The race to pick Japan's sixth leader in five years was up in the air on Friday after media said ruling party powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa was unlikely to back former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, a se

Japan may have a new leader by the end of the month, its sixth in five years, newspapers said on Wednesday, as embattled Prime Minister Naoto Kan said he would resign soon.

Japan’s embattled Premier Naoto Kan took another blow on Tuesday as his disaster reconstruction minister quit, having caused a furor with scathing remarks to leaders of tsunami-hit regions.

Japan’s embattled centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan has pledged to step down once the March 11 quake and tsunami recovery is well underway, setting off speculation on who will replace him.

Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan marked one year in office on Wednesday, matching or outlasting his four predecessors, but mired in a deepening squabble over when he too will head for the exit.

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Thursday offered to step down once the country has recovered from the March 11 quake and tsunami in a concession to his enemies ahead of a no-confidence vote.

The

Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Thursday survived a no-confidence vote after pledging to step down once the country is firmly on the road to recovery from the March 11 quake and nuclear disaster.

The operator of Japan's Hamaoka nuclear plant, located near a tectonic faultline southwest of Tokyo, said on Monday it would shut down its reactors as requested by Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard vowed on Thursday to help Japan recover from last month's earthquake and tsunami by securing natural resources and rare earth minerals for the Asian country.

Most Japanese voters would support higher taxes to help massive rebuilding after last month's earthquake and tsunami, newspaper opinion polls showed on Monday, and they want a new prime minister to le