Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi on Thursday voiced serious concern over Japan’s passage of bills that will expand the role of Japan’s self-defense forces. Japan’s ruling coalition passed the bill amid strong public opposition, marking the most significant overturn of the nation’s ‘purely defensive’ military posture. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters outside the building... 

​After a pair of American robot makers challenged their rivals in Japan to a mega duel involving their mechanical creations, the corresponding team in Japan has responded without hesitation: ‘Bring it on’. In a video posted on YouTube, Kogoro Kurata, the CEO and founder of Suidobashi Heavy Industry, said his company would be more than willing to battle US-based MegaBots in an epic robot faceoff. “Yeah,... 

A Japanese helicopter hovers above a Philippine coastguard ship as they simulate a sea jacking scenario during the combined Philippine-Japan maritime exercise off Manila bay, in the mouth of South China Sea on May 6, 2015. China has accused the United States of threatening to create “chaos” in the South China Sea, and urged Washington to “refrain from all the provocative words and deeds.” “If... 

A sudden volcano eruption on the small southern Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu-jima has forced authorities to raise the alert to the highest level and advise evacuation of the immediate area. Residents have fled by boat to the nearest neighboring island. Authorities decided to evacuate the island’s 137 residents, NHK national television reported. The residents fled by boat to the closest neighboring... 

Peace is hanging in the balance in the South China Sea region, Michael Auslin noted, presenting three possible real-world scenarios under which Washington and Beijing may draw themselves into a direct conflict. Although Beijing has not set yet a formal air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea, it has obviously laid down a “redline” in the region, noted Michael Auslin,... 

Miss Universe Japan Ariana Miyamoto, 21, has resolved to use her new-found fame to help fight “racial prejudice”. I want to start a revolution. I can’t change things overnight but in 100-200 years there will be very few pure Japanese left, so we have to start changing the way we think, Miyamoto said. The first ever mixed race Miss Universe Japan was met with a horrific barrage of... 

For the first three months of this year Mcdonald’s closed 350 stores and is planning to close other 350 by the end of the year. Fast food giant recently announced of closure of 350 poorly performing stores this year and added that 350 stores were already closed this year in the US, Japan and China. Earlier in its statement Mcdonald’s reported 11% decrease in revenue and 30% drop in profit... 

When it comes to fast trains, Japan takes top honors thanks to German brilliance and Japanese precision. A trailblazing maglev, short for ‘magnetic levitation’, train has set a world speed record during a test run near Mount Fuji, clocking over 600kph (373mph). The new record comes less than a week after the seven-car train clocked 590kph, breaking its own 2003 record of 581kph. The maglev hovers... 

Japan’s Miyakojima and Yaeyama areas have been placed on high alert with tsunami advisories being issued following a shallow 6.8-magnitude underwater earthquake off Taiwan’s coast. Warnings were lifted after no significant wave activity was registered. Following the quake, Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami advisories for the Miyakojima and Yaeyama areas of Japan. While JMA issued alerts... 

Only three of some 150 electra dolphins are believed to have been saved, after being washed ashore in the Ibaraki Prefecture. Scientists are trying to explain the incident, while some see it as an ominous sign to a similar case before the 2011 earthquake. At least 149 melon-headed whales, a species of dolphin, were found at the Hokota beach on Friday, according to local officials. Rescue efforts were... 

Radiation produced by the tsunami-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has been confirmed off the coast of Canada, as the Japanese struggle to contain a number of leaks. The levels, however, are too low to pose a threat, scientists say. Trace amounts of Cesium-134 and Cesium-137 were discovered in samples collected on February 19 in the waters near Vancouver Island in British Columbia,... 

With a declining population, Japan is on track to lose about half its workforce by 2060, and with that, its status as an economic superpower. Some are calling for an “immigration revolution” but that is gaining little traction in a country that is seen as the most homogenous in the world. In Japan, birth rates are at record lows and the ageing population at record highs. Now, the former... 

The US and Japan are close to finalizing the revision of bilateral defense rules that would expand the two countries’ military cooperation, and allow Tokyo to play a more “proactive” role in regional security, according to US Defense Secretary Ash Carter. The bilateral defense agreement lays down a set of rules for joint operations between the US Military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces... 

Two of Japan’s whaling ships have returned home from Antarctic with no catch onboard for the first time in nearly 30 years, local news reported. The news comes after a UN court ordered an halt to Japan’s annual “scientific” whale hunt. The 724-ton Yushinmaru and the 747-ton Daini (No 2) Yushinmaru returned to port in Shimonoseki, western Japan, which is considered to be one of the major whaling... 

Don’t look now, but Washington just blinked. As we’ve documented exhaustively over the past week, pressure has been building steadily for the US to strike some manner of conciliatory tone towards China with regard to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a China-led institution aimed at rivaling the US/Japan-backed ADB. Britain’s decision to join China in its new endeavor has prompted a...