Japan

January 20, 2025 8:51 PM

India and Japan strengthen bilateral ties in Washington DC meeting

India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on January 19, in Washington, DC. This meeting was their second in-person interaction, following their previous discussion during the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Italy in November 2024. Minister Jaishankar shared the update on X, saying, “Good to meet with FM Takeshi Iwaya of Japan. Reviewed the progress in our bilateral cooperation. Also discussed developments pertaining to Quad.�...

January 13, 2025 7:16 PM

Magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits southern Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck the Kyushu region of southern Japan on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Tsunami advisories for waves of a maximum height of 1 metre were issued for the southern prefectures of Miyazaki and Kochi. A 20-centimetre tsunami was later recorded reaching Miyazaki city, public broadcaster NHK reported. The city - the prefectural capital - has a population of roughly 400,000 people. There were no abnormalities reported at the Ikata ...

December 27, 2024 2:56 PM

Osamu Suzuki, who led Japanese automaker into India, dies at 94

Osamu Suzuki, an ingenious pennypincher who led Japan's Suzuki Motor for more than four decades and played a key role in turning India into a flourishing auto market, has died aged 94. He died on Christmas Day of lymphoma, said the company, which he steered ambitiously, during his time as either chief executive or chairman, out of its primary market of minivehicles. The inexpensive, boxy, 660-cc cars specific to Japan benefited from generous tax breaks, but demanded a stringent reining-in of c...

December 24, 2024 3:18 PM

Japan aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2035 vs 2013 levels

Japan's environment and industry ministries on Tuesday finalised a plan to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 60% from 2013 levels by 2035, up from its 2030 goal of a 46% cut. The move follows the Biden administration's new U.S. target under the Paris climate agreement to slash GHG emissions by 61%-66% below 2005 levels by 2035, a goal officials called achievable by states even if President-elect Donald Trump reverses federal policies. In November, Japanese ministries unveiled a draft plan ...

December 24, 2024 8:47 AM

Yamanashi Governor praises India’s legacy, invites UP CM Yogi Adityanath to visit Japan

Governor of Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, Kotaro Nagasaki, expressed his admiration for India during his meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, highlighting the strong diplomatic and historical ties between the two nations. "I have deep respect for your country - the crater of human civilisations and the world's largest democracy," Nagasaki stated. "Since the establishment of diplomatic relations over 70 years ago, India has been one of Japan's closest friends. In...

December 18, 2024 11:30 AM

Japan’s Space One Kairos rocket fails minutes after liftoff

Japan's Space One terminated the flight of its Kairos small rocket shortly after liftoff on Wednesday, marking the end of its second attempt in nine months to become the country's first company to deliver a satellite to space. It is the latest in a series of recent setbacks for Japanese rocket development, even as the government looks to boost the domestic space industry and is targeting 30 rocket launches annually by the early 2030s. Authorities are pushing to make Japan Asia's space transpor...

November 18, 2024 1:40 PM

India to host anti-doping training in collaboration with World Anti-Doping Agency and Japan’s support

India will host a 4-day Global Learning and Development Framework (GLDF) Results Management Training in collaboration with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in New Delhi from November 19 to November 22. The training, which is being organized by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) India will be in collaboration with WADA and with the support from the Japan Sports Agency (JSA) and Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA). The four-day training see participation of anti-doping professionals and exper...

November 17, 2024 1:37 PM

Australia, Japan, US reaffirm commitment to support India’s maritime surveillance in Indo-Pacific

Australia, Japan, and the United States on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to support India’s maritime surveillance efforts in the Indo-Pacific region while recognising the importance of closer collaboration in the field. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Japanese Defence Minister Nakatani Gen, and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin III convened the fourteenth Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting (TDMM) on Sunday in Darwin, Australia. “We commit ...

November 11, 2024 2:52 PM

Japan PM Ishiba survives parliament vote as Trump looms large

Japanese lawmakers voted on Monday for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to stay on as leader, after his scandal-tarnished coalition lost its parliamentary majority in a lower house election last month. Ishiba, who called the snap poll after taking office on Oct. 1, must now run a fragile minority government as protectionist Donald Trump returns to office in main ally the United States, tension rises with rivals China and North Korea, and domestic pressure mounts to rein in the cost of living. His...

October 17, 2024 12:48 PM

Japan’s ruling LDP at risk of losing majority in election, polls show

Japan's ruling party may lose its majority in the lower house, according to media polling ahead of the Oct. 27 election, meaning it would likely have to rely on coalition partner Komeito to stay in power. The Liberal Democratic Party may not reach the 233 seats it needs for an outright majority in the 465-seat chamber, the Nikkei newspaper said on Thursday. The LDP has held sole control of the chamber since it returned to power in 2012 after three years in opposition. In a separate poll by Jij...