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☆ Japan Hosts Ukraine Reconstruction Meeting, Pledges New Tax Treaty
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Sakura MurakamiTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan hosted Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Monday in Tokyo to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine, pledging a new bilateral tax treaty and other support for Japanese businesses as the Ukraine war rages on. "Japan has stood with and continues to stand with Ukraine," Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a speech opening the talks, during which he announced a new bilateral tax treaty and the start of negotiations for an investment treaty without giving details. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, Japan has pledged more than $10 billion worth of financial aid, as it seeks to show solidarity with Kyiv's war effort. He added that he hoped to see major carmakers, including Toyota, create production facilities in Ukraine. At the reconstruction meeting, Kishida said Japan would support venture capital companies in Ukraine, pledged an easing of visa controls, and said government agency JETRO would open a new office in Kyiv.

Persons: Sakura Murakami TOKYO, Denys Shmyhal, Fumio Kishida, Shmyhal, Kishida, JETRO, Sakura Murakami, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Ukrainian, Toyota Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ One Month on From Japan Quake, Volunteers Provide Safe Space for Kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SUZU, Japan (Reuters) - One month on from a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck the west coast of Japan, volunteers from non-profit organisation Katariba play cards and other games with children in a Suzu city school classroom. Some of kids are still living in evacation centres, where it is difficult to play. Others have parents who are busy trying to deal with the task of rebuilding homes and livelihoods since the quake, so it's important to provide children with a safe place, says Katariba member Yoshiki Itashiki. After her daughter was temporarily evacuated to a different city, the service made it easier for her to come back. More than 13,600 people in Ishikawa prefecture where Suzu city is located are still living in evacuation centres.

Persons: Yoshiki Itashiki, Kanako, Sakura Murakami, Tom Bateman, Edwina Gibbs Locations: SUZU, Japan, evacation, Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

☆ Japan Earthquake Survivors Battle Unsanitary Conditions With No Running Water
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Sakura Murakami and Tom BatemanSUZU, Japan (Reuters) - A month on from a huge earthquake that struck Japan's west coast, survivors are battling freezing and unsanitary conditions while tens of thousands of homes remain without running water. More than 230 people died in the magnitude 7.6 quake, Japan's deadliest in eight years, which also left 44,000 homes fully or partially destroyed while 40,000 have no running water. More than 13,000 residents are living in evacuation centres, according to the Ishikawa government. Bitter cold is also posing a challenge, especially for scores of residents who are sleeping in their cars after their homes were wrecked. Over 900 deaths from the devastating Kobe earthquake of 1995 happened after the quake, due in part to the spread of flu and lack of medical care at evacuation centres, according to public health experts.

Persons: Sakura Murakami, Tom Bateman SUZU, Yoshio Binsaki, Ishikawa, Chisa, Terashita, Tom Bateman, Edmund Klamann Locations: Japan, Ishikawa prefecture, Suzu, Kobe

☆ Japan to stop building unabated coal power plants, PM Kishida tells COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan will stop building new coal power plants that do not have emission reduction measures in place, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on Friday. "In line with its pathway to net-zero, Japan will end new construction of domestic unabated coal power plants, while securing a stable energy supply," Kishida said. Japan will also try to decrease its reliance on currently operational coal plants, he said, without elaborating further. The official, who declined to be named, said Japan may build abated coal power plants should the technology emerge. About 25% of Japan's electricity was generated by nuclear power in 2010, a year before a giant earthquake and tsunami caused a triple-core meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and initially displaced some 470,000 people.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Al Sudani, Kishida, Ember, Sakura Murakami, Ekaterina Golubkova Organizations: Japan's, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Japan, United States, China, India, Tokyo

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a family photo during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. They also pledged to hold high-level dialogue on economic issues and welcomed the launch of a framework to discuss export controls as they met on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. In a joint statement in 2008, Japan and China agreed to pursue a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" designed to ensure frequent leadership exchanges on issues such as security and economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Kishida has also met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their seventh meeting this year. Leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are in San Francisco for its 30th summit from Nov. 15-17.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Kishida, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Rumi Aoyama, Aoyama, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, Ethan Wang, Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Asia, Astellas Pharma, ., Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese, APEC, South, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, San Francisco, Japan, Taiwan, Beijing, United States, Tokyo

China detained the executive, named in several media reports as Hiroshi Nishiyama, on suspicion of espionage in March, and he was formally arrested last month. Japan's then foreign minister protested the executive's detention with his Chinese counterpart on a visit to Beijing in April. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Half the respondents in a recent survey of Japanese companies doing business in China said they would cut investments this year. It's a very difficult point in time to be navigating that as a decision maker, in business or politics," he said.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Rahm Emanuel, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Japan's, Xi, Masashi Mizobuchi, Nishiyama, Takeshi Niinami, Niinami, Stefan Angrick, Yukiko Toyoda, Kiyoshi Takenaka, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Francis Tang, Laurie Chen, Antoni Slodkowski, Andrew Silver, Lincoln Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Kyodo, drugmaker Astellas Pharma, APEC, Reuters, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Japan Association of Corporate, Suntory, Moody's Analytics, Thomson Locations: Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, TOKYO, BEIJING, China, San Francisco, Tokyo, U.S, Japan, Beijing, officialdom, Shanghai

