Japan 'misspent' tsunami rebuilding money: audit
Cash earmarked for tsunami reconstruction work was diverted to unrelated projects, a Japanese government audit showed as residents of the devastated northeast voiced frustration over the slow pace of rebuilding.
Japan airport reopens with WWII bomb still there
A huge World War II bomb uncovered near a busy runway was underneath a shield of concrete and sandbags on Wednesday as flights resumed at an airport in northern Japan.
Panasonic shares plunge after loss forecast
Shares in Panasonic dived nearly 20 percent Thursday after the Japanese firm warned of a mammoth $9.6 billion annual loss in the latest sign of trouble for the nation's hard-hit electronics giants.
Nissan chief wary of China amid island row: report
Nissan would think twice before making new investments in China, the firm's chief told the Financial Times, as Japan-brand auto sales dive amid a territorial row between Tokyo and Beijing.
'Fifty Shades' aiming to seduce in Japan
Erotic bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey" will hit Japanese bookshelves this week, its publisher said Tuesday, hoping to repeat the breathless success it has enjoyed around the world.
WWII bomb found near Japan runway halts flights
A huge unexploded World War II bomb has been found buried near the runway of one of Japan's busiest regional airports, forcing all flights to be cancelled Tuesday.
Tokyo court dismisses Prada sexual harassment suit
A Japanese court dismissed a sexual harassment and unfair dismissal suit against fashion house Prada after management told a female worker to lose weight and keep in shape.
Chinese ships enter waters disputed with Japan
Four Chinese government ships entered territorial waters around disputed Tokyo-controlled islands early Thursday, the Japanese coastguard said, sparking a strong protest from Japan.
S. Korea readies third bid to join global space club
South Korea hopes to launch a satellite into space on Friday in its third attempt to join an elite club that includes Asian powers China, Japan and India.
Women still face gender gap in jobs, wages: report
Women are closing the gender gap with men in health and education but struggle to get top jobs and salaries, data from a study of 135 countries showed on Wednesday.
S. Korean MPs to visit islands disputed with Japan
A group of South Korean lawmakers were set Tuesday to visit an isolated set of islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan -- a move likely to stoke tensions with Tokyo still more.
S. Korea irked by Japan indifference to 'Gangnam Style'
While South Korean rapper Psy's "Gangnam Style" has taken the world by storm, it has largely fallen flat in Japan -- an anomaly viewed with grave suspicion by some in the singer's home country.
Japan's yakuza-linked justice minister quits
Japan's justice minister, who has admitted past links with organised crime, resigned Tuesday just three weeks into the job, citing "health problems".
Japan's radiation monitoring unreliable: Greenpeace
Government radiation monitoring in areas near Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is unreliable, Greenpeace charged on Tuesday, with heavily populated areas exposed to 13 times the legal limit.
Tokyo shows China film despite producer protest
Organisers of the Tokyo International Film Festival said Tuesday they had gone ahead with the screening of a Chinese-made film, despite requests by producers to shelve it because of a territorial row.
China flexes muscles with drills amid island row
China was set to dispatch naval vessels and aircraft to the East China Sea on Friday, flexing its muscles in exercises likely to further stoke a bristling territorial dispute with Japan.
South Korea angered by Japan war shrine visit
South Korea reacted angrily Thursday to a visit by Japanese opposition leader Shinzo Abe to a Tokyo war shrine, saying Japan should "have the courage" to face up to its brutal wartime aggression.
Fukushima panel chief hopes for change in Japan
The head of a hard-hitting panel that blamed cultural factors for the Fukushima nuclear disaster voiced hope Tuesday that the tragedy would help open up Japan's system of government.
World economy needs action from China, EU: Geithner
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Saturday the global economy was on the mend, but more needed to be done to stoke domestic demand in China and fix Europe's fiscal woes.
Japan's Noda pressured by minister's yakuza link
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is facing mounting pressure following his justice minister's admission to past links with a yakuza gang, just 10 days after he was appointed.