SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Monday that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has proposed a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as the North urged Japan to show sincerity toward improving bilateral ties and realizing their countries’ first summit in about 20 years. Japan’s government did not immediately respond to the … Read more
TOBISHIMA, Japan — Japan’s space agency and its prime contractor said Thursday they hope to be able to forge a profitable launch business with their new H3 rocket after its first successful flight last month in an increasingly competitive market dominated by Space X. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been developing … Read more
Japanese national flag fluter at the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on December 19, 2023. The Bank of Japan on December 19 maintained its long-standing, ultra-loose monetary policy and offered no guidance on its plans in the new year, sending the yen down against the dollar and boosting stocks. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / … Read more
TOKYO — A rocket that was supposed to become Japan’s first from the private sector to put a satellite into orbit exploded shortly after takeoff Wednesday, livestreamed video showed. Online video showed the rocket called Kairos blasting off from Wakayama Prefecture, in central Japan, a mountainous area filled with trees, but exploding midair within seconds. … Read more
Japan’s ruling party has stood the test of time, surviving even when expected to fade. But a fresh wave of scandals, heralding record-low public approval ratings, has prompted the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to try to shape up. For over 70 years, the LDP—the party of the late Shinzo Abe and now incumbent Prime … Read more
An employee checks gaskets after processing them in an automatic press machine at the Hamamatsu Gasket Co. factory in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. Noriko Hayashi | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan’s February factory activity shrank at the fastest pace in more than three years on the back of weakening demand. … Read more
TOKYO — Japan’s beleaguered prime minister was set to stand before a political ethics committee Thursday at Parliament in a bid to showcase his leadership. Fumio Kishida has fought against plummeting support ratings since his governing party’s corruption scandal rocked the government. The scandal, considered the biggest in decades, centers on political funds raised through … Read more
By Kantaro Komiya TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s space agency said on Monday its SLIM moon lander has unexpectedly survived a freezing lunar night and re-established communication with the earth, more than a month after the spacecraft made a historic “pinpoint” touchdown on the moon. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down on the … Read more
Pedestrians walking across with crowded traffic at Shibuya crossing square. Jaczhou | E+ | Getty Images Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a record high Thursday, powered by banking, electronics and consumer stocks as robust earnings and investor-friendly measures fuel a blistering rally in Japanese equities this year. The Nikkei 225 jumped nearly 2% to hit 39,029, … Read more
TOKYO — A Japanese flagship H3 rocket lifted off from a space station in southwestern Japan Saturday, successfully reaching its planned trajectory and releasing one of the two payloads in a key second test, overcoming its failed debut launch a year ago and buoying hope for the country to stay competitive in the global space … Read more