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July 22, 2026
 

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GSDF

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.
Self-Defense Forces personnel stand guard at the entrance of the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2026
Harassed GSDF member¡¯s PTSD recognized as on-duty illness
Since joining in 2006, the male member said he had been forced by several senior colleagues to wear women¡¯s clothing and to expose his lower body.
A hyper velocity gliding projectile launcher was unveiled to the public for the first time during the Ground Self-Defense Force's live-fire exercise in Shizuoka Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2026
Standoff weapon launcher showcased in SDF live-fire exercise for the first time
The Type-25 HVGP missile system, which was deployed at the GSDF¡¯s Camp Fuji in March, appeared in an exercise attended by about 3,000 GSDF troops on Sunday.
A Ground Self-Defense Force V-22 Osprey at the Higashifuji maneuver area in Shizuoka Prefecture in June
JAPAN
May 22, 2026
GSDF Osprey to use U.S. base in Okinawa for first time
As part of a June exercise between the GSDF and the U.S. Marine Corps, the two are considering a plan to airlift a mock patient from Miyako Island to the U.S. Futenma base.
A medical vehicle enters the Ground Self-Defense Force's Hijudai maneuver area in Kusu, Oita Prefecture, on Tuesday after three GSDF members died and one other was seriously injured in an explosion involving a tank during training.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2026
Three GSDF members die after tank explosion during training in Oita Prefecture
The incident occurred at the Ground Self-Defense Force¡¯s tank unit at the Hijudai maneuver area in Kusu, Oita Prefecture.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) helps hold up a nameplate for one of the two new drone-focused offices established within the Ground Self-Defense Force on Monday in Tokyo, in this image posted to X by the GSDF.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 14, 2026
Taking lessons from Ukraine and Middle East, GSDF establishes new drone offices
A promotion office will oversee research and development of unmanned assets, while a systems office will focus on their procurement and maintenance.
A vehicle carrying Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department investigators enters the Ground Self-Defense Force base in Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 29, 2026
Tokyo police search SDF base over Chinese Embassy trespassing
SDF member Kodai Murata was arrested Thursday after entering the premises of the Chinese Embassy alone and seeking to meet the Chinese ambassador.
A Japanese police officer stands guard in front of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 28, 2026
China demands more than just regret from Japan after embassy break-in
The Japanese ?side has not discussed the ?details of the incident, Lin Jian, spokesperson at the foreign ministry, told a regular news conference.
The Iran war, like the Russia?Ukraine war, shows how low?cost unmanned weapons can overwhelm expensive defense systems.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 27, 2026
What Tokyo can learn from Kyiv¡¯s war experience
The Iran war, like the Russia?Ukraine war, shows low?cost unmanned weapons can overwhelm expensive defense systems.
A police officer stands guard outside the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Tuesday night, hours after an active-duty Ground Self-Defense Force officer was arrested for breaking into the compound.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 25, 2026
Japan calls GSDF officer¡¯s break-in at Chinese Embassy ¡®deeply regrettable¡¯
The suspect, who had hidden a blade on the grounds, said he had wanted to speak to the ambassador, and would have killed himself if he refused to listen.
A Ukrainian Vampire bomber drone displayed in Kyiv in February
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2026
Japan considers mass drone use for coastal defense
The SHIELD defense system will involve more than 10 types of drones, including those for attacking enemy ships, collecting information and protecting radar sites.
A vehicle that appears to be carrying equipment for sophisticated long-range missiles enters the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto early Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2026
Long-range missile equipment sent to GSDF camp in city of Kumamoto
The Defense Ministry has announced that the upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missile system will be deployed at the city of Kumamoto¡¯s Camp Kengun this month.
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.
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force disembark from a V-22 Osprey aircraft during an annual live-fire exercise at East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in May 2022.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2026
GSDF cancels Osprey dispatch to drill with U.S. in Okinawa
The cancellation is believed to reflect consideration for local residents¡¯ concerns.
A Ground Self-Defense Force's Type 19 155 mm self-propelled howitzer takes part in an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji training field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in August 2019.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2026
Japan¡¯s push for long-range weapons draws interest from foreign firms
There is a growing need for a long-range weapon that can be used flexibly as Tokyo looks to boost its overall counterattack capabilities.
Rina Gonoi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo after reaching a settlement in a lawsuit concerning sexual assault within the Ground Self-Defense Forces, on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 27, 2026
Government settles case over sex assault of ex-SDF member
The state will pay ?1.6 million, or more than $10,000, to Rina Gonoi, but no compensation payment or apology was offered by her former colleague, her lawyer Aiko Ota said.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi experiences a drill to jump from a tower about 11 meters high at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Narashino Training Area in Chiba Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2026
Record 15 nations join GSDF¡¯s new year jump drill
The GSDF¡¯s 1st Airborne Brigade were joined for the first time by contingents from Belgium, Thailand and Turkey.
A parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Self-Defense Forces in Tokyo in November 2024.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 9, 2026
Japanese government ordered to pay damages over SDF officer¡¯s suicide
In the lawsuit filed with the Sapporo District Court, the mother of the 19-year-old GSDF member was awarded ?1.1 million in damages.
The United States has informed Japan that it hopes to expand Marine Corps live-fire training at five Ground Self-Defense Force firing ranges to include the use of heavy weapons such as antitank missiles and rocket launchers.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2025
U.S. hoping to use heavy weapons in training at five GSDF sites
An official from the Defense Ministry said that it plans to allow the use of such weapons after obtaining the understanding of regional communities.
Two V-22 Ospreys operated by the U.S. Marine Corps at a naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, on Friday.
WORLD
Dec 13, 2025
V-22 Osprey accidents soared in last two years, watchdog says
The most sweeping audit to date of the $56 billion program found that the Osprey has the second most so-called catastrophic risks of any U.S. Navy aircraft.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Extreme heat grips Japan as rainy season officially ends in Tokyo
People walk with parasols in Tokyo on Monday, as the city saw its first scorching day of the year, marking 35 Celsius or higher.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Yen breaks ?163 and trades at levels last seen in 1986
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has warned that the government stands ready to take ¡°decisive action¡± on the weakening yen.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires 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.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.
Kansai¡¯s first Michelin-selected sommelier knows how to read a room
Miki Tanaka says that a key part of her service as a sommelier is keeping a close eye on how her customers peruse and engage with the wine list when they first sit down at her restaurant.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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