Japan | Pakistan

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, the strongest in the region since 1952, damaging buildings and generating a tsunami of up to 4 metres that prompted warnings and evacuations in Hawaii, Japan and across the Pacific Ocean. Several people were injured in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard — devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011 — was ordered to evacuate as Tsunami waves hit the Pacific coast of the country. Meanwhile, Hawaii recorded tsunami waves measuring up to 5ft, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. However, no waves of consequence have hit Hawaii yet. What we know so far: 8.8-magnitude quake hit Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula at 8:24am local time (4am PKT) Several people injured, no casualties reported Tsunami warnings issued in Japan, Mexico, Hawaii, Ecuador, China, Chile, Costa Rica Tsunami waves up to 1.7m hit Japan, Hawaii, California; 3-4m recorded in parts of Kamchatka Russian mayor ...

US President Donald Trump has announced a “massive” trade deal with Japan, as China said it will send its vice premier to US trade talks next week to secure its own agreement ahead of a looming deadline. In an attempt to slash his country’s colossal trade deficit, the US president has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive “reciprocal” tariffs if they do not hammer out a pact with Washington by August 1. The Japan agreement, along with another pact with the Philippines also announced on Tuesday, means Trump has now secured five agreements since his administration promised in April “90 deals in 90 days”. The others are with Britain, Vietnam and Indonesia, which the White House said Tuesday would ease critical mineral export restrictions. Negotiations are still ongoing with much larger US trading partners China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union. Representatives from China and the United States will meet next week in the Swedish capital Stockholm to try and hammer out a deal before an August 12 dead...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Japan on Tuesday signed a ¥379 million grant agreement in Islamabad to fund higher educa­tion for young civil officers under the 2025 Human Resource Development Scholarship Programme.

Pakistan’s Men’s Hockey U-18 Asia Cup dream came to an end as Japan won the final 3-0 on Sunday in Dazhou, China. The final score of the match was 3-0, with Japan’s Yuma Fujiwara scoring goals in the 22nd and 38th minutes of the game and Tatsuaki Yasui converting a penalty corner to score in the 49th minute. Pakistan had secured their place in the finals of the U-18 Asia Cup with a penalty shootout victory over Malaysia, maintaining an unbeaten streak in the tournament till the final. View this post on Instagram Both teams drew 3-3 in regular time, forcing the game to a penalty shootout, which Pakistan clinched 4-3. Before beating Malaysia, Pakistan had beaten hosts China 2-1 to qualify for the semi-final. They also defeated Bangladesh (6-3), Sri Lanka (9-0) and Hong Kong (8-0) during their campaign. Last month, New Zealand beat Pakistan 6-2 in the final of the FIH Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, retaining their title. Pakistan is also reviewing the security situation in India before taking a call on s...

Police in Japan’s Shiga prefecture have arrested an Indian man for allegedly raping a teenage girl last month, local news outlet Kyoto Shimbun reported. Shiga’s Otsu police arrested the man, identified as a 24-year-old temporary worker, on Thursday on suspicion of assaulting and raping a teenage high school girl. The man allegedly assaulted the “girl living in the prefecture, including by choking her, and then having sexual intercourse with her at a hotel in Otsu city”. The incident took place in the early hours of June 21, according to the report, which was also carried by Tokyo Reporter. It quoted the Otsu police as saying that the suspect and the girl did not know each other. The man had gone with her to the front of a hotel under the pretence of asking for directions, then forced her into a room, the police said. The suspect denied the charges and was quoted as saying, “I did not force her.” In May, Japanese police said they arrested a former taxi driver on suspicion of drugging and raping a female passen...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is set to embark on an official visit to Japan from August 15 to 22, aiming to promote investment and strengthen economic cooperation between Punjab and Japan.

Viral rumours of impending disaster stemming from a comic book prediction have taken the sheen off Japan’s tourism boom, with some airlines cancelling flights from Hong Kong where passenger numbers have plunged. Japan has seen record numbers of visitors this year, with April setting an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travellers. That dipped in May, however, with arrivals from Hong Kong — the superstitious Chinese-controlled city where the rumours have circulated widely — down 11 per cent year-on-year, according to the latest data. Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighbouring countries in July 2025. “The rumours have had a significant impact,” said Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance had “prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero,” he added. Branden Choi,...

Japan will from January attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest trial of its kind, the director of a government innovation programme said on Thursday. Earlier this week, the country pledged to work with the United States, India and Australia to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as concern grows over China’s dominance in resources vital to new technologies. Rare earths — 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth’s crust — are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles. China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 per cent of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency. A Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu will from January conduct a “test cruise” to retrieve ocean floor sediments that contain rare earth elements, said Shoichi Ishii, director of Japan’s Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Programme. “The test to retrieve the sed...

