Japan reacts to Biden victory
The transition to a new US administration will have worldwide implications. People in Japan have been speaking about their expectations for the next president's handling of global issues.
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide was among world leaders who congratulated Biden. On Twitter, Suga wrote that he's looking forward to further strengthening the US-Japan alliance.
The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, also voiced its support for President-elect Biden. Chairman Nakanishi Hiroaki said he expects Biden to play a leading role in containing the coronavirus pandemic and achieving a global economic recovery.
People in the two Japanese cities devastated by the US nuclear attacks in 1945 also have high hopes for the President-elect.
Biden was vice president when Barack Obama became the first US leader to visit Hiroshima. The survivors want Biden to make progress in eliminating the deadly weapons.
Atomic bomb survivor Tanaka Shigemitsu said, "I want Biden to urge the nuclear powers and countries under their nuclear umbrellas to take action. I want him to visit the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome, and directly hear the stories of the hibakusha."
US foreign policy is also important for the families whose loved ones were abducted by North Korea. Iizuka Shigeo, the representative of the abductees' families, told NHK they hope Biden will follow Trump's pledge to help resolve the issue.
People in central Tokyo are also interested in how the new US leader will handle pressing issues for America and the rest of the world.
In Shibuya, a woman in her 20s said, "If Biden takes strong measures against the coronavirus, the US should be able to control its cases a bit more. I hope people will be able to travel more freely."
A man in 20s said, " I hope the United States will become a country without racial discrimination, and that other countries will follow suit."
AP - Nov 26
Top diplomats from Japan and China met for bilateral talks Saturday as they try to resolve disputes including China's ban on Japanese seafood that has badly hit Japanese exporters.
Reuters - Nov 25
Japan passed on Friday an extra budget worth around 13.1 trillion yen ($88 billion) aimed at helping households cope with the rising cost of living and corporations boost domestic investment, even amid concerns over the country's worsening finances.
News On Japan - Nov 23
Japan hosted the "Self-Defense Forces Joint Exercise," from October 10, attended by the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the U.S. military. JNN reports on Japan's only elite unit, the 1st Airborne Brigade, during their training.
The Diplomat - Nov 23
Japan’s biggest defense company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has outlined plans for future growth through development investment in new major national defense projects, including standoff missiles and a joint next-generation fighter program with Britain and Italy.
NHK - Nov 22
North Korea's space agency says the country has launched a rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite and put it successfully into orbit.
Kyodo - Nov 22
A Japanese health ministry panel on Tuesday decided to ban HHCH, a synthetic cannabinoid, from Dec. 2 after many people who consumed gummies containing the compound had to go to the hospital.
dailymail.co.uk - Nov 22
The home of the US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel became the target of anti-Semitic vandals over the weekend who spray painted the word 'Nazis' on a fence outside his house in Michigan.
CNA - Nov 21
Japan has condemned the seizure of a Japanese-operated cargo ship by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, south of Israel.
AOL - Nov 19
Daisaku Ikeda, a former leader of Japan's influential Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, has died at the age of 95.
News On Japan - Nov 18
Edogawa Ward in Tokyo, which has the highest incidence of bicycle thefts in the city, announced the installation of 80 surveillance cameras in bicycle parking areas at private condominiums and other locations.
CCTV Video News Agency - Nov 18
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in San Francisco of the United States on Nov. 16, reaffirming the positioning of comprehensively advancing the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between China and Japan.
eurasiareview.com - Nov 18
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s inaugural two-day visit to Malaysia heralded a new strategic bulwark of defence and security criticality.
News On Japan - Nov 16
A car crashed into the barricades near the Israeli Embassy in Tokyo on Thursday morning, injuring a police officer.
NHK - Nov 15
Wednesday marks 46 years since a 13-year-old junior high school girl was kidnapped by North Korean agents.
NHK - Nov 14
Japan's government has approved the resignation of State Minister of Finance Kanda Kenji, who repeatedly failed to pay taxes for his company.
NHK - Nov 14
An NHK opinion poll shows the approval rate for the Cabinet of Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has fallen below 30 percent for the first time since he took office two years ago.