Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese police found the remains of at least five people in a wooden boat suspected to be from North Korea on the coast of one of Japan’s outlying islands on Saturday, a Coast Guard official said.

Police made the discovery in the wooden boat’s stem around 9:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) on Saturday on Sado island, which is off the coast of Japan’s northwestern prefecture of Niigata, Coast Guard official Kei Chinen said.

Police found the heads of two persons, as well as five bodies, Chinen said, adding that the cause of death is under investigation.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Friday approved a contentious plan to send its naval troops to the Middle East to ensure the safety of Japanese ships transporting oil to the energy-poor country that heavily depends on imports from the region.

The Cabinet’s decision reflects tensions that have escalated between Iran and the U.S. since President Donald Trump withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Friday revised a roadmap for the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant cleanup, further delaying the removal of thousands of spent fuel units that remain in cooling pools since the 2011 disaster. It’s a key step in the decadeslong process, underscoring high radiation and other risks. The government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., still keep a 30- to 40-year completion target.

A look at some of the challenges:

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MORE THAN 4,700 UNITS OF FUEL IN POOLS

TOKYO (AP) — Global markets edged higher on Thursday though trading was subdued after the Christmas holidays. Chinese markets surged after the government announced a relaxation of residency restrictions for small and medium cities that boosted property stocks.

The Shanghai Composite index jumped 0.9% to 3,007.35. Heavyweight property shares led a late rally after state media reported the government was ending limits on residency for smaller cities to help encourage urbanization.

TOKYO (AP) — Okinawa’s Gov. Denny Tamaki renewed demands Thursday that Japan’s central government halt construction of a U.S. Marine Corps. base being relocated to a less-crowded area of the southern Japanese island despite vehement local opposition.

Tamaki was responding to a defense ministry estimate that the project will require more than twice the time and costs earlier estimated because the seabed at the planned reclamation is “as soft as mayonnaise,” experts say, and needs reinforcing.

TOKYO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Nissan Motor Co. on Wednesday said it had accepted the resignation of its third highest-ranking executive who assumed his post in a new management team after a leadership rejig just weeks ago.

Vice Chief Operating Officer Jun Seki's resignation comes on the heels of a new management team being formed at the top of Nissan on Dec. 1 comprising Seki, Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida and Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta.

TOKYO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to hold talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of a trilateral summit scheduled to be held on Tuesday in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, government officials said Monday.

On the fringes of the summit, the pair who have not held formal talks in around 15 months are expected to address the souring of ties between both countries that have hindered their diplomatic and trade relations.

TOKYO (AP) — Shares were mixed Monday in quiet trading ahead of Christmas holidays for many markets.

Concern over the possibility of a North Korean missile test was leavened by signs of further progress in cooling trade tensions between Washington and Beijing as China announced plans to further open its financial markets to private business.

TOKYO, Dec 22 (NNN-NHK) – Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, held a phone conversation with U.S. President, Donald Trump, late Saturday night, to brief him about the outcome of the Japanese prime minister’s talks with Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, local media reported.

During the conversation, which lasted about 75 minutes, Abe told Trump that Japan will continue diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East by working closely with the United States, according to local media reports.

TOKYO, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Hassan Rouhani will make the first visit to Japan by an Iranian head of state for two decades on Friday, as Tokyo seeks to mediate between Tehran and Washington amid spiralling nuclear tensions.

The trip comes after violent protests last month over petroleum price hikes in Iran, as Washington-imposed sanctions over its nuclear programme hit the Iranian economy.

The United States re-imposed crippling sanctions on Iran in 2018 after withdrawing from an international deal aimed at tackling the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.