Tag - defense-ministry

 
Menu
Search
 
July 16, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

DEFENSE MINISTRY

The Self-Defense Forces face numerous obstacles in meeting their recruitment targets: Demographics, private-sector competition and image and morale issues.
EDITORIALS
Nov 3, 2023
The SDF has a big problem: Filling its ranks
The Japanese government needs to take steps to address SDF recruitment challenges that put the nation's security at risk.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is saluted by Maritime Self-Defense Force members during the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the MSDF, at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, on Nov. 6, 2022.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2023
Weak yen forces Japan to cut back on historic military spending
Officials and industry sources said Japan will begin cutting back on aircraft purchases in 2024, the second year of the buildup plan, due to the weak yen.
Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Ryo Sakai speaks during a news conference Tuesday at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2023
Defense chief condemns ‘outrageous’ response in SDF harassment case
A male perpetrator of sexual assault was forced to apologize directly to the female victim despite her wishes not to see him.
Two Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets (bottom) fly in formation with a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber as part of a joint exercise with the United States and South Korea in airspace near Kyushu on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2023
U.S., Japan and South Korea cooperation reaches new heights with aerial drill
While some view the move as signaling a "new era" in security ties, questions remain as to how long the current political momentum will hold
Japanese evacuees from Israel arrive at Tokyo's Haneda Airport via an Air Self-Defense Force aircraft early Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 21, 2023
SDF plane carrying Japanese and South Koreans from Israel arrives in Tokyo
The airlift of Japanese nationals using an SDF plane was the first such evacuation from Israel or the Palestinian territories since fighting broke out.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks during a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2023
Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF
Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law explicitly forbids SDF personnel from engaging in political activity, with the exception of voting.
Japan will start procuring Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States in fiscal 2025, a year earlier than initially planned.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2023
North Korea slams Japan's plan to move missile deployment forward
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said last week that his ministry has been studying the deployment of the missiles sooner than fiscal 2026.
Self-Defense Force personnel board an SDF KC-767 aerial refueling and transport aircraft bound for Djibouti in preparation for the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Israel, at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 14, 2023
SDF plane heads for Djibouti to prep for Israel evacuation
The KC-767 refueling and transport airplane departed from Komaki Air Base in central Japan to stand by at an SDF base in Djibouti.
Photo shows the Air Self-Defense Force's Nyutabaru base in Miyazaki Prefecture, where six F-35B fighters are expected to be deployed next fiscal year, with a temporary squadron to be established.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 8, 2023
Japan boosting SDF presence in southwestern area of Kyushu
The region will see new SDF units from next April, including an F-35B stealth fighter squadron and a surface-to-ship missile unit.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara is scheduled to visit Washington early next month.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2023
Japan's new defense chief to visit Washington in early October
Among the topics expected to be discussed during the visit is what role the U.S. will play in Japan's newly authorized "counterstrike capabilities."
A model of a new fighter jet of the Global Combat Air Programme led by Britain, Japan, and Italy, is seen at the DSEI defense event in London on Sept. 12.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2023
HQ for multilateral jet fighter project to be placed in U.K.
Japan and Britain will dominate design and manufacturing on the project.
Minoru Kihara
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
New Japan defense chief 'very concerned' about Chinese military moves
Minoru Kihara called trilateral cooperation with South Korea and the U.S. “the cornerstone” of Tokyo’s response to the regional security concerns.
New Defense Minister Minoru Kihara says Japan-U.S. joint drills are very important for strengthening the U.S. commitment to the region.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
Japan and U.S. boosting joint drills with eye on 'actual combat'
The exercises are intended to prepare forces in areas where a contingency could be possible, in view of military activity by China and Russia.
New Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks during his first news conference since taking up his post at the Defense Ministry on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 16, 2023
Japan's new defense chief quits as pro-Taiwan group senior member
Minoru Kihara quit before he officially became defense chief on Wednesday in a Cabinet reshuffle so that he could "devote" himself to his new duties.
Airborne troops from Japan, U.S., Britain and Australia take part in a joint military drill at the Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in January.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 16, 2023
Japan-Britain defense cooperation pact to take effect in October
The treaty is aimed at facilitating joint military drills and strengthening defense cooperation amid China's growing military clout in the Indo-Pacific.
New Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is seen in formal attire to attend an attestation ceremony after a Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
In Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle, two changes stand out
It will be the first time in 20 years that a woman has been foreign minister, while the new defense chief arrives amid dramatic shifts in defense posture.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis-equipped destroyer Maya in Yokohama in March 2020. Japan plans to introduce two new Aegis-equipped vessels that are expected to be bigger than the 8,200-ton Maya-class Aegis ships.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2023
Japan's costs ballooning for new Aegis vessel plan
Overall costs will reach ¥900 billion if the amount already spent to purchase large radar and weapons systems is included.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hyuga destroyer leads the MSDF fleet during the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the MSDF's foundation, in Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, last November.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2023
Japan seeks record ¥7.7 trillion defense budget as buildup continues
The budget request signals that Tokyo remains committed to following through on historic defense reforms instituted in December.
North Korean leader Kim Jong visits a command training center of the Korean People's Army General Staff at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this image released Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 31, 2023
North Korea holds 'nuclear strike drill' targeting South
The drills were intended to "send a message" to the North's enemies, as large-scale military exercises between Washington and Seoul were set to conclude.
A concept rendering of the next-generation fighter jet to be co-developed by Japan, the U.K. and Italy
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2023
Japan to design new missile for next-gen fighter jet
Japan aims to equip the jets, being developed with Britain and Italy, with the projectile when they are first deployed in 2035.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Omron helping firms achieve carbon neutrality
Omron helping firms achieve carbon neutrality

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER