Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced new sanctions on Russia on Friday. It comes amid growing calls for Moscow to be held responsible for the mass killing of civilians in Ukraine.
Kishida said, "Russian troops have killed civilians and attacked nuclear facilities, gravely violating international humanitarian law. It is an act of war crime that can never be tolerated. Such inhumane acts need to be held accountable."
Japan's Foreign Ministry has announced the expulsion of eight officials from the Russian embassy and trade representative office in the country.
Press Secretary Ono Hikariko announced the measure on Friday.
One hundred countries and regions have so far announced their intention to take part in the world exposition scheduled for 2025 in Osaka, western Japan.
Minister for the World Expo 2025 Wakamiya Kenji told reporters on Friday that 13 countries and regions, including Cote d'Ivoire, are the latest to announce their participation. Wakamiya added that seven international organizations had made their plans known as of Friday.
Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hagiuda Koichi says Japan will work to reduce reliance on coal imports from Russia in stages, with the goal of eventually phasing them out altogether.
Speaking on Friday, Hagiuda referred to a statement issued after a summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven nations on Thursday. The meeting discussed Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Officials in Tokyo are concerned about the more transmissible BA.2 Omicron coronavirus subvariant, which is increasingly dominant among infections.
The capital's expert panel says its screening indicates the BA.2 subvariant accounted for nearly 68 percent of new cases in the week through March 28. The rate has climbed nearly 30 points in the past two weeks.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says his government will secure seats on direct flights between Japan and Poland for Ukrainian evacuees.
Kishida said on Thursday that he was shocked by intolerable acts by Russian troops in Ukraine, noting that bodies of civilians were found on roads near the capital Kyiv with their hands tied behind their back. He stressed that killing civilians is a war crime.
The Japanese government has decided to release an additional 15 million barrels of oil from its reserves in cooperation with members of the International Energy Agency. It will be done to stabilize the global energy market.
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio told reporters on Thursday the oil will be released from the national and private-sector reserves.
Japan has expanded employer obligations to prevent power harassment at the workplace to cover smaller firms, in addition to major companies under the scope up to now.
Starting on April 1, small and mid-sized companies are obliged by law to set up consultation desks and take other measures to prevent power harassment.
A leading Japanese manga artist, Fujiko A. Fujio, has died. He was known for such popular series as "Ninja Hattori-kun" and "Kaibutsu-kun," or the monster kid.
He was reportedly found dead at his home in Kawasaki City, near Tokyo, on Thursday morning. He was 88.
The mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has called for the unity of peoples and nations to achieve peace. He made the appeal in an online conference with the mayor of Japanese sister city, Kyoto.
Vitali Klitschko and Kadokawa Daisaku had discussions on Wednesday afternoon, Japan time.
A Ukrainian evacuee has expressed hope for her new life at a Japanese language school in Japan before her scheduled arrival in the country later this month.
Yuliia Chepizhko will be the first Ukrainian evacuee to be accepted by the Japanese Supports for Ukrainian Students, a group of about 30 Japanese language schools across Japan. She spoke to reporters online on Wednesday from Warsaw in Poland.
A panel of experts with Japan's health ministry says the coronavirus is on the march again, with the number of infections up for the past two weeks.
The experts reported new cases nationwide were up 8 percent in the week through Tuesday compared to the previous week. Thirty-four of Japan's 47 prefectures have reported increases in new infections.
A group in the city of Kiryu in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, has presented money to a Ukrainian family who fled their home country to the city.
The Kiryu International Exchange Association gave 500,000 yen, or about 4,000 dollars, to Nataliya Kubik at the city hall on Wednesday. The 66-year-old lived in the city of Ternopil in western Ukraine.
Books on Ukraine, including those on the country's language, are drawing interest from people in Japan. Introductory books for Ukrainian learners have sold out at a store in Tokyo.
The large bookstore in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district set up a section for books about Ukraine and Russia soon after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. About 100 books on display include those on Ukraine's history and Russia's military.