Simon Denyer

TOKYO — As China flexes its muscles, President-elect Joe Biden is offering assurances to America's top allies in the Asia-Pacific region that he is not going to be a soft touch. Biden spoke with the leaders of Australia, Japan and South Korea on…

The whole world is watching the chaotic aftermath of the U.S. presidential race. And the whole world is wondering what is going on. Leaders around the world saw former vice president Joe Biden strengthen his path to the White House on Friday after…

TOKYO — Japan's new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, committed his country on Monday to reaching a target of zero emissions of greenhouse gases and achieving a carbon-neutral society by 2050, with a "fundamental shift" in policy on coal use. Suga…

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he has decided to resign because of illness, after weeks of speculation about his health after two visits to a hospital and just days after setting a record as the country's longest-serving…

TOKYO — Shinzo Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister on Monday, but there was no celebration of his record 2,799-day tenure. Instead, Abe spent the morning at the hospital, as concerns mount that his health may be faltering. Abe’s…

The United States on Saturday has passed Italy for the most confirmed covid-19 deaths in the world, with more than 20,000 fatalities, a figure experts have called “an underestimation.” Much-smaller Italy has still lost more people per capita —…

Laboratory studies are underway to see how temperature and humidity affect covid-19 The novel coronavirus pandemic that has killed thousands, sickened more than 350,000 and sent major economies into a tailspin may be slowed by the upcoming changing…

With climate change, they face survival risks as the ice melts but also enjoy new hunting grounds in warmer waters. A seal swims in a pool at Seals Land in Mombetsu, a city in Hokkaido, Japan. The facility is the nation’s only shelter for these…

The State Department heightened its travel advisory for China on Thursday, urging citizens not to travel there due to the rapid spread of coronavirus. The announcement came hours after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public…

This video is currently not available TOKYO — After a bitter dispute with the International Olympic Committee, Tokyo’s governor said Friday she had reluctantly accepted organizers’ decision to switch next year’s Olympic marathons to the cooler…

TOKYO — The International Olympic Committee finds itself in a growing row with Tokyo’s powerful governor over its sudden decision to switch next year’s Olympic marathons and race walks to the cooler northern city of Sapporo because of concerns over…

CIVILIAN CONTROL ZONE, South Korea — Where once the air was filled with the thud of artillery shells, now there’s birdsong and the rustling of animals in the undergrowth. A landscape once denuded by napalm and later Agent Orange is carpeted in green,…

TOKYO — An Olympics construction worker has died of suspected heatstroke after falling unconscious as an intense heat wave batters Japan, causing scores of deaths and fueling worries over Tokyo’s plans to host the Games next summer. Police told…

OSAKA, Japan — Leaders from the Group of 20 nations renewed their vow to take action to curb climate change on Saturday, as the United States once again stood apart and at odds with the rest of the world. President Trump — who at times appeared not…

OSAKA, Japan — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened deliberations at the Group of 20 summit Friday by expressing his hope of achieving “beautiful harmony” among the world leaders gathered in the city of Osaka. Behind the scenes, divisions are as…

This video is currently not available OSAKA, Japan — President Trump and key foreign leaders are barreling toward a clash at the Group of 20 summit in Japan, as the U.S. president prepared to highlight his unhappiness about trade and European leaders…

Japan, he said, will exercise “firm leadership” on climate change at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka this week, with a focus on “disruptive innovation” that generates economic growth. It also was a theme echoed by G-20 energy and environment…

The former crown prince Naruhito formally took his place as emperor Wednesday in a short, silent and solemn ceremony in the Imperial Palace’s Pine Chamber, a day after Naruhito’s 85-year-old father abdicated to pass the role to a younger…

Six-year-old Reto Aisaka was jumping up and down on the windswept dock. For five months, he’d been counting the days until his dad, Toru, returned from a whale hunt. The boy was up at dawn to meet him. Shimonoseki, on the westernmost tip of Japan’s…