Tag - japan

 
 

JAPAN

Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 19, 2017
Japan, Australia eye deeper defense ties amid North Korea tension
Facing China's maritime assertiveness and the threat from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the defense ministers of Japan and Australia agreed Wednesday to deepen security cooperation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2017
Tourism climbs 13.6% in first quarter but per capita spending falls
Japan drew a significant increase in foreign visitors during the January to March quarter, but spending per person fell, government data show.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 19, 2017
North Korea marks late founder's birthday with video depicting massive nuclear strike on U.S.
A North Korean musical show celebrating the anniversary of its late founder has conveyed an explosive message for the United States — one depicting a massive nuclear strike on an unnamed city.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 19, 2017
'The sword stands ready': On aircraft carrier deck, Pence reiterates U.S. pledge to defend Japan
Visiting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned Pyongyang on Wednesday not to test the resolve and military capability of the United States.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Apr 19, 2017
Sports Agency Japan unveils plan to unearth talent for Tokyo Olympics
Sports Agency Japan will attempt to dig up hidden talent for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics and beyond through a new national program called "Japan Rising Star Project," it announced Tuesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 18, 2017
U.S. aircraft carrier strike group still thousands of kilometers from South Korea, photos show
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, initially believed to be arriving soon in waters off the Korean Peninsula as part of a show of force to Pyongyang by the U.S., appears to still be thousands of kilometers away, photos posted to the navy's website have shown.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2017
Bilateral free trade pact with Japan a possibility, Pence says
Visiting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday officially opened the door to a bilateral free trade agreement with Japan, saying formal negotiations on such a move are possible.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 18, 2017
JAAF announces Grand Champion Series for Olympic marathon qualifying
Japan's runners for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics marathon will be chosen through a two-year qualifying process called the Grand Champion Series starting this summer, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations decided at Tuesday's extraordinary board meeting.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 18, 2017
For North Korea and China, defense pact proves a complicated document
In U.S. President Donald Trump's calculus, a choice between Chinese cooperation or American military action loom large as part of any solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. But one often unspoken aspect of this outlook has been Beijing's rarely mentioned mutual defense pact with Pyongyang — a...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 18, 2017
Putin's mouthpiece says Trump more dangerous than North Korea's Kim
Russian state television has no doubt who is unpredictable enough to bring the world to war in the North Korean crisis, and it's not the reclusive communist dictator Kim Jong Un.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 18, 2017
Tokyo prefers to meet Pence, keep trade hardliner Ross at arm's length in economic talks: official
Japan wants to keep Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross out of an economic dialogue with the U.S. as it seeks to avoid disputes with the Trump administration over a weaker yen and trade imbalance, according to a Japanese official who asked not to be identified.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2017
Japanese and South Korean squid fishermen to urge their governments to curb illegal catches
Squid-fishing associations from Japan and South Korea plan to work together to urge their governments to work harder at countering illegal fishing by Chinese and North Korean ships in the Sea of Japan, according to the Japanese group.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2017
Japan seeks upper hand in U.S. dialogue seen as unlikely to yield concrete results
Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence are expected to tackle a raft of topics when the two nations meet Tuesday for the start of their first high-level economic dialogue since the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2017
Abe urges diplomatic tack on North Korea, but rules out 'dialogue for dialogue's sake'
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasizes that diplomatic efforts to defuse rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs are necessary.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 17, 2017
Abe will have a tough time getting bigger peacekeeping roles for Japan on U.N. missions
Fulfilling Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pledge to make Japan a “proactive contributor to peace” may not be so easy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2017
Tokyo signals U-turn on TPP, moves to activate trade pact sans U.S.
In an apparent shift, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga signals Tokyo plans to push forward talks for activating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement without the United States.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 16, 2017
North Korean test of medium-range missile explodes on launch in latest challenge for Trump
North Korea tested an apparent medium-range missile early Sunday that "blew up almost immediately," the U.S. military and government officials said — the latest act of defiance in the face of calls by Washington to rein in its nuclear and missile programs.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2017
Home delivery firms strain under e-commerce load
Amanda used to work part-time for major delivery firm Yamato Transport Co., helping out during Japan's busy traditional gift-sending seasons in summer and winter.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 15, 2017
Pursuing peculiar passions: the wacky world of Japan's offbeat groups
Play it safe. Follow the rules. Respect authority. And, above all, don't stick out like that silly proverbial nail.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 15, 2017
Abe's self-inflicted statue wounds fester in Seoul
Abe face-planted by sending back Japan's ambassador to Seoul without resolving the statue issue, one that should never have been made into such a big deal in the first place.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals