Japan has reserved the right to conduct preemptive airstrikes against enemies, with Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi making the case that such attacks could fall under the country’s strict post-World War II ‘self-defense’ policy. During a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, Kishi said he would not rule out airstrikes on foreign soil …
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Washington’s new ambassador in Tokyo, Rahm Emanuel, has hit out at his Russian counterpart for saying Japan is hindering the resolution of a long-running territorial dispute that has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty to formally end WWII. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Emanuel wrote, “the Russian …
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Tokyo nominated a complex of 400-year-old gold and silver mines on the small island of Sado off Japan’s western coast for the 2023 UNESCO World Heritage List on Tuesday. “The Sado gold mine is a rare example of industrial heritage that operated continuously on a large scale,” Chief Cabinet Secretary …
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Tokyo will not give up its claim that Russia’s southern Kuril Islands in the Pacific Ocean are rightfully Japanese, and wants to reach a deal with Moscow to resolve the dispute, its foreign minister said on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference, Yoshimasa Hayashi responded to claims by his Russian …
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A tsunami warning has been issued for Japan’s entire east coast, as well as the southern Amami island and the Takara island chain. A tsunami triggered by the undersea volcanic eruption has already hit the Pacific nation of Tonga and prompted multiple other nations to issue warnings, including the United States …
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A “landmark” defense deal has been signed by the governments of Australia and Japan, amid increased tensions with China in the Asia-Pacific. The pact sees the two nations commit to reciprocal military access. On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a virtual meeting …
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Two Japanese industrial majors are reportedly planning to team up with Bill Gates’ venture company to provide technical support for a high-tech nuclear reactor that will be built in the US state of Wyoming. The parties are expected to sign an agreement in January for the Japan Atomic Energy Agency …
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Tokyo and Beijing are set to establish a communications line in a bid to improve ties, as the two countries continue a long-running spat over contested islands in the East China Sea, Japanese defense officials said. Speaking to reporters on Monday following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe, …
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The two-day military exercise involving Japan’s self-defense forces, coast guard, and police was conducted in late November on a remote uninhabited island. According to Kyodo news agency, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, the island was chosen specifically because its landscape closely resembles that of the disputed Senkaku Islands, which have …
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Top government officials will not attend the Olympic Games, with the exception of Seiko Hashimoto – a member of the House of Councilors and the former Minister of State for Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita and Japanese Paralympic Committee President Kazuyuki Mori will also …
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