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Trump, Wife Have Dinner With Widow Of Ex-Japanese PM Abe In Florida

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump On Sunday Met With Akie Abe, The Widow Of Slain Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, At His Mar-a-Lago Resort In Florida, His Wife Said.

Japan Weighs Extra Taxes For Defense Spending As Early As April 2026

The Government Is Considering Increasing Taxation As Early As April 2026 To Help Cover Its Planned Boost In Defense Spending, Sources Close To The Matter Said Wednesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary In Japan To Support Alliance As Osprey Aircraft Safety Causes Concern

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Met With Officials In Japan On Tuesday To Reaffirm The Importance Of Their Alliance And Washington's Commitment To Regional Security As Threats Rise From China And North Korea.

Govt Submits ¥13.9 Tril Draft Extra Budget To Diet For Economic Package

Japan's Government On Monday Submitted To Parliament A Draft Supplementary Budget For Fiscal 2024 Worth 13.9 Trillion Yen To Finance A New Economic Package Aimed At Easing Inflation-driven Financial Pressures On Households.

Delayed Defense Tax Hikes Create ¥300 Bil Revenue Shortfall

Japan Is Expected To Face A Revenue Shortfall Of Around 300 Billion Yen If Tax Hikes To Help Fund Its Plan To Nearly Double The Defense Budget To About 2 Percent Of Gross Domestic Product Is Postponed By One Year From Fiscal 2026, A Government Estimate Seen By Kyodo News Shows.

Japan, China Seek Broader Bilateral Talks To Improve Public Sentiment

Around 100 Japanese And Chinese Pundits Gathered In Tokyo On Thursday, Calling On Their Governments To Expand Dialogue And Promote People-to-people Exchanges To Improve Public Sentiment Amid Fragile Bilateral Relations.

Head Of Influential Japan Opposition Party Suspended Over Extramarital Affair

A Small But Increasingly Influential Japanese Opposition Party Decided Wednesday To Suspend Its Leader, Yuichiro Tamaki, For Three Months Following A Media Report About An Extramarital Affair.

Japan Watching South Korean Situation With Grave Concern

Japan Said Wednesday It Will Closely Monitor The Evolving Situation In South Korea To Determine Its Implications On Bilateral Ties, After The Overnight Chaos Wrought By The Temporary But Abrupt Declaration Of Martial Law.

Ishiba Pledges To Cooperate With Long-ignored Opposition In Bid To Save His Government

Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Who Survived As Leader After A Major Election Loss By His Governing Coalition, Promised Friday To Work Closely With The Long-ignored Opposition That Is Now The Only Way His Minority Government Can Stay In Power.

Russia Says It Will Respond If U.S. Places Missiles In Japan

Russia Said On Wednesday That If The United States Stationed Missiles In Japan, This Would Threaten Russian Security And Prompt Moscow To Retaliate.

Extra Diet Session Begins With Minority Govt; Budget, Reforms On Agenda

Japan's Diet Convened An Extraordinary Session Thursday For Deliberations On A Supplementary Budget To Help Inflation-hit Households And Revise A Political Funds Law After A Bruising Scandal, In The First Major Test For Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Minority Government.

S Korea Expresses Regret To Japan Over Memorial For Mine Workers

South Korea Expressed Regret To Japan On Monday Over Tokyo's Attitude Towards A Memorial Service Held For Laborers Including Koreans Forced To Work In Japan's Sado Mines During World War II, Seoul's Foreign Ministry Said.

Ishiba Aims To Keep Wage Hike Momentum; Small Businesses Worried

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Said Tuesday The Government Will Work With Business Leaders And Labor Unions To Create An Environment Where Salaries Keep Rising, Vowing To Achieve His Goal Of Raising Japan's Average Minimum Hourly Wage To 1,500 Yen By The End Of The 2020s.

S Korea Holds Memorial For Forced Laborers At Sado Mines, A Day After Boycotting Japanese Event

South Korea Paid Tribute To Wartime Korean Forced Laborers At Japan’s Sado Island Gold Mines in A Memorial Ceremony On Monday, A Day After Boycotting A Similar Event Organized By Japan, As Tensions Over Historical Atrocities Continue To Impact Relations Between The Two Sides.

S Korea Holds Memorial For Forced Laborers At Sado Mines, A Day After Boycotting Japanese Event

Italy, Japan Sign Agreement On Defense Cooperation

Italy And Japan Have Signed In Rome A Bilateral Deal To Strengthen Cooperation In The Defense Sector, An Italian Statement Said On Monday.

N Korea Condemns U.S. Military Drills With S Korea And Japan

North Korea Condemned On Saturday Recent Joint Military Drills By The United States, South Korea And Japan, Warning That It Would Take Immediate Actions If Needed To Defend The State.

