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July 06, 2025
 

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STATE SECRETS LAW

Members of the Self-Defense Forces stand in formation at Camp Asaka on Nov. 9.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2024
Japan uncovers 100 new cases of mishandled security secrets at SDF
The ministry has been conducting investigations after many rule violations related to the handling of secrets were found earlier this year.
Maritime Self-Defense Chief of Staff Adm. Ryo Sakai (center) following a news conference in Tokyo on July 12
JAPAN
Jul 19, 2024
Poor understanding of the law behind mishandling of secrets in MSDF
The scandal has prompted the Defense Ministry to dole out mass punishments and led to the resignation of a top officer.
Lower House Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga (center) receives a recommendation document from a parliamentary board to improve the Defense Ministry's system of handling of security secrets at parliament on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2024
Parliamentary board to seek improvements over MSDF information handling
In the scandal, many personnel not given security clearance were assigned to roles with access to confidential information.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said he has instructed his ministry to investigate whether or not there have been any further incidents.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 26, 2024
Five senior SDF officers punished for mishandling secret info
They passed on secret information to personnel within their units who were not cleared to handle such data.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Mar 31, 2019
Heisei's legal legacies include greater civic participation
With Emperor Akihito abdicating on April 30, the Heisei Era that began Jan. 8, 1989, after his father's death will also come to an end. With this column I'd like to look back at some of the noteworthy changes that occurred to Japan's laws and legal institutions during the past three decades.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 13, 2017
Why Japan's poor media grade matters
Japan has a media problem, and it's holding back the economy and undermining Abe's goal of raising Tokyo's global status.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Dec 4, 2016
Japan's Board of Audit: unlikely guardians of the Constitution?
On Nov. 7, an annual ritual of government occurred: The Board of Audit delivered its report on the results of its audit of government accounts for the previous fiscal year (April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016) to the Cabinet. The 1,123-page paper brick handed over to His Abe-ness identified billions of...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Jun 29, 2016
Letters: Snowden and the sheeple; 'U.S. Marines culture' was once like Japan's
A couple of readers' responses to recent Community Page articles.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 15, 2016
Who's watching whom in Japan? It's a state secret
Contentious law has been cited in two recent cases, including one over the mass surveillance of resident Muslims.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 11, 2016
Press freedoms under attack
Freedom of speech and of the press, a key democratic right, is increasingly under threat around the world.
EDITORIALS
Apr 9, 2016
Diet oversight of state secrets
The Diet boards trying to oversee the designation of state secrets under Shinzo Abe's new laws are running into significant problems — as expected.
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2015
Background check too intrusive
The background check required of people who are going to handle state secrets is overly intrusive in some areas.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 11, 2015
Secrets law, one year later
The controversial state secret law that took effect last year has already had a chilling effect on the media: no one is even talking about it anymore.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 25, 2015
Japan and the war on terror
The Abe administration must not be allowed to use 'the war on terror' to enact sweeping security laws.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 1, 2015
A political turning point for Japan's youth
July 15, 2015, will go down in Japanese history. As what, though? The day democracy's decline became irreversible? Or the day democracy's decline was reversed?
EDITORIALS
Apr 4, 2015
Oversight for secrets too weak
Oversight committees are so weak they may not be able to compel the government to reverse improper designations of state secrets.
EDITORIALS
Jan 13, 2015
Launch secrecy oversight panels
The designation of some government information as 'secret' continues as allowed under a new law, but the sole mechanism for overseeing the process has not been launched.
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Jan 3, 2015
The biggest terrorism threat in Japan
Remember how the government said Japan needed a state secrets law to protect it from acts of terrorism?
LIFE
Dec 20, 2014
Public protest in Japan: Power to the people?
"Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed." — Article 21, Constitution of Japan
COMMENTARY / Japan / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 13, 2014
Abe's secrets law undermines Japan's democracy
On Dec. 10, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's new special secrets law took effect despite overwhelming public opposition.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
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. 
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.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha 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

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