☆ Japan-led navy exercise starts with Philippines observing for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

F-35C stealth jet sits on deck of USS Carl Vinson in the Western Pacific, south of Japan, November 30, 2021. REUTERS/Tim Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsABOARD USS CARL VINSON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Japan's navy on Saturday announced the start of a joint annual military exercise, with the Philippines observing the operations for the first time as the two countries seek closer maritime cooperation. The Japan-led Annualex exercise started on Friday with operations conducted by the naval forces of the United States, Australia and Canada, with the Philippines attending as an observer, Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force Vice Admiral Akira Saito told reporters. Last week, Japan said it would provide radar systems to the Philippines to bolster its security. So I'm thrilled that Japan invited the Philippines to observe this year," Vice Admiral of the U.S.

Persons: Carl Vinson, Tim Kelly, CARL VINSON, Akira Saito, Saito, I'm, U.S . Seventh Fleet Karl Thomas, Sakura Murakami, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Saturday, Self, Defence Force, U.S . Seventh Fleet, East China, South China, Thomson Locations: Pacific, Japan, Philippines, United States, Australia, Canada, U.S, China, East, South

The statement gave no details of options being discussed if the Hamas militant group is ousted from Gaza as the result of an ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. Israel has so far been vague about its long-term plans for Gaza. Diplomats in Washington, the United Nations, the Middle East and beyond have also started weighing the options. The statement will present the G7's "united stance" on the Middle East situation, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday. The G7 group of wealthy, industrialised nations is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, with the European Union also participating in the talks.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Eli Cohen, Hirokazu Matsuno, Netanyahu, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Foreign, Group, Wall Street Journal, Union, Gaza, Diplomats, United Nations, Reuters, European Union, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, TOKYO, Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, Israel, Ukraine, China, Washington, Palestinian, United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy

[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: People hold a rally to protest against Israel's attack on Gaza near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, Japan October 16, 2023. From the beginning of the conflict, Japan has sought a "balanced" response, in part due to its diverse diplomatic interests in the region and its dependency on the Middle East for oil. A spokesperson for Japan's foreign ministry said it was expected that countries have different positions, but denied that G7 members were struggling to find common ground. A statement issued by G7 trade ministers from a meeting in Osaka late last month did not mention the war. Other group members have issued joint statements.

Persons: Issei Kato, Thomas Gomart, Koichiro Tanaka, Hideaki Shinoda, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Kunihiko Miyake, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, David Brunstromm, Steve Scherer, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Japan, European Union, French Institute of International Relations, Israel, Health, Hamas, Tokyo's Keio University, United Nations, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Canon Institute for Global Studies, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United, Israel, United States, Osaka, Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Washington, Ottawa

☆ Japan PM Kishida: cooperating with Philippines, US to protect South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"In the South China Sea, trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is under way," Kishida, on an official visit, said in an address before the Philippine congress in the capital Manila. Last month China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in the disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Japan does not have any claim to the South China Sea, but has a maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea. "Japan will continue to contribute to the enhancement of the Philippines' security capabilities, thereby contributing to regional peace and stability," Kishida said.

Persons: Fumio, Aaron Favila, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, China's, Kishida, Karen Lema, Sakura Murakami, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Official Security, Kyodo, Philippine Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: Quezon City, Philippines, Rights MANILA, United States, South China, China, Philippine, Manila, Kishida, Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, East, Tokyo

☆ Japan to provide $65 million additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa arrives to a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Japan will provide $65 million in additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians out of concern over the conflict in Gaza, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said during a tour of Israel and Jordan on Friday. Speaking to reporters in Jordan after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, Kamikawa also said Japan was planning to provide material aid to war-torn Gaza. Kamikawa refrained from commenting on whether Israel's strikes on Gaza was within the limits of international law, but said that actors must comply with the spirit of protecting human rights and not cause needless civilian deaths. Reporting by Sakura Murakami; editing by David Evans and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Jordan, Eli Cohen, Riyad al, Kamikawa, Japan's, Cohen, Maliki, Lebanon's, Sakura Murakami, David Evans, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: New York, Japan, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Tokyo, Lebanon's Iran

