Japan
Follow the latest Japan news, videos, and analysis from ABC News.
May 10, 2024 at 6:06 AM

Japanese game maker Sega Sammy sells resort to US fund

Sega Sammy is selling its Japanese resort complex Seagaia to Fortress Investment Group of the U.S. The Japanese entertainment company behind the “Sonic the Hedgehog” video games, said Friday that all of its shares in Phoenix Resort Co., which operates ...
May 10, 2024 at 6:06 AM
This photo shows Phoenix Seagaia Resort in Miyazaki, southern Japan, in January 2023. Sega Sammy is selling its resort complex Seagaia to Fortress Investment Group of the U.S., the Japanese entertainment company said Friday, May 10, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
May 10, 2024 at 1:58 AM

Japan Fisheries Agency proposes allowing commercial catching of fin whales

Japan’s Fisheries Agency has proposed expanding commercial whaling to fin whales, a larger species than the three allowed now
May 10, 2024 at 1:58 AM
People walk nearby a life size model of a whale displayed at the National Science Museum, Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan's Fisheries Agency on Thursday said it has proposed a plan to allow catching fin whales in addition to three smaller whale species currently permitted under the country's commercial whaling around its coasts. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
May 9, 2024 at 3:50 PM

Bread loaves recalled in Japan after 'rat remains' were found

Loaves of bread have been taken off store shelves in Japan after the remains of “a small animal” believed to be a rat were found
May 9, 2024 at 3:50 PM
Bread products by Pasco Shikishima Corp. on display at a supermarket in Tokyo, Thursday, May 9, 2024. Loaves of bread produced by Pasco Shikishima Corp have been taken off store shelves in Japan after the remains of “a small animal” believed to be a rat were found. (AP Photo/Ayaka McGill)
May 5, 2024 at 3:51 AM

Juro Kara, rebel playwright behind Japan's modern underground theater, dies at 84

Juro Kara, who helped shape Japan’s postwar avant-garde theater, defiantly yet playfully transforming the essence of Kabuki aesthetics into modern storytelling, has died
May 5, 2024 at 3:51 AM
Juro Kara speaks during a press conference in Osaka, western Japan in March, 2005 after he was appointed as a guest professor at a university. The playwright, director and troupe leader died late Saturday from a blood clot in the brain after he collapsed at home and was rushed to a Tokyo hospital on May 1, his theater group Karagumi said in a statement on Sunday, May 5, 2024. He was 84. (Kyodo News via AP)
April 30, 2024 at 5:58 AM

Japan's PM Kishida denies he will step down over his party's loss in special elections

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says his governing party’s major defeat in last weekend's by-elections was largely due to a political fundraising scandal and that he will not resign or replace party executives to take responsibility
April 30, 2024 at 5:58 AM
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Kishida acknowledged Tuesday that his governing party's major defeat in the weekend's by-elections was due to a slush fund scandal, but said he would not step down or replace party executives to take responsibility. (Kyodo News via AP)
April 29, 2024 at 5:10 PM

Japan's currency falls to its weakest since 1990 against the dollar as the yen keeps yelping

The value of Japan’s currency has tumbled so much that for a moment on Monday it took 160 yen to equal $1
April 29, 2024 at 5:10 PM
A monitor shows U.S. dollar/Japanese yen exchange rate in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
April 26, 2024 at 10:22 AM

Japan announces plans to launch upgraded observation satellites

Japan’s space agency says it's planning to launch a major upgrade to its satellite imaging system, as a new flagship rocket is put to the test for a third time
April 26, 2024 at 10:22 AM
FILE - JAXA H3 rocket project managers Masashi Okada, right, and Mayuki Niitsu brief journalists in front of the second stage of a H3 rocket, set for a full-fledged launch later this year after two test flights, inside the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works Tobishima Plant in Tobishima, Aichi prefecture Thursday, March 21, 2024. Japan’s space agency announced Friday, April 26, that it will launch its new flagship rocket H3 on June 30 carrying an observation satellite for disaster response and security purposes, a key mission that it had failed in its debut flight last year. (AP Photo/Mari Yamaguchi, File)
1 month ago

