TOKYO

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency has stressed the importance of transparency after visiting the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, where he observed preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater that has prompted concerns inside and outside Japan.

Japan is welcoming a new U.S. economic initiative for the Indo-Pacific that President Joe Biden is expected to roll out during a visit to Tokyo next week because it demonstrates American commitment to a regional economic order that is not just about market access.

Japan has announced it will donate $2.1 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency for its efforts to ensure the safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities that have come under Russian attack

The money was supposed to be COVID-19 assistance for low-income households in a small Japanese town, but police say it was mistakenly wired to a bank account of a resident who refused to return it and spent most of it on online gambling

Japan has recorded a trade deficit in April as imports ballooned 28% as energy prices soared following the war in Ukraine.

The 24-year-old told a court in Abu, Japan, that he was "very sorry" for squandering the funds he received thanks to a clerical error.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has criticized what he called negative moves by Washington and Tokyo against Beijing ahead of a meeting in Tokyo next week of the leaders of the U.S., Japan, Australia and India.

Japan’s nuclear regulator has approved plans by the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant to release its treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year, saying the outlined methods are safe and risks to the environment minimal

Japan’s nuclear regulator has approved plans by the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant to release its treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year, saying the outlined methods are safe and risks to the environment minimal.

Singer Tina Karol says on a visit to Japan that she and her fellow Ukrainians will not give up defending their land and culture from Russian invasion.

Singer Tina Karol said Monday from Japan that she and her fellow Ukrainians will not give up defending their land and culture from Russian invasion and are determined to win the war and rebuild an even more beautiful country. “My weapon is language and music,” Karol said in Tokyo as she concluded a weeklong visit to rally support for Ukraine. Karol came to Japan at the invitation of Rakuten Group founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, who first met her during his 2019 business trip to Ukraine.

Grass-and-straw tatami mats – once a privilege reserved for the elite – have been a key feature of Japanese architecture since the Middle Ages, crafted by gifted artisans. But now, with cheap knockoffs and changing lifestyles, the industry is at a crossroads.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki has urged Japan’s central government to do more to reduce the U.S. military presence in the southern island group as it marked the 50th anniversary of its return to Japanese rule.

Okinawa on Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan on May 15, 1972, ending 27 years of U.S. rule after one of the bloodiest World War II ground battles was fought on the southern Japanese island.

Okinawa on Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan on May 15, 1972, which ended 27 years of U.S. rule after one of the bloodiest battles of World War II was fought on the southern Japanese island. The day is being marked with more bitterness than joy in Okinawa, which is still burdened with a heavy U.S. military presence and is now seeing Japanese troops increasingly deployed amid rising China tensions. The Associated Press takes a look at the frustration that still lingers in Okinawa, 50 years after it returned to Japan.

Amid severe weather in southeastern South Dakota Thursday, a large dust cloud moved over Sioux Falls.

Katsumoto Saotome, a Japanese writer who gathered the accounts of survivors of the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo in World War II to raise awareness of the massive civilian deaths and the importance of peace, has died. He was 90.

Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank intends to keep a majority stake in U.K. chip designer Arm when it lists the company through an initial public offering.

Japanese technology company SoftBank Group has dropped into losses as the value of its investments declines.

North Korea says it has detected a case of the omicron variant in its capital, the first time the country has admitted to a positive covid case since the pandemic began more than two years ago.

Katsumoto Saotome, a Japanese writer who gathered the accounts of survivors of the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo in World War II to raise awareness of the massive civilian deaths and the importance of peace, has died.

Wim Wenders is making a film about high-end public restrooms in Japan.

Japan’s capital has announced it will start recognizing same-sex partnerships to ease the burdens faced by residents in their daily lives, but the unions will not be considered legal marriages

Toyota has reported its net profit fell 31% from the year before in the January-March quarter but the Japanese automaker still wrapped up a year of record earnings.

Nintendo’s profit for the fiscal year ended in March was little changed from the previous year, edging down 0.6% to 477.7 billion yen, or about $3.7 billion.

Sony’s fiscal fourth quarter surged 67% to 111.1 billion yen, or about $850 million, compared to the previous year, as the Japanese entertainment and electronics company racked up profits in video game and movie divisions.

These are the stocks posting the largest moves in midday trading.

The governor of the southern Japanese island of Okinawa is urging Japan to focus more on peaceful diplomacy with China instead of on military deterrence.

The AVP is heading back to the beach with a bunch of new teams and a lot more tournaments for them to figure things out.

The man accused of attacking Dave Chappelle previously had released a song named after the comedian. Jericka Duncan has the story.

With the Nakagin Capsule Tower, the architect Kisho Kurokawa had a prophetic vision of buildings and cities that prioritized mobility.

Drone company DJI Technology Co has temporarily suspended business activities in Russia and Ukraine to ensure its products are not used during the hostilities in a rare example of a Chinese company publicly withdrawing from Russia due to the war.

