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July 10, 2026
 

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Jesse Johnson
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi looks on during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 2, 2025
Koizumi builds ties with partners and airs concerns with China defense chief
The defense minister also said that Tokyo had “identified a concrete demand” for Japanese defense gear from a number of countries.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after taking a group photo during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 1, 2025
South Korea’s Lee says ‘worries vanished’ after meeting Takaichi
At a news conference, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that he believed the bilateral relationship would continue to improve.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ahead of their talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2025
Japanese and South Korean leaders agree to boost ties in first meeting
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held her first in-person talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the APEC regional summit Thursday evening.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during a visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 29, 2025
Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit
Experts called the PM’s meeting with the U.S. president an “overwhelming success,” especially considering the tumult and uncertainty in bilateral relations over the past year.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi shake hands at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2025
Hegseth says U.S. never demanded Japan defense spending hike
In his first meeting with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth called Japan’s current defense spending plans “wonderful.”
People watch a TV news report on North Korean missile launches at the main railway station in Seoul on Oct. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 29, 2025
North Korea answers Trump entreaties with nuclear-capable missile test
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared resigned that a grand summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was probably not in the cards during his trip to Asia this week.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of U.S. Navy personnel on board the U.S. Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the American naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2025
At first summit with Trump, Takaichi pledges ‘new golden age’ for alliance
The meeting was a crucial test of Takaichi’s diplomatic chops as she seeks to elevate the Japan-U.S. alliance while staving off pressure from the U.S. on defense spending.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Takayuki Kobayashi answers questions during the LDP presidential election candidates' joint news conference at party headquarters in Tokyo on Sept. 23.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2025
LDP policy chief ramps up moves to ease rules on exporting lethal defense gear
The LDP’s Takayuki Kobayashi said that he intends to push for relaxing the regulations in order to “contribute to world peace” and strengthen Japan’s defense industry.
U.S. President Donald Trump is welcomed by Emperor Naruhito upon his arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Monday evening.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2025
Trump arrives in Japan for security and trade talks in test for Takaichi
The prime minister will be seeking to build a solid relationship with the U.S. president as she looks to navigate increasing pressure on trade and defense issues.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks on as Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders attend the opening of bloc's summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 27, 2025
In diplomatic debut, Takaichi chooses continuity at ASEAN summit
New Prime Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi put fears of a more hawkish approach to China on the backburner as she promised boosted ties with Southeast Asia.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi takes a group photo with other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during the ASEAN-Japan summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 27, 2025
Takaichi makes diplomatic debut with ASEAN maritime security and AI pledge
New Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged to strengthen cooperation on maritime security, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reacts as East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao greets her during the ASEAN-Japan summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2025
Takaichi’s ‘Trump card’ for meeting U.S. leader? Her relationship with Abe.
Sanae Takaichi’s ties to slain former leader Shinzo Abe are expected to get her off on the right foot with Donald Trump as she aims to navigate defense and trade pressure.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, on June 30, 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 26, 2025
Trump ‘open’ to meeting North Korea’s Kim during Asia trip
Speculation has grown that the headline-hungry U.S. leader might hold impromptu talks with Kim around the time of a regional economic summit in South Korea.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi departs Tokyo for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations' leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 26, 2025
Takaichi says boosting Japan-U.S. alliance ‘top priority’ in first call with Trump
Potentially contentious defense and economic issues are expected to top the agenda of the prime minister’s meeting with Trump on Tuesday.
A South Korean soldier stands next to a TV broadcasting a news report about a possible summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, at the main railway station in Seoul on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 24, 2025
Stars align for Kim-Trump meeting — but any talks will be on N.K. leader’s terms
Experts say that while the U.S. president may look to return to talks with the North Korean leader, he’s unlikely to convince him to give up his nukes through summitry.
Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force personnel march during the joint multinational exercise Garuda Shield 2025 at the Baturaja combat training center in Lampung, Indonesia, last month.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2025
Takaichi to put defense push in spotlight in bid to satiate Trump demands
She is expected to raise Japan’s defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by the end of this fiscal year, a move that could pave the way for further hikes.
Shinjiro Koizumi — son of a former prime minister and rival to the current one — was appointed defense chief after falling short in his bid for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency earlier this month.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 22, 2025
For three key Cabinet posts, Takaichi turns to an eclectic trio
The prime minister’s picks for Japan’s new defense, foreign and economic security ministers are not your typical stodgy line-up.
People watch a TV news report about North Korean short-range ballistic missile launches, at the main railway station in Seoul on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 22, 2025
North Korea fires off ballistic missiles one day after Takaichi named PM
Pyongyang’s launch of several short-range ballistic missiles provided new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with an early test just a day after she took office.
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi, who was elected prime minister on Tuesday, holds up a policy agreement with Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura after signing the deal at parliament in Tokyo a day earlier.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 21, 2025
On defense policy, Japan’s new ruling bloc packs a lot of punch
The LDP and Japan Innovation Party aim to revise key security documents while eliminating curbs on exporting lethal defense gear and building up Japan’s defense industrial base.
U.S. President Donald Trump (left) meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, in June 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 20, 2025
DMZ tours in South Korea to be halted amid talk of Trump-Kim meeting
Tours to the truce village of Panmunjom will reportedly be halted later this month, in the latest signal that the groundwork is being laid for a possible meeting.
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.
Japan needs caregivers. Young Indians are answering the call.
Young people in India's northeast are increasingly studying Japanese in hopes of building new lives and careers in Japan.
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.
Wakatakakage injury casts pall over July meet, but potential new stars loom
Nicholas Tarasenko trains at Minato stable in August 2024.
Osaka trumps Tokyo as both ranked among world’s top 10 most livable cities
Osaka’s infrastructure earned higher marks than Tokyo’s in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Global Liveability Index.
‘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’

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