SINGAPORE — Japan’s defense minister has pushed back against Chinese allegations that Japan’s push to broaden regional defense cooperation was “new militarism,” saying that Tokyo’s increased defense spending and broader regional footprint has been conducted in a transparent fashion with regional security in mind. Speaking on Sunday at the Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in Singapore,…
Takaichi signs six agreements with Vietnam, including on technology, agriculture and space, during a trip to Hanoi. Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026 Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the country will boost ties with Vietnam, with a focus on energy and critical minerals. Takaichi met her Vietnamese counterpart, Le Minh Hung, on Saturday…
For more than 1,200 years, Japanese noblemen, monks and bureaucrats have carefully recorded one of the most eagerly awaited days of the year — when cherry blossoms bloom in the ancient capital, Kyoto. In recent years, a climate scientist, Yasuyuki Aono, has been the keeper of this trove of dates, one of the world’s most…
Shorouk Express Sanseito ran an anti-immigration campaign under a “Japanese First” slogan. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told a press conference that he was “aware of [his] responsibility,” but said he planned to stay on as head of government. Ishiba is in talks with Washington in an attempt to avoid a 25 percent U.S. tariff scheduled…
Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has launched the most recent frigate, the tenth of a deliberate fleet of 12 Mogami-class multirole frigates, for the Japan Maritime Self-Protection Pressure (JMSDF). Named Nagara, the 133 meter-long vessel (pennant quantity FFM-10) entered the water in a ceremony held on December 19 on the firm’s Nagasaki Shipyard and…