Cabinet To OK ¥39 Tril Economic Package To Ease Price Pain

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet Is Set To Approve A 39 Trillion Yen Economic Package To Support Consumer Spending As Disposable Incomes Continue To Be Whittled Away By Resurgent Prices, Sources Familiar With The Matter Said Thursday.

Southeast Asian Defense Chiefs Discuss Regional Security With Japan, China, Other Nations

Southeast Asian Defense Chiefs Met Thursday With China, The United States And Other Partner Nations In Laos For Security Talks, Which Come As Beijing’s Increasingly Assertive Stance In Its Claim To Most Of The South China Sea Is Leading To More Confrontations.

Ishibas Diplomatic Knack In Doubt Amid Blunders, No Trump Meeting

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba May Be Learning The Hard Way That Diplomacy Is More Difficult Than It Sounds Following His Trip To South America To Attend Multilateral Summits, But His Inexperience Is Raising Doubts Over Whether He Is Up To The Job He Has Been In For Over A Month.

Italy, Japan, Britain Discuss Broadening Jet Fighter Project To Other Countries

The Leaders Of Italy, Japan And Britain Have Discussed A Potential Broadening Of The GCAP Jet Fighter Project To Other Countries, The Office Of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Said On Tuesday.

Ishiba Says He Hopes To Work With Trump, Not Confront Him

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Said Tuesday He Will Pursue Cooperation, Not Confrontation, With U.S. President-elect Donald Trump As A Mutual Effort To Deepen The Longtime Bilateral Alliance Should Benefit Not Just The Two Nations But The Wider Indo-Pacific Region.

Ishiba Cabinet Support Rate Up To 40% Despite Minority Govt Status

The Approval Rating For The Cabinet Of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Rose 7.9 Percentage Points To 40.0 Percent, A Kyodo News Survey Showed Sunday, With A Majority Of Respondents Supporting The Ruling Coalition's Minority Government Seeking Policy Deals With Smaller Parties.

Australian Woman Accused Of Drug Smuggling Says She Was Victim Of Online Romance Scam

An Australian Woman Accused Of Smuggling Amphetamines In A Suitcase Appeared In A Japanese Court On Monday Nearly Two Years After Her Arrest, Saying She Is Innocent And That She Was Tricked Into Carrying Them As Part Of An Online Romance Scam.

S Korean Court Finds Ex-lawmaker Guilty Of Misusing Funds Meant For Wartime Sex Slave Victims

South Korea’s Supreme Court On Thursday Handed A Suspended Prison Sentence To A Former Lawmaker Who Was Found Guilty Of Embezzling Funds While Leading A Group Supporting Korean Survivors Of Japan’s Wartime Sexual Slavery.

Govt Eyes ¥30,000 Cash Handouts To Stimulate Japan Economy

The Government Is Considering Offering One-time Support Payments Of 30,000 Yen To Low-income Households Exempt From Resident Tax As Part Of A Stimulus Package For Japan's Economy, Sources Close To The Matter Said Wednesday.

Japan Record Number Of Women MPs Still Minority

New Lawmaker Saria Hino Took Her Seat On Monday As One Of A Record Number Of Women In Japan's Diet, But While Campaigning Ahead Of The Recent Election, A Voter Asked Her: "Who's Looking After Your Children?"

1st Summit Between Ishiba, China Xi Eyed For Friday

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba And Chinese President Xi Jinping Are Likely To Hold Their First Summit On Friday In Peru, A Government Source Said Tuesday.

Ishiba Formally Reelected Japans Prime Minister, Setting Stage For Minority Govt

Shigeru Ishiba Was Formally Reelected As Japan's Prime Minister On Monday After A Rare Runoff Vote In Parliament That His Ruling Coalition No Longer Controls, Setting The Stage For A Minority Government That May Push Him To Yield More To An Emboldened Opposition Bloc.

Drastic Efforts Needed To Open Door For Japan 1st Female PM

The Election In The United States In Which Kamala Harris Sought To Become The Country's First Female President Highlights A Stubborn Gender Inequality In Japan's National Politics.

Britain Remains On Board Next Generation Fighter Jet Plan With Japan, Italy

The British Government Has Decided To Remain On Board A Joint Fighter Jet Development Program With Japan And Italy Following A Review Of Defense Expenditure, Amid Speculation The Plan Could Be Axed, A Source Close To The Matter Said Saturday.

