Politics
Iran foreign minister likely to visit Japan in late August
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is likely to visit Japan this month for talks on the situation in the Hormuz Strait, diplomatic sources say. Tehran and Tokyo have been making final arrangements for Zarif to visit in the later part of this month for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo… Read
Japan says gaps remain with U.S. on trade after 'very tough' talks
Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Wednesday there were still gaps that needed to be filled before Tokyo and Washington could agree on a bilateral trade deal and that negotiations with his U.S. counterpart were "very tough." Motegi is visiting Washington, DC, for talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert… Read
Japan, S Korea agree on need for dialogue to repair frayed ties
Japan and South Korea agreed on Wednesday on the need for dialogue to resolve a feud over compensating Korean wartime workers that has spilled over into trade, and put a deep chill on ties between Washington's two Asian allies. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, speaking outside Beijing after talks with… Read
U.S. Marines chief acknowledges worries on Japan-S Korean ties
Gen David Berger, the new U.S. Marines commandant, acknowledged Wednesday that he is concerned about deteriorating relations between Japan and South Korea, both key regional allies, but expressed hopes politicians would work out a resolution. Berger stressed that Japan and Korea have common interests despite their differences, such as the… Read
Japanese report says N Korea has miniaturized nuclear warheads: paper
Japan has upgraded its estimate of North Korea's nuclear weapons capability in an upcoming annual Defense White Paper, saying it seems Pyongyang has achieved the miniaturization of warheads, the Yomiuri newspaper said in an unsourced report on Wednesday. That compares with the assessment in last year's report in which the… Read
U.N. chief to attend G7, Japan conference, and visit Congo
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres leaves Friday on a trip to the G7 summit of the world's major industrialized nations in France, a conference on African development in Japan and then to Congo to mobilize support against the Ebola outbreak. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday that at the G7 in… Read
China urges Japan, S Korea to resolve dispute through dialogue
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday asked Japan and South Korea to resolve their differences "through dialogue," amid concern that worsening relations between Tokyo and Seoul may threaten regional economic stability down the road. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono also called on Beijing and Seoul to bolster trilateral cooperation… Read
Japan's two biggest opposition parties to join forces in Diet
Japan's two largest opposition parties said Tuesday they will form a joint group in both houses of the Diet in an attempt to challenge the ruling bloc's dominance. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Edano and Yuichiro Tamaki, who heads the Democratic Party for the People, agreed on the… Read
Chinese, Japanese foreign ministers meet amid calming ties
The foreign ministers of China and Japan met Tuesday amid an unusually lengthy stretch of calm in their countries' often turbulent relationship. The meeting between China's Wang Yi and Japan's Taro Kono came a day before a three-way summit also involving their South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha. Beijing has recently… Read
Japan Inc backs Abe's tough trade stance toward S Korea
Japanese companies broadly support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's tough trade stance against South Korea, a Reuters poll found. Three-quarters of companies in the monthly Reuters Corporate Survey approved of Abe's explanations for curbing exports to South Korea of materials used to make computer chips. More than nine in 10 predicted… Read
