https://www.scmp.com/rss/312120/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kyodo Kyodo The US military will deploy its Typhon midrange missile launcher and Himars rocket system to southwestern Japan next month for joint exercises with the Self-Defence Forces, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in a move apparently aimed at deterring China. The systems will be deployed to the Maritime Self-Defence Force’s Kanoya Airbase in Kagoshima prefecture during the Valiant Shield and Orient Shield joint exercises between June and September, the sources said. The Typhon... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354294/us-send-typhon-himars-missile-systems-japan-drills-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354294/us-send-typhon-himars-missile-systems-japan-drills-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 01:23:26 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The zoo housing the viral Japanese macaque Punch said on Tuesday it is considering a complete ban on photography and filming around the monkey enclosure after two men were recently arrested over an intrusion incident. The Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba prefecture has already expanded the buffer zone around the enclosure and installed anti-intrusion netting following Sunday’s incident involving two men claiming to be US nationals. The monkey went viral, attracting international attention, for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354158/japan-zoo-may-ban-photos-near-viral-monkey-punch-after-intrusion-2-americans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354158/japan-zoo-may-ban-photos-near-viral-monkey-punch-after-intrusion-2-americans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 01:19:01 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Restaurant operators in Japan have been forced to review their approach to hiring foreign workers since the government suspended the issuance of special visas needed to work in the sector, as the number of holders nears its preset quota. The sudden suspension by Japan’s immigration authorities has raised the spectre of fierce competition for foreign talent. Long known for its strict immigration policy, the country has been increasingly counting on foreign workers amid labour shortages. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353787/japans-restaurant-sector-left-hungry-talent-after-visa-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353787/japans-restaurant-sector-left-hungry-talent-after-visa-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 01:51:37 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Hiroshi Suzuki, Japan’s ambassador to Britain, is becoming a social media sensation as followers embrace his unbridled enthusiasm for everything the country has to offer. Videos of him singing the Welsh national anthem, for example, and his valiant attempts to copy local dialects and expressions have generated an outpouring of love for him online. Many comments say Suzuki is reminding often pessimistic Britons of the nation’s achievements and rich heritage. His entertaining efforts have garnered... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353212/meet-hiroshi-suzuki-japanese-envoy-showing-britons-how-love-britain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353212/meet-hiroshi-suzuki-japanese-envoy-showing-britons-how-love-britain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 02:33:37 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A growing number of late-night cafes across Japan are opening their doors to mothers struggling with babies who will not stop crying, offering a rare refuge during the most isolating hours of parenting. The idea of a “nighttime crying cafe”, which appeared in an online comic nearly a decade ago, first resonated with readers and is now gaining real-world traction as spaces inspired by that vision are spreading under small, community-led initiatives. The creator of the original concept said she... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353114/japans-late-night-cafes-open-doors-help-mothers-crying-babies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353114/japans-late-night-cafes-open-doors-help-mothers-crying-babies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 06:44:37 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo South Korea is drawing growing interest from Middle Eastern oil producers seeking to store crude oil at the country’s petroleum reserve bases, the world’s sixth largest, amid a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a South Korean official and an expert on the matter have said. The strait’s closure in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran has taken a toll not only on South Korea and other nations dependent on oil imports but also oil-producing countries whose storage tanks are filling up... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352975/south-korea-draws-gulf-oil-storage-interest-hormuz-stays-closed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352975/south-korea-draws-gulf-oil-storage-interest-hormuz-stays-closed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 05:14:53 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese police have arrested a bus driver on suspicion of negligent driving after a crash on a Fukushima expressway killed a high school student on Wednesday, as investigators look into whether he was speeding and driving without the proper license required to carry passengers for hire. On Friday morning, Fukushima prefectural police searched bus operator Kanbara Tetsudo in Gosen, Niigata prefecture. The arrested driver, Tetsuo Wakayama, 68, told investigators after his arrest on Thursday that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352858/japanese-bus-driver-admits-he-misjudged-speed-crash-killed-teenaged-student?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352858/japanese-bus-driver-admits-he-misjudged-speed-crash-killed-teenaged-student?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 06:25:16 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Fuminori Arita once farmed iyokan, a Japanese citrus variety, but about 10 years ago he switched to growing avocados, revelling in the challenge of producing crops of what he describes as a “sensitive and difficult to grow” fruit. The 67-year-old is symbolic of efforts by the western Japanese city of Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture, long known primarily for citrus cultivation, to shift more to avocados, partly as a strategy to adapt to rising temperatures amid climate change. Given the challenge... