Category: Japan

Verstappen Takes 2nd Straight Drivers’ Title With Japan Win

SUZUKA, Japan—Max Verstappen is now a two-time Formula One world champion, both titles awarded under bizarre and unprecedented circumstances long after he crossed the finish line. The Red Bull driver won the rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday and didn’t learn he was champion until F1’s governing body penalized Charles Leclerc after the race. “The…


Ukraine Declares That It Recognizes Japan’s Claim to ‘Russian-Occupied’ Kuril Islands

Ukraine’s government has declared its support for Japan regarding its claim to the disputed Kuril Islands, which have been under Russian control since 1945. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had signed a decree recognizing Japan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the Kuril Islands, following a debate in the Ukrainian parliament on Friday. “Ukraine…


Japan’s Foreign Reserves Drop by Record on Market Shakeout, FX Intervention

TOKYO—Japan’s foreign reserves fell by a record $54 billion in September, official data showed on Friday, as global market ructions dented the value of foreign bonds and prompted dollar-selling intervention to arrest a steep decline in the yen. The reserves stood at $1.238 trillion at the end of September, the lowest amount since the end…


US, Philippines Begin Large-Scale Joint Military Drills to Bolster Defense Ties

The Philippines and U.S. marines have launched two weeks of joint naval exercise to bolster military ties, with Japan and South Korea participating in the drill as “observers” for the first time. The Kamandag 6 is being held in the Philippines islands of Luzon, Batanes, and Palawan from Oct. 3 to Oct. 14. It involved…


Japan Government Calls on Myanmar to Release Journalist

Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki Thursday called for the immediate release of a Japanese journalist detained in Myanmar. A court in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced Toru Kubota to prison after he filmed an anti-government protest in July, a Japanese diplomat and the Southeast Asian nation’s government said on Thursday. Kubota was sentenced Wednesday to seven…


Burma Sentences Japanese Journalist to Prison on 2 Charges

BANGKOK—A court in military-ruled Burma (also known as Myanmar) has sentenced a Japanese journalist to serve seven years in prison after he filmed an anti-government protest in July, a Japanese diplomat and the Southeast Asian nation’s government said Thursday. Toru Kubota was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years for violating the electronic transactions law and…


US, Japan Hold Joint Military Drills in Response to North Korean Missile Launch

The United States and Japan on Tuesday deployed fighter jets for joint exercises in response to North Korea’s test firing of a ballistic missile over Japan. The drills were held in airspace west of Japan’s Kyushu region, involving eight Japanese fighter jets and four U.S. fighter jets, according to Japan’s Joint Staff. In a statement…


Japan Warns Citizens to Shelter After Reports North Korean Missile Fired

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Tuesday that reportedly passed over Japan at around 7.29 a.m. local time, according to Japanese officials. South Korea also reported observing North Korea firing a missile. The Japanese government issued alerts warning citizens in the Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures to take shelter amid reports of a suspected missile launch….


Japan’s Business Mood Worsens as Costs Cloud Outlook

TOKYO—Japanese manufacturers’ business mood worsened in the three months to September and corporate inflation expectations hit a record high, a central bank survey showed, as stubbornly high material costs clouded the outlook for the fragile economy. Corporate capital expenditure plans for the current fiscal year stayed strong, the Bank of Japan’s “tankan” survey showed, thanks…


US, South Korea, Japan Stage Trilateral Anti-Submarine Drills Following North Korean Missile Tests

The United States, South Korea, and Japan launched their first trilateral anti-submarine drills in five years on Sept. 30, just a day after North Korea launched its third ballistic missile test this week. The drills were held in waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, involving the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, Japan’s…