Asian shares mostly have retreated, echoing a broad decline on Wall Street and driven by worries about how the war in Ukraine may push prices for oil and other commodities higher.

A Japanese woman recognized as the world’s oldest person, Kane Tanaka, has died at age of 119, just months short of her goal of reaching 120

After Japan protested, Ukraine apologized. Its tweet offended Japan, a supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Ukraine's government has apologized and removed a photo of Japanese wartime Emperor Hirohito from a video showing him with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini after Japan protested, officials said Monday. Japan will continue to support Ukrainians who are defending their country from Russia's invasion despite the “completely inappropriate” portrayal of Hirohito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said.

Kane Tanaka was born in 1903 in the southwestern Fukuoka region of Japan — the year of the Wright brothers' first flight and when Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Kane Tanaka was born in 1903 in the southwestern Fukuoka region of Japan — the year of the Wright brothers' first flight and when Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines is mortal, after all. After throwing a perfect game on April 10 — the first in Japanese baseball in 28 years — and eight perfect innings on April 17 before being pulled after 102 pitches, Sasaki gave up a hit on his first pitch Sunday against the Orix Buffaloes. Shuhei Fukuda hit Sasaki's first pitch, which ended a streak of 52 batters retired.

The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that their helicopters found four of the 26 people on a tour boat missing since the day before

The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that rescue helicopters found seven of the 26 people from a tour boat missing in the frigid waters of northern Japan since the day before, but their conditions are unknown. Rescuers found four people near the tip of Shiretoko Peninsula earlier Sunday and then three more people in the same area a few hours later, but the coast guard said it could not confirm whether they were rescued alive. NHK public television said they were unconscious.

The vessel sent a distress call that it was sinking, the coast guard said. No survivors have been found after more than 10 hours of intense search involving patrol boats, aircraft and divers.

Japan’s coast guard says a tour boat with 26 people aboard has been missing for more than seven hours after issuing a distress call and taking in water

Japan describes four islands whose ownership it disputes with Moscow as “illegally occupied by Russia” in the latest version of a diplomatic report released Friday, using stronger language to describe the territorial flap than other recent versions and underscoring the chilled relations between the two sides amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Japan, which is struggling to improve ties with Moscow to regain control of the Kurils, which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, had previously described the dispute in a softer tone. “The Northern Territories are a group of islands Japan has sovereignty over and an integral part of Japan’s territory, but currently they are illegally occupied by Russia,” the ministry said in the report.

The Biden administration has warned the Solomon Islands that the United States will take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should its recently concluded cooperation agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

Tangier Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, is home to approximately 400 people, but will soon be underwater due to the rapid effects of erosion and rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Stocks are mixed in Asia after a rally on Wall Street led by technology stocks.

Japan has reported a much bigger than expected trade deficit for March as a weaker yen and high oil prices pushed costs of imports sharply higher.

North Korea claimed it successfully test-fired a new type of nuclear-capable missile over the weekend.

North Korea claimed it successfully test-fired a new type of nuclear-capable missile over the weekend.

The equity market’s reform goes nowhere by trying to please everyone.

Elon Musk has offered to buy 100% of Twitter — saying, the platform “has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it.” Musk is offering to pay $54.20 a share for the company’s stock, nearly $10 higher than the current price per share. CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger explains what this could mean for Twitter stock holders.

Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter for more than $40 billion. The billionaire owns 9.2% of the company already, and has been a vocal critic of the social media giant, saying Twitter needs to go private to see effective changes.

Allyson Felix, who closed the Tokyo Games last year with more Olympic medals than any U.S. track and field athlete in history, says she will retire after the 2022 season.

Asian shares are trading mostly higher after new data showed inflation in the U.S. was not as bad as some analysts had expected.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said he and his Italian counterpart agreed Tuesday to step up military cooperation as Japan expands security ties with Europe amid concern about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact on Asia. Kishi told reporters that he and Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini discussed the possible expansion of joint military drills and development of defense technology. Guerini, who is visiting Tokyo, especially expressed interest in possible Italian participation in Japan’s F-X next generation fighter jet, Kishi said, declining to elaborate.

Honda is investing $40 billion over the next decade in research, especially to realize a major shift to ecological electric vehicles.

The constant regeneration of Japan’s capital makes it safer and more affordable.

Women are revolutionizing the reproductive and sexual wellness industry in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region's patriarchal societies with products like menstrual cups and period underwear.

Russia’s central bank say it's lowering a key interest rate and said more cuts could be on the way.

Wall Street closed its first losing week in the last four with an up-and-down Friday, as investors brace for the Federal Reserve to tighten the brakes on the economy more aggressively to beat down inflation.

