Analysts say the move is insurance against an accelerating “arms race” in the region, as lessons are learned from recent flare-ups such as Iran’s drone and missile attack against Israel last month.

The outlay, to be done over the next four years, doubles the investment of subsidiary Amazon Web Services in the city state.

The Philippines has played its cards right by signalling that it’s ‘willing to work with anyone’ for strategic advantage, analysts say.

Japan ranked the lowest among G7 nations in Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index. Observers say it’s because the country’s media has been shaped into a ‘good servant’ of the political class.

The Fujian aircraft carrier’s maiden mission has been deliberately timed to coincide with US-Philippines military drills, analysts say.

The problem has become so bad that some local governments and schools in Japan have drafted rules to deal with the ‘irritated and impatient’.

More than 9 million ‘akiya’ homes – 13.8 per cent of all Japan’s residential properties – have been left empty after owners die, a new report found.

Chef and cookbook author Grace Choy tells Kate Whitehead about her ‘simple’ childhood above the family’s mahjong shop in Hong Kong and how itchy feet have led her to Tokyo.

As Seoul confirms Aukus talks, analysts say the defence alliance would benefit from South Korea’s hypersonic knowledge.

From spinning tales about nonexistent brands to drafting in local businesspeople to make outlandish claims, the trip is a hit with tourists.

The forensics team – Tokyo Prison Fire Project – have made ‘significant progress’ with the remains that were co-mingled and degraded by fire.

Lula pushed the visiting leader to buy Brazilian beef, saying ‘our meat is cheaper and of better quality than the meat you buy’.

Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Nigeria were first on the itinerary for Tokyo’s top diplomat this week, as she also sought to push Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy in Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Academics said his use of the term was unfair given Japan’s unique cultural and historical context.

A cheaper Japanese yen is too appealing to pass up for many of China’s outbound holidaymakers, and tourism in South Korea is taking a hit.

US defence chief Lloyd Austin said the grouping would look at undertaking more maritime drills, as well as providing greater security assistance to Manila.

Japan is a critical US ally, while India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, is a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific despite differences on human rights

Analysts say China’s central bank, with an eye on the yuan’s stability, could let it weaken gradually, but such a move ‘could backfire to some degree’.

In a first, legal action has been launched in China to hold Tokyo accountable for war crimes, lawyer says.

A return of Chinese travellers, who spent almost US$248 billion on trips abroad in 2019 before the pandemic, is key to filling a big hole in the global travel industry.

The 55-year-old reportedly took pictures of the student using his smartphone at a bathhouse in Tokyo’s Minato ward in February.