Japan Today
May 2026
Italy bans Kanye West concert over security concerns
The decision … was taken for reasons of protection of public order and safety, in view of the close timing of the events and the large crowd expected within a 24-hour period,
I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
Typhoon expected to bring heavy rain to western, eastern Japan
South Korea, Japan discuss military-logistics support deal, Seoul says
Koizumi takes veiled swipe at China at security forum
Japan's defense minister took a veiled swipe at China on Sunday, pledging to keep strengthening the military despite Beijing's criticism of Tokyo's increasingly muscular security stance
Think about it. There's a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of such weapons, and yet Japan is labelled 'new militarism'?"
Japan has neither of such weapons. And yet, Japan is labelled (as) ‘new militarism’. Isn’t it strange?”
Japan’s past as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by [the] international community. This fact will not be shaken by false claims, because it is a fact,
China’s factory activity slows in May, raising questions over its economy
Domestic demand is lagging, but high-end manufacturing and exports are holding the line,
Though the energy crisis remains the dominant headwind for Asia, China is relatively more shielded given its robust energy security set-up,
Jonas Vingegaard wins Giro d’Italia to become 8th male rider to win all 3 Grand Tours
It’s amazing. It’s something I’ve dreamt of my whole life and to now be able to do it, it’s something special,
I’m super happy to end this Giro in this way,
Yeah, that’s even nicer, it also gives me tears in my eyes, they’re always there for me,
French capital hosts Paris Saint-Germain parade after clashes marred Champions League win
Most of the celebrations took place peacefully
The vast majority of Parisians celebrated it with joy, unity, and respect,
I don't want that we get used to it,
Marta Kostyuk stuns 4-time champion Iga Swiatek on big day for Ukraine at French Open
There’s going to be Ukraine in the semifinals, so it’s already amazing,
Heavy rains threaten to delay search for 2 people still missing in Laos cave
This was the only place that we haven’t checked in the mine, where the two lost miners could still be,
We interviewed them about how the deeper part of the cave looks like. We will continue to search based on the information we have, and perhaps we will be able to get to the other two,
Blast at building storing explosives in Myanmar kills more than 45 people
Africa CDC says over 1,100 suspected Ebola cases in DR Congo and Uganda
That momentum must now expand across the continent,
We must move at the speed of the epidemic,
You are not alone in this. We are here, we are with you and we will see this through together,
Ukraine's Zelenskyy seeks progress on peace talks before winter
Talks brokered by the United States on moving toward a peace accord have stalled as Washington has focused on the conflict in Iran
It began in December 2025,
We have already drone deals with some Middle East countries and we have already drone deals with some European countries,
Until the moment we will produce our European anti-ballistic system, until this moment, we need support from the United States,
Iran says it does not trust U.S. as Trump toughens terms
The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting,
We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld,
Netanyahu orders deeper Israeli incursion into Lebanon to hit Hezbollah
I instructed the (military) to expand its ground manoeuvre in Lebanon,
Soaring prices during Iran war jeopardize travel to tourism-dependent countries in Asia
I looked at flight options and that’s where it ended,
This has greatly affected all of us,
The conflict will weigh on growth mainly through higher production costs and consumer prices, along with weaker external demand from trade and tourism,
Jet fuel prices remain at highly elevated levels” and have increased cost pressures
With gasoline prices rising and tourism declining, how can we make money
This, happening within five years of each other, first the pandemic and now the war, is horrible for the tourism industry,
Some days, I don't earn even a cent,
The great Indo-Pacific hedge: Deeper defense ties as U.S. doubts grow and China ascends
There is a lot of work to do in the Indo-Pacific region. And I think this is why we are seeing probably an increase of partnership across the board,
All the defence secretaries here present are unanimous in the need to make agile and speedy upscaling of their own individual defence capabilities,
Our confidence is not swayed by reason of the involvement of the United States in Iran, for example, and in other areas,
And so if we can find new ways to interact with others as well as maintaining those existing connections, then we'll look to do that at the same time,
For both of us, the Trump administration and the Albanese government in Australia, we see ourselves as stewards of a relationship which goes well beyond us,
Japan will be even more proactive in defence equipment cooperation,
We can do two things at one time,
FIFA says match tempo, and limiting time-wasting, will be point of emphasis at World Cup
Japan beats Iceland 1-0 in final pre-World Cup friendly
If you think of their top performances, they still have room to improve,
I think they will do really well at the World Cup,
Happy fan
66-year-old man arrested for allegedly killing 11-year-old son
Thunder fall to Spurs in Game 7 to end their title reign
Trump calls for replacing U.S. 250th anniversary concerts with MAGA rally
I understand Artists are getting 'the yips' having to do with their performance,
We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain.”
Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of,
Takaichi vows 'breakthrough' with N Korea over abduction issue
At a rally in Tokyo calling for the return of Japanese abductees, Takaichi urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to take a "courageous step" together for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries
We have no information about the situation (surrounding the abductees), and we can only pray that they are alive,
Whatever it takes, I will resolve the abduction issue by making a breakthrough during my time (in office),
We are tackling this issue seriously with a determination not to miss the slightest chance of making concrete progress as soon as possible, even by a day or an hour,
Oscar-winning 'Star Wars' editor Marcia Lucas dies at 80
It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that. And she had to cull through all that, and put in all the fighting as well,
Int'l group urges Japan to respect human rights under anti-espionage law
While we recognize that protecting national security and tackling the unlawful influence of money in politics are important to promote and protect the country's democratic institutions, your government should adopt a rights-respecting approach,