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July 12, 2026
 

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SDF

Japan, the United States and Australia aim to enhance interoperability through flexibly sharing fuel and equipment.
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2026
Air Self-Defense Force begins logistics cooperation with U.S. and Australia
The three nations aim to improve interoperability by flexibly sharing fuel and equipment under the framework.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a news conference at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday. The U.S. leader's approach to alliances means American security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 10, 2026
Trump just made Japan’s security dilemma more urgent
Japan should respond to growing uncertainty over U.S. security commitments by taking greater responsibility for protecting its own maritime and strategic interests.
The Philippines is looking to receive five Abukuma-class vessels from Japan in the next two to three years as part of broader efforts by Tokyo to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2026
Japan set to deliver five retired MSDF warships to Philippines in ‘two to three years’
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. says administrative details are being finalized, but it’s “already a done deal.”
The Defense Ministry in Tokyo. The government is considering establishing a new bureau at the agency that would be in charge of dealing with international policies.
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2026
New bureau eyed for Defense Ministry as international coordination grows
In light of the increasingly severe security environment, the planned bureau is expected to handle tasks related to like-minded countries.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on June 7.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 5, 2026
‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
The move is seen as at least partially aimed at winning public support for boosting the country’s defense capabilities.
China's Commerce Ministry building in Beijing. The ministry on Monday added 20 Japanese companies and organizations to its export control list.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 29, 2026
China blacklists more Japanese entities as row deepens
The move is the latest by Beijing to tighten restrictions on firms and entities it claims are tied to Tokyo’s “remilitarization.”
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.
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jun 28, 2026
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
China’s Defense Ministry said the flight demonstrated the two countries’ “resolve and capability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.”
An Airbus Eurodrone remotely piloted aircraft system is displayed at the International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris in June last year.
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2026
KHI and Airbus eye cooperation on Japanese variant of Eurodrone
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has signed a preliminary deal with Airbus to cooperate on a possible Japanese anti-submarine version of a European defense drone.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said a bill enacted by parliament on Friday will allow his ministry to respond to the most severe and complex security environment of the postwar period.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 26, 2026
Japan enacts bill to add space operations into ASDF’s fold
The renaming of the ASDF by the end of fiscal 2026, will mark the first name change for any branch of the Self-Defense Forces since its establishment in 1954.
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.
A Self-Defense Forces member stands guard at the entrance of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2026
Japan rejects Chinese claim SDF ‘harassed’ Chinese aircraft carrier group
The Defense Ministry in Tokyo said the accusations “are not true” and pledged to continue to “professionally and diligently” monitor the waters and airspace around Japan.
Self-Defense Forces personnel stand guard at the entrance of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2026
Harassed GSDF member’s PTSD recognized as on-duty illness
Since joining in 2006, the male member said he had been forced by several senior colleagues to wear women’s clothing and to expose his lower body.
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in a military drill in the western Pacific in April 2018.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2026
China accuses Japan of ‘harassment’ during far-seas aircraft carrier training
Beijing said the Japanese side had conducted “dangerous” close-in reconnaissance of the Chinese Navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier flotilla.
The Typhon ground-launched missile system is displayed at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercise by the U.S. Marines and the Self-Defense Forces last September.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2026
U.S. deploying powerful midrange missile system to Japan for joint drills
The deployment of the land-based Typhon system is seen as part of a more robust allied approach to countering China’s growing military assertiveness in the region.
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.
A concept model of the Global Combat Air Program fighter jet is displayed during a security trade exhibition in Chiba in May 2025.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 19, 2026
Japan’s GCAP push signals a new security role beyond the U.S. alliance
The renewed GCAP backing comes less than a week after the apparent failure of the Future Combat Air System — a program led by France, Germany and later Spain.
A South Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aircraft flies near Seoul in October 2025.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2026
Japan and South Korea mull regular aircraft refueling support
Work to regularize the refueling support is aimed at fostering a framework for cooperation amid improving Japan-South Korea ties.
A resident of a village isolated by the Noto earthquake expresses his gratitude as he heads to a Self-Defense Forces rescue helicopter, in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 6, 2024.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 17, 2026
‘Poor kids join the SDF’ remark reflects deeper debate over Japan’s military
The statement by a CDP lawmaker exposed a widening gap between public support for the SDF and the political debates that continue to shape Japan’s civil-military relations.
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.
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.

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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