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August 28, 2025
 

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Jesse Johnson
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 9, 2017
China conducts live-fire drills, weapons tests in waters near two Koreas
China's Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that the country's rocket force, which oversees its ballistic missile force, conducted live-fire drills and weapons tests "in recent days," according to a brief statement on its website.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 9, 2017
China cries 'fake news' in reaction to report about U.S. Navy chief Harris
China's Foreign Ministry has labeled as "fake news and not worth refuting" a report that Beijing urged Washington to fire the top U.S. naval commander in the Pacific in return for boosted pressure on North Korea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 8, 2017
North Korea detains second U.S. citizen in two weeks as experts fear arrests becoming part of new normal
The arrest of a U.S. citizen by North Korea on Saturday — the second of an American national in two weeks — could be a prelude to more provocations by Pyongyang amid already surging tensions on the Korean Peninsula, an expert on the regime of leader Kim Jong Un has said.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 3, 2017
Activity resumes at North Korea nuclear site amid fears of sixth atomic test: report
Fresh satellite images indicate that activity has resumed at North Korea's nuclear test site, U.S. analysts said Tuesday, amid fears the reclusive nation may soon conduct its sixth atomic test.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 2, 2017
Satellite evidence points to North Korea's ramped-up sub-launched missile program: report
In a revelation that has strategic implications for Japan, analysis of satellite imagery shows the existence of North Korea's second submersible test-stand barge — a sign that the nuclear-armed country could be ramping up development of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) program.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 29, 2017
North Korea fails in latest test of ballistic missile
North Korea watches another ballistic missile test fizzle in its own territory, while Tokyo Metro plays up the drama by shutting down all its subway lines.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2017
More Chinese naval ships sail through Miyako Strait
The Chinese Navy has again sent vessels through the Miyako Strait, a strategic entryway into the Western Pacific between the islands of Miyako and Okinawa, as part of drills, Chinese state-run media said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2017
Japanese fighter jets conduct joint drill with U.S. carrier off Okinawa
Fighter jets from the Air Self-Defense Force linked up with aircraft from the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group for joint drills Friday in waters east of Okinawa as the U.S. vessel steamed toward the Sea of Japan amid soaring tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 26, 2017
China launches first domestically built aircraft carrier
China launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier Wednesday in a move that showcases the country's growing maritime clout amid simmering tensions over the disputed South and East China seas.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 26, 2017
For Japan and U.S., joint drills could signal the start of a new 'normal'
As the impasse with nuclear-armed North Korea reaches a critical juncture, Japan and the U.S. have seen their security bonds grow ever closer, conducting new naval exercises.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 25, 2017
North Korea marks foundation of military with huge live-fire drill amid flurry of U.S. activity
North Korea and the U.S. flexed their military muscles Tuesday as Pyongyang marked the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army — without testing a nuclear weapon or conducting a major missile test.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 25, 2017
Cruise-missile carrying U.S. nuclear submarine visits South Korea amid soaring tensions on peninsula
A U.S. guided-missile nuclear submarine arrived in South Korea on Tuesday — the 85th anniversary of North Korea's founding of its military — in the latest show of force by the United States amid surging tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2017
MSDF destroyers kick off drills with USS Carl Vinson strike group in Western Pacific
Two Maritime Self-Defense Force ships begin joint drills with the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its escort vessels in the Western Pacific as the strike group nears the Sea of Japan.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 22, 2017
U.S. carrier to arrive in Sea of Japan 'within days,' Pence says
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is expected to arrive in the Sea of Japan "within a matter of days," U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday amid tensions with North Korea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 19, 2017
North Korea marks late founder's birthday with video depicting massive nuclear strike on U.S.
A North Korean musical show celebrating the anniversary of its late founder has conveyed an explosive message for the United States — one depicting a massive nuclear strike on an unnamed city.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 18, 2017
U.S. aircraft carrier strike group still thousands of kilometers from South Korea, photos show
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, initially believed to be arriving soon in waters off the Korean Peninsula as part of a show of force to Pyongyang by the U.S., appears to still be thousands of kilometers away, photos posted to the navy's website have shown.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 18, 2017
For North Korea and China, defense pact proves a complicated document
In U.S. President Donald Trump's calculus, a choice between Chinese cooperation or American military action loom large as part of any solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. But one often unspoken aspect of this outlook has been Beijing's rarely mentioned mutual defense pact with Pyongyang — a...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 16, 2017
North Korean test of medium-range missile explodes on launch in latest challenge for Trump
North Korea tested an apparent medium-range missile early Sunday that "blew up almost immediately," the U.S. military and government officials said — the latest act of defiance in the face of calls by Washington to rein in its nuclear and missile programs.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 15, 2017
North Korea shows off suspected ICBM during massive military parade
North Korea displayed what appeared to be new long-range and submarine-launched missiles Saturday as part of a massive military parade in Pyongyang to mark the 105th anniversary of the nuclear-armed country's founder.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2017
Japan's fighter jet scrambles set new record in 2016 amid surging Chinese military activity
Japan scrambled fighter jets to intercept foreign aircraft approaching its airspace at a record pace in the fiscal year to March, figures released by the Defense Ministry have shown,as China's military sought to break out further into the Western Pacific.
Philippine bid to acquire used Japanese warships gains steam
Tokyo is looking to transfer Abukuma-class vessels to the Philippines as part of broader efforts to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
Japan Post to stop accepting some parcels for shipment to the U.S.
Japan Post's UGX will still be available for many rejected packages.
Japan aims to tighten rules for business manager visas from October
The number of foreign residents with business management residency status had reached a record 41,615 as of the end of 2024.
Tokyo releases AI-generated video of Mount Fuji erupting
A screenshot from an AI-generated video showing what could happen to Tokyo if Mount Fuji erupted
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
A pop-up advertisement for the newly opened Chiikawa Park in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood demonstrates how the country is chockful of cute characters — to the detriment of trends like Labubu.
Japanese prefectures break with labor ministry on minimum wage
The ministry of labor has suggested a 6% minimum wage increase, but most prefectures reporting so far are opting to go slightly higher.
Philippines quietly deepening ‘unofficial’ defense ties with Taiwan
Filipino soldiers take part in a flag-raising ceremony on Mavulis Island during a visit by the Philippines' Armed Forces chief of staff, in Batanes, the Philippines, in June 2023. Batanes, a group of idyllic islands at the country’s northernmost tip, sits about 160 kilometers from Taiwan.
Are 'coolcations' the answer for Japan's heat-weary tourists?
Hikers on a trail in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. As extreme heat continues to grip Japan, a tectonic shift may be underway in the nation’s summer tourism scene as more people gravitate toward cooler destinations.
Germany's first sakemaker offers a bold brew of ideas
Reigen, Germany's first sake brewery, makes a diverse, nontraditional range of sake that includes fruit-flavored sips and wine barrel-aged renditions.
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

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