Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has commented on the heated exchange between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that took place on Friday at the White House.

The number of babies born in Japan last year fell for a ninth consecutive year to hit a record low, according to health ministry data.

Japan told its G20 counterparts that free, open and rules-based trade was important to sustain global economic growth, a senior finance ministry official told reporters on the sidelines of a gathering of the group's finance leaders on Wednesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's economic advisory panel called on Thursday for "bold policy steps" to promote domestic investments as the United States and other global powers scramble to rebuild industrial supply chains.

Takagi Coffee joins other Japanese chain restaurants expanding into the U.S. market with a first shop in Southern California. In recent months, prolific Japanese bakery Bread, Espresso & opened its first U.S. location in Redondo Beach, while yakitori chain Torikizoku opened in Torrance.