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Japan
The latest breaking news and stories on Japan, a country in East Asia known as a constitutional monarchy, and the world’s fifth largest economy. Also covering Japan’s relationship with China and Asia, plus commentary and updates on Japan’s economy, politics, society and trade.
Capital
Tokyo
Head of State
Emperor Naruhito
Head of Government
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Fumio Kishida
Japan has already agreed a deal to sell three Mogami-class frigates to Australia. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

China warns of ‘moves towards militarism’ after Japan eases arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

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Hong Kong society

Fujii Kaze pulls plug on Hong Kong show as Japanese acts shun city

Earthquakes

Big one coming? Japan issues megaquake advisory after magnitude 7.7 shock

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ICBMs

China urges US ‘sincerity’ on Iran, warns of Japan’s nuclear ambitions

Beijing also outlines progress in disarmament and its long-standing policies in first such report since 2021.

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People inspect the site of an American-Israeli air strike on a police station in Tehran, Iran, on March 3. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Yasukuni Shrine

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

Seoul urges Japan’s leaders to ‘face history squarely’ and show through action ‘a sincere remorse for its past’.

Science

Chinese scientists replicate eel’s 6,000km breeding journey inside research pool

Team overcomes key artificial breeding challenge by simulating conditions found in the depths of the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench.

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Sanae Takaichi

Why Japan’s Takaichi is already facing resistance inside her own party

Observers say the prime minister’s assertive style and policy agenda have caused unease among the Liberal Democratic Party’s old guard.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is also the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, sings the party anthem with the party’s deputy president and former prime minister Taro Aso (right) and the party secretary general Shunichi Suzuki (left) on April 12. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong tourism

40 Hong Kong tour groups safe after major earthquake strikes Japan

Japan issues tsunami warning for north and northeast prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, after quake strikes at 4.53pm.

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Earthquakes

Video | Powerful quake shakes northern Japan

Japan’s northern Tohoku region was struck by a 7.7-magnitude quake.

China-Japan relations

Japan warship’s Taiwan Strait voyage reignites China tensions

The JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the anniversary of an 1895 treaty handing Taiwan to Japan.

The JS Ikazuchi. Photo: handout
The Philippines

Can a US-governed ‘Pax Silica’ hub turn Philippines into a chip powerhouse?

The chip-focused ‘economic security zone’ will reportedly operate under US law despite being on Philippine soil.

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An employee of a semiconductor company in Manila displays computer chips manufactured in the Philippines in 2008. The country has long been confined to the lower-value work of chip assembly, testing and packaging. Photo: AFP
Earthquakes

Tsunami warning issued in Japan after magnitude-7.5 quake hits northeast

Waves of up to three metres are expected after the quake struck off the Sanriku Coast.

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The Philippines

Vietnam and Philippines trust Japan. Why doesn’t Indonesia?

Analysts say Indonesia worries about its neutrality as Tokyo ramps up ties with the US and lags behind China on green investment.

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Space

Rover and out? Japan pivots after US puts Lunar Gateway on ice

Japan’s space agency has invested at least US$78.5 million to build components for Nasa’s now-halted project.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa speaks next to a replica of Resilience, a moon lander built by Japan-based start-up ispace, on June 6, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Sanae Takaichi

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron strike the “Kamehameha” pose from the “Dragon Ball” manga after a joint press conference at the State Guest House in Tokyo on April 1. Photo: Kyodo
China-Japan relations

Is Japan’s treaty-day Taiwan Strait warship transit a new flashpoint with China?

The JS Ikazuchi’s passage through the waterway on Friday ‘harmed the feelings of the Chinese people’.

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North Korea

North Korea launches ballistic missile as UN warns of nuclear advances

The two short-range missiles fired from the Sinpo of North Korea flew about 140 kilometres (87 miles) each towards the country’s eastern waters.

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China jobs

Shanghai mobilises seniors to work longer amid China’s demographic crisis

With one in three residents above retirement age, Shanghai’s 28-department plan aims to mobilise retirees to offset shrinking payrolls and rising pension strains.

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A group of older Chinese people gather at Shanghai’s Fuxing Park. The city is now encouraging seniors to return to work. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Asia’s supply chains could give it edge over US in AI race: Granite Asia’s Foo

Asia’s industrial ecosystem could deliver faster deployment of robotics and embodied AI systems, veteran venture capitalist says.

Defence

Japan, Australia finalise contracts to deliver first 3 of planned frigates

This comes as Japan is set to ease rules on defence equipment exports, which have strict limits on exporting weapons with lethal capability.

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China's military weapons

Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a blockade over Taiwan?

Japan’s islands and the waters of the Philippines could be targeted in a cross-strait operation, according to military magazine.

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The torpedo-shaped AJX002 drone was revealed during the Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Japanese authorities are promoting the domestic corporate bond market as an alternative for firms seeking funding without losing control.

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A man stands in front of an electronic board displaying the closing numbers of the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in Tokyo, on April 2. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5 quakes hit Japan’s Nagano prefecture

The quakes struck Omachi at 1.20pm and 2.54pm, with the nation’s weather agency warning of aftershocks over the next week or so.

Weather

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

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People walk under a parasol in Shizuoka, Japan, where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, on April 11. Photo: Kyodo
Defence

Japan ditches decades of arm export curbs as US reliability wavers

From drones for Ukraine to warships for Australia, ‘peace-loving’ Japan is fast pivoting towards arming the world.

Japanese Type 10 battle tanks operate during a military drill in Funabashi, east of Tokyo, in January. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong is ageing, but the real question is where people age

The city’s rapid ageing need not turn into a crisis as long as it can look beyond its borders and tap into regional healthcare systems.

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Sanae Takaichi

Video | Is Japan ready for a female emperor?

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne, even as the prime minister proposes a plan that preserves the male-line succession.

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