Nissan is working with NASA on a new type of battery for electric vehicles that promises to charge quicker and be lighter yet safe, the Japanese automaker said Friday. The all-solid-state battery will replace the lithium-ion battery now in use for a 2028 product launch and a pilot plant launch in 2024, according to Nissan. The collaboration with the U.S. space program, as well as the University of California San Diego, involves the testing of various materials, Corporate Vice President Kazuhiro Doi told reporters.

A #MeToo crisis is raging in the Japanese film industry

Japan's Den rose two spots to clinch the title of Asia's best restaurant in 2022.

Asian shares have fallen as a resurgence of Russian attacks dashed hopes for any quick end to the war in Ukraine.

Two Ukrainian brothers have added a somber tone to their YouTube gaming channel popular with young Japanese by providing war updates from their country

Two Ukrainian brothers have added a somber tone to their YouTube gaming channel popular with young Japanese by providing war updates from their country.

People across Japan are celebrating the peak cherry blossom viewing season one week after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, triggering concerns of a possible virus resurgence.

Lawmakers approved the $8.6 billion, 5-year host-nation budget amid rising threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

Japan’s parliament has approved a new agreement with the United States, endorsing Japanese government spending in excess of $8 billion for hosting U.S. troops.

Dive team devastated after equipment stolen while in Atlanta

Asian stock markets have fallen after Western governments promised new sanctions on Russia.

Shareholders of embattled Japanese electronics and energy giant Toshiba Corp. have rejected a major restructuring plan.

“Ghostwire’s” greatest strength isn’t its supernatural scares or storyline, but its slice-of-life satire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a virtual address to Japan’s parliament, has called on the lawmakers to keep up sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine to pressure Moscow into seeking peace.

Japan’s government lifted a warning of potential blackouts for the Tokyo region as weather and conservation efforts improved, but the supply outlook still appears fragile with several coal-fired plants offline.

Japan’s government is alerting people in the Tokyo region they may face blackouts as power runs short after several coal-fired plants temporarily stopped generating electricity following an earthquake last week.

The online address extends work by the Ukrainian leader to rally international support against Russia's invasion of his country.

As it overturned precedent to follow the U.S. and Europe in imposing harsh sanctions to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, Japan said it scrambled fighter jets to intercept a helicopter -- thought to be Russian -- that entered its airspace. That fueled more sniping between Japan and Russia, which have been at odds over four small islands that lie between them since the end of World War II, preventing them from formally ending hostilities. The outbreak of war in Europe has turned rising tensions

The grievances over sexual slavery, forced labor and other abuses stemming from Japan's WW II-era colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula have strained Seoul-Tokyo relations in recent years.

Thirty years ago, South Korean Lee Yong-soo went public for the first time in describing how she was abducted from home at age 16 and forced to provide sex by Japan’s wartime military.

Tokyo school officials announced they are dropping controversial dress code policies for high school students, including those regulating hairstyles and underwear color and patterns. Around 200 schools run by the Tokyo metropolitan government will implement five changes to the rules at the start of the new academic year beginning on April 1, according to a Mainichi Shimbun report. The new changes will scrap long-held rules that prevented high school students from changing their hair color or wearing a “two-block,” a hairstyle that is long on top and short at the back and sides.

The British government has unveiled its online safety bill in Parliament, which is aimed at protecting internet users from harm.

Shares are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street extended a rally into a third day on Thursday.

Residents were cleaning their homes Thursday after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people

Residents were cleaning their homes Thursday after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people.

The powerful quake struck off the coast of Fukushima on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory and cutting power to more than 2 million Tokyo homes. No casualties have been reported so far.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima, the epicenter of the 2011 quake-borne tsunami and nuclear disaster.

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake has shaken off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan on Wednesday evening, triggering a tsunami advisory

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing two people.

Japan on Friday paid tribute to the victims and searched for the remains of those still missing from a massive earthquake and tsunami 11 years ago.

South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol says he will solidify an alliance with the United States, build a powerful military and sternly cope with North Korean provocations.

Tokyo’s stock benchmark soared 4% and other Asian markets have surged after oil prices dropped, easing fears inflation was set to accelerate.

State attorneys general have launched a nationwide investigation into TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health.

Toyota says it is suspending production at all 28 lines of its 14 plants in Japan because of a “system malfunction” that a domestic supplier suspects is a cyberattack.

The governors of four Rocky Mountain states say they will cooperate on developing ways to make hydrogen more available and useful as clean-burning fuel for cars, trucks and trains.

Japan will ease its tough COVID-19 border controls by increasing the number of people allowed to enter each day and reducing quarantine requirements following criticism that its current policy is unscientific and xenophobic.

Asian shares are higher, buoyed by hopes for a diplomatic solution instead of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street higher after Federal Reserve policymakers indicated they are leaning toward more decisive action on inflation but set no firm targets.

Kirin is selling its China joint venture to an investment fund, shortly after the Japanese beer and beverage maker decided to pull out of Myanmar, where it had a beer brewery.