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August 13, 2025
 

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Gabriel Dominguez
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over Kyiv during a Russian drone strike, on July 30, 2025. Moscow has dispatched military specialists to train the Korean People’s Army on how to use combat drones and air-defense systems.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 13, 2025
Ukraine war has transformed North Korean military: Kyiv’s military intel chief
Pyongyang’s alliance with Moscow gives it critical battlefield experience and access to advanced weapons, at the same time making it more unpredictable.
HMS Prince of Wales arrives into the Port of Darwin, Australia, in July during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2025
Britain’s Prince of Wales aircraft carrier makes Japan debut
This is the second time since the late 1990s that a British aircraft carrier has docked in Japan — after the HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to U.S. troops based in Osan Air Base in South Korea in June 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 10, 2025
Defense to take top billing at U.S.-South Korea summit as Trump eyes alliance reset
With China looming large, security ties will take center stage at the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate. Australia's selection of an upgraded version of the Mogami-class warship for its next frigate class could prove to be a watershed moment for Japan’s defense industry.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Aug 6, 2025
Australia's warship selection signals Japanese defense industry's arrival
Japan's successful bid will serve as a confidence booster and could set a precedent for other countries to consider Japanese capabilities for their own militaries.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Niyodo sails at an undisclosed location in this image released Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2025
Australia announces new warships will come from Japan
Canberra will purchase 11 Mogami-class frigates in what will be Tokyo’s biggest-ever defense contract — a breakthrough for Japan's defense industry.
Troops from the Ground Self-Defense Force launch a Type 12 surface-to-ship missile at Beecroft Weapons Range in Australia's New South Wales state during Exercise Talisman Sabre on July 14.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Aug 3, 2025
'Firsts’ abound in latest Talisman Sabre joint military drills
The multinational military drills saw over 80 "firsts" in which participants either tested new systems or performed certain combined activities for the first time.
U.S., Japanese and Australian staff work in the JJOC Cooperation Team office at the U.S. Army’s Hardy Barracks in central Tokyo in this image posted to the Australian Embassy's X account on July 25.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 31, 2025
Coordination office marks first step in U.S. Forces Japan’s shift to ‘warfighting’ command
The launch of the new joint command team is the fruit of a multiyear effort to reshape and streamline U.S.-Japan operations.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby (right) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Washington on July 21
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 30, 2025
U.S. to complete review of AUKUS defense pact in fall
The announcement buys Australia more time to convince the Trump administration of the pact's importance.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte looks at military equipment on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami stealth frigate during a visit to the MSDF's naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in April.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 29, 2025
Japan and NATO to launch defense-industrial talks, top envoy says
The talks will aim to explore new areas of cooperation and facilitate coordination between the two sides’ defense and security industries.
European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) join hands with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba prior to a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2025
Japan and EU launch trade ‘alliance’ amid concerns over U.S. and China
The new agreement will expand bilateral trade ties, promote business cooperation and explore ways to diversify critical mineral supply chains.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks to The Japan Times at Europa House in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Wednesday, ahead of an EU-Japan summit.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 23, 2025
EU and Japan aim for deeper defense cooperation in high-tech arena
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says she sees "a lot of room for cooperation" with Tokyo, particularly in technology-driven areas.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on July 10.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jul 21, 2025
Pentagon looks to unleash ‘military drone dominance’
U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to fast-track the adoption of a boosted number of small drones deployed across the force.
The United Nations Command-Rear, which operates from Yokota Air Base, plays a critical role in maintaining peace and stability in Asia.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 17, 2025
Little-known U.N. Command bases in Japan play a critical security role in Asia
The United Nations Command-Rear is a small multinational team that works quietly to ensure peace and stability in the region.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Wonsan, North Korea, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 14, 2025
Ukraine denies North Korea planning to send 30,000 more troops to Russia
Kyiv's military intelligence agency said Pyongyang will instead send 6,000 personnel for reconstruction operations in batches of 1,500 to 3,000 personnel this month and next.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the East Asia Summit foreign ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 12, 2025
Trump tariffs not broached in two ASEAN-related meetings with U.S. officials
The lack of any mention of trade concerns was glaring amid reports that countries are looking at diversifying partnerships as a way to weather U.S. tariffs.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during bilateral talks on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 10, 2025
Japan voices strong concern over Chinese military and rare earth moves
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, met for talks on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related gatherings.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand shakes hands with Japan's top diplomat, Takeshi Iwaya, at the end of a signing ceremony for an information security agreement, after bilateral talks in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 9, 2025
Japan and Canada ink key intel-sharing deal
The agreement is another important step toward deepening ties with individual members of the Five Eyes intelligence grouping.
A concept model of the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) fighter jet is displayed during the DSEI Japan forum in the city of Chiba in May.
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2025
Japan, U.K. and Italy open to Saudis joining next-gen fighter program
The three partners have tacitly agreed to such a move — but only once the project is underway and all outstanding points have been cleared.
BRICS leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (front row left), Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (second left), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center), Chinese Premier Li Qiang (second right) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov join hands during a group photo at the bloc's summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 8, 2025
BRICS fills soft-power vacuum as Trump-led U.S. retreats
The 10-nation BRICS grouping of major emerging economies has stepped up its efforts on issues such as AI, health care and climate change.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Abukuma-class destroyer Chikuma (front) and the Australian Navy's Hobart-class guided-missile destroyer Brisbane sail in formation during a military exercise in the Pacific Ocean in November 2023.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 7, 2025
Japan eyes used warship transfer to Philippines in bid to counter China
Sending the Abukuma-class vessels to Manila would mark Tokyo’s first export of an entire major naval platform in decades.
Millions told to evacuate as heavy rain sparks flooding and landslides in Kyushu
Heavy rain falls in the city of Kumamoto on Monday morning.
Osaka Expo ticket sales exceed break-even point
Visitors to the Osaka Expo line up for pavilions on Friday.
Chinese vessels collide while pursuing Philippine boat in South China Sea
This handout video grab released and taken on August 11, 2025 by the Philippine Coast Guard shows an incident between a Chinese Navy vessel (left) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship as seen from a Philippine fisheries boat near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.
Britain’s Prince of Wales aircraft carrier makes Japan debut
HMS Prince of Wales arrives into the Port of Darwin, Australia, in July during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.
Japan's Nikkei 225 hits record high on tariff and rate optimism
Stocks in Tokyo rallied on Tuesday despite months of uncertainty and general economic concerns.
Osaka Expo highlights the challenge of holding events in Japan's scorching summer
People huddle near a large fan blowing icy-cold mist at the Osaka Expo on July 12. Amid Japan's relentless summer heat, organizes have put myriad measures in place in order to keep guests safe.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
Cheer with caution: Expert advises sports fans have game plan for extreme heat
A Cardinals fan fans himself during the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
Australia's warship selection signals Japanese defense industry's arrival
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate. Australia's selection of an upgraded version of the Mogami-class warship for its next frigate class could prove to be a watershed moment for Japan’s defense industry.
Japan's inheritance tax is high, unforgiving and sometimes avoidable
The National Tax Agency at the Ministry of Finance, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. Japanese tax authorities can bill foreign residents in Japan for assets inherited globally.

Podcast

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

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person
By Naoko Abe

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