Ships sail near the Senkaku or Diaoyu chain as officials warn there is no straightforward way to ease tensions

China sent a coast guard formation through the disputed Senkaku waters on Sunday, stepping up pressure on Japan amid a growing diplomatic row sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on Taiwan.

BEIJING (Reuters) -A China Coast Guard ship formation passed through the waters of the Senkaku Islands on Sunday on a "rights enforcement patrol", the China Coast Guard said in a statement, as Beijing ramps up tensions with Japan over its prime minister's remarks on Taiwan.

Both countries have summoned each other’s ambassadors after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo.

A volcano in southern Japan has erupted, sending a plume of ash and smoke into the sky and prompting a warning over ashfall. Sakurajima, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, sent ash and smoke up to 4400 metres into the sky,

Japan is confronting a fast-evolving drug crisis as etomidate-laced 'zombie cigarettes' spread among young users, triggering arrests and trafficking probes

An elderly man in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Fukushima was mauled and injured by a bear while he was engaged in community work.