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July 05, 2025
 

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SDF

JAPAN / Politics
Mar 20, 2015
Coalition takes major step toward loosening SDF rules
The ruling coalition reaches a formal deal on security legislation, bringing the Abe administration one step closer to expanding the role Japan's military can constitutionally play overseas.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 18, 2015
Komeito agrees to permanent law on dispatch of SDF
The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner have agreed in principle on a framework for security legislation to expand the scope of the Self-Defense Forces' activities.
EDITORIALS
Mar 8, 2015
Learning from a sunken battleship
The discovery of the sunken battleship Musashi — the Imperial Japanese Navy's biggest warship — by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen last week should serve as an opportunity for anybody to contemplate the real face of war.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2015
Abe presses forward on collective defense
The Abe administration proposed Friday amending the Self-Defense Forces Law to make it legal to exercise the right to collective self-defense, moving a step closer to the possibility that Japan will use military force even if it is not under direct attack.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 6, 2015
Japan's military normalization
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants Japan to become a 'normal' country again, with the capacity to defend its interests and citizens wherever they are threatened. But how should his government go about it?
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 27, 2015
Abe aims to formally authorize SDF ship inspections beyond Japanese waters
The Abe administration proposed Friday expanding the geographic range of ship inspections that can be conducted by the Self-Defense Forces beyond Japan.
EDITORIALS
Feb 27, 2015
Chipping away at civilian control
The Abe administration plans to abolish a legal mechanism ensuring that high-ranking civilian officials of the Defense Ministry maintain authority over uniformed officers of the Self-Defense Forces.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 26, 2015
Ruling bloc may seek Diet nod for any overseas SDF dispatch as precondition to permanent law
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the government will consider requiring advance Diet approval for the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces overseas as a condition for seeking a permanent law on their missions, NHK reported Thursday.
EDITORIALS
Feb 25, 2015
Risky expansion of SDF missions
New Abe administration policies in the works appear to expand the scope of of SDF activities abroad to almost anything short of direct use of force.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 23, 2015
Japan looks to boost defense attaches after hostage crisis reveals major weakness
The Abe administration wants to strengthen Japan's intelligence-gathering capabilities in the Middle East after the recent hostage disaster revealed its shortcomings in gaining information through military channels.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 16, 2015
Japanese deaths stir debate on hostage rescue capabilities
Following the gruesome executions of two Japanese by the Islamic State group, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems more eager than ever for legal authority to deploy Self-Defense Forces elements overseas, saying it is the government's duty to rescue its citizens.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 13, 2015
Ruling bloc parties explore positions on defense
The Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito ruling coalition kicked off formal discussions Friday on security legislation that would expand the range of missions the Self-Defense Forces could be deployed on.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 21, 2015
Remembering and learning from the Kobe quake
Cooperation in disaster relief efforts have helped strengthen ties between Japan and the United States.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2015
U.N. peace chief says logistics, not front line, is where Japan fits best
The U.N. peacekeeping chief says Japan won't be asked to supply troops for front-line missions but might be asked to provide more logistic support in Africa.
JAPAN / 70 YEARS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY
Dec 31, 2014
Year ahead may mark turning point for SDF
The 70th year since the end of World War II may be a watershed for the Self-Defense Forces if they undergo the historic changes planned by the Cabinet.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 31, 2014
Abe's goal of constitutional reform faces many challenges
This will be a tough year for the Abe administration as the calendar is full of policy goals that are unpopular with voters, observers say, particularly on defense policy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2014
SDF admiral urges prompt action on crisis management pact with China
Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, has urged the early start of a "crisis management" mechanism with China amid conflicting claims with Japan over the uninhabited Senkaku Islands off Taiwan.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2014
Japan jets scrambling to counter rising Russian incursions
The number of times Japanese fighter jets scrambled to ward off Russian military aircraft more than doubled in the last six months, amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is keen to ease.
EDITORIALS
Oct 14, 2014
A shift in defense posture
A Japan-U.S. interim report proposes that geographical restrictions on the activities of the Self-Defense Forces in support of U.S. military operations be removed as part of a tremendous shift in Japan's defense posture.
EDITORIALS
Aug 26, 2014
Military courts unconstitutional
The recent Cabinet decision to let Japan take part in 'collective self-defense' raises the question of whether a courts-martial system, and what would likely be a more severe standard for punishing violators of Self-Defense Forces law, should be introduced.
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.

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