Japan on Wednesday joined Australia, Britain, France and Germany in conveying concern over escalating tensions following China’s recent large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/31/japan/china-military-exercises-taiwan-japan-europe/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #china #taiwan #pla #us #uschinarelations #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi #defense #chinajapanrelations #foreignministry
Japan’s military aid program is likely to expand from eight to at least 12 recipient countries in the next fiscal year after the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved a record budget for the framework. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-official-security-assistance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #foreignministry #budgets #aid #defense #osa
The Japanese government under then-Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa faced trouble dealing with a strong U.S. request for support during the 1994 North Korea nuclear crisis, according to newly disclosed records. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/25/japan/politics/japan-diplomatic-records-north-korea-crisis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #morihirohosokawa #foreignministry #northkorea #usjapanrelations #billclinton
The Japanese government plans to lower passport application fees by up to ¥7,000, aiming to implement the reductions in July. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/24/japan/japan-passport-fees-cut/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #travel #foreignministry
Japan's Foreign Ministry will set up by the end of March next year a new office tasked with mediating peace between third countries, sources said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/17/japan/politics/foreign-ministry-peace-office/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #foreignministry #gaza #ldp #jip
The number of Japanese workers at U.N. agencies as of the end of 2024 was 979, the highest since records began in 1990. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/14/japan/japanese-workers-un-agencies-record/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #un #foreignministry #toshimitsumotegi
The Foreign Ministry has been focusing on visually appealing messages on social media posts, such as videos and illustrations, in its campaign to explain the country's stances on international affairs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/08/japan/politics/foreign-ministry-social-media/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #foreignministry #socialmedia #toshimitsumotegi #china
Generational shifts are changing how people in Japan and the U.S. get news and perceive the world, with younger generations showing different attitudes, particularly toward China, compared with older generations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/07/japan/a-generational-shift-is-upon-us/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #foreignministry #china #us #sanaetakaichi #taiwan #chinajapanrelations
The Japanese government plans to establish a national intelligence bureau as early as July 2026, sources said Friday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/intelligence-bureau-planned/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #diet #ldp #espionage #publicsecurityintelligenceagency #defenseministry #foreignministry #cabinet
Tokyo is working to smooth things over with Beijing — while telling nationals living in China to stay on alert for anti-Japan sentiment — as the fallout from a recent spat extends to realms outside politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/18/japan/politics/japan-china-strained-relations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #china #taiwan #chinajapanrelations #taiwanjapanrelations #defense #sanaetakaichi #foreignministry
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s picks for Japan’s new defense, foreign and economic security ministers are not your typical stodgy line-up. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/22/japan/politics/new-foreign-defense-ministers/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #cabinet #toshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi #kimionoda #economicsecurity #foreignministry #defenseministry #sanaetakaichi
Japan will appoint a permanent WTO representative for the first time at its permanent mission to international organizations in Geneva. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/15/japan-first-wto-permanent-representative/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #wto #foreignministry #us #tariffs #trade
Japan on Friday expanded sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, freezing the assets of more people and groups as well as slashing the Russian oil price cap. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/12/japan/japan-russia-sanctions-expand/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #russia #russiaukrainewar #russiajapanrelations #foreignministry
Japan has partially eased its travel restrictions to Russia, allowing unavoidable travel for reasons including humanitarian, business, study, research and education purposes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/12/japan/travel-advisory-russia/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #russia #foreignministry #russiajapanrelations
Jose Takei, an 82-year-old man of Japanese descent who became stateless after being left in the Philippines as a child following the end of World War II, is keen to get Japanese citizenship while he is in good health. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/15/japan/filipino-japanese-citizenship/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #philippines #wwii #foreignministry #shigeruishiba #citizenship #stateless
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya has urged Myanmar to restore democracy, after the Southeast Asian country lifted the state of emergency imposed when its military staged a coup in 2021. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/02/japan/japan-myanmar-democracy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #takeshiiwaya #foreignministry #myanmar #myanmarjapanrelations #aungsansuukyi
Tokyo’s at-times-tumultuous relationship with Seoul appears to be on solid footing following South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s election — a view highlighted by successful talks between the neighbors’ top diplomats. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/30/japan/politics/japan-south-korea-foreign-ministers/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #southkorea #southkoreajapanrelations #takeshiiwaya #northkorea #russia #russiaukrainewar #missiles #nuclearweapons #foreignministry
The Foreign Ministry says it will implement a large-scale organizational reform, including the establishment of an economic security division under the Economic Affairs Bureau. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/29/japan/politics/foreign-ministry-economic-security/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #us #china #ai #digitalization #terrorism #russia #ukraine #foreignministry
Japan has taken another important step toward deepening ties with individual members of the Five Eyes intelligence group by inking a classified information-sharing deal with Canada. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/09/japan/politics/japan-canada-intelligence-sharing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #foreignministry #canada #canadajapanrelations #takeshiiwaya #espionage