China and Japan Vessels Face Off Near Disputed Islands as Tensions Escalate

JAPAN: The coast guards of China and Japan have reported different versions of an encounter that took place near a group of islands in the East China Sea, which are important for both countries. On Tuesday, China's Coast Guard stated that a Japanese fishing boat had entered the waters around the Diaoyu Islands, known as [...]

Support Groups Protest Proposed Crackdown on Foreigners

JAPAN: Representatives and members of organizations that support foreign nationals in Japan held a rally inside a Tokyo parliament building to protest against xenophobia and the efforts to impose stricter rules on foreigners. The participants, which included the Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan, a nonprofit organization, released a statement demanding the creation of a basic [...]

Japanese Seniors Working out of Necessity … for Themselves and Japan

Japan Population: 126.3 million Dominant religion: Shintoism Christian: 2.2 percent Persecution ranking: Not ranked Do you look forward to retiring? Some view it with anticipation for free time to pursue hobbies and an opportunity to enjoy an extended vacation. Others look to retirement with dread. Japan is in a complicated position regarding employment and retirement. [...]

Race for Prime Minister Heats Up Amid Deepening Coalition Divisions

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 [...]

Typhoon Slams Japan’s Izu Islands

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, South Korea Close to Finalizing Defense Minister Exchange Deal

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 Seizes Record 1 Ton of Cannabis Worth ¥5.2 Billion

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 [...]

29-Year-Old Man Arrested for Assaulting Grandparents with Tool

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 [...]

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