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July 05, 2025
 

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Jesse Johnson
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
Rubio urges Japan to beef up defenses, but leaves out spending target
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that no specific spending figure was broached in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (left), Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong (second from left), Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (second from right) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of a meeting of "the Quad" at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
‘Quad’ nations announce critical minerals initiative amid China concerns
A joint statement was carefully crafted not to directly mention China, but the four Indo-Pacific countries made clear a goal of reducing dependence on Beijing.
A mock-up of Japan's upgraded Mogami-class frigate is displayed during the DSEI exhibition at Makuhari Messe in the city of Chiba on May 21.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2025
Top Japanese official visits Australia as bid to build new frigate heats up
The trip by Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, was seen as another move by Tokyo to secure the multibillion dollar contract.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at the White House on Friday in Washington.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 28, 2025
Trump says he will 'get the conflict solved with North Korea'
Trump also appeared to spotlight fears among U.S. allies that his administration could put their security in jeopardy by not adhering to alliance commitments.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stands next to U.S. President Donald Trump as alliance leaders pose for a group photo during a NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2025
NATO lines up ‘big success’ for Trump with new defense spending target
The new target for NATO member nations could give more ammunition to the U.S. in its calls for Japan to spend more money on defense.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte holds a news conference ahead of a NATO summit, in The Hague on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 24, 2025
NATO’s Indo-Pacific ties risk losing momentum as leaders skip key summit
Analysts say U.S. President Donald Trump’s moves mark a visible shift away from his predecessor's approach to the alliance and the IP4 grouping.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for an address to the nation, as Vice President JD Vance (from left) Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth trail him in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 24, 2025
Trump’s Middle East moves raise questions over Indo-Pacific focus
The U.S. military strikes on Iran are being seen as a bad omen for Washington placing its attention more on the Indo-Pacific.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 23, 2025
Japan denies U.S. directly asked it to hike defense spending to 5% of GDP
Tokyo’s top government spokesman also said it was untrue that Japan had postponed a key bilateral security meeting over the issue.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth review an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on March 30.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 21, 2025
Japan scraps ‘two-plus-two’ meeting with U.S. over defense spending demand, report says
The talks’ cancellation reportedly came after the U.S. asked Japan to hike its defense budget to 3.5% of gross domestic product.
A helicopter takes off from China's Shandong aircraft carrier in waters south of Okinawa Prefecture in April 2023.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2025
Chinese aircraft carriers conducted over 1,000 sorties during Pacific training
Japan says the takeoffs and landings highlight the Chinese Navy’s growing ability to operate in distant seas and airspace.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani attend the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2025
Pentagon says Japan must meet ‘global standard’ and spend 5% of GDP on defense
Both allies had been mum on whether the U.S. would press Japan specifically to hit the 5% target amid political sensitivities over the issue.
A J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong makes an unusual approach to a Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C patrol aircraft that was conducting surveillance above the Pacific Ocean on June 8.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2025
In rare move, Japan releases map showing Chinese aircraft carrier activities
The decision to release the map comes as concerns grow over Beijing’s apparent efforts to alter the status quo in the region.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ahead of their meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Kananaskis in Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 18, 2025
South Korea's Lee touts ‘inseparable’ Japan ties after Ishiba meeting
Seeking to ride the momentum that has pushed the neighbors closer following years of chilly ties, the pair also reaffirmed their commitment to trilateral cooperation with the U.S.
European Council President Antَnio Costa (from left to right), Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italian leader Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump and leader Minister Keir Starmer pose for a family photo during the Group of Seven summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 18, 2025
Asia overshadowed as G7 struggles with crises and lack of unity
Mentions of China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific were conspicuously absent from the statements that emerged from the latest summit.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks to have a family photo taken at the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 17, 2025
G7 backs Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ as Trump hastily leaves summit
In a tersely worded joint statement, the bloc labeled Iran a “principal source of regional instability.”
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (center) speaks as leading business executives listen during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 15, 2025
South Korea’s Lee open to trilateral meet with Ishiba and Trump at G7
Any talks would be the first trilateral meeting for all three leaders since taking office, and would symbolize a commitment to continuing to build closer security ties.
A Chinese J-15 fighter jet flies just to the side of a Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C surveillance plane over the high seas in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2025
Chinese fighter jets in close encounters with MSDF patrol planes over Pacific
Chinese fighters made “abnormal approaches” to MSDF patrol aircraft over the Pacific Ocean in recent days that risked collisions, the Defense Ministry said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits one of his country's nuclear material production sites in this photo released in January.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 11, 2025
North Korea constructing new enrichment facility for nuclear bombs, experts say
The apparent new facility could help Pyongyang follow through on pledges to continue ramping up production of fissile materials.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (second from right) poses with U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass (third from left) and U.S. Marines during a visit to the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture on June 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 11, 2025
U.S. intel chief warns ‘warmongers’ fomenting nuclear war after Hiroshima visit
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s unusual remarks seemed to echo Russian talking points on the war in Ukraine.
Visitors look at replicas of the Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong at the People's Liberation Navy Naval Museum on the 75th founding anniversary of the navy in Qingdao, China, in April last year.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2025
Two Chinese aircraft carriers conduct simultaneous drills in Pacific for first time
The moves highlight the Chinese Navy’s growing ability to punch through the “second island chain,” officials say.
Japan unveils new overtourism countermeasures
The majority of tourists in Japan tend to stay in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, resulting in overcrowding in popular tourist spots and a strain on transportation systems.
South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
Toyoko Kids: The lonely street children of Tokyo
Many young people who feel neglected at home flock to the Toyoko area to find a community where they can fit in.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
Opportunities await the bold in the Year of the Wood Dragon
2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, with the year predicted to be a good time for fresh starts.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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