Japan 's prime minister inaugurated a panel on Monday tasked with reviewing her country's security and defense policies as tensions escalate with China, North Korea and Russia ramping up their military footprint in the region.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Japan's northern coast, prompting a temporary tsunami alert across the region.

The Bank of Japan is widely expected to hold off raising interest rates on Tuesday, but drop hawkish signals to leave itself scope to push up borrowing costs in coming months ‌to counter inflationary pressure from the Middle East conflict.

By Kentaro Okasaka and Tom Bateman OTSUCHI, Japan, April 27 (Reuters) - Ryota Haga was in high school when the biggest earthquake ever recorded in Japan triggered a deadly tsunami and swept away his family home in the quiet northeastern town of Otsuchi in March 2011.

Japan has deployed 1,400 firefighters and 100 Self-Defense Force personnel to battle mountain blazes in the northern part of the country, with

Authorities urged residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 10 feet were possible.

As anyone who has ever travelled to Japan can tell you, 7-Eleven is thriving in that country much more than in America. Here's why it doesn't translate over.

Hughes explained the aim is to have as few Australianized changes as possible, because that “would delay the delivery of the ship.”