Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New York late at night on September 21, planning to hold talks with Trump on September 22. The visit aims to coordinate stances on China ahead of a US-China summit and discuss the burden of US military stationing costs in Japan.
On September 17, Japan's Asahi Kasei Corporation reported that former employee Shoichi Furukawa was arrested for allegedly violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by leaking semiconductor packaging material manufacturing secrets to Shandong Shengquan New Materials Co., Ltd. Asahi Kasei plans to sue both parties and demand the destruction of the relevant materials. The compromised secrets involve manufacturing data for epoxy resin curing agents.
On September 19, an LED advertising truck produced through crowdfunding by supporters in Nagoya, Japan, cruised through the downtown area and held a candlelight memorial at Hisaya Odori Garden, calling for justice for abused animals.
The first F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet designated for permanent assignment to Kadena Air Base left Boeing's St. Louis plant in late August and flew to the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing for subsequent preparation work.
In September 2026, the "Tokyo Chinese Film Week," held annually for 20 years, announced the cancellation of its planned October event. The organizers stated that due to comprehensive consideration of the situation and the hosting environment, it would be difficult to hold the event this year, without specifying the exact reasons. Previously, both the Beijing International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival did not hold "Japanese Film Weeks" this year.
On September 13, residents of Miyazaki, Japan held a memorial and animal protection publicity event for the Wang Wang family at the west exit plaza of Miyazaki Station. The site featured a flower offering platform and memorial video, and displayed panels demanding that China enact animal protection laws and stop the Yulin dog meat festival, while also conducting a signature campaign calling for a ban on the consumption and import of dog and cat meat.
The Chinese Embassy in Japan announced on September 11 that, based on the principle of reciprocal visa fees, visa fees for Japanese citizens traveling to China will be significantly increased starting from September 14. The fees for single-entry, six-month multiple-entry, and one-year multiple-entry visas will all see substantial increases, ranging from 6 to 7 times the original amount. However, the policy of visa exemption for short-term stays in China for holders of ordinary passports will not be affected for the time being.
On August 8, a “Justice for WangWang” rally was held in Osaka, Japan, with about 200 participants marching along Midosuji. They voiced support for the stray dog “WangWang” and its puppies, which were brutally killed in Jieyang, Guangdong, calling for attention to animal abuse issues and urging related legislation.
U.S. envoys Wittkoff and Kushner arrived in Doha, will meet the Qatari prime minister and other mediators, and continue regional dialogue on the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran.
Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, causing at least 12 deaths and 40 injuries; areas including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv were attacked.
Zelensky said the Ukrainian army attacked the Dubna satellite communications center in the Moscow region for the second time, an facility located more than 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
China's Ministry of Commerce placed 20 Japanese entities on the dual-use export control list and added another 20 Japanese entities to a watchlist; the Japanese government lodged a stern protest and demanded the measures be withdrawn.
The Reagan President Foundation and Institute released a summer 2026 poll, with 82% of respondents worried that China is involved in fentanyl flowing into the United States, 81% concerned about surveillance of U.S. citizens, and 80 concerned about China buying U.S. land.
Australia and Vanuatu signed an economic and security cooperation agreement, stipulating that Vanuatu's territory will not be used for foreign military bases, and Australia will provide AUD 500 million in aid over 10 years.
Iran's first of several drone attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz triggered an escalation of armed hostilities in the Gulf region and prompted a military response from the United States.