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August 12, 2026
 

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MSDF

The Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 patrol aircraft prepares to take off from Atsugi air base in Kanagawa Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ P-1 patrol aircraft leaves for anti-piracy mission
This is the first time the P-1, Â鶹´«Ã½ first domestically built patrol aircraft, has taken part in an overseas mission.
An aerial view of the USS Cincinnati combat ship navigating near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea last August.
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2026
Japan, Philippines and the U.S. complete exercises in South China Sea
The armed forces said the joint drills show the Philippines¡¯ commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the West Philippine Sea.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a news conference at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday. The U.S. leader's approach to alliances means American security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 10, 2026
Trump just made Â鶹´«Ã½ security dilemma more urgent
Japan should respond to growing uncertainty over U.S. security commitments by taking greater responsibility for protecting its own maritime and strategic interests.
The Philippines is looking to receive five Abukuma-class vessels from Japan in the next two to three years as part of broader efforts by Tokyo to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2026
Japan set to deliver five retired MSDF warships to Philippines in ¡®two to three years¡¯
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. says administrative details are being finalized, but it¡¯s ¡°already a done deal.¡±
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier takes part in a military drill in the western Pacific in April 2018.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2026
China accuses Japan of ¡®harassment¡¯ during far-seas aircraft carrier training
Beijing said the Japanese side had conducted ¡°dangerous¡± close-in reconnaissance of the Chinese Navy¡¯s Liaoning aircraft carrier flotilla.
A security guard takes a selfie beside the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amagiri, an Asagiri-class destroyer, upon its arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila in February 2018.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 10, 2026
How Tokyo aims to turn retired military equipment into lasting strategic returns
Â鶹´«Ã½ export of used military gear to partner nations could deliver decades of strategic returns, analysts say.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched its Kongo destroyer and the South Korean Navy sent its Cheon Ja Bong landing ship for a joint search-and-rescue exercise in waters west of the Goto Islands on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2026
Japanese and South Korean navies hold first joint drills in nine years
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi hailed the resumption of exercises as signaling ¡°a new chapter¡± in bilateral defense cooperation.
A model of an upgraded Mogami-class destroyer is displayed during the DSEI Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba last May.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 2, 2026
Australian Mogami ships to have ¡®core DNA¡¯ of Japan versions, ADF chief says
The move could prove a boon for Â鶹´«Ã½ defense industry, as it would allow domestic firms to play crucial roles in the vessels¡¯ maintenance and repair throughout their lifespan.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Kumano is docked at Singapore's Changi Naval Base during a maritime defense exhibition in May 2023.
JAPAN
May 29, 2026
New Zealand to decide on Â鶹´«Ã½ frigates by end of 2027, defense chief says
New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk highlighted interoperability with Australia as a key factor in the ongoing deliberations.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Jan. 15, near Washington
JAPAN
May 24, 2026
U.S. informs Japan of Tomahawk missile delivery delays: report
The Japanese government has signed a contract with the U.S. government to acquire up to 400 Tomahawk missiles between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2027.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's stealth frigate JS Mogami. Japan is trying to sell its Mogami-class warships to New Zealand.
JAPAN / Politics
May 12, 2026
Japan faces U.K. rival in race to build warships for New Zealand
A deal with New Zealand would build on an agreement Tokyo recently signed with Canberra to build the first three of 11 Mogami-class ships planned for Australia.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Mogami-class stealth frigate JS Mikuma at Yokosuka naval base
JAPAN
May 7, 2026
New Zealand eyes Japan and U.K. warships as frigate replacements
New Zealand is weighing the purchase of advanced warships to modernize its aging fleet and bolster its defense capability.
A policeman stands guard at an entrance to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on March 25. A man was apprehended in Tokyo March 24 after he trespassed onto the grounds of the embassy.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 6, 2026
Japan-China tensions have no visible off-ramp
Tokyo lodged a protest with Beijing over the installation of structures in the East China Sea, marking the latest in a series of incidents between the two Asian rivals.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters on the island of Iwo Jima on March 28.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2026
Japan to strengthen Pacific Ocean defense system
¡°A vast area on the Pacific side is a defense vacuum,¡± Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters during his visit to the island of Iwo Jima.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Chokai guided-missile destroyer sails during the Rim of the Pacific joint exercises in the Pacific Ocean in July 2016.
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2026
MSDF destroyer becomes Â鶹´«Ã½ first ship capable of firing Tomahawk missiles
With a range of 1,600 kilometers, the weapons will allow the vessels to put targets deep inside China and North Korea within striking distance.
Ships from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Minesweeper Division 51 make a port call in Manila in September 2015
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2026
Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached, minister says
Tokyo ?has no immediate ?plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through ?the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi ?said
Claims by China that Japan is returning to militarism are misleading because legal and institutional constraints make such a shift unlikely and current defense reforms reflect practical responses to changing regional threats.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 20, 2026
Debunking the myth of Japanese militarism
It is necessary to be clear on this point: Japan in 2026 is not the Japan of 1936.
At the time of the joint Chinese-Russian bomber exercise on Dec. 9, the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington was conducting drills with the Maritime Self-Defense Force in waters south of the Kanto region.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2025
China may have tested Japan and U.S. readiness in Pacific
The Liaoning and Chinese and Russian bombers turned back in the Pacific Ocean near the coasts of Shikoku and the Kii Peninsula.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Soryu submarine. According to the Defense Ministry, Kawasaki Heavy falsified data on the fuel efficiency of submarine engines it manufactured between 1988 and 2021 for the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2025
Defense Ministry suspends KHI from bidding over data falsifications
Kawasaki Heavy falsified data on the fuel efficiency of submarine engines it manufactured between 1988 and 2021 for the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Defense Ministry said.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force¡¯s Aegis destroyer Chokai at its Sasebo base in Nagasaki Prefecture in January
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2025
U.S. approves aid for upgrading MSDF¡¯s Aegis destroyers
The estimated total cost for the Japanese government is $100.2 million.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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