"The trade deal struck with the U.S. is certainly a relief in that it offers some certainty that U.S. tariffs on Japan-made cars won't rise to punitive levels," said Stefan Angrick, head of Japan and Frontier market economics at Moody's Analytics.

China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with Japan's decision to allow the visit by an official from the Taiwan region, urging Tokyo to act with caution on the Taiwan question and refrain from undermining China's sovereignty.

The U.S. found out this year that China could use its chokehold on rare-earth minerals as a coercive tool. For Japan, it was déjà vu: It had been the victim 15 years earlier.

Asia has designs on the blossoming Dallas-Fort Worth economy, with Japan positioning itself to be the tip of the spear.

The right-wing populist party Sanseito made big strides in parliamentary elections in Japan, capitalizing on concerns about the economy, immigration and overtourism.

Ichiro Suzuki, a remarkable hitter with dazzling speed and arm strength, not only broke stereotypes during a career played across two continents but also blazed a trail for a generation of Japanese-born players in Major League Baseball.

Kansai Electric Power will begin surveys for the construction of a new nuclear power reactor at its Mihama power station in Fukui prefecture, western Japan, to replace the existing facility, the company said on Tuesday.

Japan Society in New York is staging the first-ever U.S. exhibition looking at the kinetic sculptures and other life-engineered works of Osaka-born artist Susumu Shingu.

The current political crisis is the result of a July 20 election in Japan’s upper house, the less-powerful chamber in parliament. It has no direct role in determining the prime minister but is an indicator of political fortunes in a country where the foundation of individual leaders is generally unstable, even as the ruling party remains solid.