Tokyo

And "the actual motive behind (Shinzo) Abes visit to Belgrade had more to do with the close relationship, established over the past five years, between Serbia and China," Liubomir Topaloff from the Meiji University writes in a commentary published on the newspaper's website, cited by Beta.

The cheapest holiday destination for 2018? According to the Post Office's annual survey of on-the-ground costs, it's offbeat Bulgaria.

After comparing prices in 42 destinations, for typical travel purchases such as drinks in local bars and restaurant meals, the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach supplanted the Algarve as the top option for budget breaks.

BELGRADE - Tokyo has decided to appoint a special ambassador for the Western Balkan countries on the path towards the EU, says Norio Maruyama, Director-General for Press and Public Diplomacy of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was in the delegation accompanying PM Shinzo Abe on his visit to Serbia.

Japan’s anti-doping body has banned a top canoeist for eight years after he spiked a rival’s drink with a banned substance to boost his own chances of selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Millions of people in Tokyo received a loud alert Friday that a "strong" earthquake was about to hit -- but it proved to be a false alarm apparently triggered by geological chance./dailysabah

Text messages and whooping alarms were sent to the phones of millions in and around the Japanese capital, warning: "A quake has occurred off Ibaraki. Prepare for strong jolts."

In the final New Year's auction at Tokyo's famed Tsukiji fish market on Friday, the owner of an international sushi restaurant shelled out more than $300,000 for a prime bluefin tuna and said he was "very happy" with the result, according to Reuters.

The European Union and 12 other nations condemned Japan’s Antarctic whaling program on Dec. 18, rejecting Tokyo’s argument that the annual slaughter is for scientific research.

The Japanese government approved a new package of unilateral sanctions against North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program. According to the Kyodo Agency, this decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile programs needed to be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries, Reuters reported.

Tokyo Olympic organizers unveiled a shortlist of three official 2020 Games mascots on Dec. 7 -- from bug-eyed cartoon heroes to cuddly raccoons.