THE house and office of a politician critical of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s controversial visit to a war shrine burned down yesterday.

The house and office of a politician critical of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to a war shrine burned down today, police said.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today made a pilgrimage to a Tokyo war shrine reviled by critics as a symbol of militarism, triggering a further erosion in Japan’s ties with its neighbours just a month before he leaves office.

REGIONAL tensions rose amid speculation that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi would visit a shrine for war dead tomorrow, on the anniversary of Tokyo’s World War Two surrender, which is seen by critics as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism.

Japan’s rising sun flag flew at the Yasukuni war shrine and tourists thronged today in anticipation of the event of the year – a possible pilgrimage by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Japan’s Princess Kiko has developed complications with her pregnancy and may have to give birth to her third child by Caesarean section, Kyodo News agency reported.

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi today said party elections to choose his successor will kick off on September 8, with the vote possibly taking place on September 20.

Japan’s top court today threw out two appeals challenging the constitutionality of prime minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to a Tokyo war shrine, news reports said.

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi today announced the withdrawal of 600 ground troops from southern Iraq, saying they had accomplished their humanitarian mission.

US President George Bush intends to invite Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a known Elvis Presley enthusiast, to the former estate of the rock legend in Tennessee, the US Ambassador to Japan said today.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today hinted he would not push ahead with a bill allowing women to ascend Japan’s imperial throne.

Japan will push ahead with wide-ranging reforms and strengthen its relations with China and South Korea, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today, in what may be his last annual policy speech to parliament.

Japanese stocks plunged for a second day today, bringing its two-day loss to nearly 6% amid investor jitters about a widening criminal investigation of internet start-up Livedoor Co.

US President George Bush’s going-away present to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was some kind of “good luck charm”.

Southeast Asian nations pressed Myanmar’s (Burma’s) generals to get serious about democracy as they opened a summit today aiming for broader Asian integration – an uphill task as shown by a feud raging between China and Japan.

Iraq’s foreign minister today asked Japan’s premier and its defence chief to extend Tokyo’s deployment of about 600 troops to southern Iraq.

Japan and Russia signed an accord today, backing Russia’s bid to enter the World Trade Organisation and co-operate on anti-terror and nuclear non-proliferation efforts, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said today stronger economic relations between Russia and Japan would help improve ties between the countries, strained by a 60-year territorial dispute.

US president George Bush urged China to grant more political freedom to its 1.3 billion people and held up arch-rival Taiwan as a society that successfully moved from repression to democracy as it opened its economy.

US President George Bush arrived in Japan today to begin an eight-day tour through Asia for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum in South Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi named a new Cabinet today, putting outspoken conservatives – and potential successors – in top positions and retaining his economic team.

South Korea’s foreign minister today said it was inappropriate for him to travel to Japan now because of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s recent visit to a controversial war shrine, scuttling tentative plans for talks in Tokyo later this month.

China today cancelled a planned visit by Japan’s foreign minister, after Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi infuriated Beijing by visiting a contentious war shrine.

Japan’s foreign minister today pledged to smooth ties with China and South Korea after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi enraged the two Asian neighbours and sparked business jitters by visiting a war shrine that critics say glorifies Japan’s militaristic past.

Japan’s lower house of Parliament today re-elected Junichiro Koizumi as Prime Minister, following the ruling coalition’s landslide victory in elections last week.

More members of Japan’s newly elected parliament believe Japanese troops should be withdrawn from Iraq when their mission expires in December than believe they should stay, a survey said today.

PRIME Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s triumph in parliamentary polls handed the leader a new mandate yesterday to turn promises into action for sweeping economic reforms.

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi’s stunning triumph in parliamentary polls has handed the leader a new mandate to harness his revitalised ruling party and turn promises into action for a range of sweeping economic reforms.

Japanese voters cast their votes in nationwide parliamentary elections today which look likely to strengthen Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s grip on power and invigorate the leader’s push for economic reforms, including his long-cherished plan to privatise the nation’s postal system.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was riding high today in the homestretch of the campaign for weekend parliamentary elections, boosted by polls forecasting a comfortable win by the party that has ruled Japan for a half-century.

Japan will decide whether to withdraw its 600 troops from Iraq after the Middle Eastern country’s constitutional referendum and possible follow-up elections, the Foreign Ministry said today.

A woman blocked from driving through a security barrier at the Japanese prime minister’s residence today attempted to kill herself by committing a “hara-kiri” disembowelment, a police official said.

Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi today said he will step down in September 2006 at the end of his term as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, even if the ruling coalition wins a majority in the forthcoming elections.

ASIA remembered the 60th anniversary of Japan’s Second World War surrender yesterday by honouring the dead and searching for reconciliation, while Japan’s leader tried to salve wounds by apologising for the “great damages and pain” it inflicted on its neighbours.

Japan's prime minister Junichiro Koizumi apologised today for Tokyo’s wartime colonisation and invasions in Asia on the 60th anniversary of the country’s surrender, pledging that Japan would never forget the “terrible lessons” of the war.

Japan’s upper house of Parliament voted down legislation to split up and sell the country’s postal service today, prompting Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to follow through on a threat to call snap elections that could shake the ruling party’s grip on power.

JAPAN'S Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday pledged $500 million (€413m) over the next few years to the global effort to eradicate HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.

A top politician today urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to reconsider his annual visit to a controversial war shrine, warning it could damage Japan’s already strained relations with China.

The US met North Korea yesterday on halting its nuclear weapons programme and withdrew a threat to try to punish the North Koreans soon with UN sanctions.

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.

THE Japanese government is facing an uphill struggle to persuade bureaucrats and businessmen to loosen their collars and shed their ties — if the first day of the government’s Cool Biz campaign to save energy and fight global warming is anything to go by.

JAPANESE diplomats are investigating an astonishing claim that two former Japanese soldiers have been hiding in the mountains of the southern Philippines since World War Two.

China’s vice-premier called off a meeting with the Japanese prime minister and suddenly left Tokyo today – a day earlier than expected – but Beijing’s reasons for ending a visit aimed at repairing strained relations remained a mystery.