Firefighters and army helicopters battled a fire that burned through old wooden houses in a fishing town in southwestern Japan.

Tension between Japan and China has escalated over the new Japanese leader's suggestion Tokyo could intervene militarily if Beijing attacks Taiwan.

China stepped up its economic war with Japan on Wednesday as a dispute between Asia’s two biggest economies intensified over a remark by Tokyo's new leader about a Japanese response to any Chinese military move against self-ruled Taiwan.

By Joseph Campbell and John Geddie TOKYO (Reuters) -Within days of China urging its citizens not to travel to Japan due to a diplomatic dispute, Tokyo-based tour operator East Japan International Travel Service had lost 80% of its bookings for the remainder of the year.

Bear sightings and attacks have increased in parts of Japan, especially in municipalities close to or adjacent to populated zones,” the U.S. Embassy said in a wildlife alert.

Yields on the benchmark 10-year bonds, which move inversely to price, climbed 2 basis points to 1.765 per cent on Wednesday — the highest level since June 2008 and the global financial crisis. The sell-off extended to longer-dated notes. Yields on 40-year JGBs rose to a record high of 3.695 per cent.

Japan has reported its economy contracted at a 1.8% annual pace in July-September as President Donald Trump’s tariffs hurt exports.

Akio Toyoda was spotted at Toyota’s Fuji Speedway on Sunday wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap and a T-shirt supporting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. In the crowd, spectators waved American flags and U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass made an appearance.