Japan

Japan's ruling party headquarters is attacked with firebombs and suspect is arrested

5:04am October 19, 2024

A man threw firebombs into the headquarters of Japan’s ruling party in Tokyo, then crashed his car into the fencing of the prime minister's residence, police said. There were no reported injuries.

A Japanese organization of atomic bombing survivors wins the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

3:58am October 11, 2024

by Michel Martin

The Japanese grassroots group Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of World War II atomic bombing survivors, has won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to create a world free of nuclear weapons.

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Former Defense Minister Ishiba will become Japan's prime minister next week

2:55am September 27, 2024

Japan's ruling party on Friday picked former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader, setting him up to become prime minister next week.

Okinawa's governor strives for regional diplomacy as tensions in Asia-Pacific rise

5:01pm September 21, 2024

Denny Tamaki, governor of Okinawa prefecture, says his personal story is deeply entwined with the U.S. military’s presence on the island.

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World News

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says he will step down next month

9:49am August 14, 2024

by Anthony Kuhn

Kishida's surprise resignation comes as he and his party, the governing Liberal Democratic Party, struggle to recover from a series of corruption scandals.

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This undated photo released by and taken from the official website of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, shows a SH-60K chopper. Two Japanese navy helicopters of the same type crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during a nighttime training flight after possibly colliding with each other, the country's defense minister said Sunday, April 21, 2024.

World News

2 Japanese navy helicopters crash in the Pacific Ocean — 1 dead and 7 missing

1:57am April 21, 2024

by The Associated Press

Two Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members crashed in the Pacific Ocean during a nighttime training flight after possibly colliding with each other.

The first foreign-born grand champion of sumo, Akebono Taro, dies at age 54

11:52am April 11, 2024

by The Associated Press

Born Chad George Ha'aheo Rowan in Hawaii, Akebono moved to Tokyo in the 1980s, won his first grand championship in 1993, the first of 11 such titles, and retired in 2001. He died of heart failure.

President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stand together during a state visit ceremony at the White House.

Politics & Government

Biden is hosting Japan's Kishida. But the Nippon Steel deal is not on the agenda

2:40pm April 10, 2024

President BIden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Fumio announced efforts to strengthen military ties, as well as collaborations on space exploration and artificial intelligence.

Marines of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment practice with .50-caliber machine guns on a firing range on Okinawa.

World News

Okinawa feels impact of U.S. and Japan military shifts

10:56am April 10, 2024

by Anthony Kuhn

Okinawa, which sits closer to China than to Japan's main islands, is the focus of U.S. and Japanese efforts to beef up defenses in Japan's southwest islands.

People walk by a poster to promote the movie Oppenheimer on Friday in Tokyo.

'Oppenheimer' finally premieres in Japan to mixed reactions and high emotions

7:27pm March 29, 2024

by Anthony Kuhn

The film's release in Japan, more than eight months after it opened in the U.S., had been watched with trepidation because of the sensitivity of the subject matter.

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