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa waits for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrive for a meeting, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday she would meet Palestinian counterparts during a visit to Israel and Jordan, and would communicate Japan's readiness to provide aid to the Palestinians. The minister, Yoko Kamikawa, is also set to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during her two-day trip from Friday, as the crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel conducted a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and as foreigners, including Japanese nationals, leave. Speaking to reporters before her departure, she acknowledged the Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and that many civilians had been killed in the attack. She said Japan would remain in touch with one Japanese national living in Gaza who wished to remain there and did not evacuate.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Eli Cohen, Israel, Kamikawa, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Chang, Ran Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Rights, Israeli, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: New York, Israel, Jordan, Gaza, Egypt, Japan

☆ Suspected gunman takes hostages in Japanese post office - authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A suspected gunman took at least two people hostage in a post office in Japan after wounding two other people in a shooting at a hospital, authorities and media said on Tuesday. At least two female post office workers in their 20s and 30s were taken hostage, local media reported. Two people were injured at the hospital, media reported. Images broadcast on television showed a man wearing a track suit top and white shirt standing just inside the post office brandishing what looked like a pistol. There were just nine shooting incidents last year, according to the national police agency, of which six were related to criminal gangs.

Persons: Shinzo Abe, Sugiyama Satoshi, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Christian Schmollinger, Ed Osmond Organizations: Police, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, NHK, Thomson Locations: Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, Tokyo, Toda

Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children and took more than 200 hostages in its Oct. 7 rampage. "I welcome the growing global consensus for a humanitarian pause in the conflict. INTERMEDIARY NEEDEDEven among Israel's allies, there is no consensus on what is meant by a humanitarian pause. She said "ceasefire" tends to refer to a general suspension of fighting while humanitarian pauses or corridors are more limited. "If that's what it requires, then we absolutely will try to get such pause or pauses in place."

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Israel, Yoko Kamikawa, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Gilad Erdan, Chiara Gillard, John Kirby, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Dan Williams, Andrew Gray, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Steve Holland, Sakura Murakami, Frank Jack Daniel, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, EU, Foreign Ministry, White, General, Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, . National Security, UN, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, United States, Japan, New York, Brussels, Spain, Egypt, Rafah, rearm, Jerusalem, Geneva, Washington, Tokyo

☆ Tepco starts releasing second batch of treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Company (9501.T) (Tepco) started releasing more treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday morning, continuing a move that has caused tensions between China and Japan. Junichi Matsumoto, who is overseeing the water release at Tepco, said on Wednesday during a news conference that Tepco had received more than 6,000 calls from abroad between August 24-27. Japan started the water discharge in August in a key step towards decommissioning the Fukushima plant, which suffered meltdowns after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 in the world's worst nuclear plant disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier. Japan says the water is treated to remove most radioactive elements except tritium, a hydrogen isotope that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter.

Persons: Junichi Matsumoto, Matsumoto, Sakura Murakami, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, Rights, Tokyo Electric Power Company, United Nations, Tepco, Japan, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China

☆ Exclusive-U.S. Exploring Potential Space Force Hotline With China, U.S. Commander Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sakura Murakami and Nobuhiro KuboTOKYO (Reuters) - The United States Space Force has had internal discussions about setting up a hotline with China to prevent crises in space, U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman told Reuters on Monday. The chief of space operations said a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart would be valuable in de-escalating tensions but that the U.S. had not yet engaged with China to establish one. The comments come as the U.S. Space Force looks into establishing a branch in Japan, as China's military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific unnverve its neighbours and the war in Ukraine spotlights the importance of space capabilities in warfare. Saltzman, who held talks with top Japanese defence officials in Tokyo on Monday, confirmed that the space force was exploring the potential establishment of a local headquarters in Japan. The U.S. Space Force, founded in 2019, also does not have a direct line of communication with its Russian counterpart.

Persons: Sakura Murakami, Nobuhiro Kubo TOKYO, Chance Saltzman, Saltzman, Joe Biden, Nobuhiro Kubo, Philippa Fletcher, Toby Chopra Organizations: United States Space Force, Space Force, State Department, U.S . Space Force Locations: China, U.S, Japan, Ukraine, Taiwan, Tokyo, South Korea

U.S. Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Nobuhiro Kubo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The United States Space Force has had internal discussions about setting up a hotline with China to prevent crises in space, U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman told Reuters on Monday. The chief of space operations said a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart would be valuable in de-escalating tensions but that the U.S. had not yet engaged with China to establish one. Saltzman, who held talks with top Japanese defence officials in Tokyo on Monday, confirmed that the space force was exploring the potential establishment of a local headquarters in Japan. The U.S. Space Force, founded in 2019, also does not have a direct line of communication with its Russian counterpart.

