Tag: Japan

Germany dumped out of World Cup as Japan stun Spain

by John WEAVER Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Germany suffered a second straight group-stage exit at the World Cup on Thursday as Japan stunned Spain 2-1, a result which sent both teams through to the last 16. The Germans were the reigning champions when they crashed out in the first round four years ago in Russia and they were eliminated in repeat fashion in Qatar despite beating Costa Rica 4-2. Germany fell behind after […]

Japan PM wants defense budget to reach 2% of GDP by 2027

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has told his cabinet to increase defense spending to two percent of GDP by 2027, up from a longstanding level of around one percent. Kishida announced the plan to his defense and finance ministers late Monday, as Japan overhauls its defense and security strategies to address growing threats from China as well as the changing geopolitical landscape after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In August, the defense […]

Japan, US held military drills after N. Korea missile: Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan and the United States held joint military drills in the airspace over the Sea of Japan after North Korea fired a missile on Friday, Tokyo defence officials said. The announcement came after Japan said the ballistic missile was believed to have landed in waters within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) west of Hokkaido. The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan’s coastline, beyond the limits of […]

Japan inflation hits four-decade high in October

Tokyo, Japan (AFP) by Katie Forster / Mathias CENA Japanese inflation hit a four-decade high last month, government data showed Friday, fuelled by high energy costs and a weak yen and ramping up pressure on the central bank to move away from its ultra-loose monetary policies. Core consumer prices excluding volatile fresh food rose 3.6 percent on-year in October, marginally higher than analyst expectations. The reading marked the fastest pace since 1982, although it remains […]

Japan PM says N. Korean missile fell in exclusive economic waters

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A suspected intercontinental ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Friday is believed to have fallen in Japan’s exclusive economic waters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. Kishida called the launch “absolutely unacceptable”, saying there had been no reports of damage to ships or aircraft. “The ballistic missile launched by North Korea is believed to have landed in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) west of Hokkaido,” Kishida told reporters in Bangkok, […]

Japan PM to meet China’s Xi in Bangkok on Thursday

  Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday at an APEC gathering in Bangkok, Tokyo’s top government spokesman said Monday. “Prime Minister Kishida is scheduled to hold a Japan-China summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 17th, on the occasion of the APEC summit,” Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. The leaders spoke on the phone in October 2021 after Kishida’s election, but […]

URGENT: 6.1-magnitude quake strikes off central Japan, no tsunami advisory

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Around 5:14 PM a magnitude 6.1 #earthquake struck the coast of #Mie prefecture #Japan. Tremors were felt as far away as #Ibaraki and #Fukushima. No tsunami advisory has been issued. U.S. citizens in the area should monitor local media for information and train and travel delays. pic.twitter.com/5rkLRTv6Fa — U.S. Embassy Tokyo, ACS (@ACSTokyo) November 14, 2022 Earthquake of Magnitude:6.1, Occurred on 14-11-2022, 13:38:26 IST, Lat: 33.75 & Long: 137.41, Depth: […]

Mazda pulls out of Russia joint venture over Ukraine war

  Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japanese carmaker Mazda said Thursday it is pulling out of its joint venture in Russia because of the war in Ukraine, having ceased operations in the country earlier this year. Mazda stopped shipping parts to Russia in March and ended operations the following month “due to the situation in Ukraine that arose in February 2022”, it said in a statement. The company said it signed an agreement last month […]

Japan warns some to shelter after North Korea missile launch

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan warned residents of three regions to take shelter Thursday morning after a North Korean missile launch, with the government saying the missile flew over the country. The prime minister’s office said a missile flew over Japan at around 7:48 am, but national broadcaster NHK said subsequently that officials were analysing the possibility that the missile did not, in fact, travel over the country. It came after another missile fired […]

DEVELOPING STORY: North Korea fires ‘unidentified ballistic missile’, Seoul’s military says

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea fired at least one “unidentified ballistic missile” Thursday, Seoul’s military said, with Tokyo saying it appeared to have flown over Japan, as they urged residents in some areas to take shelter. “North Korea fires unidentified ballistic missile towards East Sea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. The launch comes a day after Pyongyang fired more than […]

Japan to unveil huge economic package to address inflation

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan is on Friday expected to announce an economic stimulus package that local media said could be worth $200 billion to cushion the impact of inflation and a weak yen. Prices are rising in the world’s third-largest economy at the highest rate in eight years, although its three-percent inflation remains below the sky-high levels seen in the United States and elsewhere. The yen has also lost over 20 percent of […]