Japan is seeking to create a more self-sufficient military as a deterrence against China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the region, and has concentrated on defense buildup on its southwestern islands. Japan also has concerns about the rising tensions caused by North Korea and Russia.

LDP’s Sanae Takaichi needs to find coalition partners from opposition to become Japan’s first female prime minister.

By Makiko Yamazaki and Leika Kihara TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -After a wild week, Sanae Takaichi may have found the political support she needs to become Japan's next prime minister - but the new cross-party alliances come with risks that her economic plans get mired in an increasingly fragmented legislature.

Tokyo — President Donald Trump treated his time in Japan on Tuesday as a victory lap — befriending the new Japanese prime minister, taking her with him as he spoke to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier and then unveiling several major energy and technology projects in America to be funded by Japan.

Investors are cautious going into Japan’s 20-year government bond auction on Wednesday as the shock collapse of Japan’s ruling coalition fuels fresh political uncertainty.

Tetsuya Yamagami is now on trial for the assassination of Shinzo Abe. He says he was motivated by Abe's ties to the Moonies.

Follow live coverage of the Trump administration as the president meets with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on his three-nation tour of Asia.

The trial of 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami began at the Nara District Court, Bloomberg reports, where he admitted to fatally shooting Abe with a homemade gun during an election campaign in July 2022.

European stocks dropped, with France’s CAC 40 sinking 1.5% after the country’s prime minister resigned. Bonds fell and the euro weakened. Stocks in Japan surged and the yen tumbled on the selection of a pro-stimulus leader.

Despite Prime Minister Takaichi’s immigration stance, some doubt she’ll go far enough to satisfy their demands.