Pakistan defeated Japan 64-39 to storm into the final of the Asian Youth Netball Championship in Jeonju-si, South Korea, on Thursday, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. The Green Shirts had a strong start with a 21-7 lead over Japan in the first quarter. By halftime, they extended the score to 34-19. The third quarter saw Pakistan lead 42-28 before ending the game at 64-39 and sealing their spot in tomorrow’s final. View this post on Instagram Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Sumayya Kouser , Haleema ,Jasmine Farooq, Sumayya ,Jasmine, Amani, Parisa and Farah Rasheed displayed top notch performances during the match, said a press release. The president, chairman and secretary general of the Pakistan Netball Federation congratulated the Pakistan team on winning the semi-final. Pakistan will play the final either against the Maldives or Chinese Taipei on Friday. On Sunday, Pakistan downed Japan 79-39 during their fourth group match.

In a significant step to strengthen national stability, the Japanese government has approved a revised disaster mitigation plan designed to decrease the disastrous impact of a potential Nankai Trough earthquake. The plan was permitted during a Central Disaster Management Council meeting held on Tuesday at the official residence of the Prime Minister. The revised plan […]

Pakistan proved their dominance yet again after crushing Japan 79-39 on Monday at the Asian Youth Netball Championship in South Korea. The victory was the fourth consecutive for Pakistan, who now lead Pool B with 8 points. The green shirts were 16-9 in the first quarter before extending their lead to 39-17 by halftime. The score jumped to 60-26 in the third quarter, with the women cruising to 79-39 to end the match. Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Haleema, Sarina Hussain, Jasmine Farooq, Farah Rasheed, Amani, Parisa, Sumayya Ahmed and Alina played exceptional roles in securing the team’s victory. Senior officials of the Pakistan Netball federation, including chairman Mudassar Arain, president Samreen Malik, and secretary general congratulated Muhammad Riaz congratulated the team on their impressive win over Japan. Pakistan now faces Maldives tomorrow. Pakistan thrashed hosts South Korea 91-6 yesterday after opening the tournament with a strong 71-15 over Saudi Arabia on Friday, followed by a 56-32 victory over...

Japan executed a man on Friday who killed nine people after contacting them on social media, the first use of capital punishment in the country in nearly three years. Takahiro Shiraishi had been sentenced to death for his 2017 strangling and dismembering of eight women and one man in his apartment in Zama city in […]

Japan executed a man on Friday who killed nine people after contacting them on social media, the first use of capital punishment in the country in nearly three years. Takahiro Shiraishi had been sentenced to death for his 2017 strangling and dismembering of eight women and one man in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo. He was dubbed the “Twitter killer” as he contacted victims via the social media platform. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised Shiraishi’s hanging, said he made the decision after careful examination, taking into account the convict’s “extremely selfish” motive for crimes that “caused great shock andunrest to society.” It followed the execution in July 2022 of a man who went on a stabbing rampage in Tokyo’s shopping district Akihabara in 2008. It was also the first time a death penalty was carried out since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government was inaugurated last October. In September last year, a Japanese court acquitted Iwao Hakamada, who had spent the world’s...

TOKYO: Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has validated that around 30% of the rice auctioned from government holdings has been transported to retailers and restaurants, as part of a larger undertaking to stabilise rising rice prices across the country. Three rice auctions were conducted in March and April 2025 by the ministry, selling […]

OKAYAMA: As temperatures increase across Japan, residents and tourists in the western region of Okayama are embracing a delightful and traditional way to cool down, Nagashi Somen, a treasured summer ritual in Japan. In the lovely Yamanori Valley of Maniwa City, a restaurant with over 40 years of history has reopened for the season, offering […]

Pakistan beat Japan 3-2 in their second match of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup at Kuala Lumpur’s National Stadium on Monday. Ghazanfar Ali gave Pakistan the lead when he scored in the first quarter. Less than a minute later, Japan’s Kazumasa Matsumoto scored to level the field 1-1. Koji Yamasaki scored Japan’s second goal of the match within two minutes, bringing the score to 2-1. The second quarter saw the score remain steady, but vice-captain Waheed Ashraf Rana scored for Pakistan in the third quarter to tie the score at 2-2 once more. Sufyan Khan scored a decisive goal in the final quarter to take the score to 3-2 and give the Green Shirts their first win of the eight-team tournament. A day earlier, Pakistan and Malaysia played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in their opening fixture of the Nations Cup, with the Green Shirts relinquishing a lead late in the match. Pakistan will now face New Zealand on Wednesday, June 18 at 3pm PKT. The 20-member national squad was announced earlier this month, with Imad Butt being a...

ISLAMABAD - Japan is expanding employment pathways for Pakistani professionals, recognising their growing contribution to the Japanese economy and bilateral relations, said Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi at a stakeholder meeting on Friday.