TOKYO – Only 10.4 percent of the Japanese public want Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to win the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race slated for September and continue serving as premier, the latest Kyodo News poll showed Sunday.

TOKYO – Japan’s tourism chief said Thursday its ambitious goal of luring 60 million foreign tourists a year — more than double the current level — is well within reach, despite surging overtourism concerns.

TOKYO – Emperor Naruhito said Britain’s royals treated him “like family”, as he recounted previous trips at a rare press conference on Wednesday ahead of a UK state visit.

TOKYO – A store in Tokyo’s high-end Ginza district selling culinary treasures from Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics will cease operations at the end of June, succumbing to the prolonged turmoil of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

KOBE – The mayor of Himeji, western Japan, has said he is contemplating “quadrupling” entry fees exclusively for foreign tourists visiting Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in response to increasing inbound tourism.

TOKYO – Japan on Wednesday enacted legislation to ensure tech giants like Google and Apple give access to third-party smartphone apps and payment systems on their platforms or risk major fines.

TOKYO – Japan’s transport ministry inspected the headquarters of Honda Motor Co and Mazda Motor Corp on Monday after massive cheating on vehicle certifications by the two automakers and three other companies came to light.

TOKYO – Nearly 45 percent of Japanese nationals living abroad feel lonely at times, a recent government survey showed, with areas lacking strong Japanese community ties believed to contribute to higher feelings of isolation.

ST PETERSBURG – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that conditions are not currently in place for his country to resume talks with Japan on a post-World War II peace treaty, blaming Tokyo for souring bilateral relations by supporting Ukraine.

TOKYO – Japan is set to push for more nuclear power in an energy policy update due next year, seeking stable electricity supply in face of growing demand and heightening geopolitical risks, but is likely to struggle to meet its targets, industry experts say.