Tension between Japan and China has escalated over the new Japanese leader's suggestion Tokyo could intervene militarily if Beijing attacks Taiwan.

Bear sightings and attacks have increased in parts of Japan, especially in municipalities close to or adjacent to populated zones,” the U.S. Embassy said in a wildlife alert.

Beijing is flexing its might to show its displeasure with the Japanese leader’s comments about defending Taiwan, but its aggressive approach risks backfiring.

Japan has reported its economy contracted at a 1.8% annual pace in July-September as President Donald Trump’s tariffs hurt exports

Japan's economy shrank almost 2% in the three months through September, as a drop in exports in the face of U.S. tariffs resulted in the first contraction in six quarters, government data showed on Monday.

Japanese tourism and retail stocks fell on Monday after China warned its citizens not to travel to the country as Tokyo and Beijing remain locked in a row over Taiwan.

China and Japan have repeatedly faced off around the Japan-administered islands, which Beijing calls Diaoyu and Tokyo calls the Senkaku.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT), the Prime Minister's Office said in a bulletin on Monday. It will mark Takaichi's first formal meeting with the central bank chief since she was inaugurated as Japan's prime minister last month.

Protesters in Pokemon costumes stomped around the United Nations climate conference Friday to send Japan a message: end financing of coal and natural gas projects across Southeast Asia and elsewhere.