1. NHK has learned that China has notified Japan that it is suspending imports of Japanese maritime products. This comes amid the ongoing fallout over Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s Taiwan comments. China’s notification does not reference her remarks. Instead, it reportedly cites concerns over treated and diluted water accumulated at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
2. Senior Japanese and Chinese diplomats made little headway in easing tensions between their tow countries during talks in Beijing. The relationship has been strained after a comment by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae about Taiwan earlier this month led to a sharp backlash from China. Kanai Masaaki is the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. He met on Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong.
3. Workers are busy making roasted red sea bream in central Japan’s Mie Prefecture. Sea bream are a symbol of good fortune in Japan. People offer them as year-end gifts and they’re eaten during the New Year holidays.