The prolonged weakness of the yen, which recently hit a 40-year low against the dollar, has been a source of frustration in import-dependent Japan, where it has worsened inflation.

A powerful earthquake hit southern Japan, seriously damaging a shopping mall where there are reportedly many people trapped and some dead.

Almost no other country in the world is rocked by such frequent and damaging earthquakes as Japan, which sits on the boundary of four tectonic plates.

The quake shook Japan's southern main island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon local time, causing damage and injuries.

N. Korea said an expanded U.S. military command in Japan made a regional clash increasingly likely and justified its nuclear weapons development.

Nearly 20% of global earthquakes measuring 6.0 or higher occur in Japan. Since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan has significantly strengthened its earthquake warning systems and evacuation protocols.

Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 13 people.

TOKYO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Japan's manufacturing output expanded in July at its fastest pace in more than 12 years, with across-the-board improvements in sub-indexes, including a 4.5-year high surge in new orders buoyed by AI-related demand,