Long-simmering tensions between China and its neighbors took center stage on Thursday as leaders of the U.S., Japan and the Philippines gathered at the White House to push back on Beijing's stepped-up pressure on Manila in the disputed South China Sea. (ABS-CBN News)

Japan is leading the support for mine clearance efforts in Ukraine, providing advanced equipment such as high-performance metal detectors that can see underground with radar and large mine-clearance machines that can remove mines quickly. (News On Japan)

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike firmly denied allegations regarding her educational background during a regular press conference. She reaffirmed her graduation from Cairo University, supported by both her diploma and a certificate that she has made public. (News On Japan)

During his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech in Congress that began with humor, earning appreciative laughter from the assembly. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended an informal dinner with President Joe Biden and the First Lady at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. (News On Japan)

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) regiment, which referred to Iwo Jima, a site of intense battle between Japan and the United States during the final stages of the Pacific War, as "the greatest battlefield of the Greater East Asia War" on social media, deleted the post on Monday night after acknowledging that it had caused misunderstanding. (News On Japan)

A sexual harassment controversy has surfaced involving the former chairman of Ichihara City Council in Chiba. The incident in question revolves around a handshake, which has been classified as sexual harassment. (News On Japan)

During a roundtable discussion in Kumamoto Prefecture with members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida offered an apology for the slush fund scandal, prompting a series of critical remarks about the lack of ethics among party members. (News On Japan)

A white Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to Junco Mihara, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Councillors, was stolen from her home on Wednesday night. (News On Japan)

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Nara Prefecture has disciplined its former Youth Division Chief following a controversial dance party incident. (News On Japan)

A speech by Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu to new employees on Monday, April 1, was broadcast in full, stirring controversy with remarks that could be construed as attributing a hierarchy to professions. (News On Japan)

In a move to combat declining birthrates, the Japanese government has revealed estimates for the upcoming "Child and Childcare Support Fund," which will be an additional charge on top of medical insurance. (News On Japan)

Materials presented at a Cabinet Office meeting to discuss renewable energy inadvertently included a logo of a Chinese state-owned enterprise, sparking concern among opposition parties and officials about the possibility of foreign influence on Japan's energy policies. (News On Japan)

In a significant policy shift, the government has decided to allow the export of the next-generation fighter jet, co-developed with Japan, to third countries. (News On Japan)