Vue lecture

Japan Meets With Trump, Hoping to Get His Help on China

Japan’s prime minister met with President Trump to discuss China’s economic and security pressure while also seeking to de-escalate tensions with Beijing.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan in a meeting with President Trump, who is not pictured, in Tokyo last year. Ms. Takaichi remains focused on persuading Mr. Trump to maintain security commitments in East Asia.
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Putin Reignited a Dispute With Japan. This Town Is Stuck in the Middle.

The fishing town of Nemuro depends on Russia for trade. But it’s also leading a fight to win back islands seized by Moscow in World War II.

© Kosuke Okahara for The New York Times

The signs at Nemuro port read in Japanese, Russian and English: “Welcome to Nemuro!” They also notify readers, “Return of the four islands will strengthen friendship between two nations. The Northern Territories are traditionally Japanese territory.”
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Okinawa Elects a Conservative Amid Fears About China and the Economy

Genta Koja will become the Japanese archipelago’s next governor, a win for the country’s hawkish prime minister as she works to accelerate a military buildup.

© Daisuke Tomita/Yomiuri Shimbun, via Associated Press

Genta Koja, a conservative, celebrating in Naha city, Japan, on Sunday after he was projected as the victor in the election for governor of Okinawa.
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Toyohiro Akiyama, Japan’s Chain-Smoking ‘Space Antihero,’ Dies at 84

A journalist, he was the first Japanese person to enter space, joining a Soviet crew as part of a spectacular $35 million ratings stunt in 1990.

© Kyodo, via Reuters

Toyohiro Akiyama waving from a space capsule after returning to Earth in December 1990.
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