A Japanese fishing boat that was seized by the Russian border guard last week has returned to its homeport in Nemuro City, Hokkaido.
The No.68 Shoyo-maru had six crew members. It was seized last Wednesday and taken to Russian-controlled Kunashiri Island after an inspection.
Russian authorities say they have released a Japanese fishing boat after detaining it last week.
The authorities say they freed the No.68 Shoyo-maru on Monday after receiving a deposit.
Japan will start issuing passports featuring art by ukiyoe master Katsushika Hokusai for people applying as early as February.
The new passport has 24 landscapes from the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series from the 19th century. The prints serve as background for the visa pages used for entry and exit stamps. The design of the front page remains the same.
The Japanese Communist Party, or JCP, has amended its platform for the first time in 16 years. It has also adopted a resolution intended to strengthen its cooperation with opposition parties.
The party finished a five-day convention in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Saturday.
Japanese companies operating in China are tightening measures to prevent their employees from getting pneumonia following an outbreak in the country that may be linked to a new type of coronavirus.
Japan External Trade Organization, or JETRO, says 156 Japanese firms are located in Wuhan and surrounding cities. The inland Chinese city has been hit by the pneumonia outbreak.
Russian authorities say they expect the captain of a Japanese fishing boat to be fined for violation of a fishery agreement between the two countries.
Border authorities in Sakhalin in Russia's Far East said on Thursday that they have found an undeclared catch of 714 kilograms of ray fish on the No. 68 Shoyo-maru.
The Japanese Imperial Family has long had close relations with the British Royal Family.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito has engaged in exchanges with the Royal Family since 1953, when he attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on behalf of Emperor Showa.
Japanese world number one badminton player Kento Momota has been injured in a vehicle crash near Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.
Fire department officials say the accident occurred at around 5:00 a.m. on Monday, local time.
Japan's Prime Minister has met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to discuss ways to ease political tension in the Middle East.
The talks between Shinzo Abe and Mohammed bin Salman were held on Sunday in Al-Ula, a city in Saudi Arabia's northwest. Earlier, Abe met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz in the capital Riyadh.