Japan's Fumio Kishida stresses Ukraine aid, US world role in speech to Congress

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed Congress, praising U.S. leadership on the world stage as "indispensable" amid threats from Russia and China.
1 month ago
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, April 11, 2024, in Washington.
1 month ago

Biden and Japanese PM hold press conference ahead of state dinner

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida discussed a range of topics during their bilat including defense partnerships, economic cooperation and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
1 month ago
VIDEO: Biden and Japanese PM hold press conference ahead of state dinner
1 month ago

Maui 808: Lahaina students find hope in Japan

ABC News’ Becky Worley follows 11 Lahaina students impacted by the Maui wildfires as they travel to Japan and learn how a community there recovered from their own life-changing disaster.
1 month ago
VIDEO: Maui 808: Lahaina students find hope in Japan
1 month ago

US, Japan to make 'historic' announcements at summit: Official

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold talks on Wednesday.
1 month ago
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with President Joe Biden during a joint press conference at Camp David, August 18, 2023.
3 months ago

Trapped pod of orcas off Japan appears to have escaped sea ice

A pod of killer whales, which appeared to be trapped in drift ice off the coast of Japan, has seemingly escaped, a local official told ABC News.
3 months ago
In this Jan 6, 2024, photo shared by a local Japanese wildlife organization, Wildlife Pro LLC, shows a pod of at least 10 killer whales struggling in a small gap between ice flows off the coast of Japan.
3 months ago

Killer whales trapped by sea ice in Japan have seemingly escaped

A pod of orcas, which appeared to be trapped in drift ice off the coast of Japan, has seemingly escaped, a local official told ABC News.
3 months ago
A pod of orcas, which appeared to be trapped in drift ice off the coast of Japan, has seemingly escaped, a local official told ABC News.
3 months ago

Challenging the norm: The fight against racial profiling in Japan’s policing

Japan’s justice system, known for pre-trial detentions and forced confessions, is facing a pivotal lawsuit against racial profiling spearheaded by a naturalized citizen.
3 months ago
Syed Zain, left, and other plaintiffs of a lawsuit filed in Tokyo District Court stand together in front of the Tokyo District Courthouse in Tokyo Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. A civil lawsuit filed Monday in the Japanese court is demanding an end to what it calls racial profiling by police.
3 months ago

Lawsuit alleges racial profiling by Japan police

The suit against the National Police Agency and local governments in Tokyo and Aichi seeks monetary damages and legal recognition that racial profiling violates Japanese law.
3 months ago
The suit against the National Police Agency and local governments in Tokyo and Aichi seeks monetary damages and legal recognition that racial profiling violates Japanese law.
4 months ago

2 passenger planes collide at Japanese airport

Two passenger planes have collided in Hokkaido, Japan, according to Japanese media reports.
4 months ago
A Korean Air plane, left, and Cathay Pacific aircraft, right, are seen after a collision at northern Japan's New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Jan. 16, 2024.
4 months ago

2 planes collide at Japanese airport

Two passenger planes collided at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, in the northern part of the country, at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time, according to Japanese media reports.
4 months ago
VIDEO: 2 planes collide at Japanese airport
4 months ago

North Korea tests ballistic missile, Japan and South Korea say

The launch appeared to have been a shorter-range ballistic missile based on its flight time, officials said.
4 months ago
People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on Jan. 14, 2024.
4 months ago

Warning lights were not working on runway during plane crash in Japan: Officials

It is unclear if that contributed to the crash at Haneda Airport when a Japan Airlines plane struck a Coast Guard aircraft.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Warning lights were not working on runway during plane crash in Japan: Officials
4 months ago

Investigation underway into deadly crash at Tokyo airport

A passenger plane burst into flames after colliding with a small plane on the runway.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Investigation underway into deadly crash at Tokyo airport
4 months ago

Runway warning lights were broken at time of Japan Airlines plane fire: Report

The warning lights telling pilots if a runway is clear were not working at the Haneda Airport the night a Japan Airlines plane caught fire, according to aviation data.
4 months ago
An aerial view shows burnt Japan Airlines' Airbus A350 plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3, 2024.
4 months ago

