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June 30, 2026
 

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Gabriel Dominguez
Self-Defense Forces drones are flown during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 29, 2026
Does a new arsenal of deterrence run through Japan?
A spate of defense deals have highlighted Japan’s emergence as a potentially key manufacturing base for the Indo-Pacific region.
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 26, 2026
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
The planned longer-term presence of a U.S. midrange missile system in Japan, combined with the fielding of other advanced weaponry, is complicating Chinese military planning.
Samples of rare earth luminescent materials displayed at an exhibition on China’s manufacturing achievements at the National Museum in Beijing in March
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 24, 2026
China’s mineral squeeze testing Japan’s military buildup
The restrictions are exposing vulnerabilities in Japan’s defense-industrial supply chains while also providing the clearest test yet of Tokyo’s push to bolster economic security.
A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle takes part in a live-fire military exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 21, 2026
Can automation offset Japan’s military workforce shortage?
Japan is building a 21st-century military, but it is running out of 21st-century citizens to staff it.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi walks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, as the two inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Jakarta on May 4.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 17, 2026
Japan steps on the gas in unprecedented regional defense export push
Japan is moving with unusual speed to deepen defense ties across the Indo-Pacific after easing military export rules, with Indonesia emerging as one of the clearest beneficiaries.
Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius during an interview Monday aboard the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter in Tokyo after the warship arrived for a three-day port call
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 15, 2026
Dutch defense chief says Chinese naval encounter won’t deter Europe in Indo-Pacific
The Netherlands will continue its regular military deployments to the Indo-Pacific, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius has said.
Chinese H-6N bombers fly in formation during a rehearsal in Beijing last August, ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2026
Chinese bombers put Japan’s defense strategy in jeopardy, report finds
Long-range counterair ability to detect, track and engage Chinese aircraft before they can launch attacks is missing from current plans, a think tank says.
A security guard takes a selfie beside the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amagiri, an Asagiri-class destroyer, upon its arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila in February 2018.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 10, 2026
How Tokyo aims to turn retired military equipment into lasting strategic returns
Japan’s export of used military gear to partner nations could deliver decades of strategic returns, analysts say.
The nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis is greeted by South Korean Navy sailors upon its arrival at a naval base on Jeju Island, South Korea, in July 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 9, 2026
South Korea’s nuclear sub ambitions to intensify Indo-Pacific naval competition
Seoul insists its plan to build the ships is aimed at countering North Korea. But the decision carries implications far beyond this, with China watching particularly closely.
French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin speaks during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 4, 2026
France opens Space Command to Japanese officer as ties deepen under new road map
The move, announced by France’s defense chief, is one of the clearest signs yet that the security relationship is evolving from political alignment into practical integration.
Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 3, 2026
Between restraint and red lines, Malaysia navigates China’s gray-zone pressure
The Southeast Asian nation’s defense chief has set a clear threshold in the South China Sea: any disruption to the country’s offshore oil and gas platforms would cross a red line.
A model of an upgraded Mogami-class destroyer is displayed during the DSEI Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba last May.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 2, 2026
Australian Mogami ships to have ‘core DNA’ of Japan versions, ADF chief says
The move could prove a boon for Japan’s defense industry, as it would allow domestic firms to play crucial roles in the vessels’ maintenance and repair throughout their lifespan.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro speaks during a group interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2026
Japan eyes first export of indigenous missile system amid closer ties with Philippines
The Type 88 missile system is among several Japanese anti-ship weapons being considered, the country’s defense chief has said.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi delivers a speech during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN
May 31, 2026
Japan rejects Chinese ‘new militarism’ label, spotlighting Beijing’s own buildup
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also used Tokyo’s concerns of a crisis over Taiwan to justify Japan’s move into a “new role” as a primary regional defense equipment supplier.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi as they arrive for a ministerial roundtable during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 30, 2026
U.S. and Japan defense chiefs agree to accelerate missile coproduction
A key focus of the meeting was a Japanese proposal known as “Operation Supercharge,” designed to accelerate joint development and mass production of advanced missile systems.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters as New Zealand defense chief Chris Penk (left) and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles listen on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 30, 2026
Mogami frigate talks anchor first Japan-Australia-N.Z. trilateral defense chiefs’ meeting
The three nations’ first such meeting signaled the emergence of a new regional security format as they explore a three-way expansion of Tokyo’s Mogami-class frigate program.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 30, 2026
Hegseth says U.S. has ‘high expectations‘ for Japan on defense spending
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a veiled warning to Tokyo, saying that while Japan was “headed in the right direction,” more must be done.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Kumano is docked at Singapore's Changi Naval Base during a maritime defense exhibition in May 2023.
JAPAN
May 29, 2026
New Zealand to decide on Japan’s frigates by end of 2027, defense chief says
New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk highlighted interoperability with Australia as a key factor in the ongoing deliberations.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before a meeting at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2026
Japan and Philippines agree to elevate ties to new level amid China concerns
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also said they would begin formal negotiations on a key intelligence-sharing pact.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a friendship walk through Zhongnanhai, the tightly guarded headquarters of China’s ruling Communist Party, in Beijing on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 15, 2026
Strategic stalemate: Xi and Trump summit to test limits of managed competition
By the time U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China ended, it was clear that the relationship had moved into one where Beijing operates from a position of assumed parity.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

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