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April 13, 2026
 

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Jesse Johnson
A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman¡¯s Musandam province, on Sunday
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 13, 2026
Japan ¡®closely monitoring¡¯ U.S. plans to blockade Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump again assailed Tokyo and other U.S. allies for not helping secure the strait, saying that the lack of aid "amazes" him.
Cheng Li-wun, head of the Kuomintang, Taiwan's largest opposition party, shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday in this screenshot from video.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 10, 2026
Xi tells Taiwan opposition chief China will ¡®never tolerate¡¯ island¡¯s independence
Chinese leader Xi Jinping's talks in Beijing with Cheng Li-wun, the head of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang, were the first such meeting in nearly a decade.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 9, 2026
Anxiety rises in Tokyo as uncertainties hang over fragile Iran war truce
Japan, eight other countries and the EU have said they "will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," but it is unclear exactly what this could mean.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters after her call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2026
Takaichi calls for ships' safe passage in Strait of Hormuz in talks with Iran president
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that while Japan welcomed a ceasefire in the Iran war as "a positive step," securing "a final agreement" quickly is "of the utmost importance."
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference at the White House in Washington on Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2026
Trump chides Japan over Iran war, even as Tokyo ramps up diplomatic moves
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan must communicate both with the U.S. and Iran, and is seeking telephone calls with the presidents of both countries.
Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura (left) and city of Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi (second from left) speak to reporters after viewing upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missile systems (seen in the background), which have a range of about 1,000 kilometers, at the Ground Self-Defense Force¡¯s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto on March 17.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2026
Japan¡¯s 'counterstrike capability' takes shape with missile deployments
Japan on Tuesday for the first time deployed its homegrown longer-range missiles and new hyper velocity gliding projectiles to two military bases in the country.
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang, attends a news conference at the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club in Taipei on March 23.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 30, 2026
Head of Taiwan¡¯s main opposition KMT accepts Xi invite to visit China
Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is set to visit the country from April 7 to 12, part of a bid to "advance the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations."
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference on parliament in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 29, 2026
Japan to establish new Defense Ministry office to bolster Pacific defenses
The ministry will launch the office next month to tackle the challenge of how best to defend 91²Ö¿â vulnerable eastern flank, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said.
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 Japan¡¯s 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.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference at parliament in Tokyo on March 13.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2026
Japan again denies U.S. official¡¯s claim Takaichi pledged to send MSDF to Mideast
91²Ö¿â defense minister denied the claim by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had committed to sending vessels to the region.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 23, 2026
Takaichi weathers Trump, but China challenges linger
In her meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured what appeared to be an endorsement of her approach to the Sino-Japanese relationship.
Cargo ships are seen in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran on March 11.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 22, 2026
Iran prepared to let Japanese ships transit Hormuz, FM says
While most G7 nations have poor relations with Iran, Japan has relatively friendly ties with the country, potentially giving Tokyo more diplomatic sway.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Yurii Lutovinov speaks during an interview at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 20, 2026
Ukraine ready to share combat expertise and drone tech with Japan, ambassador says
Discussions on defense cooperation are already underway, with a focus on how Kyiv's experience could inform Tokyo's own efforts to develop its capabilities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 20, 2026
At summit, Takaichi avoids rift with Trump on Iran ¡ª for now
While Japan managed to dodge direct U.S. criticism, experts say the meeting's success should not be overstated.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 20, 2026
Trump compares Iran strikes with Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Asked by a Japanese reporter why the U.S. had attacked Iran without consulting with allies, the U.S. leader appeared to respond with what he thought would be a light-hearted joke.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi departs from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Wednesday ahead of her summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 19, 2026
Japan rejects U.S. report calling PM¡¯s remarks over Taiwan ¡®a significant shift¡¯
The U.S. spy community's assessment of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments on 91²Ö¿â military intervention in a crisis over the island was at odds with Tokyo's view.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi heads to attend a Lower House Budget Committee meeting at parliament in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2026
Takaichi vows to tell Trump what Japan ¡®can and cannot do¡¯ in Middle East
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was set for a summit in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump later this week that will be a test of her mettle amid the war in Iran.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions at an Upper House Budget Committee meeting in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 17, 2026
Takaichi weighs options as Trump pressures Japan on Hormuz
One option for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could be to formally endorse a coalition of like-minded nations aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait.
U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Oct. 28.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 17, 2026
Iran war to dominate Takaichi¡¯s meeting with Trump this week
The prime minister¡¯s plans to deepen ties with the U.S. and win commitments to the alliance have been derailed by the chaos unleashed by the conflict in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during an Upper House Budget Committee meeting on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 16, 2026
Takaichi says no current plan to deploy SDF for Hormuz escort mission
The prime minister said such an operation would be legally ¡°very difficult,¡± adding that Japan had not been asked to join a coalition to help secure vessels in the waterway.
Japanese researchers look at 800-year-old books and trees for signs of extreme solar events
A drawing of Fujiwara no Teika, known as a courtier, <i>waka</i> poet and scholar of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods
Debt-laden Japan should review spending on gender equality, survey finds
A woman holds a handheld fan bearing the image of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi&#039;s wedding photo, during an election campaign event in Tokyo on Feb. 7.
Jehovah's Witnesses followers sue Japanese government
According to court records, the plaintiffs include the Japanese branch of Jehovah&#039;s Witnesses in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Chinese payment apps raise questions in Japan
Alipay has been mentioned by legislators in discussions about the use of foreign payment apps in Japan.
At Ueno Station, ¡®Freedom¡¯ restored
¡°Freedom,¡± a mural in JR Ueno Station, created in 1951, has been repaired three times, most recently in 2025.
Where Tokyo goes to sweat and soak
As Tokyo&#039;s public bathhouses age, many are embracing more contemporary aesthetics to stay relevant for a younger class of customer.
At Ueno Station, ¡®Freedom¡¯ restored
¡°Freedom,¡± a mural in JR Ueno Station, created in 1951, has been repaired three times, most recently in 2025.
Inside Iizukatei, a 200-year-old home turned boutique hotel in Tochigi
Recognized as a tangible cultural property in 2003, the former residence of the Iizuka family is now a boutique hotel in Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture.
Tokyo¡¯s sake calendar is filled to the brim
The recently concluded Sake Park invited younger brewers to make sake more approachable for attendees in their 20s and 30s.
Japan¡¯s tighter immigration controls yielding results
An immigration control passport stamp issued in Japan. A surge in arrivals from overseas has coincided with a tightening of immigration controls under a government initiative aimed at reducing overstayers.

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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