More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan’s north-eastern coast, triggering urgent tsunami warnings with waves of up to 3 metres expected, prompting residents to seek immediate safety.
Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday (18 April) launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion) deal to supply Australia with warships, Tokyo's most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014.
The Japanese government has authorised an emergency release of crude stockpiles as it moves to shield its export-driven economy from disruption in the Persian Gulf.
Japan and France agreed on Wednesday to coordinate closely in efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have called for urgent action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as escalating conflict continues to choke one of the world’s most critical energy routes.
Japan and Indonesia will deepen coordination on energy security, Tokyo said, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran disrupts vital oil and gas flows to Asia.
Japan’s growing interest in Caspian crude reflects a pragmatic response to uncertainty in global energy markets and its continued reliance on the Middle East for more than 90% of its oil imports.
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, due to his "collusion with Taiwan independence" forces, in its latest move in a diplomatic row over Taiwan.
The real power of the Strait of Hormuz lies not in closing it, but in the threat of closure.
North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Saturday (14 March), Japanese and South Korean officials said. The development comes amid the joint annual U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield" military drills and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's visit to Washington.
Relations between Russia and Japan have effectively collapsed due to Tokyo’s “unfriendly” stance towards Moscow, the Kremlin said on Friday (20 February), adding that there is currently no dialogue aimed at concluding a peace treaty.
Japan’s parliament has reappointed Sanae Takaichi as the country’s 105th prime minister ten days after a snap general election that handed her party a decisive two-thirds majority in the lower house.
Japan’s ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has secured a sweeping victory in Sunday’s lower house election, cementing her authority and paving the way for major economic and security reforms.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A Japanese city near Mount Fuji has cancelled its annual cherry blossom festival, saying growing numbers of badly behaved tourists are disrupting daily life for residents.
“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka, highlighting the strategic stakes ahead of Japan’s national election.
U.S. President Donald Trump gave his “complete and total endorsement” of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday (5 February) ahead of Japan’s national election on Sunday, backing the country’s first female premier as she seeks a fresh mandate for controversial spending plans.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
Japan and Britain have agreed to deepen co-operation on critical mineral supply chains and economic security, as both countries seek to reduce vulnerabilities in global trade and strengthen ties with like-minded partners.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has suspended operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan, just a day after a reactor was brought back online for the first time in more than a decade.
A Japanese court sentenced 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, public broadcaster NHK reported. The ruling on Wednesday (21 January) brings to an end a three-and-a-half-year case that has stunned the nation.
On Friday, 23 January, Japan’s parliament was officially dissolved, paving the way for a snap election on 8 February. The speaker read out the dissolution letter as lawmakers shouted the traditional “banzai” cheer. The 465-seat lower house now enters a 12-day campaign period starting Tuesday.
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