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Kathleen Benoza
Candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election take part in a debate in Tokyo on Saturday. On Monday evening, they took part in an online debate, during which they each made a case for what the top priority should be for Japan's next prime minister.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2024
LDP presidential hopefuls lay out priorities for PM in online debate
Regional revitalization, work-life balance and the clarification of the Self-Defense Forces' position in the Constitution count among candidates' top policy concerns.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a candidate in the LDP presidential election, speaks during a televised debate in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 15, 2024
LDP presidential front-runners Koizumi and Ishiba split on snap election
While the two front-runners vie to be Japan’s next prime minister, conservative firebrand Sanae Takaichi gains momentum in the polls.
A Japan Freight Railway train passes through a train station in Osaka in 2017. JR Freight on Thursday resumed operations for all of its freight trains after a temporary halt following the discovery of data tampering and other irregularities.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2024
JR Freight resumes train operations after discovery of data tampering
The freight operator had suspended operations on Wednesday to inspect container cars suspected to have been affected.
This handout photo from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings taken in July shows a set of pipes used for removing radioactive debris from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in the town of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 10, 2024
Tepco starts extracting radioactive fuel debris at Fukushima No. 1 plant
The move is a key step in the decommissioning of nuclear reactors crippled by a triple meltdown in the wake of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
A screenshot taken from video footage shows a China Coast Guard ship colliding with the Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Teresa Magbanua near the Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 1, 2024
China comes under fire in latest South China Sea clash with Philippines
Japan and the U.S. have criticized China after a coast guard vessel repeatedly struck a Japanese-made Philippine Coast Guard ship in the waterway over the weekend.
Typhoon Shanshan is the sixth typhoon to form in August, with the Meteorological Agency forecasting strong winds and potentially severe weather for a broad swath of the country from Tuesday as it approaches.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2024
Typhoon Shanshan set to become a 'very powerful' storm later this week
JR Central, JR West and JR East have all warned that the storm could prompt suspensions or significant delays for some shinkansen operations.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend a government-hosted national memorial service for World War II casualties at the the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 15, 2024
Japan marks 79 years since World War II surrender
Events were held across Japan to honor the around 3.1 million people who died in the war.
High water levels in the Nagauchi River in the city of Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, on Monday 
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2024
Tohoku on alert as Tropical Storm Maria moves over region
Level 5 is the highest alert level, indicating a life-threatening situation and that residents should take immediate action to protect their lives.
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Kanto region on Friday evening.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2024
Magnitude 5.3 quake strikes Kanto region
The quake, with an epicenter in western Kanagawa Prefecture, occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers. There was no threat of a tsunami.
The Nagasaki peace ceremony on Friday at the city's Peace Park
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2024
Nagasaki marks 79 years since atomic bombing as top envoys pay respects in Tokyo
The ambassadors from the U.S., the U.K. and other Group of Seven nations skipped the Nagasaki ceremony due to Israel being left out.
Naoshi Hirata, chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday evening.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Japan issues first-ever alert over risk of Nankai Trough megaquake
It is believed that the chance of a major earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough is relatively higher than usual, the weather agency said.
A tsunami advisory, shown in yellow, was issued following an earthquake in Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Tsunami advisory lifted after strong quake jolts Kyushu
The 7.1 magnitude quake, measuring a weak 7 on Japan's intensity scale, triggered small tsunami waves in some areas.
A bulletin board shows the day's highest temperature in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on July 29.
JAPAN / Boiling Point
Aug 8, 2024
From Naha to Nemuro, how Japan’s cities are responding to more heat
Municipalities are reaching for everything from automated misting systems to anime to help cool residents and educate them about the risks of heat.
The Nagasaki Municipal Government, which is hosting the city's annual peace ceremony, said it did not extend an invitation to the Israeli ambassador due to security concerns.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Nagasaki peace ceremony overshadowed by diplomatic wrangling
Ambassadors of Group of Seven countries are set to skip Friday’s ceremony after the city’s decision not to invite the Israeli envoy to Japan.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel (left) attends a U.S.-Japan ministerial meeting on extended deterrence in Tokyo on July 28.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 7, 2024
Top envoys to Japan set to skip Nagasaki A-bomb ceremony after Israel not invited
Nagasaki said it decided not to invite the Israeli ambassador on the basis of security concerns.
Hiroshima citizens place flowers at the Cenotaph, commemorating those lost in the atomic bombing of the city, on Tuesday, the 79th anniversary of the attack.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2024
Hiroshima marks 79 years since atomic bombing as nuclear war fears rise
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stressed the need to “not be resigned to pessimism” as conflicts across globe prompt growing focus on nuclear deterrence.
Passengers exit trains at Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 1, 2024
Paternity leave uptake in Japan hits record 30%
The new record represents a 13 percentage point increase from the previous year.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left to right), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara prior their "two-plus-two" talks at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo on Sunday
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 28, 2024
In historic move, U.S. to upgrade military command structure in Japan
The move — one of the most significant in the alliance's history — comes as Washington and Tokyo overhaul military ties in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks aboard the USS Howard destroyer at the Yokosuka Naval Base, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in September 2022.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 23, 2024
Continuity in Asia: Harris' policies likely to assuage concerns in Japan
Tokyo is already quite familiar with the approach of the U.S. vice president, who will likely continue her predecessor's foreign policy if she is elected president.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House in Washington on July 4.
WORLD
Jul 22, 2024
Biden drops out of presidential race, endorsing Kamala Harris
The stunning announcement — just 3½ months before the Nov. 5 election — came as concerns mounted that Biden could not defeat Republican rival Donald Trump.

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Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?