Asahi reported on a statement released on Tuesday by Foreign Minister Kono concerning the situation in Venezuela. The statement said in part: “The situation in Venezuela has deteriorated because President Maduro has failed to dispel doubts in the international community over the legitimacy of the presidential election held in May last year.” The paper wrote that although Kono called on….Read more

TOKYO — Japan on Tuesday did not clarify its stance on whether it will join the United States and other nations in endorsing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate president.   As unrest continues in the South American nation, however, Japan lashed out at the government led by President Nicolas Maduro for having failed to dispel doubts in the….Read more

Saturday morning’s Asahi and Mainichi reported on remarks delivered by Venezuelan Ambassador to Japan Ishikawa at the Japan National Press Club on Friday, during which he criticized the United States for “interfering in domestic affairs” by supporting opposition leader Guaido.

Saturday morning’s Asahi wrote that the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk Hotel has decided that it will not provide accommodations for Cuban officials in accordance with the Hilton Group’s policy of refusing to serve Cuban diplomats worldwide. Although the policy runs counter to Japan’s Inns and Hotels Act, the Fukuoka operator reportedly stated that since it is a U.S. company, it….Read more

Monday’s Nikkei reported that the GOJ plans to seek during the regular Diet session that will begin later this month approval of the acquisition and cross-serving agreements (ACSAs) that it sealed with France and Canada last year. Japan has already concluded such pacts with the U.S., the UK, and Australia.

Monday evening’s Nikkei and Yomiuri wrote that Japan and Uruguay agreed to allow two-way beef imports at a meeting held between Prime Minister Abe and Uruguayan President Vazquez on Sunday in Montevideo. The two leaders also discussed the launch of negotiations on a tax treaty. Abe later visited Asuncion to hold talks with Paraguay President Benitez. The two leaders reportedly….Read more

Yomiuri wrote that the GOJ reported to the Diet on Tuesday that Prime Minister Abe will visit Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay from Nov. 29 through Dec. 4. The premier will attend the G20 leaders’ meeting in Buenos Aires on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and hold bilateral talks with Russian President Putin on the sidelines. Abe is also reportedly making….Read more

TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to leave Japan on Thursday to attend the Group of 20 major economies summit in Argentina and visit two other South American countries, the government said Tuesday.   On the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires, Abe is expected to hold separate bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian….Read more

Tokyo, Nov. 26 (Jiji Press) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may cancel his trip to Britain and the Netherlands planned early next month, in order to focus on parliamentary debates on a bill for enabling Japan to accept more foreign workers, government sources said Monday. In a tour from Thursday, Abe was initially considering going to the two European….Read more

Tokyo, Nov. 20 (Jiji Press) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering visiting the Netherlands, Uruguay and Paraguay, in addition to a planned trip to Britain, in December, government sources said Tuesday. Abe is mulling the travel to the four countries through Dec. 7 after attending the two-day summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in….Read more