Japan’s foreign minister has suddenly quit after breaking the law by accepting a political donation from a foreigner.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said today he is stepping down for having accepted a political donation from a foreigner, which is illegal in Japan.

Japan’s foreign minister said Moscow has no legal right to occupy several disputed islands that have kept their two countries at odds for decades, despite Russia’s increasingly assertive stance.

The US, Japan and South Korea have said they will not resume nuclear negotiations with North Korea until it ends its "provocative and belligerent" behaviour and takes concrete steps to roll back its nuclear arms programme.

Japan's transport ministry may reform its car recall system, reports said today, as Toyota faces accusations of delays over drivers' complaints.

Crisis-hit Toyota faced fresh doubts about braking problems in its prized Prius today, with complaints ballooning to about 180 in the US and Japan.

Japan Airlines filed for bankruptcy today in one of the country’s largest corporate failures.

Japan should have more thoroughly inspected US cattle facilities before easing a ban on American beef last month, Japan’s agriculture minister said today.