Trump Victory Raises Prospect Of Trade War Impacting Japan, Other U.S. Allies

Donald Trump's Win In The U.S. Presidential Election Has Raised The Prospect Of A Tariff-fueled Global Trade War That May Be Damaging To Japan And Many Of Washington's Closest Allies, Rather Than Dealing A Blow To Just His Main Target -- China.

Trump Win Likely To Dampen Ishiba Ambitions For U.S. Troop Pact Change

Donald Trump's Return To The White House Is Likely To Make Japan Reluctant To Raise Potentially Controversial Proposals Affecting The Decades-old Bilateral Alliance -- Including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Desire To Seek A First-ever Revision Of A Pact Governing The U.S. Military Presence.

Australia, India Say U.S. Election Result Wont Impact Quad Group

Australia And India's Foreign Ministers Said On Tuesday They Were Confident The Quad Group Of The U.S., India, Australia And Japan Would Continue To Cooperate In The Indo-Pacific Region Regardless Of The Outcome Of The U.S. Presidential Election.

Special Diet Session To Start Nov 11; Ishiba Expected To Remain PM

Japan's Diet Will Convene A Special Session From Next Monday Following The General Election, The Top Government Spokesman Said, With Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Looking Set To Be Reelected The Same Day.

Japan Cybersecurity Bill Delayed Due To Post-election Uncertainty

The Japanese Government Is Unlikely To Submit An Envisioned Bill To Enhance Cybersecurity Capabilities By Year-end, A Government Source Said, As Discussions Have Stalled Following Last Month's Change In Prime Ministers And The Ruling Party's Defeat In The General Election.

Japan Expresses Concern To China Over Russia-N Korea Ties

Japan's Top National Security Official Said He Conveyed "serious Concerns" To China's Foreign Minister Over North Korea's Deepening Ties With Russia After The Pair Held Talks In Beijing.

U.S. Flies Long-range Bomber In Drill With S Korea, Japan In Reaction To North Missile Test

The United States Flew A Long-range Bomber In A Trilateral Drill With South Korea And Japan On Sunday In Response To North Korea’s Recent Test-firing Of a New Intercontinental Ballistic Missile designed To Strike The U.S. Mainland, South Korea’s Military Said.

Japan And EU Announce Security And Defense Partnership

Japan And The European Union Announced A Security And Defense Partnership On Friday As They Seek To Step Up Military Ties, Including Joint Exercises And Exchanges Between Their Defense Industries, Amid Growing Tensions With China, North Korea And Russia.

Election Shock In Key U.S. Ally Japan Could Embolden China, Other Rivals

A Shock Election Result In Japan, Washington's Key Asian Security Ally, And The United States' Potentially Destabilizing Presidential Election Next Week Could Provide An Opportunity For China And Other Rivals To Test Western Resolve In East Asia.

Record Number Of Women Win Seats In Japan Election

A Record Number Of Women Have Been Elected To Japan's House Of Representatives, Projections Showed Monday, But At Less Than 16 Percent They Remain A Minority.

Bruised PM Ishiba Scrambles For Support From Other Parties

Japan's Bruised Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Is Exploring Potential Collaboration With Other Parties After Losing His Majority In Elections, Local Media Reported Tuesday.

Ishiba High-stakes Election Gambit Backfires

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Had Hoped Calling An Election Would Allow Him To Gain A Firmer Grip On Power. Instead, His Political Capital Has Waned, Leaving His Premiership Hanging By A Thread Only A Month After Taking Office.

Japan Ruling Bloc Loses Lower House Majority

Japan's Ruling Camp Lost Its Majority In The House Of Representatives In Sunday's Election, Dealing A Heavy Blow To Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Who Must Now Look For Additional Support Outside The Coalition To Run A Stable Government.

Candidates Make Last-ditch Appeals Ahead Of Sunday Election

Candidates In Japan's Super-tight Parliamentary Election Made Last-ditch Appeals To Voters On Saturday, With Opinion Polls Suggesting The Ruling Coalition Might Fall Short Of A Majority.

Consumption Tax Cut Unlikely After Sunday Election

Ahead Of Japan's General Election On Sunday, Some Opposition Parties Are Calling For Cutting Or Abolishing The Politically Sensitive Consumption Tax To Entice Voters Feeling The Pinch From Price Hikes, But The Proposals Appear Too Good To Be True.

Ishiba Snap Election Gamble Could Backfire On Sunday

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Snap Election Gamble Could Backfire This Sunday, With His Ruling Party At Risk Of Losing Its Majority For The First Time In 15 Years.

A Mans World: Japan Makes Tepid Push On Gender Gap In Politics As Election Nears

Karen Makishima Is The Only Female Running For Japan's Ruling Party In Her 20-seat Prefecture For The Oct 27 General Election, Reflecting The Tough Battle Women Face In Breaking Into The Country's Male Dominated Politics.

