Latest Tokyo News

Japanese court says government's policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court ruled Tuesday that the government's policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, in a closely watched decision that supporters say is a step toward marriage equality. The Nagoya District Court in central Japan, however, rejected a request by a...

Japan PM's son to resign after public outrage over private party at official residence
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday his son is resigning as his executive policy secretary to take responsibility for using the prime minister’s residence for a private party at which the merrymaking was exposed in magazine photos that triggered public outrage. ...

IAEA team in Japan for final review before planned discharge of Fukushima nuclear plant water
TOKYO (AP) — An International Atomic Energy Agency team arrived in Tokyo on Monday for a final review before Japan begins releasing massive amounts of treated radioactive water into the sea from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, a plan that has been strongly opposed by local fishing...

Crash of private Japanese moon lander blamed on software, last-minute location switch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private Japanese moon lander went into free-fall while trying to land on the lunar surface last month, company officials said Friday, blaming a software issue and a last-minute switch in the touchdown location. The spacecraft belonging to the company...

Strong earthquake shakes eastern Japan; no tsunami warning
TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake shook Tokyo and other areas of eastern Japan on Friday, but no tsunami warning was issued. The magnitude 6.1 quake was centered off the east coast of Chiba Peninsula at a depth of 44.5 kilometers (28 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. ...

Suspect in killing of 4 people, including 2 police officers, in Japan captured after standoff
TOKYO (AP) — Police said they arrested a man Friday who had holed up in his father's house armed with a rifle and a knife after allegedly killing four people, including two police officers, in central Japan. TV Asahi showed the man with his hands on his head walk out of the house...

AP Week in Pictures: Asia
May 19-25, 2023 This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in Asia and the Pacific. The gallery was curated by AP photo editor Masayo Yoshida in Tokyo. Follow AP visual journalism:...

Japan nuclear watchdog asks Fukushima plant operator to assess risk from reactor damage
TOKYO (AP) — A nuclear watchdog has asked the operator of Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant to assess possible risks resulting from damage that was found in a key supporting structure inside one of the three melted reactors. A robotic probe sent inside the Fukushima...

South Korea experts say Japan carefully answered questions on plan to release radioactive water
TOKYO (AP) — The head of a South Korean team of experts said Wednesday they saw all of the facilities they had requested to visit at Japan’s tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant and Japanese officials had carefully answered their questions about a contentious plan to release treated but...

Japan to provide 100 military vehicles to Ukraine
TOKYO (AP) — Japan held a ceremony on Wednesday marking its planned donation of about 100 military vehicles to Ukraine, as Tokyo seeks to provide equipment that can be of broader military use than its earlier shipments of helmets and hazmat suits. In a ceremony at the Defense...