Persons: Chance Saltzman, Nobuhiro Kubo, Saltzman, Joe Biden, Sakura Murakami, Philippa Fletcher, Toby Chopra Organizations: Chief, Space, Reuters, REUTERS, Nobuhiro, Rights, United States Space Force, Space Force, State Department, U.S . Space Force, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, U.S, Ukraine, Taiwan, South Korea

☆ Japan's new cabinet reflects PM's focus on gender, defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said the role of defence minister went to Minoru Kihara, a pro-Taiwan politician who has visited the island in the past and belongs to a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group. Kihara will also oversee the bolstering of Japan's military as part of a plan to double defence spending over five years by 2027. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and will be sensitive to any shift in Japan's stance on the democratically governed island. "Even if the foreign and defence minister posts change, there won't be any change or impact on Japan's diplomatic policy."

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Yoko Kamikawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Takashi Kawakami, Shigenobu Tamura, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro, Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates Organizations: ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party, Takushoku University, LDP, NHK, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Tokyo, China, East Asia, United States

☆ Japan PM to Include Five Women in Cabinet - Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet will include five female ministers, the same number as in two previous administrations, Japanese media reported on Wednesday, as the premier seeks to boost his sagging ratings with fresh faces. About 43% of respondents disapproved of Kishida's leadership while 36% approved, according to a poll by public broadcaster NHK conducted last week. Yoko Kamikawa, a former justice minister who oversaw the execution of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult that carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, will become foreign minister, the media outlets said. The number of women in cabinet is the same as previous cabinets led by former premiers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe. Kishida has also appointed pro-Taiwan politician Minoru Kihara to head the defence ministry, while retaining Shunichi Suzuki as finance minister and Yasutoshi Nishimura as economic minister, the media outlets said.

Persons: Fumio Kishida's, Kishida, Yoko Kamikawa, Sanae, Junichiro Koizumi, Shinzo Abe, Minoru Kihara, Suzuki, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Sakura Murakami, Miral Fahmy Organizations: NHK Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Taiwan

☆ Japan PM Kishida plans Sept 13 cabinet reshuffle, coalition partner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Adek Berry/Pool via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to reshuffle his cabinet on Sept. 13, the head of the junior partner in Kishida's ruling coalition said on Friday. On Thursday, there was further bad news when former ruling Liberal Democratic Party member Masatoshi Akimoto was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes. 56% of people thought Kishida should renew his cabinet and shake up the senior executives of the ruling party. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka; editing by John Stonestreet and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Kishida, Masatoshi Akimoto, Akimoto, Kantaro Komiya, Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka, John Stonestreet, Susan Fenton Organizations: Japan's, ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Public, NHK, Liberal Democratic Party, Asahi, Yomiuri, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, India

☆ US's McCarthy says China's position on Fukushima discharge 'unfair, 'false'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy walks through Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy called China's position on the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant "unfair" and "false" during a visit to Tokyo on Thursday. Japan started its discharges from the wrecked plant last month, provoking strong criticism from China. In retaliation for the release into the ocean, China has placed a blanket ban on all aquatic imports from Japan. Reporting by Yukiko Toyoda and Sakura Murakami; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Leah Millis, Yukiko Toyoda, Sakura Murakami, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, . House, Japan, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Tokyo, China, Japan

☆ Japan PM speaks to China's Li about radioactive water release
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Japan started releasing the water from the wrecked plant into the ocean last month, drawing strong criticism from China. "During the chat, I explained Japan's position on the treated water to Premier Li," Kishida said. It was also the first high-level talk between the two countries since the release of the water from the Fukushima plant. The water is treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, a radionuclide difficult to separate from water, and then diluted to internationally accepted levels before being released into the ocean.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Li Qiang, Kishida, Li, Premier Li, Sakura Murakami, Rocky Swift, Tomasz Janowski, Nick Macfie Organizations: Japan's, ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Japan, China, Premier, Tokyo, Beijing

That means the two-day summit from September 9 will be dominated by the West and its allies. The G20 leaders who will attend include U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman and Japan's Fumio Kishida. "If the leaders' summit is a flop, New Delhi and especially Modi will have suffered a major diplomatic, and political, setback," Kugelman said. "The positions have hardened since the Bali Summit," a senior Indian government official told Reuters, referring to the 2022 summit held in Indonesia. Lavrov said last week Russia will block the final declaration of the G20 summit unless it reflects Moscow's position on Kyiv and other crises.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, Li Qiang, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin's, Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman, Japan's, Michael Kugelman, Narendra Modi, Modi, Kugelman, Joko Widodo, Justin Trudeau, Sergei Lavrov, Putin, battlelines, Trudeau, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Lavrov, David Boling, N.K, Singh, Larry Summers, Katya Golubkova, Kentaro Sugiyama, Sakura Murakami Organizations: REUTERS, West, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, Indian, New, Reuters, Bali, Canada's, Russian, Diplomats, Eurasia Group, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Ukraine, China, Russia, Saudi, Washington, Bali, Indonesia, Indonesian, CHINA, Brazil, South Africa, Johannesburg, U.S, Tokyo

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