Japan

A collection of 95 posts

Japan Calls on China to Remove Buoy Near Disputed Islands

Japan has called on the Chinese government to remove a buoy it claims it found floating in the waters of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Senkaku Islands, known by China as the Diaoyu Islands....

Politics

New Leader of J-Pop Agency Accused of Abuse

The new president of 'J-Pop' talent agency Johnny & Associates, Noriyuki Higashiyama, is facing accusations of sexual abuse, bringing even greater scrutiny to the company which had been plagued by the recent turmoil surrounding its late founder and namesake, Johnny Kitagawa....

Media

Japan Pop Agency Boss Resigns Over Founder Sexual Abuse Scandal

Julie Fujishima, the niece of the late J-pop mogul Johnny Kitagawa, who's accused of sexually abusing hundreds of boys and young men over several decades, has resigned as leader of the talent agency her uncle founded....

Social issues

Japan Launches 'Moon Sniper' Lunar Mission

On Thursday, Japan launched a lunar exploration spacecraft in hopes of becoming the fifth country in the world to land on the moon....

Japan

Japan Begins Releasing Fukushima Water Into Pacific

Japan on Thursday began releasing its treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant ― which was devastated by the deadly 2011 earthquake and tsunami ― into the Pacific Ocean, prompting China to ban seafood from Japan.

Social issues

Report: Japanese Military Covered Up Sexual and Other Harassment

Japan's military has been accused of covering up sexual and other harassment cases within the self-defense forces (SDF). There were a total of 1,325 cases involving both men and women, with over 60% of victims not reporting their experiences.

Japan

Japan Set to Release Fukushima Water

an is set to begin releasing over 1M metric tons of treated radioactive water from the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant starting Thursday, despite ongoing controversy over the plan's safety.

Japan

Camp David: US, Japan, SKorea Form Security Pact

US Pres. Joe Biden, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, and South Korean Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to strengthen security and economic cooperation on Friday after trilateral talks at Camp David.

Politics

Japan: Population Declines by Record 800K

Data released by the government of Japan on Wednesday shows that the country's population declined at its fastest-ever pace in 2022, with the number of Japanese citizens contracting by around 800K, a record number.

Social issues

EU Lifts Food Import Restrictions on Japan

On Thursday, EU officials agreed to remove restrictions on Japanese food imports that were imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. The EU hopes Japan will ease its controls on Europe's farm produce in return.

Politics

Seoul Backs Fukushima Water Plan; China Imposes Japan Food Ban

South Korea announced on Friday that it supports the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency's approval of Japan's plans to discharge treated water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean amid controversy surrounding the decision.

South Korea

Japan: UN Approves Fukushima Water Release

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday announced it had approved Japan's plan to release treated water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Japan

Japan Begins Final Checks Ahead of Fukushima Toxic Water Release

On Wednesday, Japan began its final inspections on a system that will release treated radioactive water currently contained at the shuttered Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Social issues

Japan Approves Over-the-Counter Emergency Contraceptive Trial

On Tuesday, local media reported that Japan’s health ministry had approved the sale of over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pills, commonly referred to as “morning-after pills,” on a trial basis through next March.

Health

Study: Japanese Eugenics Program Sterilized Children

A report from the Japanese government has revealed the scope of the country's eugenics program from 1948 until its repeal in 1996, with nearly 25K allegedly sterilized by the government, including children as young as nine-years-old.

Social issues

Carlos Ghosn Sues Nissan for $1B in Lebanon

Carlos Ghosn, a global car industry titan who was arrested in Japan in 2018 for financial misconduct before fleeing the country, filed a $1B lawsuit in Lebanon against Nissan, which accuses the carmaker of defamation, slander, libel, and the fabrication of material evidence.

Japan

Japan Raises Age of Consent From 13 to 16

Japanese lawmakers passed key reforms to sex crime legislation on Friday and raised the country's age of consent from 13 to 16 years old.

Social issues

Japan: Cadet Fatally Shoots Two Soldiers

An 18-year-old Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) trainee opened fire at instructors during live-fire training on Wednesday at a military firing range in Gifu, central Japan, killing two and injuring another. He was immediately arrested on charges of attempted murder.

World

NATO, Japan Begin Massive Air Force Drills

On Monday, more than 250 aircraft and 10K military personnel from NATO countries and Japan began a two-week military exercise in Germany — the largest deployment of aircraft in the alliance’s history.

Military

Japan Court: Same-Sex Union Ban at Odds with Constitution

On Thursday, the Fukuoka District Court in southern Japan said that the ban on same-sex marriage presents the country with an "unconstitutional situation."

Social issues

SKorea, Japan Scramble Jets During China-Russia Joint Air Patrol

South Korea and Japan reportedly had to scramble their fighter jets on Tuesday after four Chinese and four Russian military aircraft entered the South's air defense identification zone unannounced, although they didn't violate either nations' airspace.

Military

North Korea: Spy Satellite Launch Crashes Into Sea

North Korea's attempt to launch a military spy satellite on Wednesday failed, with South Korean officials reporting that the rocket crashed into the ocean and the North confirming the aborted attempt.

Military

Japan: PM Sacks Son After Party at Official Residence

On Monday, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida said his eldest son would resign from his position as executive policy secretary after photos emerged of him using Kishida's official residence to host a private party.

Politics

Japan on Alert as N. Korea Plans to Launch 'Satellite'

Japan on Monday put its ballistic missile defenses on alert, vowing to use its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) or Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) to destroy any projectile that threatened its territory.

World

Japan: 4 Dead, Suspect Arrested in Gun & Knife Attack

On Friday, the Japanese police arrested 31-year-old Masanori Aoki for allegedly killing four people, including two police officers, in a rare gun and knife attack in the central prefecture of Nagano on Thursday.

Japan