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July 28, 2026
 

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MSDF

An aerial view of the USS Cincinnati combat ship navigating near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea last August.
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2026
Japan, Philippines and the U.S. complete exercises in South China Sea
The armed forces said the joint drills show the Philippines¡¯ commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the West Philippine Sea.
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 Japan¡¯s 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.¡±
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.
A security guard takes a selfie beside the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amagiri, an Asagiri-class destroyer, upon its arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila in February 2018.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 10, 2026
How Tokyo aims to turn retired military equipment into lasting strategic returns
Japan¡¯s export of used military gear to partner nations could deliver decades of strategic returns, analysts say.
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.
A model of an upgraded Mogami-class destroyer is displayed during the DSEI Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba last May.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 2, 2026
Australian Mogami ships to have ¡®core DNA¡¯ of Japan versions, ADF chief says
The move could prove a boon for Japan¡¯s defense industry, as it would allow domestic firms to play crucial roles in the vessels¡¯ maintenance and repair throughout their lifespan.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Kumano is docked at Singapore's Changi Naval Base during a maritime defense exhibition in May 2023.
JAPAN
May 29, 2026
New Zealand to decide on Japan¡¯s frigates by end of 2027, defense chief says
New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk highlighted interoperability with Australia as a key factor in the ongoing deliberations.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Jan. 15, near Washington
JAPAN
May 24, 2026
U.S. informs Japan of Tomahawk missile delivery delays: report
The Japanese government has signed a contract with the U.S. government to acquire up to 400 Tomahawk missiles between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2027.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's stealth frigate JS Mogami. Japan is trying to sell its Mogami-class warships to New Zealand.
JAPAN / Politics
May 12, 2026
Japan faces U.K. rival in race to build warships for New Zealand
A deal with New Zealand would build on an agreement Tokyo recently signed with Canberra to build the first three of 11 Mogami-class ships planned for Australia.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Mogami-class stealth frigate JS Mikuma at Yokosuka naval base
JAPAN
May 7, 2026
New Zealand eyes Japan and U.K. warships as frigate replacements
New Zealand is weighing the purchase of advanced warships to modernize its aging fleet and bolster its defense capability.
A policeman stands guard at an entrance to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on March 25. A man was apprehended in Tokyo March 24 after he trespassed onto the grounds of the embassy.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 6, 2026
Japan-China tensions have no visible off-ramp
Tokyo lodged a protest with Beijing over the installation of structures in the East China Sea, marking the latest in a series of incidents between the two Asian rivals.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters on the island of Iwo Jima on March 28.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2026
Japan to strengthen Pacific Ocean defense system
¡°A vast area on the Pacific side is a defense vacuum,¡± Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters during his visit to the island of Iwo Jima.
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.
Ships from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Minesweeper Division 51 make a port call in Manila in September 2015
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2026
Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached, minister says
Tokyo ?has no immediate ?plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through ?the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi ?said
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.
At the time of the joint Chinese-Russian bomber exercise on Dec. 9, the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington was conducting drills with the Maritime Self-Defense Force in waters south of the Kanto region.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2025
China may have tested Japan and U.S. readiness in Pacific
The Liaoning and Chinese and Russian bombers turned back in the Pacific Ocean near the coasts of Shikoku and the Kii Peninsula.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Soryu submarine. According to the Defense Ministry, Kawasaki Heavy falsified data on the fuel efficiency of submarine engines it manufactured between 1988 and 2021 for the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2025
Defense Ministry suspends KHI from bidding over data falsifications
Kawasaki Heavy falsified data on the fuel efficiency of submarine engines it manufactured between 1988 and 2021 for the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Defense Ministry said.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force¡¯s Aegis destroyer Chokai at its Sasebo base in Nagasaki Prefecture in January
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2025
U.S. approves aid for upgrading MSDF¡¯s Aegis destroyers
The estimated total cost for the Japanese government is $100.2 million.
Philippine Navy chief Vice Adm. Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta speaks during a recent interview with The Japan Times at navy headquarters in Manila.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2025
Philippines seeks more retired MSDF patrol aircraft, navy chief says
The head of the Philippine Navy has said the service is interested in acquiring an additional five retired TC-90 aircraft from Japan to boost its surveillance capabilities.
Japan to impose tougher requirements for permanent residency, reports say
The government is planning to create stricter requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in Japan.
U.S. holds fire against Iran as reports emerge of stockpile concerns
Munitions sit on trolleys as military personnel work on a B?1B bomber at RAF Fairford airbase, which hosts United States Air Force personnel, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, on Saturday.
How foreign workers became an essential part of Japan¡¯s ubiquitous konbini
Myanmar national Nyan Linn, who works at a Lawson outlet in Tokyo¡¯s Shinagawa Ward, is one of over 110,000 foreign workers employed by Japan's three largest convenience store chains.
Japan¡¯s average life expectancy rises in 2025
Compared with other countries, Japan ranked seventh in male life expectancy, following Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and others, while taking the top spot in female life expectancy.
Japan¡¯s wedding gifts are leaving couples deflated
A traditional Shinto wedding takes place at the Meiji shrine in Tokyo. Japan¡¯s wedding gift custom has stayed fixed at outdated prices even as inflation sharply raises the real cost of such ceremonies.
Japanese author Keigo Higashino, known for penning intricate mystery novels, dies at 68
A display featuring Keigo Higashino¡¯s work, with a range of his titles translated into multiple languages, at Books Kinokuniya Tokyo in the capital¡¯s Shinjuku Ward on Tuesday
Tough new permanent residency measures trigger concern in Japan
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in the capital's Shinagawa Ward in March. Japan's revised guidelines for permanent residency are set to be introduced as early as Oct. 1 and applied to applications filed from April 2027.
The tiny Okayama village providing Japan with a blueprint for forest management
In 2008, Nishiawakura announced a 100-year plan to promote forest health through measures including structured thinning of its artificially planted <i>sugi</i> and <i>hinoki</i> trees. Since then, it has earned nationwide recognition for its innovative forest health management initiatives.
How foreign workers became an essential part of Japan¡¯s ubiquitous konbini
Myanmar national Nyan Linn, who works at a Lawson outlet in Tokyo¡¯s Shinagawa Ward, is one of over 110,000 foreign workers employed by Japan&#039;s three largest convenience store chains.
Out of the shadows: Japanese women building a life beyond motherhood
Miyako Kudo addresses an Osaka fertility clinic during a speaking engagement on understanding and supporting women without children.

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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