Japan

TOKYO, May 10 (Xinhua): Miyazaki Prefecture on the southeast coast of Kyushu Island in southwest Japan was rocked by a series of earthquakes Friday morning, the country's weather agency said, although no tsunami warnings or advisories have been issued.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a magnitude 5.6 offshore quake jolted Miyazaki and neighboring prefectures at 7:43 a.m. local time (2243 GMT Thursday).

TOKYO, May 4. /TASS/: North Korea’s missiles fired in the direction of the Sea of Japan have not reached Japan’s exclusive economic zone, the country’s government said.

"We have not registered any missile in our economic zone," the Kyodo news agency quoted a spokesman for the cabinet as saying. He also rejected reports that Pyongyang had launched ballistic missiles.

Earlier, the Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) that North Korea had fired several short-range missiles, which flew some 70-200 km.

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese aerospace startup funded by a former internet maverick successfully launched a small rocket into space Saturday, making it the first commercially developed Japanese rocket to reach orbit.

Interstellar Technology Inc. said the unmanned MOMO-3 rocket exceeded 100 kilometers (60 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean. It was launched from the company’s test site in the town of Taiki on Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido and flew about 10 minutes.

Tokyo, May 1 (AFP) New Emperor Naruhito vowed Wednesday he would always stand with the Japanese people, as he prayed for world peace in his first address to the nation after ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne.

He swore to "act according to the Constitution... while always turning my thoughts to the people and standing with them".

TOKYO, April 30 (Xinhua): Japanese people, immersed in a jubilant mood to welcome the beginning of a new era, planned on Tuesday to celebrate Reiwa in various activities, starting on May 1 with the ascent of Crown Prince Naruhito to the throne.

Japanese Emperor Akihito in his final speech as a monarch on Tuesday declared his abdication and said he sincerely hoped for a stable future for Japan and peace and happiness around the world.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s 85-year-old Emperor Akihito ends his three-decade reign on Tuesday and his son Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne on Wednesday. Some key questions and answers about the abdication and ascension:

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Q. Why is Akihito abdicating, and how is it different from usual successions?

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s imperial family is relatively small and will shrink further in the coming years. Only one of Emperor Akihito’s four grandchildren is a male who can ascend to the throne. The three princesses likely will lose their royal status eventually, since they are required to do so if they marry commoners. Akihito’s daughter lost her imperial status after marrying a local government official.

A look at the imperial family as Akihito abdicates on Tuesday:

EMPRESS MICHIKO, 84

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A privately owned deep-sea search vessel with U.S. Navy salvage team on board has departed for Okinawa, Japan to assist search operations for a downed Japanese F-35A fighter, U.S. Navy said in a statement Thursday.

The Vessel, DSCV Van Gogh, is a multipurpose diving support and construction platform equipped with U.S. Navy remotely operated vehicles and a towed-pinger locator system, said the statement.

TOKYO (AP) — The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant has begun removing fuel from a cooling pool at one of three reactors that melted down in the 2011 disaster, a milestone in the decades-long process to decommission the plant.

TOKYO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Japan's lower house of parliament approved a bill on Tuesday to provide broader childcare support from October as a means to address the nation's dire demographic crisis, including a declining birth rate.

The bill, which the government hopes will clear the upper house before the regular Diet session ends in June, is slated to cost 776.0 billion yen (7 billion U.S. dollars) a year and is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to expand social security provisions.