The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday claimed that the country's ban on exports of dual-use goods to Japan is completely legitimate and legal.

China's Ministry of Commerce launched an antidumping investigation Wednesday into Japanese dichlorosilane, a compound used in semiconductor manufacturing.

The market for so-called "social gifts," which allow people to send presents through social media or email, is expanding rapidly in Japan, with its size estimated at 600 billion yen this year, 3.8 times larger than six years ago, a private research firm said.

The Fukui prefectural government, in a report released Wednesday, confirmed former Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto's sexual harassment against a female worker and other victims.

Japan's program to effectively eliminate high school tuition from fiscal 2026 is heightening concerns among public high schools that a shift toward private education will increase further.

Shinsuke Yamanaka, chief of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, on Wednesday denounced Chubu Electric Power Co. for cherry-picking earthquake risk data for its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Wednesday warned the public about a fake video that misused footage from his own press conference and had appeared on YouTube.

Japan's Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co. has said it will go private through a management buyout scheme worth about 390 billion yen.

The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major democracies on Wednesday agreed that they will maintain close communication and cooperation regarding the situation in Venezuela, following the U.S. attack on the country.

Japan's Nagasaki and Okinawa have been selected for The New York Times' list of "52 places to go in 2026."

Former Taiwan Premier Frank Hsieh has been appointed chairman of Taiwan's liaison organization with Japan.

Business leaders in Japan made positive statements about continuing wage increases during a New Year event in Tokyo on Tuesday, with many hoping to achieve wage hikes at or above last year's results in this year's "shunto" spring wage negotiations.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Tuesday announced an immediate ban on the exports to Japan of dual-use goods, which can be used for both commercial and military purposes.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged to drive the country's economic growth during a New Year's event hosted mainly by Jiji Press on Tuesday.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said Tuesday that it learned of fraudulent data selection on earthquake risk by Chubu Electric Power Co. in February 2025 as a result of whistleblowing.

Investigative sources said on Tuesday that a 39-year-old man, his wife and common-law wife who were arrested over posting secretly filmed sexual videos shared nearly 1,000 such videos and photos online.

Nearly 60pctof people in Japan do not know how to properly dispose of mobile batteries, while fires involving batteries are on the rise, a survey has shown.

Traffic accident deaths in Japan fell to a record low in 2025, dropping 116, or 4.4 pct, from the previous year to 2,547, the National Police Agency said Tuesday.

Volunteers from Japan's Children and Families Agency have launched an awareness-raising campaign to alleviate the anxiety of children who struggle to talk about their problems with adults.

Japan's leading shipbuilder, Imabari Shipbuilding Co., said Tuesday that it has completed the process to acquire the second-biggest Japan Marine United Corp.