SDF

As countries such as France and Britain dispatch ships to the region, the onus is now on Tokyo to show leadership by setting out a long-term, detailed roadmap for cooperation.

Appointments quickly fill up as nation tries to boost its vaccine rollout amid a fourth wave of infections.

Ultimately, it is not about how much military power partners project into the region, it is about adversaries knowing that those partners have skin in the game.

The U.S. military's move to form a joint support force led by the commander of the Pacific Fleet in the wake of the disaster triggered anxiety, accounts show.

Tokyo has begun providing the Philippine military with lifesaving equipment through official development assistance in a bid to strengthen defense ties.

The government is considering using the site to inoculate not just residents of Osaka Prefecture, but also residents of neighboring Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures.

Having advantages in the new fields is "crucially important" for the SDF in the face of Chinese and Russian military buildups, defense officials say.

The moves are part of Tokyo's efforts to brace for a contingency surrounding Taiwan near the remote islands that are part of Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures.

The survey showed 57% of people polled see the need to add a clause that would give the Cabinet more power and limit private rights, eclipsing the 42% who said it is not necessary.

The exercises carry a risk of an accidental confrontation among Japanese, U.S. and Chinese ships and planes when they have close contacts in tense airspace and waters.

Medically licensed SDF personnel are expected to administer Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines to about 900,000 people age 65 or older living in the capital and neighboring prefectures.

A site in Tokyo could be operational by the end of May with SDF personnel joining the mix, while a similar effort is planned for Osaka.