Japan, SKorea take steps to restore ties
日韓経済団体が会合 課題解決へ基金創設で合意
For years, the two East Asian countries have been locked in a bitter spat over wartime forced labor. But since his election last May, Yoon has made it clear that repairing relations with Japan is a top priority.
He has already met Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of diplomatic events, and on Thursday the pair kicked off the first full-scale summit between their countries in 12 years.
"At today's summit, I believe that there will be fruitful discussions that can transform Korea-Japan relations, which have been at a standstill, into a relationship of cooperation and mutually beneficial development," Yoon said.
Kishida said the two sides had "agreed on the resumption of shuttle diplomacy by leaders of Japan and South Korea, no matter what the format" of the trips. ...continue reading

indianexpress.com - Mar 28
A group of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers plans to compile a proposal next month urging the government to ban social networking services such as TikTok if they are used for disinformation campaigns, an LDP lawmaker said on Monday.

Center for Strategic & International Studies - Mar 25
With the revision of three key security documents in December 2022, Japan is charting a new course in its national defense strategy.

Kyodo - Mar 23
Japan's Foreign Ministry on Thursday ordered a popular online personality and former lawmaker, currently residing overseas and known as GaaSyy, to return his passport after police obtained an arrest warrant for him over celebrity defamation threat allegations.

Taiwan News - Mar 23
Russia said on Wednesday that a division of its Bastion coastal defence missile systems had been deployed to Paramushir, one of the Kuril islands in the north Pacific, some of which Japan claims as its territory.

euronews - Mar 22
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a surprise visit to Ukraine early Tuesday, hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in neighboring Russia for a three-day visit.

ANI News - Mar 21
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed the 41st Sapru House lecture on "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" in Delhi on March 20.

Al Jazeera - Mar 21
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on his way by train to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a trip that coincides with a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow.

Reuters - Mar 20
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday announced a new plan to promote an open and free Indo-Pacific, promising billions of dollars in investment to help economies across the region in everything from industry to disaster prevention.

DW News - Mar 19
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Tokyo for a trip aimed at strengthening economic ties with Japan. Scholz has been meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The pair have been discussing ways to strengthen economic security and reduce dependence on Chinese raw materials.

NHK - Mar 18
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has laid out his vision to reverse Japan's plummeting birth rate, a key pillar of which is boosting parental leave benefits.

NHK - Mar 18
Japan's National Police Agency is said to have requested the foreign ministry to order GaaSyy, who is now living abroad, to return his Japanese passport.

NHK - Mar 18
The Tokyo government has been ordered to pay damages over the death of a Nepalese man in custody, but his family took issue with the amount because it factors in foreign law.

Formosa TV - Mar 18
Yokochi Akira, Japanese deputy de facto ambassador to Taiwan, will leave his post at the end of the month. He got a rousing send-off at the Legislative Yuan on Friday after he gave a speech speaking not Mandarin, but Taiwanese.

manilatimes.net - Mar 17
Japan and South Korea announced relaxed trade controls and a return of frequent reciprocal visits on Thursday, as President Yoon Suk Yeol visits Tokyo on a trip intended to rebuild ties between the regional neighbors.

Nikkei - Mar 17
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol enjoyed dinner at two restaurants after their summit and news conference Thursday, deepening their relationship in a more informal setting.

NHK - Mar 15
Japan's Upper House has stripped a member of the chamber of his status as a lawmaker for failing to attend a single Diet session.