Japan's prime minister vows military buildup and deeper ties with the US as regional tension rises

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba renewed a pledge Saturday to build up his country’s military and deepen its alliance with the United States under President-elect Donald Trump. Ishiba, who made the comments at an annual troop review held at Camp Asaka in the...

Japan's ruling coalition loses a majority in the lower house, creating political uncertainty

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’ s ruling coalition lost a majority in the 465-seat lower house in a key parliamentary election Sunday, a punishment by voters' outrage over the governing party’s extensive financial scandals. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party...

Japan's ruling party may struggle in Sunday's vote, but its decades of dominance won't end

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ’s ruling party, dogged by corruption scandals and plunging support, faces its toughest challenge in more than a decade in Sunday’s parliamentary election. This could set up a very short-lived time in office for Ishiba, who...

Nobel prize for A-bomb survivors' group boosts hope for Japanese seeking a nuke-free world

TOKYO (AP) — For many Japanese survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their relatives, Friday’s awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Japanese organization against nuclear weapons gives them hope for a new momentum to push for a nuclear-free world — starting from...

Japan's new PM dissolves the lower house of parliament to set up a snap election

TOKYO (AP) — New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved the lower house of parliament Wednesday to set up an Oct. 27 snap election, asking people to trust the governing party's policies even as critics said the vote comes far too soon. Ishiba took office last week as...

Japan's new leader expresses regret for governing party slush fund scandal, vows stronger defense

TOKYO (AP) — New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba opened his first policy speech in office Friday by expressing deep regrets over the governing party's slush funds scandal that dogged his predecessor. Ishiba replaced Fumio Kishida on Tuesday with the paramount mission of...

Japan's new Prime Minister Ishiba vows to push a strong defense under the Japan-US alliance

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to stick to the vital Japan-U.S. alliance while calling for it to be more equitable after he took office Tuesday vowing to tackle a slow economy and regain public trust before an upcoming election. Shigeru Ishiba...

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida steps down as planned before his likely successor Shigeru Ishiba takes office

Japan's likely next leader says he will call an election for Oct. 27 once he takes office

TOKYO (AP) — Shigeru Ishiba, the head of Japan's governing party, plans to call a parliamentary election to be held on Oct. 27 after he is elected as prime minister on Tuesday. Ishiba was chosen as the Liberal Democratic Party's leader on Friday and is assured to also succeed...

Kishida's legacy: Scandals and compromise at home, global respect for security and diplomacy

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will step down Tuesday, handing over leadership to his successor Shigeru Ishiba, who is expected to formally take office later in the day. He says he plans to call a snap election for Oct. 27. Kishida’s popularity ratings were...