A senior US State Department official says the US government plans to discuss with Japan how to share overall defense responsibilities, in addition to the cost of keeping US troops in the country.
The current five-year agreement on the cost of stationing US forces in Japan will expire in March 2021. President Donald Trump's administration has asked Japan to significantly increase its share of the burden.
The Japanese health ministry says a new strain of coronavirus has been detected in a man who showed symptoms of pneumonia in Japan after visiting Wuhan, China. The inland Chinese city has been hit by a pneumonia outbreak that is likely caused by the virus.
The ministry says the man lives in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.
Scientists from Japan say they have succeeded in cultivating microbes that have the characteristics of eukaryotic cells. The finding may shed light on one of the major mysteries about the evolution of life.
Eukaryotic cells have nuclei and other organs, such as mitochondria. The appearance of the eukaryotic cell gave rise to all multicellular organisms, including humans.
A Japanese research team has detected shifts at the boundary of tectonic plates off the Pacific coast of Japan. The phenomenon, known as slow slip, is being studied for possible links to mega-quakes.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo and the Japan Coast Guard say they have confirmed that the events occurred at seven locations more than 50 kilometers off the coast.
The governments of Japan and the United States will consider how to cooperate to deal with toxic chemicals detected in high levels around US bases in Japan.
Organic fluorine compounds, such as PFOS, have been detected near US bases in the southern prefecture of Okinawa and Tokyo's Yokota Air Base. The chemicals have been proved toxic in tests using animals.
Prosecutors in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, have raided the offices of Upper House member Anri Kawai and her husband, Lower House member Katsuyuki Kawai, on suspicion of violating the election law.
Anri Kawai has been charged with paying her campaign staff above the legal limit during her successful run for the Upper House in July last year. Prosecutors have been questioning her staff since last month.
Japanese badminton star Kento Momota has returned home two days after suffering injuries in a car crash in Malaysia.
The world's number one player in men's singles was injured early on Monday when a vehicle he was riding crashed into a truck on a highway en route to the airport. The accident occurred hours after Momota clinched the Malaysia Masters title.
The Japanese government's top spokesperson has said a Maritime Self-Defense Force ship will receive supplies at a port in the Middle East on waters where an information-gathering mission is planned. But he did not name a specific port.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Wednesday about a government plan to send the destroyer Takanami to the area next month. The ship will gather information to ensure the safety of commercial ships with ties to Japan.
Prosecutors in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, have raided the offices of Upper House member Anri Kawai and her husband, Lower House member Katsuyuki Kawai, on suspicion of violating the election law.
Anri Kawai has been charged with paying her campaign staff above the legal limit during her successful run for the Upper House in July last year. Prosecutors have been questioning her staff since last month.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has reiterated a goal of welcoming 40 million visitors by the end of the year.
Suga addressed a government panel Wednesday at the prime minister's office to promote a tourism strategy.
People living in Japan have another chance to buy tickets for this summer's Tokyo Paralympic Games.
The event's organizing committee began accepting applications on its website on Wednesday. People can apply for up to 18 tickets for each of their first and second choices. Results will be determined by lottery.
Japan's Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will take childcare leave after the upcoming birth of his first baby.
When he assumed the post last September, Koizumi said he didn't want to leave everything up to his wife. He said he wanted to do more in the household.
Japan's defense minister urged Beijing to work toward improving the situation regarding China's increasing maritime activities ahead of President Xi Jinping's planned spring visit to Japan.
Taro Kono made the call Tuesday during a speech at Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Tokyo prosecutors investigating bribery allegations involving casino resorts say a Chinese firm issued fake receipts to a Japanese lawmaker to cover up its bribes.
The prosecutors on Tuesday served a fresh arrest warrant to Tsukasa Akimoto on suspicion of receiving bribes worth about 32,000 dollars.