Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has said that she's held close discussions on foreign exchange issues with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and that authorities are prepared for "bold" action if needed. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/04/16/economy/katayama-talks-fx-with-bessent/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #currencies #boj #japaneseeconomy #scottbessent #satsukikatayama #usjapanrelations

One month after two boats capsized off Okinawa Prefecture, leaving two people aboard dead, authorities are continuing their investigations into details of the incident. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/16/japan/probe-continues-ship-accident-okinawa/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #okinawa #futenma #henoko #marineaccidents #doshisha #education #schools #nago #usbases #usjapanrelations #kyoto

Tokyo is "closely monitoring" a planned U.S. military operation to "blockade" the Strait of Hormuz, the Japanese government said Monday, following failed peace talks over the weekend. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/13/japan/politics/japan-reax-hormuz-blockade/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #minorukihara #donaldtrump #iran #usjapanrelations #middleeast #oil

Japan has gifted the United States 250 cherry blossom trees to mark the country's 250th anniversary this year, with a planting ceremony held in Washington on Friday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/11/japan/japan-gift-us-cherry-trees/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #washington #sakura #us #usjapanrelations

Thirty years after Tokyo and Washington agreed on a handover, Japan takes the fact that the site of the U.S. Futenma base in Okinawa Prefecture has yet to be returned to Japan "seriously." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/10/japan/futenma-base-handover-delay/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #us #usjapanrelations #okinawa #defense #minorukihara #usmilitary #futenma #ginowan

Recent discussions about allowing U.S. allies to develop nuclear weapons raise the risk of eroding the nonproliferation framework and weakening trust in American security commitments. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/04/09/japan/japan-south-korea-nuclear-leap/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #southkorea #us #defense #usjapanrelations #nuclearweapons #nonproliferation #npt

Japan is keeping a close watch over the situation in the Middle East as uncertainties hang over a fragile truce between the U.S. and Iran, a day after the two sides agreed to a two-week ceasefire. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/09/japan/politics/japan-hormuz-iran-uncertainty/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #iran #middleeast #oil #donaldtrump #iranjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #sdf #usjapanrelations

Amid concern over stability of Middle Eastern oil supplies, and knowing the impacts of earthquakes, floods and the pandemic, Japan and the region face an opportunity to secure more stable supplies through cooperation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/09/japan/politics/oil-diplomacy-asean/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #iran #philippines #us #middleeast #oil #energy #iranjapanrelations #usjapanrelations #indopacific

Some Japanese refiners are seeking to speed up deliveries of U.S. crude following disruptions caused by the Iran war, opting for smaller ships that can transit the Panama Canal rather than sail around Africa. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/09/japan/japan-us-oil-smaller-ships/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #oil #middleeast #usjapanrelations #iran

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, hours after a ceasefire deal in its war with the U.S. and Israel, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz topping the agenda. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/08/japan/politics/takaichi-iran-president-call/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #iran #middleeast #oil #donaldtrump #iranjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #sdf #usjapanrelations