Japan, NATO Defense Chiefs Agree To Ramp Up Cooperation

The Defense Ministers Of Japan And Three Other Indo-Pacific Countries Agreed At Their First Meeting With Their NATO Counterparts On Thursday In Brussels To Boost Cooperation, Amid China's Growing Military Assertiveness And Russia's Protracted Invasion Of Ukraine.

Ishiba Sends Offering To Yasukuni Shrine Ahead Of Election

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Sent An Offering To Yasukuni Shrine, His Office Said On Thursday, Drawing Criticism From South Korea Which Views The Shrine As A Symbol Of Japan's Militaristic Past.

U.S., S Korea, Japan Unveil New Team To Monitor N Korea Sanctions

The United States, South Korea And Japan On Wednesday Announced The Launch Of A New Multinational Team To Monitor The Enforcement Of Sanctions Against North Korea After Russia And China Thwarted Monitoring Activities At The United Nations.

Ruling LDP Most Popular In Upcoming General Election: Poll

The Ruling Liberal Democratic Party Is The Most Popular Among Japanese Voters Ahead Of The General Election On Oct 27, A Kyodo News Survey Showed Sunday.

Campaigning Kicks Off In Japan For Oct 27 General Election

Official Campaigning Began Across Japan On Tuesday For The Oct 27 General Election As Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Seeks A Fresh Mandate And To Restore Public Trust In Politics Undermined By A Slush Funds Scandal Engulfing His Ruling Party.

Ishiba Wont Visit Yasukuni Shrine For Autumn Rite, Source Says

Japan's New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Will Not Visit Yasukuni Shrine In Tokyo, Seen By Its Neighbors As A Symbol Of The Country's Past Militarism, During The Fall Festival Next Week, A Source Close To Him Said Friday.

Ishiba Opts For Pragmatic Diplomacy; No Talk Of Asian NATO

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Opted For A Pragmatic Approach In His Diplomatic Debut On His Visit To Laos That Ended Friday, Avoiding Any Mention Of His Controversial Proposal To Create A NATO-like Security Alliance In Asia Amid China's Rise.

Ishiba Presses Chinas Li On Airspace Intrusion

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Called For A "full Explanation" Of An Airspace Intrusion By A Chinese Military Aircraft In His First Face-to-face Meeting With Premier Li Qiang, The Japanese Government Said Friday.

Asia-Pacific Leaders Discuss South China Sea, North Korea, Ukraine

Leaders Of 18 Asia-Pacific Countries Began A Meeting In Laos On Friday To Discuss Issues Ranging From Russia's Prolonged War In Ukraine, North Korea's Nuclear And Missile Development, And The Expanding Conflict In The Middle East.

Ishiba Eyes Stronger ASEAN Ties, Expresses Concern Over South China Sea

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba On Thursday Agreed With His Association Of Southeast Asian Nations Counterparts To Beef Up Their Cooperation, While Expressing Serious Concern Over "militarization And Coercive Acts" In The South China Sea, The Japanese Government Said.

Ishiba Defends His Diet Dissolution Plan In 1st Debate With Opposition

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba On Monday Sought To Stave Off Criticism From The Opposition Bloc About His Abrupt Change Of Heart Over When To Dissolve The Lower House And Other Key Policy Issues As Japan Gears Up For A General Election In Late October.

Ishiba To Hold Talks With Several Leaders On ASEAN Sidelines

Japan's New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Will Hold Talks This Week On The Sidelines Of The ASEAN Summit In Laos, A Top Official Said Tuesday, Meeting China's Premier Among Others According To Media Reports.

Some Scandal-hit LDP Members To Be Denied Endorsement In Election

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Said Sunday That His Ruling Liberal Democratic Party Will Not Endorse Some Party Lawmakers Implicated In A Slush Funds Scandal As Its Official Candidates In The Upcoming General Election, Amid Fallout From The Scandal That Has Eroded Voter Trust.

Japanese Govt Admits Doctoring Untidy Cabinet Photo

Japan's Government Admitted Monday Manipulating An Official Photo Of The New Cabinet To Make Its Members Look Less Unkempt, After Online Mockery Of Their Sagging Trousers.

Ishiba Visits Disaster-hit Ishikawa In 1st Inspection Tour As PM

LDP Considers Endorsing Members Punished Over Scandal In Diet Race

Japan's Ruling Liberal Democratic Party Is Considering Endorsing Lawmakers Who Were Punished For Failing To Report Political Funds To Run As Its Official Candidates In The Upcoming General Election, Sources Familiar With The Plan Said, In A Setback For The Party's New Leader Shigeru Ishiba.