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July 11, 2026
 

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SDF

Japan’s pacifist identity, rooted in Article 9 of the Constitution, has hardened into a reflex that avoids confronting modern security realities facing the world.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 22, 2026
Repeating Article 9 like a mantra isn’t a foreign policy
Any serious defense debate becomes, by rhetorical sleight of hand, a warning of imperial revival.
Cargo ships are seen in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran on March 11.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 22, 2026
Iran prepared to let Japanese ships transit Hormuz, FM says
While most G7 nations have poor relations with Iran, Japan has relatively friendly ties with the country, potentially giving Tokyo more diplomatic sway.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Yurii Lutovinov speaks during an interview at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 20, 2026
Ukraine ready to share combat expertise and drone tech with Japan, ambassador says
Discussions on defense cooperation are already underway, with a focus on how Kyiv’s experience could inform Tokyo’s own efforts to develop its capabilities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 20, 2026
At summit, Takaichi avoids rift with Trump on Iran — for now
While Japan managed to dodge direct U.S. criticism, experts say the meeting’s success should not be overstated.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House's State Dining Room on Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Mar 20, 2026
Prime Minister Takaichi outperforms again
Prime Minister Takaichi deserves praise for her performance in this difficult moment. She continues to impress and surprise.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi departs from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Wednesday ahead of her summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 19, 2026
Japan rejects U.S. report calling PM’s remarks over Taiwan ‘a significant shift’
The U.S. spy community’s assessment of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Japan’s military intervention in a crisis over the island was at odds with Tokyo’s view.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi heads to attend a Lower House Budget Committee meeting at parliament in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2026
Takaichi vows to tell Trump what Japan ‘can and cannot do’ in Middle East
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was set for a summit in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump later this week that will be a test of her mettle amid the war in Iran.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions at an Upper House Budget Committee meeting in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 17, 2026
Takaichi weighs options as Trump pressures Japan on Hormuz
One option for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could be to formally endorse a coalition of like-minded nations aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait.
Tankers sail in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz in United Arab Emirates on March 11. Discussions in Tokyo about escorting Japanese vessels have centered on whether this would require parliamentary or Cabinet approval.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 17, 2026
How Tokyo politicians view the Iran war
While government officials deny the possibility of an immediate Self-Defense Forces deployment, U.S. calls for support mean discussions are sure to intensify.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during an Upper House Budget Committee meeting on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 16, 2026
Takaichi says no current plan to deploy SDF for Hormuz escort mission
The prime minister said such an operation would be legally “very difficult,” adding that Japan had not been asked to join a coalition to help secure vessels in the waterway.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during the National Defense Academy's graduation ceremony in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 15, 2026
Trump’s call for Japan to send warships to Strait of Hormuz heaps pressure on Takaichi
The U.S. president’s push for a “team effort” to reopen key waterway comes less than a week before Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is due in Washington for a summit with Trump.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers an address at the graduation ceremony of the National Defense Academy of Japan in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Saturday
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2026
Takaichi vows to bolster Japan’s defense capabilities
The prime minister delivered an address at the graduation ceremony of the National Defense Academy of Japan on Saturday.
A Ukrainian Vampire bomber drone displayed in Kyiv in February
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2026
Japan considers mass drone use for coastal defense
The SHIELD defense system will involve more than 10 types of drones, including those for attacking enemy ships, collecting information and protecting radar sites.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions during a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 12, 2026
Japan not planning to send minesweepers to Middle East, Takaichi says
The prime minister said that while details about the use of sea mines are unclear, Japan wouldn’t be able to get involved in mine clearance as long as the conflict continues.
The Chinese Navy's nuclear-powered Type 094A Jin-class ballistic missile submarine sails during a military display in the South China Sea in April 2018.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 11, 2026
China is eyeing an all-nuclear submarine fleet. Will Japan follow suit?
Tokyo must confront an array of hurdles to such a move, with personnel issues and potential redundancies standing in the way.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions at the Lower House Budget Committee on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 10, 2026
Can the U.S. ask for Japan’s help in the Iran war?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the Middle East conflict is not a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan thus far.
Launchers and other equipment related to Japan's domestically made Type-12 surface-to-ship extended-range missiles arrive at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto early Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2026
In first, Japan to deploy homegrown long-range missiles on March 31
The deployment, which the Defense Ministry moved forward by one year, comes as the Chinese military ramps up its training around Japan’s far-flung islands near Taiwan.
A Self-Defense Forces transport plane departs for the Maldives at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture early Sunday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 9, 2026
In Iran conflict, Japan shows improved evacuation readiness
Japan’s response underscores both Tokyo’s growing security role overseas and the diplomatic balancing act between Washington and Gulf states hosting Japanese nationals.
A vehicle that appears to be carrying equipment for sophisticated long-range missiles enters the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto early Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2026
Long-range missile equipment sent to GSDF camp in city of Kumamoto
The Defense Ministry has announced that the upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missile system will be deployed at the city of Kumamoto’s Camp Kengun this month.
Members of the Air Self-Defense Force board an SDF transport plane bound for the Maldives at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture early Sunday.
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2026
SDF aircraft on standby in Maldives to support evacuation mission
The SDF plane will stand ready at an airport in the Indian Ocean island nation to respond to unforeseen circumstances.
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 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.
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.
Trump says ‘Japan’ instead of Iran at meeting in Ankara
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference during a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara on Wednesday.
World’s first fully sealed vertical-farming facility opens in Tokyo
Fully sealed units are stacked on top of each other at Plantx's vertical-farming facility in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Wednesday.
‘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.
Filmmaker explores history of discrimination against foreign nationals in Japan
Takashi Nishihara, the director of "Now and Then," in Tokyo on Wednesday. The director has spent 10 years traversing politically charged terrain while exploring youth-driven grassroots political movements that scrutinize the status quo.
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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