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352441/japanese-citrus-farmers-switch-avocados-climate-change-warms-soil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352441/japanese-citrus-farmers-switch-avocados-climate-change-warms-soil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 04:20:44 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Select FamilyMart convenience stores in Japan have installed boxes to collect used clothing and household goods for reuse, joining similar initiatives taken by retailers, as a step to reduce waste and attract more customers. In a trial launched jointly with Bookoff Group Holdings, which buys and sells used goods, boxes were installed in around 30 FamilyMart stores in residential areas of Tokyo. Bookoff plans to sell some of the collected items overseas, including to Malaysia. FamilyMart said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352314/japans-familymart-gives-old-clothes-new-lease-life-reduce-textile-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352314/japans-familymart-gives-old-clothes-new-lease-life-reduce-textile-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 04:05:28 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Astronomers in Japan have recently launched what they say is the country’s first organisation dedicated to the search for alien life, with radio observations planned in the summer next year. “They must exist somewhere in the universe. I’m excited to be putting this into action,” said Shinya Narusawa, an astrophysical expert at the University of Hyogo and head of the Japanese Society for SETI – the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Narusawa, a 61-year-old leading expert in the SETI field,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352259/japan-joins-hunt-aliens-can-it-solve-wow-signal-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352259/japan-joins-hunt-aliens-can-it-solve-wow-signal-mystery?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 07:07:00 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan and Vietnam are set to agree to boost their partnership in economic security in leaders’ talks on Saturday, as Japan seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical resources amid its diplomatic spat with China and the Middle East crisis. As Tokyo looks to deepen ties with Southeast Asian nations with an eye to China’s increasing economic engagement with the region, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will also give a speech on Japan’s updated vision for its free and open Indo-Pacific policy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352202/japans-takaichi-hold-talks-vietnam-economic-security-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352202/japans-takaichi-hold-talks-vietnam-economic-security-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 03:24:10 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A man who is believed to have struck a 17-year-old high school student in the face with a hammer in Tokyo earlier this week was arrested on Friday after a manhunt on suspicion of attempted murder, according to local police. Teruyuki Takabayashi, 44, was apprehended in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture after allegedly attacking the boy between 7.15am and 7.25am on Wednesday in Fussa, a suburban area in western Tokyo. The boy was part of a group of seven teenagers hanging around a nearby restaurant at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352179/tokyo-man-who-attacked-teens-hammer-arrested-after-manhunt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352179/tokyo-man-who-attacked-teens-hammer-arrested-after-manhunt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 12:52:28 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Traditional public bathhouses in Japan are in deep water as soaring energy costs triggered by the Middle East oil supply disruptions threaten to extinguish the fires of a fading tradition, with some of them forced to shorten their hours or even shut their doors for good. Already struggling with a shrinking customer base and ageing owners without successors, the oil price surge is dealing a fresh blow to sento, as the communal baths are known in Japanese, with regulated pricing making it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351397/traditional-bathhouses-japan-sink-under-soaring-energy-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351397/traditional-bathhouses-japan-sink-under-soaring-energy-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 03:28:15 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi complained she was not getting enough sleep, a veteran politician who met her on Thursday said. The remark came as Takaichi’s premiership recently reached the six-month mark. After winning her ruling party’s leadership election in October, putting her on course to become Japan’s first female prime minister, she vowed to “work, work, work, work and work”, a phrase that became a catchphrase in 2025. “I want to get a little more sleep,” the 65-year-old prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351142/japans-pm-takaichi-tells-fellow-politician-she-needs-more-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351142/japans-pm-takaichi-tells-fellow-politician-she-needs-more-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:37:21 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been putting her own spin on omotenashi, the Japanese concept of hospitality, to build personal rapport with foreign leaders as her diplomatic skills are put to the test about six months into office. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, who was not widely known for her diplomatic experience before taking office, has been adding an element of entertainment to summit talks and relying on personal gifts to win over her counterparts. Most... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350665/how-sanae-takaichi-redefining-japanese-diplomacy-personal-touches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350665/how-sanae-takaichi-redefining-japanese-diplomacy-personal-touches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:40:14 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan and Australia said on Saturday they have finalised contracts to jointly deliver the first three of 11 ships for the Australian navy based on the upgraded Japanese Mogami-class frigate, as the two countries deepen their defence cooperation amid China’s growing assertiveness. The deal, announced by Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Melbourne, comes ahead of Japan’s planned easing of its rules on defence equipment exports, which place... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350577/japan-australia-finalise-contracts-deliver-first-3-planned-frigates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350577/japan-australia-finalise-contracts-deliver-first-3-planned-frigates?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:08:57 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Two strong earthquakes jolted Nagano Prefecture in central Japan on Saturday, with the first measuring a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 followed by another registering magnitude 5.1, the country’s weather agency said. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of aftershocks on a similar scale over the next week or so. No tsunami warnings were issued. The first major quake occurred at 1.20pm in Omachi and registered upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, according to the agency. At... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350559/magnitude-5-quake-hits-japans-nagano-prefecture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350559/magnitude-5-quake-hits-japans-nagano-prefecture?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:14:45 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese man arrested for abandoning the body of his stepson who had been missing for weeks has admitted to killing the boy and allegedly hiding the corpse in different locations amid an extensive search by police in Kyoto prefecture. The arrest on Thursday morning marked a dramatic turn of events in the investigation, which was launched when 11-year-old Yuki Adachi went missing on March 23 after the stepfather claimed to have driven him to school. The 37-year-old, also called Yuki Adachi, is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350272/stepfather-tells-japanese-investigators-theres-no-doubt-he-killed-missing-boy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350272/stepfather-tells-japanese-investigators-theres-no-doubt-he-killed-missing-boy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:14:41 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced a former teacher to two years in prison for taking indecent images of pupils and sharing them on social media, making him the first among members of an alleged teachers’ voyeurism ring to receive a prison sentence in a high-profile case that came to light last year. The Nagoya District Court handed down the sentence to Katsuya Ishikawa, 28, who was a teacher at a junior high school in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the time of his arrest in September. Judge... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350058/japan-jails-ex-teacher-sharing-voyeuristic-student-images?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350058/japan-jails-ex-teacher-sharing-voyeuristic-student-images?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:14:01 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s body positivity movement has cooled since its 2010s peak. Still, its plus-size industry remains resilient thanks to tight-knit communities, even as weight stigma lingers and artificial intelligence could mark another turning point. In Japan, the movement has largely been grass roots, with social media driving change over the past 15 years. “Before [social media], the average person was just a passive viewer. There were media outlets providing information, and people consumed it,” says... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3349212/whats-next-japans-plus-size-scene-weight-loss-drugs-and-ai-continue-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3349212/whats-next-japans-plus-size-scene-weight-loss-drugs-and-ai-continue-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo When Kiyoha Kiritaka left Kyoto’s geisha district in 2016, she was escaping what she now calls “a system of slavery”, exposing a darker reality behind one of Japan’s most celebrated traditions. Kiritaka entered the geisha world as a teenager, drawn to its traditional arts. She practised Japanese dance, the shamisen (a Japanese stringed instrument) and the tea ceremony, hoping one day to become a fully fledged geisha. But after just over a year as a maiko – an apprentice geisha – she says she... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3349149/system-slavery-ex-geisha-apprentice-dark-side-japanese-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3349149/system-slavery-ex-geisha-apprentice-dark-side-japanese-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The Japanese government is arranging summit talks with Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, with tensions mounting in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz approaches. “We are preparing dialogues at the leadership level at an appropriate time,” Takaichi told a parliamentary committee when asked by an opposition lawmaker about Japan’s diplomatic efforts regarding the US-Israeli war with Iran. “Japan will make every effort... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:32:07 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo On a crisp morning in Seoul’s Yongsan district, visitors wait in line outside the National Museum of Korea, a cultural institution that has recently changed from a traditional repository of ancient relics into a lively space for daily activities. Attracting a record 6.5 million visitors last year – more than a fourfold increase from 2005, the year it relocated to its current site – the museum ranks among the world’s most-visited art and history institutions, alongside the Louvre, the Vatican... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348791/how-seouls-national-museum-korea-pulling-record-crowds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3348791/how-seouls-national-museum-korea-pulling-record-crowds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Wednesday to design a road map for critical minerals supply as they seek to deepen cooperation in the sector amid China’s dominance of global rare earths. The two leaders also affirmed that Japan and France will maintain close communication in support of efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and establish a high-level dialogue on artificial intelligence, Takaichi said at a joint press appearance... