Japan
Japan’s capital raises coronavirus alert to highest as cases set record
The Japanese capital of Tokyo posted the highest coronavirus alert level on Thursday with its daily tally of new cases set for a record high of more than 500, and its governor warned of much worse unless action is taken.The nationwide tally also hit a new high of 2,201 on Wednesday, according to s
Japan Emperor's Brother Proclaimed 1st in Line to Throne
Japanese Emperor Naruhito's younger brother, Crown Prince Fumihito, was formally sworn in as first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne in a traditional palace ritual Sunday that has been postponed for seven month and scaled down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony for the 54-year-old cr
Japan PM Suga Sets 2050 Deadline for Carbon Neutrality
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday set a 2050 deadline for the world's third-largest economy to become carbon neutral, significantly firming up the country's climate change commitments. "We will bring the total amount of greenhouse gas (emitted by Japan) to net zero by 2050, meaning
Japan donates $4.3mn to UNRWA
Japan has donated $4.3 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to reduce the impact of poverty under the current coronavirus pandemic. This new contribution will ensure the health and safety of Palestinian refugees, as well as the safe provision of f
Japan's PM Suga Arrives in Indonesia to Affirm Deeper Ties
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga arrived Tuesday in Indonesia on the second leg of his first overseas trip as premier to underscore his government’s aims of countering China in the region. Suga arrived from Vietnam in the middle of a four-day visit to the two Southeast Asia natio
Japan's Suga wins party leadership race, headed for premiership
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a loyal aide of outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, won a landslide victory in a ruling party leadership election on Monday, paving the way for him to replace Abe this week in the nation’s top job. Suga, 71, who has said he would pursue
Japan's Suga says no limit to bonds government can issue
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who is set to become prime minister this week, said on Sunday there was no limit to the amount of bonds the government can issue to support an economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic. He also indicated he could look to a third extra budget to fight
Japan's Suga in pole position for PM as debate kicks off
Yoshihide Suga is on course for a landslide victory in the race to become Japan’s next prime minister, an Asahi newspaper tally showed, as debate kicks off later Wednesday among the three candidates vying to succeed long-time leader Shinzo Abe. Suga, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, h
Japan's Suga says coronavirus a top priority, to stay on Abe policy course
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, a frontrunner to be the next prime minister, said on Tuesday he would expand testing capacity to fight the coronavirus pandemic and push for wide coverage of vaccines. Delivering a candidacy speech for the premier’s role, Suga said viru
Rains Hit Southern Japan Island as Koreas Ready for Typhoon
An offshore typhoon brought torrents of rain to southern Japan on Wednesday heading to the Korean Peninsula as another storm in the Pacific was growing stronger. Typhoon Maysak was west of Japan, maintaining sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour (100 mph) with higher gusts, the Japan Meteoro
Japan PM Abe to resign over health: lawmakers
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to resign over health problems, top lawmakers said Friday, in a bombshell development will end a record-setting tenure with no clear successor in yet in place.Abe announced his plan at an emergency meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, senior la
Japan's Abe says wants to do his best at job, amid worries over health
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to take care of his health and do his utmost at his job, he said on Monday, after a second hospital visit within days sparked concern whether he could stay on as leader of the world’s third biggest economy. The visit came as Japan’s longest
Ninja museum: Thieves carry out heist at Japanese site
A ninja museum has been raided in Japan, with thieves making off with more than a million yen (£7,100). The Iga-ryu Ninja Museum in central Japan is dedicated to the history of the famous Iga clan of ninja. Police were called after an alarm was set off at 01:30 local time on Monday (16:30
VJ Day: Japan marks 75 years since end of WWII
Japan's Emperor Naruhito has expressed "deep remorse" over his country's actions during World War Two, on the 75th anniversary of its surrender. "I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never again be repeated," he said at a ceremony on Saturday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promis
Japan's legacy of forced labor haunts ties with neighbors
TOKYO - For years, Yeom Chan-soon was haunted by the cracking sound of a leather belt eating into the flesh of a fellow Korean mine worker being punished for trying to escape from forced labor in Japan. That dark chapter in Japan's history, when hundreds of thousands of people were brought f
Japan's coronavirus fatigue is fueling defiance in Tokyo, even as the case count rises
Ayumi Sato is trying to be careful. But she's had enough. Lockdown fatigue is setting in for Sato, a 34-year-old stock trader who lives in Tokyo, and she's not alone. There's a tinge of defiance throughout the Japanese capital, where many feel their leaders have only done the bare minimum to stop
Japan has now identified more than 900 cases of Covid-19 for 10 days in a row
Japan's Health Ministry recorded 1,490 Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the second-highest number of cases the country has identified in a single day during the pandemic and yet another worrying sign that its latest outbreak shows no signs of abating. Thursday marks the 10th straight day
Japan’s Locked Borders Shake the Trust of Its Foreign Workers
TOKYO -- When Jeff Mazziotta, a director of a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization, left Japan for South Africa in early March, he planned to spend a month training park rangers on emergency field medicine before returning to Tokyo. Nearly five months later, Mr. Mazziotta is
