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The Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the United States to jointly develop the so-called Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI).
JAPAN
May 16, 2024

Japan and U.S. sign agreement to develop hypersonic missile interceptor

The plan was first announced in August when the leaders of the two countries met in Camp David outside Washington.
USS Ronald Reagan leaves the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture on Thursday after nine years of service.
JAPAN
May 16, 2024

Aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan leaves Japan

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington will arrive in Japan later this year to take over.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel meets with members of the Self-Defense Forces stationed on Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture, on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 17, 2024

U.S. envoy to Japan makes landmark visit to front-line island near Taiwan

Rahm Emanuel is the first U.S. ambassador to travel to the far-flung Japanese island, which is home to a Ground Self-Defense Force base and is just 160 km from Taipei.
Philippine Coast Guard personnel work as the 97-meter coast guard multirole response vessel, the BRP Melchora Aquino, arrives from Japan at the international port in Manila in June 2020.
JAPAN / Politics
May 18, 2024

Philippines to buy five patrol boats from Japan amid South China Sea tensions

Deliveries of the just announced five ships are expected to take place between 2027 and 2028.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last July.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 18, 2024

Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Japan soon, where he will hold talks on energy while hunting more opportunities in gaming.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang (from left), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol are expected to meet in Seoul on May 26 and 27.
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2024

Japan, China and South Korea eye economics and infectious disease fight in joint statement

But another focus will be whether the three countries will be able to keep in step over issues related to nuclear-armed North Korea.
Subject to the Chinese probes is polyacetal resin, a type of plastic used for automobile parts and other items.
JAPAN
May 19, 2024

China launches anti-dumping probes targeting Japan and others

Subject to the probes is polyacetal resin, a type of plastic used for automobile parts and other items.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with Russia's president in Riyadh last December.
JAPAN / Politics
May 20, 2024

Saudi crown prince postpones Japan trip over king’s health

Saudi sources said Monday that members of the delegation would still travel to Japan for some talks.
Toyama Gov. Hachiro Nitta speaks during an interview in Beijing last week.
JAPAN
May 21, 2024

Amid chilled national ties, regional Japan and China exchanges continue

According to a Japanese source based in China, about 60 governors and mayors from Japan visited China in the previous fiscal year, which ended in March.
A railgun prototype developed by the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency. A railgun uses electromagnetic force to fire bullets at high speeds, making them harder to intercept, but challenges remain over improving fire accuracy and making the weapon smaller.
JAPAN
May 21, 2024

Japan sends defense official to U.S. Navy for railgun development

The move is aimed at absorbing the know-how of the United States, which long researched railguns, to put the weapon into practical use as soon as possible.
New Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks on stage during his inauguration ceremony outside the Presidential Office in Taipei on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 22, 2024

Japan protests Chinese envoy's 'inappropriate remarks' over Taiwan

Ambassador Wu Jianghao appeared to insinuate that the Japanese people would be “brought into the fire” of conflict over support for self-ruled Taiwan.
Shigeru Omi, then-Japan's top COVID-19 advisor, speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in April 2022. A study published this month has shown that many experts who spoke to the media about COVID-19 in Japan were harassed by the public.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 22, 2024

Many COVID experts in Japan harassed after speaking to media, survey shows

The research conducted by a professor at Waseda University is Japan’s first comprehensive survey on threats targeting COVID-19 experts.
A missile is launched as North Korea conducts a test firing of a tactical ballistic missile on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 23, 2024

Japan underlines qualitative improvement of North Korean nukes

An early draft of Japan's annual defense white paper also expressed a strong sense of crisis over China's military over its activities around Taiwan.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul on Sunday and Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 23, 2024

Japan, South Korea and China to hold first summit in four years

A schedule of regular summits had been disrupted by bilateral feuds and the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol (left), U.S. President Joe Biden (center) and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk during the Camp David summit on the outskirts of Washington last August. South Korea and Japan will be going into the summit with China more aligned than before following the Camp David meeting.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 24, 2024

