Commentary / Japan Jul 11, 2019
Trump's disquieting disdain for Japan
by Ramesh Thakur
Rising tensions between China and the U.S. have put Japan in a uniquely privileged position vis-a-vis both countries.
National / Politics | Commentary Jul 10, 2019
Why Japan needs to build ties with Canada in the face of Trump's 'America First' agenda
by J. Berkshire Miller
Last month, on the eve of the G20 summit in Osaka, reports emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump was openly mulling a withdrawal from the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty as a result of an "unfair" sharing of alliance burdens. The reality is that there has been ...
Commentary / Japan Jul 3, 2019
Abe wins, no matter what Trump does
by Robert D. Eldridge.
U.S. President Donald Trump's comments play into the prime minister's efforts at constitutional revision, particularly with regard to Article 9.
Commentary / Japan Jun 30, 2019
Security imperatives trump 'fair deals' in Japan-U.S. alliance
by Ted Gover
By hosting U.S. forces, Japan helps deter adversaries and serves as a key launching point for U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
Editorials Jun 5, 2019
As expected, China figures prominently at Asian security meeting.
National / Politics Jun 2, 2019
Japan, U.S. and South Korean defense chiefs pledge to work toward North Korean denuclearization
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his counterparts from the U.S. and South Korea pledge to work together to realize the denuclearization of North Korea.
Asia Pacific / Politics | FOCUS May 30, 2019
China-U.S. tensions loom large as Shangri-La Dialogue addresses Asian security issues
by J. Berkshire Miller
This weekend, Singapore will once again host — under the stewardship of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD). The SLD is Asia's key venue to convene senior government officials, active military brass, scholars and other professionals to discuss Asian security ...
Editorials May 29, 2019
The Trump administration's expansive definition of national security poses a fundamental challenge to the international trade order.
National May 23, 2019
Japan's plan to remodel Izumo-class carriers: Needed upgrade or mere show of force?
by Reiji Yoshida
Rarely have Maritime Self-Defense Force ships garnered this much attention. On April 30, the Izumo helicopter carrier — one of Japan's two largest and arguably most controversial naval vessels — set off for a three-month deployment and this month it conducted two quadrilateral naval exercises ...
National May 15, 2019
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan plans to travel to Japan in early June, making his first visit to the country since taking up the post in January, sources familiar with the plan said Tuesday. Shanahan, whom President Donald Trump intends to nominate as his ...
National / Science & Health May 14, 2019
Japan to assign 100 personnel to new satellite monitoring unit
The Defense Ministry will assign around 100 personnel to a unit to be created by fiscal 2022 to monitor space debris and satellites, according to sources. The Space Domain Mission Unit will track space debris such as used rocket parts and old satellites that pose ...
National May 3, 2019
Japan and Vietnam defense ministers agree to peacefully tackle Beijing's South China Sea expansion
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ngo Xuan Lich, confirmed Thursday that the two countries will work together to peacefully resolve the issue of China's rapid expansion in the South China Sea. Meeting with Vietnam's minister of defense in Hanoi, Iwaya also stressed ...