The drop was driven largely by a 61% fall in arrivals from China, which has been urging its citizens to avoid travel to Japan to protest comments by the prime minister about Taiwan.

In 2040, just a decade and a half from now, the list of 10 most populous countries in the world is likely to include Nigeria, Pakistan and Indonesia. Missing will be one country that has been a mainstay of the list: Japan.

By Kiyoshi Takenaka TOKYO, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Japanese firms are concerned about the government's fiscal discipline, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans a temporary suspension of sales tax on food and steps up investment to spur growth.

From recalling pandas to cancelling tourist flights, China continues to retaliate after Takaichi's comments on Taiwan.

“Our findings challenge the prevailing view that tigers once took refuge in Japan and that cave lion distribution was limited to the Russian Far East and northeast China,” explained the study’s authors. “These findings provide evidence that lions, rather than tigers, colonized the Japanese archipelago during the Late Pleistocene.”

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says she hopes to deepen her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday night, 17-year-old Ami Nakai - the youngest competitor in the women's event - stormed to the top after the short program.

With a strong (and resoundingly consolidated) mandate, Takaichi is now making moves to revise Japan’s Constitution, and effectively revoke the pacifist Article Nine that has defined the country’s identity as a peaceful nation since the end of World War II.