Latest Japan government News

USS Ronald Reagan leaves its Japan home port after nearly 9 years

May. 16, 2024 23:03 PM EDT

YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — A U.S. Navy strike group's flagship aircraft carrier left its Japanese home port on Thursday, wrapping up nearly nine years of deployment in the Indo-Pacific, where it served a key role in the U.S. effort to bolster defense ties with Japan and other partners in the region. ...

Japan, US move ahead in co-developing hypersonic weapons interceptor as regional threats grow

May. 16, 2024 22:44 PM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan and the United States on Wednesday signed an arrangement to jointly develop a new type of missile defense system as the allies seek to defend against the growing threat of hypersonic weapons, which are possessed by China and Russia and being tested by North Korea. ...

A look at high-profile political assassinations and attempts this century

May. 16, 2024 14:49 PM EDT

Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico was gravely injured in an apparent assassination attempt that rocked the small country and the rest of Europe just weeks before an election. Here’s a global look at other notable political assassinations and attempts during the 21st century: ...

Stock market today: Asian shares advance after another round of Wall St records

May. 16, 2024 00:16 AM EDT

Asian shares advanced on Thursday after U.S. stocks rallied to records on hopes that inflation is heading back in the right direction. The optimism came from a report showing U.S. consumers had to pay prices for gasoline, car insurance and everything else in April that were 3.4%...

Japan's economy shrinks on weak consumer spending, auto woes

May. 15, 2024 23:05 PM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese economy shrank at an annual rate of 2% in the first quarter of this year, as consumption and exports declined, the government said Thursday. Although unemployment has stayed relatively low in the world’s fourth largest economy at about 2.6%, wage growth...

WWII soldiers posthumously receive Purple Heart medals 79 years after fatal plane crash

May. 10, 2024 22:56 PM EDT

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The families of five Hawaii men who served in a unit of Japanese-language linguists during World War II received posthumous Purple Heart medals on behalf of their loved ones on Friday, nearly eight decades after the soldiers died in a plane crash in the final days of...

South Korea stresses need for fair treatment for Line chat app operator Naver

May. 10, 2024 05:52 AM EDT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea vowed Friday to protect its companies operating in other markets after Japanese regulators told LY Corp., which runs the popular chat app Line, to reduce its dependence on Naver, the Korean partner in the venture. Friction over Naver’s 50%...

Japan proposes expanding commercial whaling to fin whales, a larger species than the 3 allowed now

May. 09, 2024 21:24 PM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Fisheries Agency has proposed expanding commercial whaling along the country’s coast to fin whales, a larger species than the three currently permitted. The proposal comes five years after Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone...

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after Wall Street's lull stretches to a 2nd day

May. 09, 2024 00:33 AM EDT

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after Wall Street’s lull stretched into a second day, with Chinese benchmarks rising after China reported better than expected trade figures for April. U.S. futures were slightly lower and oil prices rose. In...

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after calm day on Wall St

May. 08, 2024 01:08 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after U.S. stocks held relatively steady on Wall Street. U.S. futures and oil prices slipped, while the yen weakened further against the U.S. dollar. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 1.5% to 38,244.76. Nintendo Co.’s share...