The Japanese government is making arrangements to host its first summit with five Central Asian countries, which could take place in Tokyo as early as mid-December.

U.S. President Donald Trump called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi this week and advised her not to provoke Beijing on the question of Taiwan's sovereignty, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday,

The remarks come amid the two countries’ worst diplomatic crisis in years, after the Japanese prime minister said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Takaichi’s minority government must rely on constant bargaining and coalition-building to survive in a divided Diet.

China is trying to impose economic costs on Japan for wading into the issue of Taiwan. But experts say the escalating dispute could ultimately hurt China too.

Two strong earthquakes struck Japan Tuesday at magnitudes of 5.4 and 4.7, according to data from the United States Geological Survey ( USGS ). The first quake struck in the Pacific Ocean about 80 miles east-southeast from Kitaibaraki at a depth of around 6 miles, 10 km, the data shows. Kitaibaraki is about 110 miles northeast of Tokyo.

Ukrainian sumo wrestler Aonishiki is only 21 but has moved just one step from the top rank of Japan's national sport. In an elaborate ceremony on Wednesday, he was promoted by the Japan Sumo Association to the rank of ozeki,

Japan's government stands ready to take "necessary" action in the market with a close eye on whether exchange-rate moves reflect economic fundamentals or are driven by speculative action, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday.