China on Tuesday banned exports of dual-use goods that can serve military purposes to Japan, a move that comes at time of heightened tensions between the two countries over Taiwan, a self-ruled island Beijing claims as its sovereign territory.

Analysts hold out little hope that security pressures will ease, given US insistence that regional allies boost first island chain defences.

Lately a diplomatic spat with China has begun depressing the number of people coming to Japan from that country—but even this does not seem to have much deterred Japan’s leaders from their course. Three related trends have fuelled what anxious Japanese have come to call the “foreigner problem”.

A powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Japan's Chugoku region, registering upper 5 on seismic intensity scale; no tsunami threat reported. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Over recent years, the chewy rice cakes have killed and hospitalized hundreds of people in Japan, where it is eaten to celebrate the new year.

Japanese stocks made their strongest start in several decades, buoyed by robust buying from overseas investors and individuals.The Topix index and the Nikkei 225 climbed further on Tuesday, bringing their two-day gains to 3.

Nigel Cabourn, Margaret Howell and Paul Smith have been Japanese favourites for the past four decades. What’s their secret?

Japan’s lack of public trash cans often surprises visitors, but cultural norms and safety concerns explain why travelers carry their trash all day.