Page 16 - Japan

Rajnath Singh meets Japanese counterpart to bolster defence, strategic ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met with his Japanese counterpart Yasukazu Hamada and said the bilateral special strategic and global partnership between the two countries plays a crucial role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. Singh, who is on the last leg of his five-day visit to Mongolia and Japan, met Japan's Minister of Defence Hamada here. "Reviewed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation and regional affairs during the bilateral meeting with Japan's Minister of Defence, Mr Yasukazu Hamada in Tokyo today. This year marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries," Singh tweeted. "India and Japan pursue a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. India's defence partnership with Japan will play a crucial role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo Pacific region," he tweeted. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the

Australian PM, 3 former PMs to attend Shinzo Abe's state funeral on Sept 27

Australia will be represented by its government leader plus three former leaders at Shinzo Abe's state funeral this month in an extraordinary mark of respect for Japan's longest-serving prime minister. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday that former Prime Ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull would join Australia's official delegation. The former prime ministers had all worked with Abe during his two terms in office from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020, Albanese said. Scott Morrison, who led the Australian government from 2018 until the May election, is the only surviving conservative former prime minister who will not be part of the delegation. Albanese, whose centre-left Labour Party came to power in May, will be in Japan from Sept. 26 to 28. Mr. Abe was a remarkable leader, a catalyst for change in Japan and the region, a true friend of Australia, Albanese said in a statement. Under Mr. Abe's leadership, Australia and Japan deepened our econom

Resilient US dollar soars to 24-year high vs yen, 37-year peak vs sterling

A Northern California sheriff's deputy has turned himself in to law enforcement after he was accused in the fatal slaying of a husband and wife in their home early on Wednesday, authorities said.

Global stocks fall on Fed rate hike bets, yen drops to 24-year low

European stock markets opened in the red on Wednesday after US economic data prompted traders to ramp up Federal Reserve rate hikes bets, pushing the dollar to a 24-year high against the Japanese yen

Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar to visit Japan for 2+2 bilateral dialogue: MEA

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Japan this week to attend the next edition of '2+2' dialogue with their Japanese counterparts, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday. It said the two sides will further explore new initiatives to strengthen the bilateral partnership. "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh an External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Japan for the second India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Meeting from September 7-10," the MEA said in a statement. "During the visit, the ministers will also hold the Defence Ministerial Meeting and Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with their counterparts, Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi respectively," it said. The MEA said India-Japan special strategic and global partnership is based on shared values of democracy, freedom and respect for rule of law. Singh began a visit to Mongolia on Monday and he wi

Japan's yen skids past 142 per dollar, sterling clings onto early gains

The dollar climbed 1.07% on the yen to 142.1, a fresh 24-year high. The dollar is up 23% against the Japanese currency so far this year

Russia cancels visa-free travel for Japanese to disputed islands

Russia has terminated an agreement with Tokyo on facilitating visits by Japanese citizens to the four disputed Pacific islands, a government order showed.

South Korea expected to become world's most aged country in 2044, says data

The proportion of senior citizens in South Korea is forecast to account for 36.7 per cent of the total population in 2044, outstripping the world's most aged country of Japan with 36.5 per cent

Powerful typhoon lashes Japan's Okinawa islands; evacuation ordered

Powerful typhoon Hinnamnor arrived in the south of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, resulting in orders for residents of three municipalities to evacuate

Defence Minister Rajnath to begin 5-day visit to Mongolia, Japan on Monday

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a five-day visit to Mongolia and Japan beginning Monday with an aim to expand India's defence and security ties with the two countries. In Japan, Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will join their Japanese counterparts under the framework of '2+2' foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday. Singh will visit Mongolia from September 5 to 7 while his tour of Japan will be from September 8-9. It is learnt that the '2+2' dialogue is planned for September 8. The dialogue is taking place over five months after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India for the annual India-Japan summit. At the summit in New Delhi, Kishida announced an investment target of five trillion Yen (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India over the next five years. In the 2+2 dialogue, the two sides are expected to deliberate on ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence and security .

Japan experiences 2nd hottest summer on record since 2010, says report

Japan's weather agency on Saturday said the country has just experienced its second-hottest summer on record, after seeing record-breaking temperatures

Japan to raise daily arrivals' entry cap to 50,000 from Sept 7: Report

The Japanese government has been steadily easing its strict border controls, which for a long time were the most rigid among the G7 major developed nations

$790 bn sought for Japan's fiscal 2023 budget, defence spending to rise

The budget requests for fiscal 2023, which starts next April, marked the first drop in five years from the record high of the fiscal 2022 initial budget of 111.66 trillion yen

Japan declares 'war' on the humble floppy disk in new digital push

"We will be reviewing these practices swiftly," Kono said in a press conference, who added that PM Fumio Kishida has offered his full support. "Where does one even buy a floppy disk these days?"

Super typhoon near Japan's Okinawa is year's strongest storm

Super typhoon Hinnamnor, currently several hundred kilometers to the east of Okinawa, is expected to skirt the Japanese islands this weekend, according to a forecast from Japan Meteorological Agency

Japan regulator to enhance bank surveillance as foreign interest rates rise

The current round of aggressive foreign interest rate rises has caught major Japanese banks off guard

Toyota Motor to invest $5.3 bn in Japan, US for EV battery supply

In addition, about $2.5 billion will be invested in Toyota Battery Manufacturing in North Carolina

Japan calls for $24 bn investment to boost battery competitiveness

It added to those April-announced targets on Wednesday with the recruitment and 3.4 trillion yen ($24.55 billion) investment goals

Japan PM Kishida apologizes for party's church links, will cut ties

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says his ruling party will cut ties with the Unification Church following a widening scandal trigged by former leader Shinzo Abe's assassination last month. Widespread cozy ties between members of Kishida governing Liberal Democratic Party and the church have surfaced since Abe was shot to death while giving a campaign speech in July. The suspect arrested at the scene allegedly told police he killed Abe because of his apparent link to the church. Dozens of LDP members have since acknowledged their ties to the church and related organisations. Kishida shuffled his Cabinet earlier in August to purge seven ministers linked to the groups, but more ministers and their aides have since admitted their ties. Kishida also apologised over the loss of public trust in politics because of the scandal and his lack of explanation for hosting a state funeral for Abe.

US NSA to hold trilateral dialogue with Japan, South Korea on Sept 1

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will hold a trilateral dialogue with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea in Hawaii on September 1, the White House announced Tuesday. The meeting assumes significance amidst the growing tension in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly with China engaging in security drills following the Taiwan visit of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Sullivan, Japan's National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo, and Republic of Korea's Director of the National Security Office Kim Sung-han will meet at the Headquarters of the United States Indo-Pacific Command in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 1, the White House said. "The officials will meet bilaterally on August 31. After the bilateral meeting, Sullivan will visit the United States Indo-Pacific Command to discuss our alliances in defense of the free and open Indo-Pacific," the media announcement said.