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July 12, 2026
 

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Jesse Johnson
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko visit the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which was hit during Russian missile and drone strikes in Kyiv on June 15.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2026
Ukraine eyes Japan’s Mitsubishi for help with Patriot missiles
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv is interested in working with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the few companies licensed to manufacture the weapons.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (second from right) and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (third from right) join other Indo-Pacific Four officials for a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 8, 2026
Japan and NATO share concerns about Chinese military activities
Tokyo has sought to keep NATO interested in the Indo-Pacific region even as the alliance focuses on beating back claims by the U.S. that it has outlived its usefulness.
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.”
Children walk past a display marking the founding anniversary of the Chinese Navy, during a media tour at the navy's Submarine Academy in Qingdao, China, in April 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 7, 2026
Missile test marks new phase in expansion of China’s nuclear-armed submarine force
Monday’s launch was the first known full-range — or near-full-range — flight test of a Chinese long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile.
A missile is fired from a Chinese Navy nuclear-powered submarine on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 6, 2026
Prior to launch, Japan ‘strongly urged’ China to reconsider missile test in Pacific
The Chinese Navy successfully conducted the test launch of a “strategic missile” by a nuclear submarine into the Pacific Ocean on Monday.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on June 7.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 5, 2026
‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
The move is seen as at least partially aimed at winning public support for boosting the country’s defense capabilities.
Minoru Kihara
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2026
Japan calls China Coast Guard moves in its EEZ near Yonaguni ‘unacceptable’
The unusual moves follow an agreement between Japan and the Philippines last month to launch maritime border delimitation talks, which overlap with areas claimed by Beijing.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and South Korean defense chief Ahn Gyu-back inspect an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony before their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 28, 2026
Koizumi holds rare talks in Seoul with South Korean defense chief
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, held the first talks in South Korea between the countries’ defense chiefs in 11 years.
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jun 28, 2026
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
China’s Defense Ministry said the flight demonstrated the two countries’ “resolve and capability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.”
An Airbus Eurodrone remotely piloted aircraft system is displayed at the International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris in June last year.
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2026
KHI and Airbus eye cooperation on Japanese variant of Eurodrone
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has signed a preliminary deal with Airbus to cooperate on a possible Japanese anti-submarine version of a European defense drone.
A Self-Defense Forces member stands guard at the entrance of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2026
Japan rejects Chinese claim SDF ‘harassed’ Chinese aircraft carrier group
The Defense Ministry in Tokyo said the accusations “are not true” and pledged to continue to “professionally and diligently” monitor the waters and airspace around Japan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un salutes the new Choe Hyon destroyer following its commissioning ceremony at Nampo port in North Korea on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 24, 2026
North Korea’s Kim unveils plans for new warships and nuclear-armed navy
Kim Jong Un has vowed to modernize his navy, but questions remain whether the investment will ultimately prove worthwhile for the strongman.
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.
The Typhon ground-launched missile system is displayed at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercise by the U.S. Marines and the Self-Defense Forces last September.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2026
U.S. deploying powerful midrange missile system to Japan for joint drills
The deployment of the land-based Typhon system is seen as part of a more robust allied approach to countering China’s growing military assertiveness in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump with Adm. Harry Harris (center right), head of the U.S. Pacific Command, at the command's headquarters in Hawaii in November 2017
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
Pentagon restores U.S. military’s Pacific Command moniker, dropping ‘Indo’
The command’s vast area of responsibility “remains exactly the same,” the Pentagon said, with the move coming amid soured U.S.-India ties.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends her first Group of Seven summit on Monday in Evian-les-Bains, France.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
Takaichi proposes G7 framework for stockpiling critical minerals
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pitched a plan for coordinating critical mineral stockpiles among the group and like-minded nations, amid China’s tight grip on key supply chains.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watch a welcome performance at Pyongyang Gymnasium on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 9, 2026
What was left unsaid may be biggest takeaway from Xi-Kim summit
The lack of any public reference to North Korea’s nuclear program during the talks has reinforced the perception that China no longer views denuclearization as a viable option.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend a ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 8, 2026
China’s Xi vows boosted ties with Kim, but avoids North Korea nuclear issue
Chinese leader Xi Jinping stressed China’s “firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries” during a rare summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
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.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping at Pyongyang International Airport in the North Korean capital in this photo released June 21, 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jun 7, 2026
Ahead of talks, Kim has a message for Xi: North Korea’s nukes aren’t up for negotiation
North Korea has been clear in the run-up to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang that it is hoping for at least a tacit recognition of its nuclear status.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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