Any decision to dispatch Japanese military vessels to the Middle East to escort ships would face “high hurdles,” a senior official said, after President Donald Trump expressed hopes that Tokyo would join the US to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.

Japan plans to start releasing oil from its stockpiles on Monday to soften the shock from the U.-Israeli war on Iran, a ‌stark reminder of the oil crisis half a century ago that prompted Tokyo to create reserves.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki exited Japan's World Baseball Classic quarterfinal matchup against Venezuela because of right knee discomfort.

Venezuela's Gleyber Torres hit a double for his first hit of WBC to retake the lead over Japan.

After sweeping through Pool C with a 4-0 record, Japan will take on Venezuela in the quarterfinals. Shohei Ohtani and Samurai Japan are the favorites to advance, but these odds are tighter than expected at -162 odds for the chalk and +134 for the South American underdogs.

Japan will inform the U.S. next week that it intends to join the "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative and expects that Washington

By Makiko Yamazaki and Takaya Yamaguchi TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - Japan likely has less scope to intervene in the currency market than it did in the past, even as the Middle East conflict pushes the yen back towards the key 160-per-dollar line once considered the trigger threshold for authorities to act.