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July 05, 2025
 

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SDF

EDITORIALS
Jun 25, 2015
More time won't justify security bills
Even if the Abe government extends the Diet session to ensure passage of its security legislation, it still must pass constitutional muster to be legitimate.
EDITORIALS
Jun 17, 2015
Stop dodging key security questions
The government and the ruling bloc should reflect on why public understanding of its security bills remain elusive.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 5, 2015
Experts' tongue-lashing rekindles Diet debate on reinterpreted Constitution
The surprise tongue-lashing in the Diet meted out by three noted constitutional scholars has reignited debate on whether the Cabinet's reinterpretation of Article 9 last year was legitimate.
EDITORIALS
Jun 3, 2015
Stop ducking security bill questions
The Abe administration is doing everything it can to avoid getting pinned down on the details of its security legislation — to the detriment of public understanding.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 1, 2015
Abe says SDF could provide logistic aid to foreign forces in Middle East, Indian Ocean under new laws
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the Self-Defense Forces could provide logistic aid to foreign militaries in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, detailing for the first time specific regions where Japanese troops could offer rear-area support under contentious security legislation.
EDITORIALS
May 22, 2015
Security bills raise critical questions
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe must discuss the potential downside of security legislation that would usher in a major shift in the nation's postwar defense posture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2015
Peace or war? Diet plays security bill name game
The government says two safely named security bills endorsed by the Cabinet are for “peace,” but the titles aren't flying with everyone.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2015
Defense bills remain problematic
The Abe administration's legislative package to expand the SDF's role finally reaches the Diet — but still remains poorly explained.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 12, 2015
New guidelines leave the U.S. defending Japan
During his recent visit to Washington, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was eloquent in stating why Japan enjoyed being allied with America. But it isn't evident what the U.S. receives in return.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 9, 2015
It's all fun and games until war breaks out
Not far from where I live is a kind of amusement park where you can play soldier. It has a lot of chain-link fences and gray structures that look like bombed-out buildings. On weekends, men, and sometimes women, dressed in camouflage and armed with replica air rifles, re-enact the kind of military operations...
JAPAN / Politics
May 9, 2015
Japan, Philippines to hold first naval drill in South China Sea: sources
Japan and the Philippines will hold their first joint naval drill this month in the South China Sea near a disputed shoal claimed by Beijing, sources in Tokyo and the Philippines said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 8, 2015
We need to talk about Abe
Shinzo Abe is bent on making Japan a 'normal' country, but has he thought out the consequences of elevating the SDF to a full-fledged military?
EDITORIALS
Apr 26, 2015
Civilian control over the SDF
Lawmakers should confirm the importance of civilian control of the SDF and pursue ways to strengthen the system rather than to undermine it.
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2015
Blurry limits on SDF missions
Security legislation prepared by the Abe administration does not dispel concerns that the SDF's overseas missions could be expanded without limits.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2015
Abe breaking arms taboo with Japan's first defense trade show
Japan will host its first international defense trade show next month as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe elbows the pacifist Constitution aside to tap the lucrative arms industry.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 16, 2015
Japan jets scramble at Cold War levels as Chinese, Russian incursions continue to climb
The Air Self-Defense Force said Wednesday that jet fighter scrambles have reached a level not seen since the height of the Cold War three decades ago, as Russian bombers probe its northern skies and Chinese combat aircraft intrude into its southern air space.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2015
U.S. defense chief says new guidelines will 'transform' U.S.-Japan alliance
Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that updated bilateral defense cooperation guidelines will "transform the U.S.-Japan alliance" and enable the two countries' forces to "cooperate seamlessly" to respond to challenges around the world.
EDITORIALS
Apr 3, 2015
Keep a close eye on Abe's words
Given Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's moves to undermine cherished constitutional principles, citizens must pay close attention to his words.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2015
MSDF commissions its biggest helicopter carrier yet
The Maritime Self-Defense Force commissions its largest-ever helicopter carrier as officials deny that the massive vessel could be used as a conventional aircraft carrier or represents a prototype for one in the future.
EDITORIALS
Mar 25, 2015
Broadening SDF missions abroad
An outline of a package of security legislation planned by the Abe administration fails to set clear restrictions on the scope of the Self-Defense Forces' overseas missions.
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. 
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.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
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."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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