Russia Signals Willingness to Hold Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

May 05, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A Japanese lawmaker visiting Russia said on May 4 that Moscow has indicated its readiness to hold a foreign ministers’ meeting with Japan if Tokyo expresses interest, raising the possibility of renewed high-level dialogue between the two countries.

Munao Suzuki, a member of the House of Councillors from the Liberal Democratic Party, revealed that he received the proposal during a series of meetings in Moscow with senior officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Suzuki told reporters that Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko suggested that, if Japan wishes, the two sides could arrange a meeting between their foreign ministers on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled to be held in Manila in July.

Suzuki quoted the Russian side as saying that if Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi hopes to meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Moscow would be prepared to consider the request.

Foreign ministers from Japan and Russia have not held formal talks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, which led to a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations.

Suzuki described the proposal as a “welcome suggestion” toward improving ties between the two countries and said he intends to report the matter to Hayashi and other Japanese officials.

Source: TBS

Typhoon No. 25 Moves Away From Japan Into Pacific

Typhoon No. 25 was moving away from Japan over waters to the east early on September 22, bringing an end to rainfall across the Kanto region while remaining a strong storm as it tracked northeast at 45 kilometers per hour at 3 a.m.

Rail Links to Narita Airport Disrupted as Typhoon Damage Lingers

Severe transport disruption continued across Chiba Prefecture on the morning of September 22 even as Typhoon No. 25 moved away from Japan, with major JR lines still suspended, rail access to Narita Airport disrupted by river flooding, highways closed across the Boso Peninsula and thousands of travelers dealing with the aftermath of the previous day's cancellations.

Japan Takes 12 Medals on Asian Games Day 3

Japan collected another 12 medals on Day 3 of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 21, with 17-year-old swimmer Shin Ohashi and karateka Kakeru Nishiyama winning gold, while the host nation also advanced strongly in women's volleyball, baseball, soccer, handball and hockey.

Japan's Elderly Population Hits Record 29.6%

People aged 65 and older accounted for a record 29.6% of Japan's population in 2026, the highest proportion among major countries worldwide, while the number of elderly people in employment also reached an all-time high as Japan marked Respect for the Aged Day on September 21.

Emperor and Empress Watch Asian Games Basketball

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched Japan defeat Kazakhstan in a women’s basketball preliminary-round game at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Politics NEWS

Japan Warns of Anti-Japanese Sentiment Rising in China

China held commemorative events across the country on September 18 to mark the 95th anniversary of the Mukden Incident, the 1931 railway explosion that Japan's Kwantung Army used as a pretext to seize Manchuria and which became a major turning point in the deterioration of relations between Japan and China.

Takaichi Reshuffles Cabinet To Steady Markets And Party

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi launched her first cabinet reshuffle since taking office, keeping core economic, foreign-policy and security ministers in place while replacing a broad group of other ministers in an attempt to stabilize her government before a difficult autumn of tax, budget, monetary policy and diplomatic battles.

Japan Confirms Global Hawk Drone Crashed Off Tottori

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force has concluded that a large Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft that lost communication off Tottori Prefecture on September 15 crashed into the sea.

Takaichi Retains Core LDP Team

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi launched a new Liberal Democratic Party executive team on September 16, retaining most of the party’s senior leadership while pledging to unite the government and ruling party to overcome a difficult political and economic environment.

Global Hawk Reconnaissance Drone Missing Off Tottori

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft went missing over international waters about 50 kilometers north of Tottori Prefecture on September 15, with floating debris and oil later found in the area where communications were lost.

Tax Cut Plan Leaves Funding Gap As BOJ Decision Nears

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government entered a decisive political week on September 15 after approving an outline for food-tax relief and household payouts without settling how the package will be funded, keeping fiscal concerns alive just days before the Bank of Japan is expected to decide whether to raise interest rates again.

Japan to Cut Food Consumption Tax to 1% for Two Years

Japan's government is set to approve tax reform guidelines on September 15 that will reduce the consumption tax on food from the current 8% to 1% for two years starting in April 2027 as part of measures to ease the burden of rising prices.

LDP-Backed Koja Wins Okinawa Governor Race

Genta Koja, a former deputy mayor of Naha who accepts the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko in Nago, won the Okinawa gubernatorial election on September 13, defeating incumbent Governor Denny Tamaki and bringing an end to 12 years of prefectural administrations committed to blocking the project.

< 2 3 4 5 >