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:58:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan on Wednesday raised tobacco and corporate taxes to finance a boost in defence spending, with income tax hike set to follow in 2027 as the government projects the tax increases will add some 1.3 trillion yen (US$8 billion) annually in revenue. As the security environment surrounding Japan deteriorates and the government is set to further strengthen the country’s defence capabilities, the public is likely to face further tax burdens to finance the outlays, which have now ballooned to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:40:03 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities have been brought into service at two Ground Self-Defence Force bases in the country. The deployment of the missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, and Camp Fuji in Shizuoka prefecture, central Japan, marks a shift from the country’s exclusively defence-oriented policy under its war-renouncing constitution. Japan has for the first time acquired a counterstrike capability,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348516/japan-deploys-long-range-missiles-2-bases-amid-china-tensions-irking-locals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348516/japan-deploys-long-range-missiles-2-bases-amid-china-tensions-irking-locals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:53:07 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday she will consider holding talks with the Iranian leadership at an “appropriate” time based on the national interest as tensions remain high in the Middle East. Takaichi’s remarks come as prospects for a US-Iran meeting mediated by Pakistan remain uncertain, with US President Donald Trump later renewing threats to hit Iranian energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached. “I will judge the appropriate timing for holding talks based on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348442/japans-pm-will-mull-top-level-talks-iran-appropriate-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348442/japans-pm-will-mull-top-level-talks-iran-appropriate-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:54:55 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo With flashing lights, choreographed dance moves and fans singing along to her songs, Kizuna AI commanded two days of sold-out concerts in front of thousands in Tokyo, Japan, like any pop idol. Yet the artist never physically set foot on stage. Kizuna AI is not human, but a two-dimensional, anime-style avatar – known as a “virtual YouTuber,” or VTuber – whose movements and voice are provided by real people behind the scenes. Debuting in 2016 under digital entertainment firm Activ8, Kizuna AI is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347977/how-popular-virtual-youtuber-kizuna-ai-thrills-fans-provides-jobs-human-talents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347977/how-popular-virtual-youtuber-kizuna-ai-thrills-fans-provides-jobs-human-talents?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:15:10 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The Japanese government said it will start releasing 30 days’ worth of state-held oil from Thursday to cushion the impact on the economy as concerns over supply mount and oil prices soar amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. On Tuesday, the industry ministry announced that the government plans to sell a total of about 8.5 million kilolitres of oil from 11 storage bases across the country, following the private sector’s release of 15 days’ worth of oil stockpiles last week. According to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347738/japan-start-release-state-oil-reserve-thursday-ease-iran-impact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347738/japan-start-release-state-oil-reserve-thursday-ease-iran-impact?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:10:30 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Sunday hinted at the possibility of sending the country’s Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, provided that a ceasefire is realised in the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. “Japan’s minesweeping technology is at the top level in the world,” Motegi said during a television programme. “Let’s say [the parties have entered into a] ceasefire, and in the event that mines pose an obstacle, we may... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347458/japan-may-send-minesweepers-hormuz-after-iran-war-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347458/japan-may-send-minesweepers-hormuz-after-iran-war-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:08:43 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing. “We have not closed the strait. It is open,” Araghchi said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday. He also stressed that Iran, which was attacked by the United States and Israel in late February, was seeking “not a ceasefire, but a complete,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347415/iran-ready-help-japan-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-araghchi-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347415/iran-ready-help-japan-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-araghchi-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 06:47:03 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that she wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Pyongyang’s past abductions of Japanese nationals. Takaichi told reporters that she notified Trump during their meeting at the White House of her “strong intent to meet” Kim in person and that she has “received full support from the president towards an immediate solution.” Takaichi said she even exchanged views with Trump on how she could meet... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347237/japans-takaichi-conveys-trump-her-strong-intent-meet-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347237/japans-takaichi-conveys-trump-her-strong-intent-meet-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:13:40 +0000 Kyodo,Associated Press Kyodo,Associated Press The US military has started moving at least one amphibious assault ship and more than 2,000 Marines from Japan to the Middle East as the US-Israeli war against Iran continues, according to US media reports. With the war about to enter its third week and US President Donald Trump vowing to ramp up military action against Iran, The Wall Street Journal and Fox News said on Friday the military was sending the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region. The assault ship Tripoli,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346580/us-moves-2000-marines-japan-middle-east-iran-war-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346580/us-moves-2000-marines-japan-middle-east-iran-war-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:52:25 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese court on Friday sentenced a man to 14 years in prison for attempting to rape an intoxicated woman after forcing her to take 32 shots of tequila, which resulted in her death from acute alcohol poisoning. The Nagoya District Court ruled 44-year-old Hiroki Itaya had intended to rape the 25-year-old woman by bringing her to a hotel. Prosecutors had sought a 16-year prison term. Itaya had pleaded not guilty, with his defence claiming he had taken the woman to the hotel to take care of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346534/japanese-man-gets-14-years-deadly-tequila-fuelled-rape-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346534/japanese-man-gets-14-years-deadly-tequila-fuelled-rape-attempt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 23:00:12 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea. The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024. The department also accused workers associated with North Korea... