JAPAN: Komeito's exit from the ruling coalition has added more uncertainty to Japan's political scene, with focus now shifting to the prime minister selection vote that is set to happen in the Diet next week. Koichi, the new president of the Liberal Democratic Party, is aiming for the top position, and the result will rely [...]

JAPAN: A powerful typhoon brought heavy rain to a group of Japanese islands located south of Tokyo, prompting the government to warn people about possible landslides and flooding. According to Kyodo News Agency, some areas in the Izu island chain, which is 280 kilometers from Tokyo, experienced record rainfall of around 207 millimeters. Many [...]

JAPAN: The governments of Japan and South Korea are close to finalizing a deal that would allow their defense ministers to visit each other and have regular talks between defense officials, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is thinking about traveling to South Korea early this month for discussions with his South [...]

JAPAN: Japanese narcotics agents have taken 1.046 tons of cannabis, valued at around 5.2 billion yen ($35 million), in the biggest single drug bust in Japan's history. The Narcotics Control Department of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare arrested three Vietnamese nationals for supposedly smuggling the cannabis, which was hidden in a shipping container [...]

JAPAN: Police in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, have taken a 29-year-old man, who is unemployed, into custody for allegedly trying to kill his grandparents, who are both in their 80s, by striking them with a tool. Takahashi lives in a separate house on the same land but was present at his grandparents' home when the [...]

JAPAN: Students from elementary and junior high schools in Okinawa Prefecture had the chance to act like journalists when they met Crown Prince Akishino and his family for 30 minutes in Tokyo. This meeting took place at the East residence in the Moto-Akasaka area of Minato Ward and is part of a series of events [...]

JAPAN: Leaders from the European Union and Japan have formed an alliance to enhance economic collaboration, promote free trade, and combat unfair trade practices, as both regions encounter increasing challenges from the United States and China. They also expressed their commitment to maintaining "a stable and predictable rules-based free and fair economic order." Additionally, the [...]

Japan: Female candidates in the Upper House election are encountering various types of harassment from voters and supporters, including stalking, death threats, and excessively long handshakes and hugs. This issue poses a significant challenge as Japan strives to boost the number of women in political positions. The government has set a target for women to [...]

Japan: Approximately 30 members of the Lucifers street gang voluntarily entered the Atsuta Ward police station in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, to officially disband the gang. Established in the mid-1990s, the gang operated in Atsuta Ward and grew to around 500 members over the years. Despite numerous arrests for crimes such as assault and theft, law [...]

Japan: Official campaigning for the House of Councillors election in Japan began on Thursday, set for July 20. This election is a significant challenge for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his minority government as citizens face increasing living costs. Ishiba aims for the ruling coalition, comprising his Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party, to [...]