The number of people in Japan aged 100 or older has risen to a record high of nearly 100,000, its government has announced. Setting a new record for the 55th year in a row, the number of centenarians in Japan was 99,763 as of September, the health ministry said on Friday. Of that total, women accounted for an overwhelming 88%.

Officials and business leaders in both countries are questioning commitments their governments made to invest hundreds of billions in American manufacturing.

The United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to "market determined" exchange rates, while agreeing that foreign exchange interventions should be reserved for combating excess volatility, according to a joint statement released on Friday.

The move is seen as an attempt to avoid a split within his governing Liberal Democratic Party, which lost its upper house majority in an election in July.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced he will step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election.

The United States and Japan begin two weeks of military exercises on Thursday that will deploy a missile system capable of striking the Chinese mainland, a move Beijing has already condemned as threat to regional security and stability.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito, accompanied by his wife and daughter, have paid their respects to atomic bombing victims in Nagasaki as he wrapped up a tour to some of the worst-hit places in World War II

The East Asian nation, for the 55th year in a row, has set a new record as its population of citizens aged 100 or older soared to a staggering 99,763 — up 4,644 from the previous year, according to the government’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the BBC reported.

Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life, and 7-Eleven is the country’s dominant chain. They are a place to shop, pay bills and gather during disasters.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) concluded the 11th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea, marking the first joint naval exercise since the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) took effect on September 11.

Lutnick said the U.S. will initially split profits equally on projects funded through Japan's $550 billion investment.