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July 02, 2026
 

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Gabriel Dominguez
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.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (second from right) speak to soldiers during the Balikatan annual military exercises in Paoay, in the Philippines' Ilocos Norte province, on Wednesday.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 9, 2026
From observer to contributor: Japan’s growing military role in Philippine drills
Several of the drills were conducted in northern Philippine areas facing Taiwan and the South China Sea, locations increasingly seen as central to deterrence planning.
Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander U.S. Forces Korea, delivers remarks at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on Apr. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 30, 2026
A vision for the peninsula: Our interview with the head of the U.S. military in South Korea
A transcript of The Japan Times’ interview with U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov (fourth from left) and Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin (fifth from left) clap as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the opening ceremony of a memorial museum honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 29, 2026
North Korea’s Ukraine war lessons reshaping calculus on Korean Peninsula
Pyongyang’s battlefield experience, ability to project force overseas and increasingly rapid weapons development cycles are worrying trends, the head of U.S. Forces Korea says.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi greets his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 28, 2026
Australia and Japan tighten regional energy security coordination amid Mideast crisis
Foreign Minister Penny Wong highlighted the need for boosted cooperation following talks in Tokyo with Japan’s ministers for trade, economic security and foreign affairs.
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 28, 2026
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ‘kill web’ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson said the strategy seeks to fuse the strengths of Washington’s regional treaty allies into a single, networked system capable of coordinated actions.
Commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment, Maj. Gen. Toshikatsu Musha, and commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amphibious and Mine Warfare Force, Rear Adm. Ikeuchi Izuru, attend the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on April 20.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 26, 2026
Beyond the hub-and-spoke: Japan quietly emerges as a secondary connector
Tokyo is positioning itself as a strategic hub for middle-power security diplomacy that reinforces the U.S.-led order while diversifying its own security partnerships.
Terra Drone’s Terra A1 interceptor drone has entered active combat use in Ukraine after being deployed to a military unit tasked with countering Russian uncrewed aerial systems.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2026
Japan-Ukraine drone tie-up sends first weapon onto battlefield
Japanese drone company Terra Drone said its Terra A1 interceptor, developed with a Ukrainian partner, has entered active combat use.
A mock model of an upgraded Type-12 missile made by Japan is displayed during the DSEI Japan security show at Makuhari Messe in the city of Chiba in May last year.
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2026
Partners line up for arms deals as Japan opens defense industry door
“A number of countries” have approached Tokyo with “expressions of interest and various needs” about Japanese defense equipment, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.
The Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade takes part in exercises in Tokunoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, in November 2023. The Japanese government moved Tuesday to allow the sale of more weapons abroad as it grapples with rising security threats from China and a rapidly changing global order.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 21, 2026
In major policy shift, Japan scraps limits on lethal arms exports
The changes come amid intensifying geopolitical rivalries and Japan’s growing engagement in international defense-industrial projects.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi pose for a photo after the signing of the contract for Japan to deliver the first three Mogami-class warships to Australia, in Melbourne on Saturday.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2026
Japan seals largest-ever defense contract with frigate sale to Australia
Tokyo will supply Australia with the first three of a planned fleet of 11 new warships in a deal that highlights the progress of Japan’s defense industry over the past decade.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi prepares for a family photo session with NATO permanent representatives, including Romania's Dan Neculaescu (second from left) and Norway’s Anita Nergaard (right) at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2026
From Brussels to Tokyo — NATO delegation maps out next cooperation steps with Japan
Officials say the partnership could act as a force multiplier, combining Japan’s technological prowess with NATO’s operational experience.
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles gestures on board HMAS Canberra, ahead of a biennial maritime exercise in Sydney in March.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 16, 2026
Australia targets 3% defense spending amid drone warfare shift
Canberra aims to realize its biggest ever spending increase in peacetime by 2033.
Osamu Izawa, Japan's ambassador to NATO, speaks during an interview with The Japan Times at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 16, 2026
Japan-NATO cooperation enters new ‘concrete’ phase, Tokyo’s envoy to alliance says
The ambassador pointed to the creation of a high-level defense industry cooperation dialogue, but hinted that even more tie-ups were to come.
Philippine soldiers fire a howitzer during the annual joint Balikatan military exercises in Aparri, Cagayan province, the Philippines, last May.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2026
Japan to deploy 1,400 troops and missiles to large-scale drills in expanded role
The scale and diversity of the contingent means that Japan will be the third-largest troop contributor to the biggest-ever iteration of the drills in the Philippines.
The scheduled visit to Japan on Wednesday of roughly 30 ambassadors to NATO comes amid heightened global volatility and growing friction within the organization.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 13, 2026
Eastward bound: Largest-ever NATO envoy delegation to visit Japan
The unprecedented visit by a delegation of roughly 30 ambassadors to NATO represents a significant milestone in deepening bilateral ties.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, shake hands during a joint news conference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 9, 2026
Japan and Australia warn against Indo-Pacific ‘security vacuum’ amid global crises
At talks this week, the Japanese and Australian defense chiefs delivered a clear message: crises elsewhere — including in the Middle East — must not come at the expense of Asia.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles speaks during a meeting with defense chief Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2026
Japan and Australia eye joint missile and drone production amid U.S. stockpile concerns
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the shifting geostrategic environment is driving the quasi-allies to rethink how they cooperate on arms production.
U.S. Army soldiers and Philippine Marines and Rangers carry out a simulated air assault on Calayan Island in the Philippines in May last year.
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2026
Japanese troops make history by joining military drills in Philippines
The GSDF soldiers on Monday became the first “combat-capable” Japanese troops to train in the Southeast Asian country since the end of World War II.
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
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.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
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.
Reform panel calls for easing data center building standards
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized that the government will promote reforms of regulations and systems that fit the artificial intelligence era.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
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.
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.

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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