Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe visited a shrine yesterday that is seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo’s wartime aggression, infuriating China and South Korea and prompting concern from the United States about deteriorating ties between the North Asian neighbours.

‘Abenomics’, a mix of fiscal and monetary expansion together with structural reforms, is helping to revive Japan’s stagnant economy and, while some question its sustainability, at least it has helped lift morale, says Kyran Fitzgerald

A year after whole neighbourhoods of people were killed by the Japanese tsunami, rumours of ghosts swirl in Ishinomaki as the city struggles to come to terms with the tragedy.

The British National Party’s Adam Walker and other European right-wing politicians today visited a Japanese shrine that has drawn outrage for honouring war criminals.

The Dalai Lama insisted today he supports China’s hosting of the Olympics in August, despite international condemnation of the country’s handling of anti-government riots in his native Tibet.

Mongolian muscleman Asashoryu is the focus of one of sumo’s biggest scandals ever – one that has all of Japan wondering if their cherished, ancient sport is on the take.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers watched fireworks burst over Sydney Harbour for New Year’s Eve, while in Japan thousands scaled Mount Fuji to catch the first glimpse of the sun in 2007.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will continue his annual visits to a war shrine, a close aide said today, despite furious objections from China and other Asian countries who say the visits glorify Japan’s past wartime brutality.

A SPERM protein named after a Japanese shrine dedicated to happy marriage could open up new avenues of infertility treatment, scientists yesterday said.

A Japanese court has thrown out a lawsuit stemming from visits by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to a Tokyo shrine that honours Japan’s World War II dead, a spokesman said today.

GODOLPHIN hope to move nearer to the goal of 100 Group One wins when they bid for a fourth win in the world’s richest race at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday.