Tag - east

 
 

EAST

Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2021
China urges Japan not to 'complicate' situation over disputed Senkakus
China's Defense Ministry has doubled-down on the issue, noting pointedly that it would work to normalize the patrols in the waters near the islets.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Mar 1, 2021
UAE steps back from foreign wars as Biden reasserts Middle East role
The U.S. president has sought to re-engage Iran, and has signaled he'll be less tolerant of U.S. allies engaging in conflicts that undermine Washington's objectives.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2021
China expected to unveil hike in military budget as tensions rise
Beijing likely to reveal a robust increase in defense spending at the March 5 annual opening of its parliament, as its economy rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2021
Pentagon calls remarks on Senkakus' sovereignty an 'error'
'There is no change to U.S. policy regarding the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands,' Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said, apparently referring to Washington's neutrality on the issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Feb 26, 2021
Fishermen call for calm in wake of China coast guard law
While government officials are alarmed at the provision for weapons use, no local Japanese fishing vessels travel near the Senkaku Islands nearest China.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 26, 2021
U.S. conducts airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia in Syria
A U.S. official said the strikes were meant to send a signal that while the United States wanted to punish the militias, it did not want the situation to spiral into a bigger conflict.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2021
Japan can shoot at foreign government vessels attempting to land on Senkakus, LDP official says
Government officials had said earlier Japan's coast guard is only allowed to fire weapons directly at foreign vessels in cases of self-defense and emergency escape.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 25, 2021
Cautious Asian nations start deploying vaccine now proven elsewhere
With the virus mostly contained throughout much of Asia, governments have had the luxury to wait and see how safely and effectively the vaccines can blunt disease.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2021
Quake-hit bullet trains resume Tokyo-Tohoku services
Since the trains have to slow down on sections of the track that were recently repaired, some journeys will take about an hour longer than normal.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2021
China Coast Guard vessels re-enter Japanese waters near the Senkakus
It was the ninth intrusion this year and the latest since a new law entered into force in China earlier this month that explicitly allows its coast guard to use weapons.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 21, 2021
Israel secretly agrees to fund vaccines for Syria as part of prisoner swap
To secure the release of an Israeli civilian held in Syria, Israel agreed to finance a supply of Russian-made COVID-19 vaccines for Damascus, an official said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 21, 2021
Taiwan scrambles air force again after Chinese exercises in South China Sea
After nine Chinese air force aircraft flew near the Pratas Islands on Friday, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry said it tracked 11 aircraft on Saturday — eight fighter jets, two nuclear-capable H-6 bombers and an anti-submarine aircraft.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2021
France rejoins Japan in North Korea surveillance mission in East China Sea
This mission will be the second time that France has carried out such activities in waters near Japan since 2019.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 20, 2021
U.S. concerned China's new coast guard law could escalate maritime disputes
Washington is 'concerned by language in the law that expressly ties the potential use of force, including armed force' by the China Coast Guard in East and South China sea.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 19, 2021
U.S. says it’s willing to meet with Iran over nuclear deal
The offer is a politically risky effort by Biden's administration to move past the standoff that developed during Trump's term.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2021
Quad nations oppose China's attempts to alter status quo by force
The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and India confirmed their consensus Thursday in the first such meeting since the change in the U.S. administration.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2021
Japan's GSDF to procure transport vessels amid China's rise
It will be the first provision of such vessels to the GSDF, which has been upgrading its response capabilities to cope with new security challenges in the East China Sea.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Feb 10, 2021
As China authorizes use of force by coast guard, Japan considers response
With Beijing beefing up its powers in contested areas such as the Senkaku Islands, questions have arisen over how Tokyo should handle coastal security incidents.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Feb 9, 2021
In Saddam strongholds that fought America, Iraqis fear a U.S. departure
The U.S. troop drawdown is creating a security vacuum, security officials, former fighters and residents say.
JAPAN
Feb 8, 2021
China justifies coast guard's entry into Japan's territorial waters
China on Monday justified the entry of its coast guard vessels into Japan's territorial waters near the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, saying they are the country's "inherent territory."

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals