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18 OCTOBER 2019
Japan to send its own forces to protect Middle East shipping
Japan will send its own ships and planes to protect its merchant vessels in the Arabian Gulf, an official said on Friday, rejecting calls to join a US coalition formed to safeguard shipping in the region
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/japan-to-send-its-own-forces-to-protect-middle-east-shipping-1.925177
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201910180050.html
24 SEPTEMBER 2019
Japan not inviting South Korea to naval review amid dispute
Japan announced Tuesday that it is not inviting South Korea to a multinational naval review it is hosting next month because their ties are badly strained over history, trade and defense
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/japan-not-inviting-south-korea-to-naval-review-amid-dispute/
17 SEPTEMBER 2019
Japan’s Shinzo Abe wants a ‘space self-defence force’ to protect the country’s satellites
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that Japan’s existing Air Self-Defence Force may “evolve into the Air and Space SDF” in the future as he stressed the need to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities in outer space
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3027663/japans-shinzo-abe-wants-space-self-defence-force-protect
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190917/p2g/00m/0fp/076000c
30 AUGUST 2019
Japan Takes on China With a Planned $20 Billion Investment in Africa
Abe, who was addressing African leaders gathered at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, said Japan is interested in infrastructure and human development on the continent
https://www.theepochtimes.com/japan-takes-on-china-with-a-planned-20-billion-investment-in-africa_3062507.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190830_38/
https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005972979
22 AUGUST 2019
Japan Protests S. Korea’s Decision to Scrap Intel-Sharing Pact
Japan’s foreign minister said on Thursday (Aug 22) that Tokyo « strongly » protested against South Korea’s decision to scrap a military intelligence-sharing pact, calling the move « extremely regrettable »
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-taro-kano-protests-south-korea-defence-pact-move-11833968
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korea-to-scrap-intelligence-sharing-pact-with-japan-amid-history-feud
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190822_32/
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190822000780
21 AUGUST 2019
Japan, South Korea agree on need for dialogue to repair frayed ties
Japan and South Korea agreed on Wednesday (Aug 21) on the need for dialogue to resolve a feud over compensating Korean wartime workers that has spilled over into trade, and put a deep chill on ties between Washington’s two Asian allies
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-south-korea-foreign-ministers-meet-amid-diplomatic-row
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3067044
10 AUGUST 2019
Japan downgrades South Korea as security partner in defence white paper as ties fray
Japan will effectively lower South Korea’s standing as an important security cooperation partner in this year’s white paper on defence, a Defence Ministry source said on Friday, reflecting the worsening of bilateral ties
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3022241/japan-downgrades-south-korea-security-partner-defence-white
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/10/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-give-south-korea-cold-shoulder-security-partner-new-defense-white-paper/#.XU7_lOgzY2w
8 AUGUST 2019
Japan OKs first S Korea high-tech export since curbs, but with a warning
Japan has approved shipment of a high-tech material to South Korea for the first time since imposing export curbs last month, but doubled down on political pressure and warned it could broaden restrictions on deliveries to its Asian neighbor
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Japan-OKs-first-S-Korea-high-tech-export-since-curbs-but-with-a-warning
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190808_44/
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/japan-oks-1st-export-to-south-korea-under-new-trade-curbs/
2 AUGUST 2019
Japan Drops South Korea From Favored Trade List As Long-Simmering Tensions Flare
Japan downgraded its trading relationship with South Korea on Friday, escalating a simmering trade feud that some experts worry could undermine U.S. security ties with chief Asian allies and hinder their cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/02/747539220/japan-drops-south-korea-from-favored-trade-list-as-long-simmering-tensions-flare?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3021211/seoul-axes-tokyo-trusted-export-list-tit-tat-move-angry-south
1 AUGUST 2019
Japan, S.Korea FMs meet amid souring relations
Relations between Japan and South Korea appear to be at a stalemate as the countries’ foreign ministers mainly repeated their stances on thorny current issues at a meeting Thursday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190801_30/
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/08/356_273254.html
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2019080100745/kang-urges-kono-to-keep-s-korea-on-japan’s-white-list.html
16 JULY 2019
Japan won’t send troops to Middle East as part of US coalition against Iran
Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Tuesday he has “no plan” to send the Self-Defence Forces to the Middle East to join a military coalition envisioned by the United States to safeguard commercial shipping from Iranian threats in the region
https://www.scmp.com/print/news/asia/east-asia/article/3018781/japanese-defence-minister-has-no-plan-send-troops-middle-east
27 JUNE 2019
Macron bolsters Japan ties, defends Renault-Nissan alliance on Tokyo visit
French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to bolster naval defence ties following talks in Tokyo that were overshadowed by the crisis roiling the alliance between carmakers Renault and Nissan
https://www.france24.com/en/20190627-macron-japan-visit-abe-renault-nissan-ghosn
22 JUNE 2019
Russia has no plans to “pull down the flag” over the South Kurils – Putin
The Russian authorities intend to develop the Far East, including the South Kuril Islands, and there are no plans to lessen attention to that region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with anchorman of the program “Vesti v Subbotu” (“News on Saturday”)
https://tass.com/politics/1065107
17 JUNE 2019
Japan protests Chinese activity near disputed East China Sea islands
Japan has protested what is says was an unauthorised Chinese maritime survey within its economic waters near disputed East China Sea islands, officials said on Monday
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3014892/japan-protests-chinese-activity-near-disputed-east-china-sea
12 JUNE 2019
Japan’s Shinzo Abe in Tehran for talks amid US-Iran tensions
Japan’s prime minister is on a mediation mission in Iran aimed at deescalating regional tensions caused by the United States pulling out of the 2015 nuclear agreement
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48578314
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190613_06/
https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/us-iran-accidental-conflict-possible-japan-pm-27433
30 MAY 2019
Japan, Russia accuse each other of military buildups
Russia and Japan have accused each other of military buildups as their foreign and defense ministers met in Tokyo for talks that failed to make progress on decades-long island disputes
https://www.foxnews.com/world/japan-russia-accuse-each-other-of-military-buildups
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190530_43/
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/105/79/80/1559219887612.html?newsId=84358
27 MAY 2019
Trump meets with Japan’s Abe to defuse tensions with Iran and North Korea
The United States does not seek “regime change” in Iran, Donald Trump, the US president, said in Tokyo on Monday while defending Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, as a “very smart guy” who was focussed on the economic growth of his country
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/27/trump-meets-japans-abe-defuse-tensions-iran-north-korea/
23 MAY 2019
Japan-Canada Ties and Abe’s Recent Visit
While Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s US visit (April 26-27, 2019) understandably drew immense attention, his Canada visit (April 27-28, 2019) and meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was important from a strategic and economic dimension
http://ippreview.com/index.php/Home/Blog/single/id/976.html
10 MAY 2019
Japanese, Russian foreign ministers discuss territorial row
The Japanese and Russian foreign ministers met Friday in Moscow to negotiate a way through a long-standing territorial dispute that has prevented the countries from signing a postwar peace treaty
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190510/p2g/00m/0fp/097000c
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190510_48/
18 APRIL 2019
U.S. offers Japan secret info for development of F-2’s successor jet
The United States has proposed disclosing some of the top-secret details of its state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighter jet to Japan to encourage joint development of an aircraft that will succeed the Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 fighter, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005683861
23 MARCH 2019
Supersonic Strike: Japan Has Some Big Plans to Sink China’s Navy In a War
Japan is developing a longer-range, air-launched anti-ship cruise missile. The reason? China’s navy is deploying longer-range anti-aircraft missiles, which means Japanese aircraft will have to launch their anti-ship weapons from longer range or risk being shot down
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/supersonic-strike-japan-has-some-big-plans-sink-chinas-navy-war-48697
8 MARCH 2019
The Japanese Air Force Needs an Upgrade
Japanese leaders will soon need to make a decision that will fundamentally shape their nation’s security: the replacement of their aging F-2 fighter aircraft. One overarching threat sets the bar for Japan: China
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/18/the-japanese-air-force-needs-an-upgrade-f35-f22-china-fighter-jets-fifth-generation/
Japan defence ministry to develop long-range stand-off missile
The Defence Ministry has made a policy decision to develop the nation’s first domestically manufactured air-to-ship long-range cruise missile, to be mounted on Air Self-Defence Force fighter jets and capable of attacking a warship from outside of an adversary’s range
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-defence-ministry-to-develop-long-range-standoff-missile
16 MARCH 2019
Can Japan contribute to equitable development in ASEAN?
Japan provides foreign aid to CLMV countries in order to narrow the income gap among ASEAN members. In particular, Japan is focusing on six areas: supporting human resource development, providing technical cooperation, organising seminars, offering training programs, promoting harmonious labour relations and giving assistance to local governments
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/03/16/can-japan-contribute-to-equitable-development-in-asean/
13 MARCH 2019
Japan to opt out of U.N. motion condemning North Korea’s rights abuses in apparent bid for talks on abductions
For the first time since 2007, Japan will not take part in the submission of a draft joint resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses to a U.N. panel, the government said Wednesday, in a conciliatory gesture apparently aimed at convincing Pyongyang to hold talks with Tokyo
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/13/national/japan-forgo-submitting-north-korean-human-rights-motion-u-n-panel-bid-get-answers-abductions/#.XIlOdyhKg2w
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903130043.html
12 MARCH 2019
Japan to build new warships in ‘message to China’ over Diaoyu Islands
Japan is to begin building a new class of light patrol ships for the Maritime Self-Defence Forces in 2020, the defence ministry has confirmed to the South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3001340/japan-build-new-warships-message-china-over-diaoyu-islands
9 MARCH 2019
Sino-Japanese Rapprochement: Where Is It Heading in 2019?
China and Japan appeared to have warmer relations of late. This was due to intentional efforts by Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Chinese leadership. Five factors have made this rapprochement possible
http://ippreview.com/index.php/Home/Blog/single/id/909.html
27 FEBRUARY 2019
Trump-Kim summit 2019: Japan won’t lift North Korea sanctions even if US does so, report says
Japan has informed the US government that it has no plans to lift the sanctions it unilaterally imposes on North Korea, according to a media report in Tokyo, even if the summit in Hanoi etween President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un is perceived to have a positive outcome
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2187919/japan-has-no-intention-lifting-its-sanctions-north-korea-no
25 FEBRUARY 2019
Japan to push ahead with US base relocation despite Okinawa referendum result
The Japanese government has vowed to push ahead with the expansion of a US military base in Okinawa despite more than 70 per cent of residents of the prefecture voting against the project in a referendum on Sunday
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/25/japan-pm-says-plan-expand-us-base-will-go-ahead-despite-okinawa/
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005567089
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190225/p2g/00m/0na/045000c
24 FEBRUARY
Okinawans vote ‘no’ to U.S. base transfer
A majority of voters in Okinawa rejected a decades-old plan to relocate a U.S. air base within the prefecture in a referendum on Sunday, giving fresh impetus to the local government’s attempt to stop the transfer
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190224/p2g/00m/0na/045000c
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/24/okinawa-referendum-rejects-new-us-military-base-but-abe-likely-to-press-on
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/okinawa-overwhelmingly-votes-no-to-us-base-relocation
7 FEBRUARY 2019
Japan protests as China continues gas activity in contested waters
Japan has lodged another protest with China over its continued deployment of a drilling ship at a gas field in a contested area of the East China Sea
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2185272/japan-protests-china-continues-gas-activity-contested-waters
5 FEBRUARY 2019
Japan cancels port call by warship in South Korea amid row
Japan announced Tuesday it has canceled a port call in South Korea by its main warship during a multilateral naval exercise as relations between the two Asian neighbors fall to their lowest level in recent years
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/japan-cancels-port-call-by-warship-in-south-korea-amid-row/
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190205_38/
1 FEBRUARY 2019
Japan-China Security Dialogue held in Beijing
Senior diplomats and defense officials from Japan and China have held their first security dialogue in 15 months
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190201_33/
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2184653/japan-and-china-promise-work-deepen-trust-amid-territorial-row
28 JANUARY 2019
Japan: Shinzo Abe vows to restore relations with North Korea
Japan’s prime minister says he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un face-to-face and restore diplomatic relations between the two long-time foes
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/japan-shinzo-abe-vows-restore-relations-north-korea-190128080923148.html
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=230658
22 JANUARY 2019
Abe meets Putin to advance talks on postwar peace treaty
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to seek progress on a decades-old territorial dispute over a group of islands that have remained under Russian control since the end of World War II
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190122_38/
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2183226/russia-says-any-deal-japan-over-disputed-kuril-islands-needs
https://www.asiapacificstar.com/news/259146031/russia-putin-says-work-remains-before-peace-deal-with-japan
14 JANUARY 2019
Japan, Russia hold talks on peace treaty
The foreign ministers of Japan and Russia have discussed signing a peace treaty that would include solving the issue of four Russian-held islands
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190114_21/
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/focus-japan-russia-to-set-stage-for-difficult-peace-treaty-talks
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201901141071448007-russia-japan-usa-peace-treaty-talks/
13 JANUARY 2019
HOW TRUMP FORCED JAPAN TO TAKE SECURITY INTO ITS OWN HANDS
Two years of the Donald Trump administration in the United States have shaken the Japanese public, but after a bit of shock, they have accepted a new reality. This is a post-Iraq-war world and Japan, for the first time since the end of the second world war, is facing the challenge of providing for its own security
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2181764/how-trump-forced-japan-take-security-its-own-hands
10 JANUARY 2019
Russia says Japan distorting Nov. accord
Russia on Wednesday protested that Japan is distorting the essence of an agreement between the two countries’ leaders in November to accelerate their territorial talks
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005469703
18 DECEMBER 2018
Japan’s new defense policy adds ‘effective aircraft carrier’
Japan plans its first aircraft carrier and big increases in defense spending and weapons capability in the coming years, according to new defense guidelines approved Tuesday that cite its need to counter potential threats from North Korea and China and other vulnerabilities
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005428516
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-new-defense-plan-bolsters-fighter-capability-budget
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/18/asia/japan-aircraft-carriers-intl/index.html
14 DECEMBER 2018
Japan wants to sell air defence radar equipment to the Philippines
Japan has offered to sell an air defence system to the Philippines in a deal which, if sealed, would be the first time Tokyo is exporting military equipment since a 50-year ban was lifted in 2014
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-wants-to-sell-air-defence-radar-equipment-to-the-philippines
9 DECEMBER 2018
Japan’s Military Sees Record Spending, Aims to Buy More US Arms: Nikkei
Japan’s military looks to raise spending over the next five years in response to security challenges and to narrow Japan’s trade surplus with the United States by buying U.S. equipment, the Nikkei business daily reported
https://www.theepochtimes.com/japans-military-sees-record-spending-aims-to-buy-more-us-arms-nikkei_2733534.html
6 DECEMBER 2018
16 NOVEMBER 2018
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deepens ties with Australia in historic visit to Darwin
Japan and Australia on Friday (Nov 16) agreed to deepen defence ties and jointly fund regional infrastructure projects, bringing the two nations closer together amid shared concerns about China’s growing regional influence
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/japans-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-deepens-ties-with-australia-in-historic-visit-to
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46230956
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Abe-lays-wreath-at-Australian-war-site-in-Darwin-75-years-after-bombing
31 OCTOBER 2018
Japan Ends Aid to China, Spotlighting Beijing’s Position as Major Recipient
Japan recently announced that it will stop providing aid to China, a decision that highlights the fact that the world’s second-largest economy continues to receive financial assistance from multiple countries around the world
https://www.theepochtimes.com/japan-ends-aid-to-china-spotlighting-beijings-position-as-major-recipient_2703738.html
26 OCTOBER 2018
Abe, Xi agree to move from competition to cooperation toward new era in bilateral ties
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met in Beijing. Both say they’re determined to turn a new page in the relationship between the two countries
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181026_44/
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/china-s-xi-says-japan-relations-back-on-right-track-state-media-10868234
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/china-japan-pledge-boost-economic-cooperation-181026093948823.html
24 OCTOBER 2018
Trump pushes Japan into China’s arms
Japan and China are economic, political and military rivals vying for influence in the Asia Pacific. But US President Trump’s contentious policies are forcing them to put their rivalry aside and cooperate
https://www.dw.com/en/trump-pushes-japan-into-chinas-arms/a-46025405
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/117/85/72/1540393446329.html?newsId=51649
22 OCTOBER 2018
Japan protests S.Korean lawmakers’ Takeshima visit
A group of South Korean lawmakers from the country’s ruling and opposition parties traveled to South Korea-controlled, Japan-claimed islets in the Sea of Japan on Monday amid opposition from Tokyo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181022_33/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/10/22/national/politics-diplomacy/south-korean-lawmakers-visit-disputed-islets-amid-japanese-opposition/#.W84KHmgzY2w
12 OCTOBER 2018
Japan’s Abe to make rare China visit this month amid warming relations between the Asian rivals
Abe will visit from October 25 to 27 and mark the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2168368/japans-abe-make-rare-china-visit-month-amid-warming-relations
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201810120056.html
28 SEPTEMBER 2018
North Korea claims Japan wants to become ‘military giant’ and is planning ‘re-invasion’
North Korean state media has cited upcoming joint Japanese and British military exercises as evidence Tokyo is preparing for “re-invasion”, presumably of the Korean peninsula
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2166169/north-korea-claims-japan-wants-become-military-giant-and
26 SEPTEMBER 2018
At U.N., Abe speaks on Japan’s pursuit of free trade and his hopes for meeting with North Korea’s leader
Japan will push for free trade as a country that has enjoyed the benefits of the postwar years, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday, amid rising trade tension between the world’s economic powers
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/26/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-tells-u-n-japan-will-pursue-free-trade-hopes-meet-north-koreas-kim/#.W6voVmgzY2w
https://www.dw.com/en/proposed-abe-kim-meeting-easier-said-than-done/a-45645446
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201809260032.html
17 SEPTEMBER 2018
Japan challenges China with submarine military exercise in South China Sea
A Japanese submarine joined a military exercise in the contested area of the South China Sea, in a move that could infuriate Beijing, which claims most of the disputed waters
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2164580/japan-challenges-china-submarine-military-exercise-south-china
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/17/national/politics-diplomacy/first-japanese-submarine-conducts-drills-disputed-south-china-sea/#.W6AIBegzY2w
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201809170032.html
14 SEPTEMBER 2018
Japan PM Shinzo Abe says no peace treaty with Russia until territorial dispute resolved
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday (Sept 14) again ruled out any peace treaty with Russia unless a resolution can first be reached in a territorial dispute over four islands north of Hokkaido
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-pm-shinzo-abe-says-no-peace-treaty-with-russia-until-territorial-dispute
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180914/p2a/00m/0na/001000c
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/14/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-says-putin-comment-reflects-russian-leaders-enthusiasm-sign-peace-treaty/#.W5wGPugzY2w
12 SEPTEMBER 2018
Putin proposes Russia and Japan sign historic peace treaty this year
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested on Wednesday that Russia and Japan sign a peace treaty this year, ending second world war hostilities “without any preconditions” as a territorial dispute has led to decades of deadlock
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/2163960/putin-proposes-russia-and-japan-sign-historic-peace
http://www.atimes.com/article/putin-wants-russia-and-japan-to-seal-historic-peace-deal/
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004730485
7 SEPTEMBER 2018
Xi and Abe guarantors of Chinese–Japanese entente
Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe are both strongman nationalist leaders and that this augurs poorly for the relationship between the two countries. But are the leaders themselves really a risk? With Xi ensuring he can lead his country for as long as he desires and with Abe cruising towards re-election next month for a third three-year term as LDP party leader, the question deserves careful consideration
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/09/07/xi-and-abe-guarantors-of-chinese-japanese-entente/
5 SEPTEMBER 2018
US–Japan cracks are starting to show
The sentiment in Japan following the US–North Korea summit is of disappointment and powerlessness. President Trump mentioned Japan as one of the main cost bearers of denuclearisation, yet no concrete agreement about denuclearisation was made. Once again, Japan would be paying for something it has little influence over. The pacifist sectors of Japan — the opposition and left-leaning media — are critical of the Abe administration for being out of the loop
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/09/05/us-japan-cracks-are-starting-to-show/
31 AUGUST 2018
Japan’s Defense Ministry eyes record defense budget amid North Korean and Chinese threats
The Defense Ministry budget proposal released Friday calls for defense spending to rise 2.1 percent to ¥5.3 trillion ($48 billion) for the year starting April 1
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/08/31/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-eyes-record-defense-budget-amid-north-korean-chinese-threats/#.W4mPz-gzY2w
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/japan-would-boost-missile-defenses-in-record-military-budget/
29 AUGUST 2018
Japan and North Korea held secret meeting as Shinzo Abe ‘loses trust’ in Donald Trump
Japan held a “secret” meeting with North Korea in Vietnam in July without informing the United States, according to media reports
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/29/japan-north-korea-held-secret-meeting-abe-loses-trust-trump/
Short-term comfort for Abe in Trump’s Russia stance
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has actively pursued closer relations with Russia since his return to office in December 2012. This has included the announcement of a ‘new approach’ to bilateral relations that features high-level political engagement, an eight-point economic cooperation plan and enhanced security dialogue
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/08/16/short-term-comfort-for-abe-in-trumps-russia-stance/
8 AUGUST 2018
Japan’s ‘Pivot to Asia’
In response to the rise of China and India and declining US influence, Japan has prescribed the need for new security partnerships and the expansion of Tokyo’s role in shaping the Asia-Pacific. As a result, Japan has shifted its geo-strategic focus from the ‘Asia-Pacific’ to the ‘Indo-Pacific
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/08/japans-pivot-to-asia/#52ixvuIVMwIl5AO5.99
1 AUGUST 2018
Japan asks Russia to reduce military activity on disputed islands
Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Tuesday Tokyo had asked Russia to reduce its military activity on a disputed island chain in the Pacific after Moscow beefed up its forces there in response to what it sees as a potential threat
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/japan-asks-russia-to-reduce-military-activity-on-disputed-islands/
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update-1-japan-asks-russia-to-reduce-military-activity-on-disputed-islands
31 JULY 2018
Japan removes PAC-3 missile units, citing eased tensions
The Defense Ministry, citing the diminished threat of a missile strike from North Korea, removed interceptor systems deployed in four western prefectures and Hokkaido on July 30
https://www.theepochtimes.com/japan-removes-missile-interception-systems-citing-eased-tensions-with-north-korea_2609751.html
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201807310039.html
18 JULY 2018
Why Japan–China relations are back on track
In early May 2018 during his first visit to Japan since being appointed in 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang publicly remarked that Japan–China relations had returned to a path of normality. This ‘throw-away line’ revealed that China’s official perspective prior to then was that Japan–China relations had been off course and abnormal
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/07/18/why-japan-china-relations-are-back-on-track/
5 JULY 2018
Under pressure from US, Japan’s Shinzo Abe cancels Iran trip
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reportedly cancelled his planned trip to Iran. He would have been the first Japanese leader to visit Tehran in 40 years, but he chooses US security umbrella over need to secure oil supplies
https://www.dw.com/en/under-pressure-from-us-japans-shinzo-abe-cancels-iran-trip/a-44538603
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/984061/Iran-US-tensions-Shinzo-Abe-cancels-visit-Tehran-escalating-tensions-Donald-Trump-demands
2 JULY 2018
Abe’s North Korea dilemma
With his political profile closely linked to a pledge to resolve the ‘abduction issue’, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vigorously lobbied US President Donald Trump to address North Korea’s Cold War kidnapping campaign in the recent US–North Korea summit meeting
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/07/02/abes-north-korea-dilemma/
26 JUNE 2018
North Korean diplomat tells Japan not to meddle in denuclearisation
A North Korean diplomat to the United Nations advised Japan on Tuesday not to meddle in the process of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2152635/north-korean-diplomat-tells-japan-not-meddle-denuclearisation
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/N-Korea-says-it-will-ignore-Japan-until-it-halts-military-buildup-drills
18 JUNE 2018
Japan protests South Korean military drills near contested islands
South Korea has angered Japan by staging military drills near a contested island chain, even as it discusses scaling back joint “war games” with the US to de-escalate tensions with North Korea
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/18/asia/south-korean-military-drills-disputed-islands-intl/index.html
9 JUNE 2018
Japan Wants Cruise Missiles (And that Should Terrify China or North Korea)
the country is considering buying offensive missiles for the first time since the end of World War II. Those missiles would give Japan the ability to destroy nuclear-tipped missiles on the launching pad, before they are used
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/japan-wants-cruise-missiles-should-terrify-china-or-north-26198
1 JUNE 2018
Japan wants to deploy land-based US Aegis missile shield in Akita to guard against N Korea threat
The government has installed two Aegis Ashore batteries to protect the entire Japanese archipelago against North Korea’s missile threats, and now wants to put more in the city of Akita
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2148873/japan-wants-deploy-land-based-us-aegis-missile-shield-akita
31 MAY 2018
Japan, Vietnam agree on maritime safety cooperation
Leaders of Japan and Vietnam have agreed to bolster cooperation in maritime safety and defense as they expressed shared concern over China’s growing activity in the South China Sea
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/31/japan-vietnam-
26 MAY 2018
Abe, Putin reconfirm readiness to conclude postwar peace treaty
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Saturday to make renewed efforts to sign a postwar peace treaty and accelerate bilateral economic cooperation
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180527/p2g/00m/0in/001000c
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/ex-pm-nakasone-turns-100-hopes-for-constitution-amendment
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201805270017.htm
23 MAY 2018
How Japan’s Pacifist Constitution Shapes Its Approach to Cyberspace
The Japanese government plans to revise its National Defense Guidelines by the end of 2018, which are expected to strengthen the cybersecurity of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and give them an offensive cyber capability
https://www.cfr.org/blog/how-japans-pacifist-constitution-shapes-its-approach-cyberspace?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+region%2Fasia+%28CFR.org+-+Regions+-+Asia+and+Pacific%29
4 MAY 2018
In a first, Japanese and Chinese leaders talk by phone
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation on the phone Friday, the first time leaders of the two countries had ever done so
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/04/asia/japan-abe-china-north-korea-intl/index.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180504_23/
29 APRIL 2018
North Korea ready for Japan talks, South Korea says
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is willing to engage in dialogue with Japan’s leadership at “any time.”
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/29/560084/Korea-Japan-talks
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Moon-says-N-Korean-leader-wants-to-normalize-ties-with-Japan
17 APRIL 2018
Trump and Japan’s Abe meet over North Korea and global trade
US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meet shortly to discuss North Korea and trade, with both men battling pressure at home
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update-4-trump-says-u.s.-having-direct-talks-with-north-korea-about-summit
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43792658
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180418/p2g/00m/0dm/002000c
16 APRIL 2018
China, Japan hail new beginning at bilateral summit
China and Japan on Monday pledged a “new starting point” for bilateral ties. The statement was made during a three-day visit by Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi to Japan. During the visit, Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe called for warmer relations
http://en.rfi.fr/20180416-china-japan-summit-new-beginning/
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2141970/japan-and-china-try-reset-relations-shadow-trumps-trade
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180416/p2g/00m/0fp/099000c
11 APRIL 2018
Korea-Japan foreign ministers hold talks on bilateral ties and N. Korea’s nuclear issue
The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan have reaffirmed their mutual goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula and agreed to develop peaceful and progressive Seoul-Tokyo ties
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=216158
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2141315/south-korea-japan-vow-cooperate-resolving-issues-north-remain
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180411/p2g/00m/0dm/057000c
9 APRIL 2018
Japan and Europe as Strategic Partners: Opportunities & Challenges
Though Japan and Europe have shared common values and interests since the start of the Cold War, the strategic significance of the partnership appears to have increased considerably in recent years. This is spurred in part by the rise of illiberal or authoritarian challengers to the liberal international order, and the arrival of President Donald Trump in the United States
https://www.cogitasia.com/japan-and-europe-as-strategic-partners-opportunities-challenges/
7 APRIL 2018
Japan activates first marines since WW2
Japan has activated its first marine unit since World War Two, trained to counter invaders occupying Japanese islands along the edge of the East China Sea that Tokyo fears are vulnerable to attack by China
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/japan-activates-first-marines-since-ww2
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180407/p2g/00m/0dm/072000c
3 APRIL 2018
Japan-Russia Relations: Can the Northern Territories Issue be Overcome?
Russia and Japan are neighbors, but their relationship is often labeled in Japan as “close (geographically) and distant (politically).” The leading reasons are that a treaty of friendship has not been concluded between Japan and Russia, and the Northern Territories issue has not been resolved. These two issues are interlinked
https://www.cogitasia.com/japan-russia-relations-can-the-northern-territories-issue-be-overcome/
30 MARCH 2018
Seoul protests over disputed island claims in Japan’s textbooks
South Korea summoned Tokyo’s ambassador on Friday to protest over new educational guidelines requiring high school students to be taught that disputed islands belong to Japan
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Seoul-protests-over-disputed-island-claims-in-Japan’s-textbooks
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=215712
13 MARCH 2018
Japan sending military adviser to Malaysia, boosting regional presence in face of assertive China
Japan is beefing up its military and diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia by sending an extra defence attaché to its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, adding to military officers sent to embassies in the Philippines and Vietnam last year
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2136981/japan-sending-military-adviser-malaysia-boosting-regional
11 MARCH 2018
Japan offers to pay £2m for inspections of North Korea nuclear facilities
Japan will provide Y300 million (£2.03 million) to fund inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency of North Korea’s nuclear facilities if Pyongyang follows through with its vow to scrap its arsenal of atomic weapons
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/11/japan-offers-pay-2m-inspections-north-korea-nuclear-facilities/
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803100035.html
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=214947
9 MARCH 2018
Abe to visit U.S. in April to discuss North Korea with Trump
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to meet in the United States next month, following Washington’s announcement that Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/09/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-visit-u-s-april-discuss-north-korea-trump/#.WqLL8ejOU2w
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201803090030.html
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update1-abe-to-visit-u.s.-in-april-to-discuss-n.-korea-with-trump
21 FEBRUARY 2018
Japan to boost its future stealth fighter force with 20 more F-35A jets, defence sources say
Japan plans to buy at least 20 additional F-35A stealth fighters over the next six years, some or all of which it may purchase directly from Lockheed Martin Corp. in the United States rather than assemble locally, three sources said
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201802210025.html
9 FEBRUARY 2018
Japan and South Korea, the Friendly Foes of East Asia
On Friday morning, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan was setting off to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics, as well as a side meeting with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, he declared that cooperation among their two countries and the United States was “unshakable” in the face of threats from North Korea
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/opinion/japan-south-korea-friendly.html
7 FEBRUARY 2018
Abe, Pence confirm pressure on N. Korea
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence confirmed on Wednesday that their two countries will continue to apply “maximum pressure” on North Korea, in cooperation with South Korea, to foil Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004230644
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180207_38/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/07/mike-pence-announces-toughest-sanctions-ever-north-korea-vows/
5 FEBRUARY 2018
Japan’s Abe reiterates pledge to transfer U.S. base in Okinawa
In Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, a candidate backed by the ruling coalition won the Feb. 4 mayoral election here, as voters choose local economic revitalization measures over anti-U.S. military base sentiment
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201802050024.html
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-02/05/c_136950991.htm
28 JANUARY 2018
Japan, China agree to resume leaders’ visits
Japan and China agreed Sunday to resume reciprocal visits by the two countries’ leaders, underscoring that Asia’s two biggest economies are eager to mend ties in the year marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of a bilateral friendship treaty
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update1-japan’s-kono-proposes-to-china-resuming-leaders’-visits
https://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/137/12/161/1517133146493.html
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/japan/japan-calls-on-china-to-up-north-korea-cooperation-1.2164058
27 JANUARY 2018
Japan, France reaffirm closer defense cooperation
The Japanese and French defense ministers reaffirmed closer defense cooperation in a meeting Saturday after agreeing the previous day to hold the countries’ first joint maritime defense exercises next month
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Japan-France-reaffirm-closer-defense-cooperation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180127_15/
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201801250039.html
26 JANUARY 2018
First F-35 stealth fighter arrives at Misawa base
An F-35 stealth fighter has arrived at an airbase in Misawa in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan. It is the first of 10 F-35s that will be deployed at the base
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180126_21/
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2130703/japan-deploys-first-f-35a-stealth-fighter-mission-keep-tabs
18 JANUARY 2018
Japan, Australia push for defence pact amid regional tension
Tokyo and Canberra are taking steps to reinforce their security arrangements, with both governments concerned about an unstable and nuclear-armed North Korea and an assertive China
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/japan-australia-push-for-defence-pact-amid-regional-tension-14362
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-australia-eye-deeper-defense-alliance/a-42198311
4 JANUARY 2018
Japan faces greatest danger since World War due to North Korea: PM
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday North Korea was engaging in continued provocations that were “absolutely unacceptable” and said he would work with the international community to counter its nuclear and missiles development
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/japan-faces-greatest-danger-since-world-war-due-to-north-korea-9831950
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180104_27/
1 JANUARY 2018
Japan eyes aircraft carriers to counter North Korea, China
Concerns over N. Korea’s unpredictable regime and China’s expansionist policies have forced Japan to seek reinterpretation of parts of the constitution that ban the nation from having an offensive military capability
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-eyes-aircraft-carriers-to-counter-north-korea-china/a-41990036
16 DECEMBER 2017
Japan eyes US$46 billion defence budget to counter North Korea: Report
Japan plans a record US$46 billion defence budget for the next fiscal year to strengthen its missile defence against the threat posed by North Korea, a report said Saturday (Dec 16)
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-eyes-us-46-billion-defence-budget-to-counter-north-korea-9503674
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/d_budget/pdf/291121.pdf
8 DECEMBER 2017
Japan to purchase offensive missiles capable of striking North Korea
Japan’s Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Friday announced plans to buy offensive air-to-surface missiles, in a move likely to cause controversy considering the country’s decades-long pacifist history
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-to-purchase-offensive-missiles-capable-of-striking-north-korea/a-41707708
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/08/asia/japan-missiles-purchase-intl/index.html
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004117987
18 NOVEMBER 2017
Shadows of the past haunt Japan–North Korea relations
There are more than geostrategic, diplomatic and military factors behind the importance of Japan for North Korea and of North Korea for Japan: their present relationship is also rooted in history
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/11/18/shadows-of-the-past-haunt-japan-north-korea-relations/
6 NOVEMBER 2017
Trump: ‘samurai’ Japan will shoot down North Korean missiles after buying new weapons from US
US President Donald Trump on Monday said “samurai” Japan will soon have the capability to shoot down North Korean weapons, once it has bought “massive amounts of military equipment” from Washington. Standing next to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump promised to work in solidarity with Japan to confront “the North Korean menace”
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2118678/trump-samurai-japan-will-shoot-down-north-korean-missiles-after
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20171106171406446/
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/trump-says-japan-would-shoot-n-korean-missiles-out-of-sky-if-it-9377896
31 AUGUST 2017
Missiles, radar, glide bombs: Japan wants record US$48b weapons budget as North Korea threat grows
If approved by parliament, it would be the sixth annual increase under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who ended decade-long defence budget cuts
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2109126/missiles-radar-glide-bombs-japan-wants-record-us48b-weapons
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/31/national/politics-diplomacy/record-high-budget-request-defense-ministry-seeks-new-anti-missile-measures/#.Wah-cshJY2w
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-defense-ministry-seeks-record-high-budget-amid-n.-korea-threat
30 AUGUST 2017
What stopped Japan from intercepting North Korean missile?
The altitude and speed of Hwasong-12 would have made it very difficult to destroy missile in flight, while failure would have been embarrassing for Japan and encouraging to N Korea. Julian Ryall reports from Tokyo
http://www.dw.com/en/what-stopped-japan-from-intercepting-north-korean-missile/a-40293016
19 AUGUST 2017
Japan’s new security agenda
In September 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed new security legislation permitting Japan to come to the aid of an ally under attack. This was a crucial step in Japan’s journey to becoming a ‘normal’ nation able to do more for its own security. Why did Abe enact such a major change in policy?
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/08/19/japans-new-security-agenda/
18 AUGUST 2017
US, Japan step up defense cooperation
The United States and Japan will step up their defense cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/24/183/80/1503051560742.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170818_11/
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003888528
16 AUGUST 2017
Let Japan develop nuclear weapons to lessen North Korea threat, former US Navy commander says
The suggestion of a nuclear-armed Japan would prompt China to restrain Pyongyang, said John Bird, a former US Navy commander in the Pacific
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2106952/let-japan-develop-nuclear-weapons-lessen-north-korea
12 AUGUST 2017
Japan deploys missile defence over North Korea threat to Guam
Japan deployed its Patriot missile defence system on Saturday (Aug 12), after North Korea threatened to fire ballistic missiles over the country towards the US Pacific territory of Guam, local officials and reports said
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-deploys-missile-defence-over-north-korea-threat-to-guam-reports
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003877500
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170812_14/
16 JULY 2017
Russia blocks Hokkaido mayor’s visit to disputed Kuril islands over Japan’s sanctions
Russia has denied entry to disputed islands to a mayor from Hokkaido in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Japan over the Ukraine crisis, diplomatic sources said on Saturday
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2102829/russia-blocks-hokkaido-mayors-visit-disputed-kurils-over-japans
10 JULY 2017
Japan’s ‘New Approach’ to Russia: Is it Moving Forward?
It seems that Shinzo Abe’s ‘New Approach’ to Russia is unlikely to help in resolving territorial disputes with Russia on the Kuril Islands. Given the different priorities of the two countries and broader geopolitical factors, the prospects of the ‘New Approach’ do not look positive
http://www.ipcs.org/article/east-asia/japans-new-approach-to-russia-is-it-moving-forward-5320.html
http://www.atimes.com/article/russia-japan-look-joint-development-kuril-islands/
8 JULY 2017
Meeting during G20, Abe and Xi seek to improve dialogue
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg Saturday and called on China to play a constructive role in discouraging North Korea from developing missiles and nuclear arms
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003808713
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/108/72/34/1499509875018.html
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170708_29/
15 JUNE 2017
Putin: Russia considers constructing bridge to Sakhalin Island in Far East
A bridge to Sakhalin would be very useful in terms of reviving territorial integrity of Russia, President Putin said
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201706151054662806-putin-russia-sakhalin-bridge/
12 APRIL 2017
Japanese warships to join US fleet near North Korea as tensions rise
Japan is preparing to send several warships to join a US aircraft carrier strike group heading for the Korean peninsula, in a show of force designed to deter North Korea from conducting further missile and nuclear tests
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/12/japanese-warships-join-us-fleet-north-korea
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201704120031.html
28 MARCH 2017
Japan prepares to create force like U.S. Marine Corps
Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force stepped up preparations Monday toward creating an amphibious force like the U.S. Marine Corps by putting in place a new unit that will offer training to members of the envisioned brigade
http://eurasiadiary.com/en/news/world/123019-japan-prepares-to-create-force-like-us-marine-corps
22 MARCH 2017
Japan now has two big helicopter carrier ships as Kaga enters service
Japan’s second big helicopter carrier, the Kaga, entered service on Wednesday, giving the nation’s military greater ability to deploy beyond its shores as it pushes back against China’s growing influence in Asia
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2081156/japan-now-has-two-big-helicopter-carrier-ships-kaga-enters
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/news/2017/03/japan-rolls-military-vessel-170322085927402.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/22/national/politics-diplomacy/msdf-boosts-overseas-deployment-capabilities-second-big-helicopter-carrier/#.WNK2y4WcE2w
28 FEBRUARY 2017
Japanese emperor kicks off landmark visit to Vietnam
Japan’s emperor arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a whirlwind tour that will include a meeting with families of Japanese soldiers who stayed there after World War II
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japanese-emperor-kicks-landmark-visit-vietnam
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170228_33/
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/173575/vietnam—japan-economic-relations.html
16 FEBRUARY 2017
Japanese arms for sale
After decades of a self-imposed ban on arms exports, the Abe government in 2014 began to allow the country’s producers to export arms and military equipment. This is a significant development, albeit part of an evolutionary and incremental process. Still, it will be a while before Japan appears on the list of major global arms suppliers
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/02/16/japanese-arms-for-sale
11 FEBRUARY 2017
Trump reiterates US support for Japan over Diaoyus in meeting with Abe
US President Donald Trump, fresh from patching up ties with China, has reassured Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of US support in any conflict over the disputed Senkaku islands, known as the Diaoyus in China
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/2070017/trump-and-abe-vow-deeper-trade-and-security-ties-us-and-japan
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/trump-assures-abe-disputed-east-china-sea-islands-170210201048825.html
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/index.php/sid/251648725
5 FEBRUARY 2017
Japan, US test-fires new interceptor missile
Japan’s defense ministry says it has successfully test-fired at sea a new interceptor missile jointly developed with the United States
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170205_01/
3 FEBRUAY 2017
Abe, Mattis reaffirm ties on defense including Senkaku
Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Friday, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the military alliance with Japan as global concern grows over the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/02/03/national/politics-diplomacy/shinzo-abe-james-mattis-u-s-japan-bilateral-ties-defense/#.WJTKAoWcHSE
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003500222
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170203_28/
27 JANUARY 2017
Abe’s Pacific Rim Diplomacy – Analysis
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo started the year 2017 with his foreign policy activism by undertaking a six-day tour to four Asia-Pacific nations –the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam in January 2017
http://www.eurasiareview.com/27012017-abes-pacific-rim-diplomacy-part-i-analysis/
http://www.eurasiareview.com/27012017-abes-pacific-rim-diplomacy-part-ii-analysis/
24 JANUARY 2017
Japan launches satellite to modernise military communications
The Japanese defence ministry’s first communications satellite was successfully placed in orbit on Tuesday, as part of the country’s efforts to upgrade the Self-Defence Forces’ (SDF) communications network to better deal with security challenges
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2064980/new-arms-race-japans-defence-ministry-launch-first-ever
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170124_30/
14 JANUARY 2017
Abe, Turnbull sign pact boosting Japan-Australia defense ties
