Japan Protests as China Moves Drilling Rigs in Disputed East China Sea Tokyo, August 26 – Japan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed late Monday that China is setting up drilling rigs in a contested area of the East China Sea, where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap. Tokyo has formally complained to the Chinese embassy. […]
Japan Offers Digital Nomad Visa for High-Earning Remote Workers TOKYO – Japan has introduced a new Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers who want to live and work in Japan for a short time. Who Can Apply? To qualify, applicants must: Be from a list of approved countries, Have a valid passport, Earn at least […]
Japan Faces Record Heat and Less Rainfall in July Japan is getting hotter every year because of climate change caused by humans, scientists say. July 2025 was the hottest ever in Japan. The average temperature was 2.89°C higher than normal, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. This is the third year in a row that […]
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced what he described as the “largest TRADE DEAL in history” with Japan, reducing tariffs on Japanese goods to 15%, down from a previously proposed 25%. The deal comes as the White House rushes to finalize key trade agreements ahead of a looming August 1 deadline for higher levies. […]
There was a strong earthquake (magnitude 5.1) during the night, but there was no major physical damage on Akuseki Island, which was hit the hardest. This was shared by Genichiro Kubo, who lives on a nearby island. However, the continuous shaking since June 21 has made people very stressed. Many are not able to sleep […]
Japan Approves New Disaster Safety Plan to Save Lives Japan has approved a new disaster safety plan during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence on Tuesday. Big Goals for the Next 10 Years The updated plan aims to: Reduce deaths by 80% Cut building damage by 50% These same goals were set back […]
Japan Warns of Big Earthquake Risk in Next 30 Years Earthquakes are very hard to predict. But in January, a Japanese government group said there is now a 75–82% chance that a huge earthquake will happen in the Nankai Trough (a deep area under the sea near Japan) within the next 30 years. In March, […]
Three rice auctions were conducted in March and April 2025 by the ministry, selling a total of 312,000 tons of rice. By June 8, around 159,000 tons, almost half, had been sent to wholesalers. Meanwhile, 92,000 tons, or nearly 30%, were set for retailers and food service establishments, including restaurants. Adding to the auctions, the […]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been expected to meet Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Washington on July 1 for the annual 2+2 security talks. But Tokyo scrapped the meeting after the U.S. asked Japan to boost defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product, […]
Japan, a long-time U.S. ally, has been hit with 24% levies on its exports to the United States although these tariffs have, like most of Trump’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs, been paused for 90 days. But a 10% universal rate remains in place as does a 25% duty for cars, which is set to be particularly […]