Investigation underway in deadly plane collision in Tokyo

Japan Airlines Flight 516 carrying 379 people collided with a Japanese coast guard plane on Tuesday, killing five on the coast guard jet.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Investigation underway in deadly plane collision in Tokyo
4 months ago

Japan Airlines plane bursts into flames with 379 people on board

A Japan Airlines plane landed while on fire at Haneda Airport on Tuesday.
4 months ago
Japan Airlines' A350 airplane is on fire at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan Jan. 2, 2024.
4 months ago

After fiery collision at Tokyo airport, experts warn runway incursions are rising

A commercial flight with hundreds on board erupted in flames after it struck a small plane at Haneda Airport the day after a strong earthquake struck the country.
4 months ago
VIDEO:  After fiery collision at Tokyo airport, experts warn runway incursions are rising
4 months ago

Aftershocks rattle Japan as death toll rises after powerful earthquake

At least 55 people are dead after a massive earthquake struck the west coast Monday, according to The Associated Press.
4 months ago
A firefighter looks up the rubble and wreckage of a burnt-out marketplace following earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.
4 months ago

Japan Airlines plane collides with airliner on runway

A desperate search is underway after a powerful earthquake rocked the western region of Japan. ABC News’ Matt Gutman reports from Tokyo.
4 months ago
VIDEO: 5 Japanese Coast Guard members dead after Tokyo runway collision
4 months ago

7.6 magnitude earthquake hits Japan's coast

The race for survivors is underway as the death toll reaches 48.
4 months ago
VIDEO: 7.6 magnitude earthquake hits Japan's coast
4 months ago

5 Japan Coast Guard crew members are dead after airport crash

Japan Airlines says 379 passengers got out safely after their plane collided with a Coast Guard plane on a runway and burst into flames.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Five Japanese coastguard crew members are dead after airport crash
4 months ago

At least 8 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning

At least eight people have died after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck Japan on Monday, officials said.
4 months ago
A house is damaged by an earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
4 months ago

Japan Airlines plane bursts into flames with 379 people on board, all escape

The flight, JL516, which was travelling from Chitose, Hokkaido, may have struck a Japan Coast Guard plane as it was landing, officials told Japanese broadcaster NHK.
4 months ago
The flight, JL516, which was travelling from Chitose, Hokkaido, may have struck a Japan Coast Guard plane as it was landing, officials told Japanese broadcaster NHK, saying it was a preliminary assessment.
4 months ago

Massive earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning

The magnitude 7.5 quake hit on New Year's Day, with tens of thousands facing power outages in the cold.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Massive earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
4 months ago

Eyewitness captures quake chaos at Japan train station

An eyewitness captured scenes of panic in a train station in Kanazawa city after a massive earthquake hit central Japan.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Eyewitness captures quake chaos at Japan train station
4 months ago

Panic, destruction seen after powerful earthquake strikes western Japan

Footage showed buildings shaking, a massive fire and crowds panicking after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Japan.
4 months ago
VIDEO: Panic, destruction seen after powerful earthquake strikes western Japan
5 months ago

Osprey aircraft grounded by US military after last week's deadly crash

The U.S. military is grounding all of its Osprey V-22 aircraft in the wake of last week’s deadly U.S. Air Force crash off the coast of Japan that left eight dead.
5 months ago
In this July 16, 2020, file photo, a USAF Boeing Bell CV-22 Osprey 12-0065 'KNIFE 71' takes off for an evening training sortie from  RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, England.
5 months ago

Wreckage found in search for crashed Osprey in Japan, US Air Force says

The CV-22 Osprey crashed near Yakushima Island, Japan, on Nov. 29, U.S. officials said.
5 months ago
The members of Japanese Coast Guard carry the debris which are believed to be from the crashed U.S. military Osprey aircraft, at a port in Yakushima, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023
5 months ago

Deadly US Air Force special operations Osprey crash off the coast of Japan

According to witnesses, the plane inverted before an engine caught fire and the aircraft plunged into the sea.
5 months ago
VIDEO: Deadly US Air Force special operations Osprey crash off the coast of Japan
6 months ago

