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July 04, 2025
 

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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers remarks at the National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 28, 2025
Hegseth to face questions on U.S. commitment at top Asian defense conference
The event comes amid growing anxiety over Washington's tariff program and uncertainties about U.S. defense policy.
The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sails through the Miyako Strait in Okinawa Prefecture on its way to the Pacific in April 2021.
JAPAN
May 26, 2025
Chinese aircraft carrier conducts fighter jet operations in East China Sea
This was the first time Japan announced that the Liaoning aircraft carrier was conducting training in the area home to the disputed Senkaku Islands.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba walks past members of the Philippine Coast Guard at the coast guard's headquarters in Manila on April 30.
JAPAN / Politics
May 22, 2025
Ishiba doubles down on weapons cooperation, saying no country can go it alone
Japan has sealed a spate of defense equipment and technology transfer deals in recent years while also looking to build up its homegrown defense industry.
Soldiers inspect the debris of a missile at a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on May 8 after New Delhi said Pakistan launched an overnight air attack using "drones and missiles," before Indian forces retaliated to destroy an air defense system in Lahore.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 19, 2025
China gave Pakistan satellite support, Indian defense group says
The research by a group under India’s Ministry of Defense suggests that Beijing was more directly involved in the conflict than was previously disclosed.
Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a military parade in October 2019.
WORLD
May 14, 2025
U.S. warns of China missile threat ahead of 'Golden Dome' announcement
China may within a decade possess scores of orbiting missiles with nuclear payloads capable of quickly reaching the U.S., the Defense Intelligence Agency has said.
Chinese J-10 fighter jets from the People's Liberation Army Air Force August 1st Aerobatics Team perform during a media demonstration at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, in November 2015.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 14, 2025
Success of Chinese-made fighter jets against India raises alarm in Asia
The recent conflict is challenging long-held perceptions of Chinese weapons' inferiority to Western arms and sparking concern in places wary of Beijing.
Yi Liu (right), one of 10 directors involved in Taiwanese television series "Zero Day," works on post-production with colorist Liang Yu Fang in Taipei on March 5.
CULTURE / Film
May 13, 2025
Taiwanese war drama 'wake-up call' to Chinese invasion threat
The on-screen chaos of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is the basis of a new Taiwanese television series called "Zero Day."
The Taiwanese military conducts its first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) live-fire test launch at the Jiupeng base in Taiwan's Pingtung County on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 13, 2025
Taiwan conducts first live-fire HIMARS test in signal to China
Supplying Taiwan with a system that proved devastatingly effective in Ukraine’s efforts to defend against the Russian invasion was once politically sensitive in Washington.
A Japan Coast Guard vessel sails in front of the Uotsuri islet, one of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. Concerns are growing in Tokyo after a Chinese government helicopter violated Japan's airspace around the uninhabited islets.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 12, 2025
Escalation fears rise in Japan following Chinese moves near Senkakus
Beijing sent a government helicopter to the area for the first time, while Chinese government ships have been spotted in the area for more than 170 straight days.
Philippine Army Brig. Gen. Michael Logico, who was involved in managing the latest iteration of the Balikatan U.S.-Philippine drills, told The Japan Times that he expects military ties with Japan to surge even further once Tokyo ratifies a key visiting-forces agreement with Manila.
JAPAN
May 12, 2025
Japan set for bigger role in Philippines after SDF’s debut in key drills
A top Philippine general has said he expects the Self-Defense Forces’ involvement in both bilateral and multilateral activities to grow substantially.
Chinese H-6 bombers fly at the eastern edge of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on March 24.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 30, 2025
Chinese navy patrols South China Sea, saying Philippines creating 'disturbances'
China, which claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, has been involved in an increasingly tense stand-off with the Philippines.
Chinese H-6 bombers (top right) are seen flying near the eastern edge of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on March 24.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 21, 2025
Chinese Navy says Philippine warship 'illegally entered' Scarborough Shoal waters
Sunday's incident was a rare instance involving the militaries of both countries, and came amid fears that a clash or accident could erupt into a full-blown conflict.
This satellite image taken on March 25 shows three Chinese barges connected via extendable bridges in waters off Zhanjiang, in southern China's Guangdong province. Experts say the new barges could be used to land heavy equipment and thousands of personnel in a possible invasion of Taiwan.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 15, 2025
China’s new bridge-forming barges offer new options for Taiwan invasion
The ships can be linked up one behind the other to form a long, relocatable pier that extends from deeper waters nearly a kilometer out at sea onto a beach.
The Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Minnesota off the coast of Western Australia in March
WORLD / Politics
Apr 10, 2025
AUKUS nuclear submarine sale under scrutiny as U.S. tariffs shake Australia
Disappointment that defense ties didn't win Australia exemptions from the U.S. tariffs has put the program under unprecedented public scrutiny.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks near Elbridge Colby (right) at Colby’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee for undersecretary of defense for policy, at the Capitol in Washington on March 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 9, 2025
U.S. confirms new Pentagon No. 3 as Japan defense budget in crosshairs
Elbridge Colby is a known China hawk and advocate for Asian allies — including Japan — to spend more on defense.
A MQ-4C Triton drone taxis at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2025
U.S. to send long-range surveillance drones to Japan amid Taiwan tensions
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said that the drones will be sent to the U.S. air base in Kadena, on Okinawa Prefecture’s main island, in the coming weeks.
A Chinese military unit fires a land-based rocket during military exercises near Taiwan last week.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 7, 2025
G7 condemns 'provocative' Chinese military drills around Taiwan
Group of Seven foreign minsters expressed “deep concern” over the “provocative” and “destabilizing” drills.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (center) walks past honor guards during the inauguration ceremony for the the modernized Ream Naval Base in Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk province on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 6, 2025
Cambodia hails opening of naval base renovated by China
The U.S. has said the base could give Beijing a key strategic position in the Gulf of Thailand near the disputed South China Sea.
Taiwanese National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (left), President Lai Ching-te (center) and Defense Minister Wellington Koo pose for photos with soldiers as they visit the troops during the Rapid Response Exercise at the Songshan military airbase in Taipei on March 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 5, 2025
Taiwan's top security official visits U.S. for talks
The visit marked Donald Trump's first use of the so-called special channel since returning to the White House on Jan. 20.
Four Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 fighter jets prepare to take off from Hsinchu Airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Wednesday, amid ongoing Chinese military drills around the democratic island.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 2, 2025
China ends two days of military drills with simulated strikes on Taiwan ports and energy sites
The large-scale exercises prompted scathing criticism from the U.S. that China was fueling tensions in the region.
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.

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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