Jul 20 (South China Morning Post) - Japan disbanded its military following its defeat in World War II and adopted a pacifist constitution that prohibits the country from engaging in war.
Now decades later, Tokyo is significantly boosting its security spending, vowing to increase its defence budget to 2 per cent of its total GDP by 2027. The government says the move is in response to pressure from Japan's allies as well as its regional rivals.
Diagnosed with lung cancer in his forties and given a prognosis of just six months to live, a man has defied the odds and is still working full-time, eight years after the initial diagnosis. This was made possible by the latest treatment method known as "cancer genome medicine."
The Hirose River in Sendai City has turned a mysterious red, sparking local concern. Residents are puzzled, with some noting they've never seen anything like it before.
Since the invasion of Ukraine and the consequent wave of foreign business withdrawals from Russia, products mimicking Japanese imports have been appearing in greater numbers across the country.
The operator of a nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, restarted one of its reactors on Tuesday, more than 13 years after it suffered damage in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster. (NHK)
A woman in a neon-colored jacket and mini-skirt was seen supporting a candidate in Japan's latest Lower House election, sparking public debate on extremely short skirts, shorts, and other revealing outfits worn by female campaign staff.
People in Japan will be able to use "My Number" national identification cards as driver's licenses from next March. (NHK)
Political parties in Japan are jockeying to form a majority in the Diet following an election that dealt a severe blow to the ruling coalition. A vote to name the prime minister is due to take place in the legislature in a few weeks.
Voter turnout for Japan's lower house election on Sunday stood at 53.85%, marking the third lowest rate since the end of World War II, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has fallen short of its majority target, and voices questioning the accountability of the party’s leadership, including Prime Minister Ishiba, are growing.
Japan's ruling coalition appears set to lose its majority in the House of Representatives election, marking the first time since 2009 that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito have failed to secure over half the seats.
Reports from within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suggest rising dissatisfaction following a setback in the election where the ruling party failed to secure a majority.
With the House of Representatives election set for October 27th, party leaders spent the final day of the campaign rallying support until the last minute at 8 p.m.
Voters across Japan are having their say. They're deciding which lawmakers will fill the Diet's powerful Lower House. All polling stations are set to close later tonight, by 8 PM. (NHK)
