MAYUKO ONO

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks at a news conference during his visit to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo Tuesday April 8, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)
Japan says it wants to join a NATO command for the support of Ukraine
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani says Japan wants to participate in a NATO command for its Ukrainian mission as Japan increasingly steps up military ties with the largely European security organization.
 
Japanese Emperor Naruhito, left, and Empress Masako, center, are escorted by a member of Japan Self Defense Force as they arrive at the island of Iwo Jima, now officially called Iwo To in Japan, Monday April 7, 2025. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP)
Japanese emperor visits Iwo Jima to honor the dead in one of WWII’s fiercest battles
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has visited Iwo Jima to pay tribute to Japanese and Americans who died on the island in one of World War II’s bloodiest battles.
 
Shizuyo Takeuchi, 94-year-old Tokyo raid survivor, shares her experience in front of a map of the areas damaged during the 1945 Tokyo Firebombing at the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage on Feb. 24, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Tokyo was filled with charred corpses after US firebombing 80 years ago. Survivors want compensation
Japan is remembering the 105,000 people killed in a single night, 80 years ago Monday, in the U.S. firebombing of the Japanese capital. The deadly conventional bomb attack left downtown Tokyo destroyed and filled with heaps of charred bodies.
 
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin addresses military personnel from Japan, the United States and Australia during a visit to Camp Asaka, a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force base, on the outskirts of Tokyo Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool Photo via AP)
US defense chief observes drills with Japan, Australia, says he’s confident about greater capability
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has expressed confidence about enhanced military capabilities among the United States, Australia and Japan as he observed joint exercises showcasing their closer cooperation as tension in the region grow.
 
Japanese leaf-cutting artist, who goes by the name Lito, holds his freshly cut work featuring a frog with an umbrella, during an interview in Tokyo Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
AP PHOTOS: A Japanese artist finds solace and global fans with intricate leaf-cutting
TOKYO (AP) — A frog holding a taro-leaf umbrella. A parade of frolicking animals. An Ukiyo-e style Mount Fuji. Giant waves.