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July 05, 2025
 

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MSDF

JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Dec 14, 2020
Japan set to approve new ships and missiles but defer legal questions
Two new destroyers will fill the gap left by a canceled deployment of Aegis Ashore, while improved missiles will offer the ability to strike from beyond the range of enemies.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2020
MSDF joins exercises with U.S. and Australia on doorstep of South China Sea
The move, the latest show of naval might in the waters, was sure to anger China.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2020
MSDF to join RIMPAC naval drills off Hawaii in August
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force will participate in the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, multinational naval exercises to be held off Hawaii between Aug. 17 and 31, Defense Minister Taro Kono said Tuesday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jun 3, 2020
Troubling trends demand that Japan take action at sea
The Maritime Self-Defense Force will likely be relegated to second place permanently within this decade if China's naval construction program maintains its current pace.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 22, 2020
Abe pushes constitutional reform at SDF graduation ceremony
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday again expressed his eagerness to add a clause on the existence of the Self-Defense Forces to the Constitution.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2020
Opposition parties lay into Abe over scandals and Mideast dispatch
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Edano used parliamentary debates to go after Prime Minister Abe on allegations of cronyism over an annual taxpayer-funded cherry blossom viewing party.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2020
Opposition grills LDP on risks facing Japan's SDF mission to Mideast
Any overseas SDF mission is politically sensitive, but U.S.-Iran tensions are so high that debate on the constitutional hazards has ensued even before the Diet has opened.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 9, 2020
Japan opposition bloc to push for halt to Mideast mission amid Iran-U.S. tensions
Major opposition parties have agreed to press the government to cancel its plan to dispatch Maritime Self-Defense Force units to the Middle East following the Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2019
Japan’s Cabinet adopts plan to send SDF to Mideast amid Iran tensions
The “investigation and research” mission will send the destroyer Takanami into an area where tensions over Iran's nuclear program are high and an attack could drag Japan into war.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 22, 2019
SDF tests public support with next mission in Middle East
The Cabinet is expected to approve a Self-Defense Forces mission to the Middle East that will comprise a destroyer, patrol planes and 250 personnel as part of an intelligence-gathering operation.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 29, 2019
With hazy plan for SDF dispatch to Mideast, is Japan pursuing contradictory goals?
It was an unusual meeting starting at around 7:30 a.m. at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 23, hastily organized so government officials could get lawmakers up to speed.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2019
Japan's Foreign Ministry to provide Korean-language explanation of Rising Sun flag on website
Japan's Foreign Ministry plans to provide an explanation in Korean on use of the kyokujitsuki Rising Sun flag on its website, in addition to the details currently provided in Japanese and English.
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2019
Japan's MSDF and Chinese Navy hold first joint military drills in eight years
The Maritime Self-Defense Force has conducted "goodwill exercises" with the Chinese Navy for the first time in eight years, the MSDF has said in a statement.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 3, 2019
Japan won't join U.S.-led maritime coalition but may send MSDF to gulf separately, report claims
Japan will not join a U.S.-led security mission to protect merchant vessels passing through key Middle Eastern waterways, but will consider deploying its naval force independently, the Yomiuri newspaper reported Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2019
U.S. F-35Bs may conduct takeoff and landing drills on Japan's renovated Izumo carriers
The U.S. military's F-35B fighter jets could use Izumo-class ships for training exercises after the Japanese vessels are renovated to be able to host such aircraft, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Thursday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 4, 2019
Trump bump: Building on U.S. president's visit
Tokyo should leverage the momentum of the Trump visit to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance not just symbolically, but in a concrete and forward-leaning manner.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2019
In symbolic first, Abe and Trump jointly address military personnel aboard Japan's Kaga carrier
Peppered with pomp and decorum, Trump's four-day visit to Japan ended with a gesture highlighting the long-standing military ties between the two countries.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 23, 2019
Chinese Navy puts military might on display with fleet review attended by Japan and others
Seven decades after its founding, the Chinese Navy put on a show Tuesday of the numerous strides it has made to become a "world-class" force to be reckoned — a shift that has unnerved some regional countries and the United States.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 13, 2019
Journalists get tour of Japan's Izumo amid debate over equipping ship with aircraft carrier capabilities
Journalists on Wednesday were given a guided tour of the Izumo — Japan's largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — for the first time since the Defense Ministry revealed a controversial plan late last year to convert it so that it could handle fixed-wing aircraft — which critics and some opposition...
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 21, 2019
Tokyo terminates working level talks with Seoul after revealing new evidence on radar lock-on dispute
The Defense Ministry announced Monday it will terminate talks with its South Korean counterpart over the radar lock-on dispute, while revealing what it claims are sounds, converted from radio waves, of the fire-control radar system of a South Korean destroyer.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
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."
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.

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