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:35:07 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan on Wednesday marked 15 years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the country’s northeastern areas, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl crisis. The triple disasters of the magnitude-9.0 earthquake, resulting tsunami and meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex led to the loss of more than 22,000 lives. The plant’s operator is still struggling to dismantle the damaged facilities by 2051. The central government stopped hosting memorial... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346154/15-years-after-fukushima-disaster-japan-struggles-rising-maintenance-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346154/15-years-after-fukushima-disaster-japan-struggles-rising-maintenance-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:27:05 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Gender equality in politics remains far from achieved across Japan’s 47 prefectures, research by a group of experts has shown as it released local index scores on International Women’s Day. While nearly 80 years have passed since women in Japan first exercised their right to vote, the politics index fell in eight prefectures, including Kanagawa near Tokyo, from the 2024 figures, while many other prefectures also saw little change. With a score of 1 representing full equality, Tokyo scored 0.386,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345847/80-years-gender-gap-persists-japanese-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345847/80-years-gender-gap-persists-japanese-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a dissolution order for the Unification Church in line with the central government’s request, with liquidation procedures beginning immediately. Presiding Judge Motoko Miki of the Tokyo High Court said the decision was made as it is possible that the organisation is still engaging in unlawful solicitation of donations that financially ruin its members and others. “One can hardly expect the church to voluntarily take measures to prevent its members from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345349/unification-church-faces-liquidation-after-japanese-court-backs-dissolution-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345349/unification-church-faces-liquidation-after-japanese-court-backs-dissolution-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 03:32:12 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese man accused of conspiring with a woman to force a then 12-year-old Thai girl into sex work at a Tokyo massage parlour he operated has denied the charges. “I did not know she was underage,” Masayuki Hosono, 52, told the Tokyo District Court during the first hearing of his criminal trial on Monday. His defence counsel also argued that he had been deceived about the girl’s age by the woman, Punsiripanya Phakhaphon, 38, a Thai national who managed the private-room massage parlour in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345205/japanese-massage-parlour-operator-denies-forcing-thai-girl-12-sex-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345205/japanese-massage-parlour-operator-denies-forcing-thai-girl-12-sex-work?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 02:35:30 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo None of Japan’s prefectural governors are willing to accept soil collected in decontamination work near the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex without further safety information and support from the central government, according to a Kyodo News survey. A search for final disposal sites for 14 million cubic metres (500 million cubic feet) of removed soil and other waste in Fukushima after the March 2011 nuclear disaster is a key part of the government’s reconstruction efforts in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345100/where-will-fukushimas-nuclear-waste-go-japanese-governors-reject-tainted-soil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345100/where-will-fukushimas-nuclear-waste-go-japanese-governors-reject-tainted-soil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:27:57 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo More than 8,000 personnel from 30 countries are taking part in Cobra Gold, one of the largest and longest running multinational military exercises in Southeast Asia. The annual exercises are being held in many provinces across Thailand until March 6, aiming to strengthen coordination among participating nations and develop military capabilities to align with current global circumstances. Thailand and the United States, which are co-hosts of the drill, along with Singapore, Indonesia, Japan,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344676/us-thailand-lead-30-nations-southeast-asias-largest-military-drill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344676/us-thailand-lead-30-nations-southeast-asias-largest-military-drill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 03:43:02 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Twenty people were trapped inside a lift at Tokyo Skytree tower from Sunday night for more than five hours, the operator said, adding that the facility, which is Japan’s tallest broadcasting tower and a popular tourist spot, will be closed throughout Monday for safety checks. The passengers, including children, were stranded when the lift came to a sudden stop about 30 metres above street level, according to police. They were all rescued and no one was injured. An emergency call was made at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344299/tokyo-skytree-tower-closed-after-20-trapped-lift-5-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344299/tokyo-skytree-tower-closed-after-20-trapped-lift-5-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 04:49:05 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo North Korea aired a new propaganda film on TV about a failed assassination attempt on the country’s supreme leader, with South Korean media describing it as an “unprecedented work addressing a taboo”. The film Days and Nights of Confrontation, which had been screened at cinemas in Pyongyang since last year, was released for the first time on state-run Korean Central Television in January. The latest piece depicting a plot to kill Kim Jong-il, the late father of incumbent leader Kim Jong-un, by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344237/north-koreas-hollywood-style-thriller-unveils-taboo-plot-against-kims-father?