Officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan met in Seoul on Friday for talks on North Korea amid signs the isolated country is preparing to conduct a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.

Japan's former princess Mako Komuro departed for the United States on Sunday with her husband, swapping ancient imperial rites for the bright lights of New York after leaving the royal family.

Asia's manufacturing activity broadly stagnated in September as pandemic-induced factory shutdowns and signs of slowing Chinese growth weighed on the region's economies, surveys showed on Friday.

Japan on Friday marked 76 years since the world's first atomic bomb attack, with low-key ceremonies and disappointment over a refusal by Olympics organisers to hold a minute's silence.

A Japanese skateboarder claimed a piece of Olympic history as the host nation enjoyed a gold rush at the Tokyo Games yesterday, while France inflicted the first defeat on a men’s USA basketball team since Athens 2004.

Myanmar authorities detained a Japanese journalist in Yangon on Sunday evening, Japan's government said on Monday, adding that it was trying to seek his release.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered officials on Wednesday to explore petitioning an international court over Japan's decision to release water from its Fukushima nuclear plant, his spokesman said, amid protests by fisheries and environmental groups.

Japan will release more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear station into the sea, the government said on Tuesday, a move opposed by neighbours including China, which called it "extremely irresponsible."

The United States, South Korea and Japan began a day of talks on Friday to discuss President Joe Biden's long-awaited review of North Korea policy and other pressing concerns, including a shortage of semi-conductor chips.

An American father and son accused of helping former Nissan Motor Co Ltd Chairman Carlos Ghosn's flee Japan arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday to potentially face days of questioning from prosecutors for their role in the elaborate escape plan.

A Japanese woman who said she hid her mother's corpse in a freezer in her apartment for a decade told police she feared eviction if the death was discovered, media reported Saturday.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vowed on Monday to forge ahead with preparations to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, in the face of growing public opposition as Japan battles a surge in coronavirus infections.