weigh how many domestic fans can attend the Games. The measure,…
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Half of the Japanese public think the Olympics will take place this summer whether they want it to or not, a survey by Yomiuri daily newspaper showed on Monday, less…
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Japan has been backed into a corner over the Tokyo Games, a member of the country’s Olympic committee said Friday, arguing the virus-postponed event has “lost meaning” — but adding…
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Tokyo Olympics fans may have to be vaccinated or test negative for the coronavirus before being allowed into venues, a Japanese newspaper report said Monday. Cheering, eating, high-fives, and drinking…
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US drug giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Thursday announced a deal with the International Olympics Committee to provide vaccines to competitors and staff at the Tokyo games. In a…
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The Myanmar junta has charged under a “fake news” law, a report said Tuesday, in the latest blow to press freedom since the military seized power. Freelance reporter Yuki Kitazumi…
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Japan announced a new virus state of emergency in Tokyo and three other regions on Friday, as the country battles surging infections just three months before the Olympic opening ceremony. The…
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TOKYO (AP) — Radioactive water accumulating in tanks at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant will be released into the sea in two years after it is treated, Japan’s government said…
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A strong 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s east coast late Saturday, rattling the region hit by the powerful 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown just weeks before the disaster’s 10th anniversary….
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Japan passed a new law strengthening enforcement of its virus restrictions on Wednesday, allowing authorities to fine bars and restaurants that defy closure requests. People can also be fined up…
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With the coronavirus pandemic threatening the holding of the re-arranged Tokyo Olympics, IOC chief Thomas Bach is expected on Wednesday to set out how a “safe” Games could be organised…
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Badminton world number one Kento Momota tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the withdrawal of all Japan’s players from this month’s Thailand Open, Japan’s Badminton Association said. “Momota has tested positive…
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A truck laden with kitchen sinks, cutlery, pots and pans pulls up to a warehouse in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, and workers begin to unload the goods taken from shuttered…
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday, marking Beijing’s first high-level contact with Japan’s new leader. Wang met his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi…
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Japan eases travel curbs for nine countries and regions, in a hope to revive its economy. Japan has eased travel curbs for China, Australia, South Korea and six other countries…
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Yoshihide Suga was elected as the new head of Japan’s ruling party on Monday, virtually guaranteeing him parliamentary election as the country’s next prime minister. Suga received 377 votes in…
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A powerful typhoon began to lash southern Japan on Sunday, with officials warning it could bring record rainfall and winds strong enough to snap power line poles and flip cars….
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TOKYO (Reuters) – 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 third-biggest economy…
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Thailand recorded one new COVID-19 case today, a Russian national arriving from Russia, who is currently in state quarantine. According to the CCSA, the new case is a 33-year old…
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TOKYO (AP) — Parts of Japan still searching for missing people and evacuating those stranded by deadly floods and mudslides were bracing for more pounding rains through the weekend. The…
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TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to extend the country’s state of emergency on Monday until the end of May, public broadcaster NHK said. The government…
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Thai citizens in Japan, who wish to return home, have been advised to register via the Thai embassy’s website, if they want seats on two repatriation flights in May. The…
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TOKYO (Reuters) – A key government official in charge of Japan’s economic response to the coronavirus outbreak called off his public appearances on Saturday to work from home after it…
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At least 48 crew aboard a cruise ship docked in the Japanese city of Nagasaki have tested positive for coronavirus, local authorities said Thursday after confirming 14 additional cases. …
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TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan, alarmed by rising coronavirus deaths and the specter of the collapse of the medical system, is scrambling to expand testing with drive-through facilities and general practitioners…
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Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will on Tuesday declare a state of emergency in parts of the country, including Tokyo, over a spike in coronavirus infections. “I have decided that…
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The shock postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has dealt a savage blow to Japan’s hotels and tourism industry, already reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Many operators…
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday resisted pressure for changes to the Tokyo Olympics schedule even as sporting events worldwide fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Abe pledged Japan…
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Members of parliament scrambled for face masks in the middle of the censure debate this evening (Wednesday) when they learned that a fellow MP, from the government Palang Pracharat party…
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TOKYO (REUTERS) – Two passengers from a coronavirus-hit cruise ship moored near Tokyo have died, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday, as a second group of passengers began disembarking after…
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Two former passengers of the coronavirus-wracked Diamond Princess have died, local media reported Thursday, as fears mount about those who have left the ship after testing negative for the virus….
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Three more people on a cruise ship off Japan have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the number aboard to 64, the government said Saturday, with passengers facing a two-week quarantine….
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TOKYO (Reuters) – The first chartered flight carrying 206 Japanese nationals evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday – four of them showing…
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A Tokyo court Wednesday awarded 3.3 million yen ($30,000) in damages to journalist Shiori Ito, who accused a former TV reporter of rape in one of the most high-profile cases…
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Pope Francis Sunday railed against atomic weapons, the nuclear deterrent and the growing arms trade, as he paid tribute to the victims of the “unspeakable horror” of the Nagasaki bomb. In…
Read MoreShinzo Abe has become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, breaking a record set over a century ago. “Each and every day I have done my best to carry out the policies…
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