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August 12, 2026
 

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SDF

A member of Japanese Self-Defense Force pilots a SOTEN drone during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture on June 28.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2026
Japan mulls use of domestic AI in SDF command system
The government hopes the move will help SDF commanders make decisions, at a time when countries around the world are rushing to adapt to new ways of warfare.
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.
Bottled water delivered as relief supplies to the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's Vice Camp Takayubaru in Kumamoto Prefecture on Sunday
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2026
U.S. Forces airlift water for Kumamoto earthquake victims
The operation sent about 33,000 bottles of drinking water to the area.
A Ground Self-Defense Force anti-aircraft gun fires ammunition during a live fire exercise at the GSDF's training grounds in the East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 5, 2026
North Korea warns of more military steps over Â鶹´«Ã½ rearmament
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said that Pyongyang would not remain a ¡°passive onlooker.¡±
Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers walk in front of a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile launcher, during the Balikatan annual joint military exercises at Culili Point Sand Dunes, in Paoay, Philippines, on May 6.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 4, 2026
Japan defense report says China challenge must be met with ¡®overall national strength¡¯
Tokyo¡¯s annual defense white paper says that cooperation with allies and like-minded nations is crucial to Â鶹´«Ã½ own security.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with evacuees after last week's magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, at an evacuation shelter in the town of Hikawa on Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2026
Takaichi meets victims and local leaders in quake-struck Kumamoto
The prime minister¡¯s visit comes almost a week after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake, which has killed at least 38 people and left over 9,200 in evacuation shelters.
The Defense Ministry is set to earmark funds necessary for preparations to shift its management of confidential data to private-sector cloud services in its budget request for fiscal 2027.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2026
Japan eyes use of cloud services to manage defense secrets
So far the highly classified information has been handled through its own systems.
A new type of Chinese submarine is seen in images taken May 29 at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai and provided to The Japan Times by U.S. satellite company BlackSky. The mystery sub features a dramatically smaller sail and larger dimensions ¡ª approximately 120 meters long and 10 meters wide ¡ª than China¡¯s Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 29, 2026
New mystery Chinese submarine highlights efforts to build up force
The stealthy and likely nuclear-powered vessel offers insight into China¡¯s plans ¡ª a push that could further complicate Â鶹´«Ã½ security calculus.
China's Foreign Ministry has denied that Wang Yi, its top diplomat, held any form of chat with his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings in Manila last week.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 28, 2026
Did they or didn¡¯t they? China and Japan at odds over diplomats¡¯ ¡®talks¡¯
More than eight months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s remarks about Japanese military intervention in a Taiwan crisis, ties have seen little ¡ª if any ¡ª improvement.
U.S. Forces Japan commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost (left) speaks with The Japan Times and other media outlets in an interview at the Japanese Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2026
U.S. Forces Japan boosts personnel as transformation takes shape, commander says
Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost said that some 215 personnel had been added to the headquarters since last year, as a shift to give the command more authority entered a second phase.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2026
Defense Ministry questioned over intelligence gathering on domestic experts
A Ground Self-Defense Force unit made assessments about patriotism, beliefs and sexual preferences, news reports alleged.
While the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been cautious about deploying the Self-Defense Forces to conflict zones, renewed fighting could increase pressure for Japan to support post-conflict efforts, including humanitarian aid, demining and monitoring operations.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2026
What the renewed Iran war means for Japan
The uncertain trajectory of the U.S. war with Iran will complicate the work of officials now shaping the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s future defense policies.
The Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Asaka, which straddles Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2026
Fire breaks out at GSDF camp in Tokyo suburbs
The fire is believed to have started at the camp¡¯s garbage storage area, according to officials of the GSDF facility.
The X account of Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, chief of staff of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff
JAPAN
Jul 19, 2026
Japanese officials open X accounts to counter China¡¯s cognitive warfare
In light of Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine, the SDF recognizes the importance of addressing cognitive warfare, which is conducted through disinformation.
Two cruisers donated by the Vietnamese government to the Cambodian Navy take a delegation for a tour off a Cambodian naval base near Sihanoukville.
JAPAN
Jul 19, 2026
Japan to provide patrol boats to Cambodia in first OSA
Cambodia will receive aid under the OSA program, which provides defense equipment free of charge to like-minded countries.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference at parliament in Tokyo on July 3.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 15, 2026
As Â鶹´«Ã½ security ties grow, defense chief pushes for international bureau
As a key reason for the initiative, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi cited growing responsibilities as the ministry builds up defense ties with like-minded nations.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the conclusion of the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, on June 17.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 13, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s first economic policy blueprint puts defense industry revival in focus
The government seeks to ¡°transform Â鶹´«Ã½ defense posture within five years¡± to achieve highly autonomous and resilient operational capabilities.
Japan, the United States and Australia aim to enhance interoperability through flexibly sharing fuel and equipment.
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2026
Air Self-Defense Force begins logistics cooperation with U.S. and Australia
The three nations aim to improve interoperability by flexibly sharing fuel and equipment under the framework.
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.¡±
¡®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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