Japan | DD News

April 23, 2026 10:51 AM

India, Japan hold first AI Strategic Dialogue in Mumbai to boost tech cooperation

India and Japan on Tuesday held their inaugural Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategic Dialogue in Mumbai, marking a significant step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation in emerging technologies and digital innovation. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the dialogue was co-chaired by Amit A. Shukla, MEA Joint Secretary (Cyber Diplomacy) and Hanada Takahiro, Deputy Assistant Minister for Cyber Security at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials from various ministri...

April 20, 2026 4:35 PM

Major 7.5-magnitude quake hits off Japan, triggers tsunami warnings

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (10 ft) were expected. Two hours after the tremor, which struck at 4:52 p.m. (0752 GMT), tsunami waves as high as 80 cm had been detected, though warnings remained for possible bigger waves at the top of Japan's main Honshu island, and the northern Hokkaido region. There were no immediate reports ...

April 16, 2026 2:41 PM

Rattled by Trump, US allies eye Japan’s biggest arms opening since WW2

Japan's imminent easing of arms export rules has sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, Reuters reporting found, as President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain U.S. weapons supplies. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country's military industrial base. Her government will formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese governmen...

April 15, 2026 9:56 PM

Finance ministers, stung by hit to economies, call for full Iran war ceasefire

Finance ministers from almost a dozen countries led by Britain called on the U.S., Israel and Iran to implement their ceasefire in full on Wednesday and said the conflict would weigh on the global economy and markets even if it was resolved soon. A joint statement, signed by the finance ministers from Australia, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, Ireland, Poland and New Zealand as well as Britain, was agreed a day after the International Monetary Fund cut its global economi...

April 13, 2026 4:19 PM

ASEAN foreign ministers urge US and Iran to push for permanent resolution

ASEAN foreign ministers called on Monday for the United States and Iran to continue negotiating a permanent end to their conflict, and to implement the ceasefire fully and effectively. The ministers, who met virtually to discuss the war in the Middle East, also called for the restoration of safe, unimpeded and continuous passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz. Beyond immediate security concerns, ASEAN highlighted the broader implications of the conflict on regional stability, ...

March 22, 2026 7:00 PM

Japan signals possible minesweeping role in hormuz after ceasefire

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has indicated that Tokyo may consider deploying its Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, but only if a ceasefire is reached in the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Speaking on a television programme, Motegi said, “Japan’s minesweeping technology is at the top level in the world,” adding, “Let’s say a ceasefire is in place, and if mines become an obstacle, we may have to think...

March 21, 2026 1:44 PM

Iran ready to let Japanese vessels transit Hormuz, Kyodo reports

Iran is ready to let Japanese-related vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies, Kyodo news reported, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Tehran has started talks with Tokyo, including with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, about possibly opening the strait, Araqchi told the Japanese news agency in a phone interview on Friday. Japan's foreign and trade ministries and the Prime Minister's Office did not pick up calls from Reuters on Saturday ...

March 20, 2026 10:17 AM

Trump calls for Japan, NATO to ‘step up’ on Iran as oil prices bite

President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to "step up" as he pressed allies for more support over the war with Iran and rising oil prices, while defending the secrecy of the campaign by invoking Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Trump, who greeted Takaichi with hugs at the White House, heaped praise on the leader of Washington's closest ally in East Asia during an Oval Office meeting where the expected topics of discussion included tense relations ...

March 13, 2026 3:31 PM

Japan to join Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ project, expects missile requests

Japan will inform the U.S. next week that it intends to join the "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative and expects that Washington may seek its help with missile production due to the Middle East war and other conflicts, two sources said. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will announce the latest plan when she meets U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. at a leaders' summit on March 19, the Japanese government sources said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Tru...

March 11, 2026 1:39 PM

Hormuz disruption threatens global oil supplies

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy routes, is facing severe disruption as tensions escalate in West Asia. The narrow waterway lies between Iran to the north and the Musandam Peninsula to the south, a territory shared by Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Stretching about 178 kilometres in length and narrowing to roughly 39 kilometres at its tightest point, the strait carries around 20 million barrels of oil each day under normal conditions. That accounts for nearly o...