In February, Washington's Kennedy Center celebrated Japanese culture, arts and technology during its "Japan! Culture and Hyper Culture" festival.

A study published by Wiley-Blackwell in the Pacific Economic Review predicts that China will win at least 14% more medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – in comparison to the 144 medals won in 2004 – and narrow its medal-tally gap with the USA significantly.

There is no strong empirical evidence that inflation in China has a significant impact on inflation in the US and Japan. According to a study in China and World Economy published by Wiley-Blackwell, the recent rise in Chinese prices is unlikely to affect Japan or the US. Conversely, there is evidence that the inflation in the US has had some impact on Chinese inflation.

China has again called for the establishment of a long-term bilateral cooperation mechanism with Japan for food safety.

Japan says it will complain to Australia about its release of graphic photographs of whales being killed by a Japanese fleet in Antarctic waters.

An assailant on Wednesday threw a firebomb at the Japanese foreign ministry building in Tokyo before attempting suicide, the news agency reported.

A team of Chinese experts met with their Japanese counterparts over a food poisoning case involving Chinese-made frozen dumplings Sunday afternoon at the Japanese Cabinet Office.

China imports insecticide-tainted dumplings in Japan. A spiraling nationwide scare over food products forced supermarkets, restaurants and schools to clear Chinese food from their shelves and kitchens.

Japan has asked China to pay more attention to food safety. The request comes after dozens of Japanese who ate dumplings imported from China fell ill.

Japan's whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean has gone back to work after the departure of environmental protesters.

Policy consultants of China and Japan agreed on Monday that the relations between the two countries face new historic opportunities for greater development.

Japan's third-largest bank Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group announced a 19 percent drop in nine-month net profit, hurt by subprime losses and falls in the share prices of consumer loan affiliates, but stuck to its full-year forecast.