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344237/north-koreas-hollywood-style-thriller-unveils-taboo-plot-against-kims-father?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:39:23 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Shibas are popular worldwide as a breed of hunting dog from Japan, but for tourists deplaning at Hagi-Iwami Airport in Masuda, Shimane prefecture, the dozen or so canines greeting them are like little rock stars. “So cute!” the visitors exclaim, smiling while petting and snapping photos of the alert, playful dogs known for their foxlike faces. Their owners explain that the city is the breed’s birthplace. Tracing their pedigrees back reveals that nearly all of these dogs descend from Ishi Go, a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3344003/where-does-shiba-inu-hunting-dog-come-learn-about-japanese-breeds-birth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3344003/where-does-shiba-inu-hunting-dog-come-learn-about-japanese-breeds-birth?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:15:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s health ministry panel on Thursday approved the commercialisation of two regenerative medicine products prepared from iPS cells, the first of their kind in the world. The two drugs, ReHeart developed by Cuorips, a start-up originating from the University of Osaka, and Amchepry by Sumitomo Pharma and Racthera, will be used for patients with severe heart failure stemming from ischemic cardiomyopathy and Parkinson’s disease, respectively. “I am very happy to see the first big step towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344036/japan-approves-worlds-first-regenerative-medicines-using-ips-cells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344036/japan-approves-worlds-first-regenerative-medicines-using-ips-cells?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:31:09 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo During an entrance exam for a top middle school in Japan in January, students were asked to read two poems depicting life in Palestine and write responses to key passages. Controversy soon followed on Japanese social media over the use of the material related to war and displacement. Some criticised the test section as politically one-sided for lacking Israeli views, while others praised the school for choosing a subject that, despite its complexities, has galvanised the world after much... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343564/top-japanese-school-faces-backlash-over-palestinian-poetry-entrance-exam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3343564/top-japanese-school-faces-backlash-over-palestinian-poetry-entrance-exam?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 05:07:59 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Bears entered areas near human dwellings despite being adequately nourished, even during years when acorns were scarce in their natural habitats, likely attracted by fruit trees left on abandoned farmland, a recent study in western Japan showed. Japanese black bears are encroaching on human settlements not necessarily out of desperation, but because they are lured by the easy meals found on abandoned farms. A recent study in western Japan showed that bears entered areas near human dwellings... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342841/japan-bear-intrusions-driven-fruit-not-hunger-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342841/japan-bear-intrusions-driven-fruit-not-hunger-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 11:49:50 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Social media-savvy young swing voters are emerging as a key demographic for political parties, and some digital platformers are trying to curb the adverse impact of disinformation and fake news on Generation Z by sharing tips ahead of Sunday’s general election. Around 20 junior high and high school students took part in a recent workshop held in Tokyo designed to help them understand the importance of knowing where information comes from and accessing primary sources, as the emergence of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342781/japans-teen-voters-must-improve-media-literacy-study-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342781/japans-teen-voters-must-improve-media-literacy-study-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 13:15:45 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has come under fire for deciding to hold Sunday’s general election during the peak university entrance exam season, with critics saying it has placed an additional burden on students. Takaichi’s abrupt announcement last month to dissolve the House of Representatives has also been questioned, as it will be the first time since 1990 that a lower house election is taking place in February, when some regions experience heavy snowfall. The prime minister has... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342441/japans-extremely-unreasonable-election-timing-threatens-keep-young-voters-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342441/japans-extremely-unreasonable-election-timing-threatens-keep-young-voters-away?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 02:13:28 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo More than 30 years after Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon first sparked a global phenomenon as a manga series and helped establish the fighting magical girl genre, the franchise continues to evolve with the opening of a new permanent theatre in Tokyo. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon – Shining Theatre Shinagawa Tokyo is set to open in Shinagawa Prince Hotel’s Club eX in April, with performances to be staged throughout the year. The new venue will carry on the legacy of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon –... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3341829/new-permanent-sailor-moon-theatre-tokyo-promises-magical-experiences-global-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3341829/new-permanent-sailor-moon-theatre-tokyo-promises-magical-experiences-global-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 04:51:47 +0000