Tag: Japan

Japan PM sends offering to controversial Yasukuni shrine

    TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine for war dead on Monday (October 17) to mark the annual autumn festival of the shrine. The shrine is seen in China and the two Koreas as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. Past visits by Japanese leaders to Yasukuni have outraged Beijing and Seoul because it honors 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as […]

Motorcycling: Zarco takes Moto2 Japan Prix pole

Motegi, Japan  (AFP) — Defending Moto2 world champion Johann Zarco secured pole position for Sunday’s Japan Grand Prix for the category after earning a new circuit record in qualifying on Saturday. The French rider, who is also leading this season with 202 points, clocked 1min 49.961sec, the best ever lap at Twin Ring Motegi circuit, which was 0.067sec faster than Thomas Luthi and 0.356sec faster than Franco Morbidelli who will share the front row. Alex Rins, […]

Japan’s prime minister meets his Mongolian counterpart, calling on stronger ties

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat agreed to strengthen ties during a bilateral talk held on Friday (October 14) in Tokyo. This is Erdenebat’s first visit to a foreign country after taking office. He was welcomed at the Japanese Prime Minister’s office with a full honour guard review before sitting down for talks. “During our bilateral back in July in Ulaanbaatar, Prime Minister Erdenebat and I […]

Powerful typhoon Chaba barrels toward Japan

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Authorities issued storm and heavy rain warnings on Wednesday as powerful typhoon Chaba barrelled toward Japan, after it hit a South Korean resort island causing flight cancellations and flooding streets. The violent storm was moving north-northeast off the Tsushima islets chain near Japan’s southern Kyushu, packing gusts of up to 180 kilometres (110 miles) per hour, Japan’s weather agency said. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings for gusts, heavy rains, high […]

Toyota unveils mini robot to interact with Japan’s lonely

  (Reuters) — Toyota Motors will begin selling the KIROBO mini robot in Japan next year, potentially appealing to an ageing, shrinking population where human interactions for some have decreased. Although project manager and engineer Fuminori Kataoka says KIROBO mini isn’t targeting a specific demographic, its sale comes at a time when official data showed that Japan has 34.6 million people aged 65 and older, or 27.3 percent of the population – the highest proportion […]

Powerful typhoon closing in on southern Japan

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A powerful typhoon was heading for Japan’s southernmost Okinawa island chain on Monday, packing powerful winds that forced flight cancellations. The “very strong” storm is set to hit the subtropical islands later in the day, packing gusts of up to 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour, Japan’s weather agency said. The storm was some 270 kilometres south of the Okinawan capital Naha early Monday, moving in a north-northeasterly direction, the Japan […]

China warns Japan not to ‘play with fire’ in S. China Sea

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Thursday warned Japan against “playing with fire” in the contested waters of the South China Sea, after Tokyo announced it may patrol alongside the US in the region. China also sent fighter planes for the first time over a strait near Japan on Monday as part of a group of more than 40 jets headed to train in the West Pacific. The move followed remarks by Japanese Defence Minister […]

Spotify launches Japan streaming with karaoke twist

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Online music giant Spotify said Thursday it is launching a streaming service in Japan with a karaoke twist, the world’s second-biggest music market but one still dominated by compact discs. Sweden-based Spotify said it will offer a free service with advertising and an ad-free 980 yen ($9.70)-per-month version with around 40 million song titles. “The Japanese market is very different” from other markets, and “we want to make sure Spotify here […]

Undersea quake measuring 6.4 magnitude strikes southeast of Tokyo: USGS

  (REUTERS) A strong undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 struck southeast of Tokyo on Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. There was no tsunami warning issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii. Japan’s weather agency said there could be slight changes in the sea level but no damage to Japan. The quake’s epicenter was 226 kms (138 miles) southeast of the Japanese capital at a shallow depth of 10 […]

Strong 6.4 quake hits eastern Japan: USGS

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A strong earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Japan on Friday, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The shallow 6.4 magnitude quake hit at 09:14 am (0014 GMT), about 150 kilometres (90 miles) east-southeast of Katsuura city, the US Geological Survey said. There was no threat of a tsunami, added the Japan Meteorological Agency, which measured it at a slightly higher 6.5 magnitude. Japan sits at […]

Abe becomes first Japanese leader to visit Communist-ruled Cuba

  (REUTERS)   Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the first Japanese leader to visit Communist-ruled Cuba on Thursday, landing in Havana to hold talks with Cuban President Raul Castro on topics from boosting trade to curbing North Korea’s nuclear program. Abe’s visit to the Caribbean island is one of a slew by western leaders since it began normalizing ties with the United States nearly two years ago. U.S. President Barack Obama visited Cuba in March. […]

Typhoon Malakas slams Japan leaving south waterlogged

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A powerful typhoon ripped into southern Japan Tuesday, dumping torrential rains on the region that left some communities partially submerged and forced dozens of flights to be cancelled. Typhoon Malakas made landfall in the southernmost main island of Kyushu shortly after midnight (1500 GMT), packing winds of up to 180 kilometres (112 miles) per hour, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Television footage from public broadcaster NHK showed houses, cars and rice fields […]