Electronic wolves with glowing red eyes watch over Japanese landscapes

Monster Wolf, bearing lifelike proportions and glowing red LED eyes, stands as a guardian against wildlife, sitting at the crossroads of technology and tradition.
6 months ago
A Monster Wolf, a scarecrow-like deterrent for wildlife, is seen in an undated image in Japan supplied by Ohta Seiki.
8 months ago

Japan launches moon probe, hopes to be 5th country to land on lunar surface

Japan launched a rocket Wednesday night, carrying a moon probe that it hopes to land on the lunar surface and would make Japan the fifth country to reach the moon.
8 months ago
A H-IIA rocket carrying a small lunar surface probe and other objects lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture, Sept. 7, 2023.
8 months ago

Japan launches moon probe in hopes to be fifth country to land on the lunar surface

Japan launched a rocket Wednesday night, carrying a moon probe that it hopes to land on the lunar surface and will make Japan the fifth country to reach the moon.
8 months ago
Japan launched a rocket Wednesday night, carrying a moon probe that it hopes to land on the lunar surface and will make Japan the fifth country to reach the moon.
8 months ago

UN nuclear watchdog greenlights Fukushima water release plan

The United Nation's nuclear watchdog has approved plans by Japan to release water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.
8 months ago
Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s (Tepco) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, rear, in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, July 3, 2023.
8 months ago

Japan readies Fukushima water for Pacific release on Thursday

Japan plans to begin a decades-long process of releasing treated wastewater from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday.
8 months ago
Fisherman Haruo Ono stands on one of his fishing boats at Tsurishihama Fishing Port, Shinchi-machi of Fukushima Prefecture, some 60 kms north of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on August 21, 2023, ahead of a government's plan to begin releasing treated water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean.
8 months ago

Japan begins releasing Fukushima's treated radioactive water into Pacific

Executives of the company, known as TECPCO, told reporters they would immediately halt the release of the treated water into the Pacific if any issues were detected.
8 months ago
This aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, northern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, as its operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings has begun releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.
8 months ago

What is the impact of the Fukushima nuclear plant wastewater discharge?

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began dumping radioactive wastewater into the ocean on Aug. 24 for the first time since the 2011 nuclear meltdown. The impact remains to be seen.
8 months ago
 The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began dumping radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 24 for the first time since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. The impact on the environment and economy remains to be seen.
9 months ago

Biden holds milestone summit with Japan and South Korea

The president's historic summit in Camp David is where Japan and South Korea agreed to expand security and economic ties.
9 months ago
VIDEO: Biden holds milestone summit with Japan and South Korea
9 months ago

Biden holds landmark trilateral meeting with Japanese, Korean leaders

ABC News’ Selina Wang is at Camp David where President Joe Biden is set to hold a trilateral meeting with Japanese and South Korean leaders.
9 months ago
VIDEO: Biden holds landmark trilateral meeting with Japanese, Korean leaders
10 months ago

Smile coach teaches how to get grins back after pandemic

Keiko Kawano believes that opportunities to smile have declined due to prolonged mask wearing. As a result, she says, some people have lost confidence in their smiles.
10 months ago
Smile coach Keiko Kawano teaches a man at a smile training course in Tokyo, June 22, 2023. Keiko Kawano's company Egaoiku, or 'Smiling Education', has seen an increase in demand as many people unmask following the easing of COVID-19 safety measures.
10 months ago

Fukushima water release plan approved by UN watchdog

The wastewater is being stored in about 1,000 tanks at the now-defunct Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
10 months ago
The wastewater is being stored in about 1,000 tanks at the now-defunct Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
1 year ago

Explosive attack on Japan's prime minister

An attacker targeted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with an explosive device, nine months after a former prime minister was assassinated during a speech.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Explosive attack on Japan's prime minister
1 year ago

Japan's prime minister unharmed after explosion

A 24-year-old man has been arrested after an explosion during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's campaign event in western Japan.
1 year ago
VIDEO: Japan's Prime Minister unharmed after explosion where he was set to speak
1 year ago

Japanese PM Kishida to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine

A Japanese prime minister has not visited an active combat zone since WWII.
1 year ago
A Japanese prime minister has not visited an active combat zone since WWII.