Politics
Japan ruling parties vow to maintain solid coalition despite discord
The leader of the Komeito party pledged Tuesday to remain in coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party despite recent disagreements during negotiations to coordinate their candidates for the next lower house election. Natsuo Yamaguchi's remarks came amid speculation that Komeito, backed by Japan's biggest lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, may… Read
Kishida fires his eldest son as executive secretary
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that he will fire his eldest son Shotaro from his role as executive secretary on Thursday, amid growing criticism over inappropriate photographs taken at the premier's official residence during a family function last year. In the run-up to the closure of the ongoing… Read
N Korea willing to talk with Japan, but claims abduction issue resolved
North Korea is willing to hold talks with Japan if they are not confined to the abduction issue that Pyongyang claims has been resolved, the country's state media reported Monday. The official Korean Central News Agency quoted Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Sang Gil as saying if Japan "tries… Read
Philippines, U.S., Japan to hold first-ever joint coast guard exercise
The coast guards of the United States, Japan and the Philippines will hold trilateral maritime exercises in the South China Sea this week, the first such maneuvers between them as a time of growing concern about China's moves in the region. The June 1 to 7 exercise in waters off… Read
Over 60% oppose Diet dissolution by June for snap election: poll
Over 60 percent of respondents to a Kyodo News poll are opposed to a possible snap election before the current parliament session scheduled through late June ends, results showed Sunday. The weekend survey comes amid speculation that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will call a snap election if his cabinet's approval… Read
Indo-Pacific nations vow to fortify supply chains for critical items
Ministers from the United States, Japan and 12 other Indo-Pacific nations have agreed to strengthen supply chain resilience for critical items such as semiconductors and medicines to respond more promptly to emergencies. The agreement on essential goods and technologies was reached at a meeting of the U.S-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework… Read
Russia accuses Japan of ‘cynical speculation’ after Tokyo’s nuclear rebuke
Russia has accused Japan of "cynical, unscrupulous speculation" over Tokyo's comments around the nuclear threat Moscow poses and promised to respond to Japan's latest round of sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Friday said Japan would place additional sanctions on Russia after the… Read
Kishida says he is willing to meet Kim Jong Un over abductions
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday he was willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try and resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted in the 1960s and 1970s, media reported. "I am determined to face Kim Jong Un directly myself, without any preconditions," Kishida… Read
Japan, U.S. industry chiefs agree to boost semiconductor cooperation
Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and his U.S. counterpart Gina Raimondo have agreed to boost cooperation on the development of next-generation semiconductors. During their meeting Friday in Detroit, they also confirmed the need to reinforce global supply chains with other partners and through multilateral engagements such as the Indo-Pacific Economic… Read
China cautions Kishida against attending NATO summit
China expressed caution Friday at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's attendance at a NATO summit scheduled for July, saying Tokyo should not do anything that damages mutual trust between regional countries. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing that NATO's eastward foray into the Asia-Pacific… Read
