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July 12, 2026
 

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DEFENSE MINISTRY

JAPAN
Jun 30, 2016
Japan plans July fighter jet tender seen worth $40 billion as tensions with China simmer
A ministry spokesman said Japan will contact foreign and domestic defense contractors regarding the tender for about 100 warplanes.
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2016
Top official denies claim that Chinese fighter was close to firing on ASDF jet
A senior government official on Wednesday flatly denied allegations written on a news website claiming that a Chinese fighter was close to firing on an Air Self-Defense Force jet that had been scrambled over the East China Sea.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2016
Japan becomes fourth nation to test-fly homegrown stealth jet
The Defense Ministry says the unarmed prototype, called X2, took off from Nagoya airport in Aichi Prefecture early on Friday.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 21, 2016
Japan backs homegrown stealth jet in aerospace industry revival
Japan is set to become the fourth country to test-fly its own stealth jet — a move that is likely to increase its military presence in the region.
EDITORIALS
Feb 26, 2016
Don’t weaken civilian control of SDF
The Abe administration must resist efforts by uniformed officers to gain even more power in setting SDF plans.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 6, 2015
Japan offers to build subs in Australia ‘from day one’
The Japanese consortium bidding for a $35 billion project to build submarines for Australia said Tuesday it is confident it can build the boats in Australia from the outset should the Australian government request it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 30, 2015
Senior official says Japan ready to build all submarines for Canberra in Australia
Japan is ready to match European rivals and build a fleet of submarines for Canberra entirely in Australian shipyards, a senior Japanese official said Tuesday, after stumbling in its effort to win a contract worth 50 billion Australian dollars or $34.76 billion.
EDITORIALS
Aug 25, 2015
Defense Ministry internal document
The Abe administration needs to provide sufficient explanations on the SDF’s activities and operations related to the bills to the Diet to prevent the SDF from making decisions while keeping the Diet and the public in the dark.
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2015
Japan fighter jet scrambles down by half in April-June
Fighter jet scrambles by the Air Self-Defense Force fell by half in the April-June period to 173 from a year earlier, the Defense Ministry said.
JAPAN
May 7, 2015
Australia to get classified Japanese data on stealthy submarines ahead of bid, sources say
Japan will agree this month to give Australia classified submarine data, an unprecedented step signaling Tokyo’s intent to join competitive bidding to sell Canberra a fleet of stealth subs, said two Japanese officials familiar with the plan.
EDITORIALS
Apr 26, 2015
Civilian control over the SDF
Lawmakers should confirm the importance of civilian control of the SDF and pursue ways to strengthen the system rather than to undermine it.
EDITORIALS
Oct 14, 2014
A shift in defense posture
A Japan-U.S. interim report proposes that geographical restrictions on the activities of the Self-Defense Forces in support of U.S. military operations be removed as part of a tremendous shift in Japan’s defense posture.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Aug 29, 2014
Japan defense budget request highest ever as Abe boosts military
Defense planners seek a record high ¥5.05 trillion budget for 2015 as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bolsters the military in the face growing tensions with China and North Korea.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2014
Foreign firms bid for $2 billion chopper deal
The government is in early talks with top global helicopter makers and their Japanese partners on a deal worth around $2 billion to build transport aircraft for the Self-Defense Forces and for sale overseas, sources said.
EDITORIALS
Apr 27, 2014
MSDF must clean up its act
A Tokyo High Court ruling for the plaintiff in a damages suit over the suicide of a Maritime Self-Defense Force member highlights the deplorable attempt by the MSDF to cover up evidence that the victim was bullied.
EDITORIALS
Oct 15, 2013
Maintain civilian control over SDF
The Defense Ministry’s proposal to restructure itself for the sake of more efficient Self-Defense Force operations runs the risk of weakening, ultimately, civilian control of the SDF.
JAPAN
Aug 18, 2013
Defense Ministry to set up foreign liaison post
The Defense Ministry plans to establish a vice ministerial-level post for handling discussions with other countries on exchanges and strategic dialogue.
EDITORIALS
Aug 2, 2013
Defense plan would raise tensions
An interim outline of Japan’s new defense policy points suspiciously toward deviations from the country’s postwar defense-only posture that has won it friends.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2013
Funds gripe snags SDF isle defense deployment
The Defense Ministry may have to abandon a plan to station a Ground Self-Defense Force coastal monitoring unit on Okinawa’s Yonaguni Island because negotiations with the town over the price of land have deadlocked.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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