At Japan-South Korea-China trilateral summit, a chance to manage tensions

Just holding the summit is an accomplishment amid the considerable issues that divide the three countries.
A P-8 Poseidon flies over the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold as part of information-gathering operations during Valiant Shield 2016 in the Philippine Sea.
JAPAN
May 24, 2024

Japan's SDF to take part in U.S. 'valiant shield' drill for first time

The large-scale military exercise started in 2006 and is held in areas including Guam and involves about 10,000 personnel.
Japan Coast Guard patrol ships try to block the way of a China Coast Guard ship (center) near Uotsurijima in the Senkaku Islands chain on April 27.
JAPAN
May 27, 2024

Japan spots Chinese ships near Senkaku Islands for record 158 days

The territorial dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islets, known as the Diaoyu by China, is a long-running sore point between Japan and China.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (left) shakes hands with Chinese defense chief Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

Japan defense chief tells China counterpart of 'serious' military concerns

Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met Chinese defense chief Dong Jun on the sidelines of a major Asian security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell speaks to journalists after welcoming Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano and South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hyong Kyun, at his Iron Bell farm in Washington, Virginia, on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

Japan, U.S. and South Korea officials slam recent North Korean launches

The three officials also shared concerns about deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, including arms transfers from the former to the latter.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and his South Korean counterpart, Shin Won-sik, meet on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

Japan and South Korea agree to prevent repeat of 2018 naval row

The move to shelve long-standing political differences is seen as a significant step toward restoring bilateral defense and security cooperation.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean defense chief Shin Won-sik attend a trilateral meeting on sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 2, 2024

Japan, South Korea and U.S. unveil new initiatives to cement defense ties

The three partner nations agreed to develop a framework to institutionalize trilateral cooperation within the year.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet guests during the spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace imperial garden in Tokyo on April 23. The imperial couple will make a state visit to U.K. in late June.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2024

Japan's emperor and empress to pay three-day state visit to U.K.

The imperial couple will arrive on June 22, but will spend the first three days in private engagements before the official state visit from June 25 to 27.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2024

Upgrade for U.S. military's command in Japan gains steam

U.S. defense chief Lloyd Austin has said that basing a four-star commander in Japan is something the Pentagon is “looking at very closely.”
Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of Lviv in Ukraine, speaks during an interview in the city on Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2024

Ukraine mayor warns Russian attack on Japan not implausible

"Who can guarantee that Russia will not attack again, including Japan?" Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said in an interview.
A rendering of the next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2024

Japan approves international treaty on next-generation fighter jet

Japan regards the envisioned aircraft as the successor to the Air Self-Defense Force's F-2 fighter.
Postage rates for sealed letters and other documents are expected to be raised by 30% as early as October, the first rise in 30 years aside from when prices increased along with consumption tax hikes.
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2024

Postage rate hikes seen denting New Year's card tradition in Japan

The tradition of sending New Year's greetings on postcards began in 1873 with the introduction of postcards.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2024

Chinese armed vessels patrol waters around disputed islands, angering Japan

China's coast guard said that it had patrolled the waters with vessels carrying weapons in what it called a "routine action."
Under the DICAS forum, Japan and the U.S. could look to co-produce weapons that both countries currently do not have in large quantities, with munitions such as Patriot interceptors "low-hanging fruit," according to some experts.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 11, 2024

U.S. looks to Japan for help in boosting weapons production

The allies are aiming for partnerships in areas such as U.S. warship and aircraft repairs in Japan, as well as in the joint production of advanced weaponry.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy starting on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2024

Japan and Ukraine to agree on swift info sharing over Russia

The two sides are expected to conclude a bilateral agreement on Japan's long-term support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara heads to a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in Singapore on June 2. Kihara will attend the upcoming meeting with Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, along with their Philippine counterparts.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 11, 2024

Japan and Philippines to hold ‘two-plus-two’ security talks in July

At the meeting, the two sides could sign a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate mutual visits by the Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?