Tag Archives: Japan

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Glistening with sweat, Satoko Yamanouchi’s biceps ripple and the veins in her neck throb as if about to pop as she strikes a fearsome pose at the Japan bodybuilding championships. An hour later, the pint-sized Nagoya housewife is close to tears after narrowly failing to retain …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially dissolved parliament Thursday, effectively kicking off a national election campaign where he faces an unexpected and formidable challenge from the popular governor of Tokyo. Members of the lower house raised their arms and shouted “Banzai” three times — the Japanese …

Kanuma, Japan | AFP | A series of fatal crashes caused by elderly drivers in Japan has left authorities desperately grappling for ways to clamp down on a problem that experts warn is only going to get worse as the population ages. Drivers over 65 were responsible for 965 deadly accidents …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday called a snap election, seeking a fresh term at the helm of the world’s third-largest economy as tensions with nearby North Korea reach fever-pitch. Abe hopes to capitalise on a weak and fractured opposition to sweep back into power, …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday declared the time for dialogue with North Korea to be over and rallied behind a US warning that “all options” are on the table. Addressing the UN General Assembly, Abe said “there is not much time left” …

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States has “many” military options against North Korea, including some that don’t put Seoul at risk, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday. His comments come after President Donald Trump’s administration ramped up pressure on North Korea on Sunday, warning Pyongyang will be “destroyed” …

Take cover in a sturdy building or get underground. Tokyo, Japan | AFP | That’s the emergency advice given to the Japanese people in the event of a North Korean missile strike. But there are two big problems: most Japanese homes are made of wood and lack a basement. In the …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he intends to visit China, Japan and South Korea later this year, a blockbuster maiden presidential visit to Asia. Trump said aboard Air Force One that a US delegation would likely make the trip in November, adding that …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | German carmaker Volkswagen is aiming to sell 1.5 million electric cars in China by 2025, its boss was quoted as saying Thursday, seeking to capitalise as Beijing mulls a clampdown on polluting vehicles. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Chief Executive …

Ahmedabad, India | AFP | India’s first bullet train project, a $19-billion initiative linking Ahmedabad to Mumbai, was launched Thursday as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe hailed fast-growing ties between Asia’s two biggest democracies. The project is seen as emblematic of warming relations between New Delhi …