Following a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Japan and Australia on Saturday signed a revised pact to boost logistics cooperation between their defense forces
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/14/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-arrives-australia-talks-turnbull-security-trade/#.WHqSEoWcE2w
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/14/australia-and-japan-to-strengthen-military-ties
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2017-01/14/content_15557168.html
6 JANUARY 2017
Japan recalls envoy after South Korea puts ‘comfort woman’ statue outside consulate
Japan has recalled its ambassador to South Korea in protest at the placing of a statue symbolising victims of Japanese wartime sex slavery outside its consulate
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2059912/japan-recalls-its-ambassador-south-korea-over-new-comfort-women
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/06/japan-says-recalling-envoy-to-skorea-over-new-comfort-woman-statue
29 DECEMBER 2016
Anger as Japanese minister visits ‘war crimes’ shrine after Pearl Harbor trip
Japan’s defence minister, Tomomi Inada, has provoked anger in South Korea and China following a visit to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, a day after she accompanied the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, on his reconciliatory trip to Pearl Harbor
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/29/anger-as-japanese-minister-visits-war-crimes-shrine-after-pearl-harbor-trip
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2057841/japan-defence-minister-visits-yasukuni-war-shrine-one-day-after
28 DECEMBER 2016
Japan PM Shinzo Abe offers Pearl Harbor condolences
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has visited the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, where he offered “sincere and everlasting condolences” to the victims of Japan’s attack on the base 75 years ago
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38438714
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161228_07/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/28/shinzo-abe-pearl-harbor-horrors-of-war-memorial-hawaii-obama
Beijing ‘dissatisfied’ with name change of Japan’s de facto Taiwan embassy
Beijing Wednesday expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Japan’s decision to change the name of its de facto embassy in the Republic of China to include the word “Taiwan.”
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/12/china-says-extremely-dissatisfied-renaming-de-facto-japan-embassy-taiwan/
20 DECEMBER 2016
Japan’s top court backs Tokyo in bid to relocate Okinawa base
Japan’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in favour of the central government in its bid to relocate a US airbase on Okinawa, dealing a significant blow to opponents of the plan led by the island’s governor
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2056041/japans-top-court-backs-tokyo-bid-relocate-okinawa-base
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38381107
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161220_34/
16 DECEMBER 2016
Abe-Putin summit ends with economic deals but no isle steps
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Japan and Russia will start negotiations on a special system to conduct joint economic activities on 4 Russian-controlled islands claimed by Japan
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/12/16/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-putin-summit-ends-economic-deals-no-isle-steps/#.WFQcuIWcE2x
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161216_34/
15 DECEMBER 2016
Japan’s Shinzo Abe and Russia’s Vladimir Putin discuss disputed islands at hot spring
Japan and Russia agreed at a leaders’ summit on Thursday to revive security talks and start discussing economic cooperation on disputed islands at the core of a row that has kept them from signing a peace treaty formally ending the second word war
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2054925/japans-shinzo-abe-and-russias-vladimir-putin-discuss-disputed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161215_31/
3 DECEMBER 2016
Russia warns Japan not to expect quick progress on islands
Russia’s foreign minister warned Japan Saturday against expecting a quick breakthrough in the territorial dispute between the two nations ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to Japan
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/russia-warns-japan-not-expect-quick-progress-islands-123919543.html
http://www.dw.com/en/a-solution-to-the-kuril-islands-dispute/a-36624291
24 NOVEMBER 2016
Kuril islands missiles should not spoil Putin’s visit, Russia tells Japan
Ahead of president’s trip, tensions rise over weapons on Russian-controlled Kurils, some of which are claimed by Japan
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/23/missiles-on-islands-should-not-spoil-putins-visit-russia-tells-japan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/23/japan-vows-respond-russian-missile-deployment-disputed-islands/
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201611231047762708-russia-japan-kurils/
21 NOVEMBER 2016
Security and the meaning of Japan’s constitution
This new political circumstance allows Abe to propose a national referendum to revise the constitution. The LDP presented a draft for constitutional revision in 2012 and will lead the coming debate because of its strength in the Diet
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/11/21/security-and-the-meaning-of-japans-constitution/
14 NOVEMBER 2016
Japan, South Korea ink controversial intelligence deal
South Korea and Japan reached a controversial deal on Monday (Nov 14) to share defence intelligence, Japanese officials said, despite protests from opposition parties and activists in Seoul
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-south-korea-ink-controversial-intelligence-deal/3287968.html
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/11/116_218205.html
2 NOVEMBER 2016
Japan competes with China for Myanmar influence with 800 billion yen (7,73 US $) aid deal
Japan will provide aid worth 800 billion yen (US$7.73 billion) to Myanmar over five years as it competes for regional influence with the country’s biggest trading partner China
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2042380/japan-competes-china-myanmar-influence-800-billion-yen-aid-deal
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20161102_34/
27 OCTOBER 2016
Japan, Philippines vow closer partnership
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to strengthen their countries’ strategic partnership but skipped forging a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that would allow joint war games of their armed forces
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/japan-philippines-vow-closer-partnership-1.1919702
13 OCTOBER 2016
Japan to expand Djibouti military base to counter Chinese influence
Japan will lease additional land next year to expand a military base in Djibouti, eastern Africa, as a counterweight to what it sees as growing Chinese influence in the region, three Japanese government sources said
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-military-djibouti-idUSKCN12D0C4
27 SEPTEMBER 2016
US, Japan finalize new military cooperation amid tensions with China
Washington and Tokyo have signed a bilateral agreement to increase military logistics cooperation as tensions with China continue to escalate
https://sputniknews.com/asia/20160927/1045728300/us-japan-amended-asca.html
26 SEPTEMBER 2016
Japan scrambles jets over China flights along Miyako Straits
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Monday that Tokyo had scrambled fighter jets after the Chinese planes passed over the Miyako Strait on Sunday, east of the islands which both neighbors claim as their own.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37469983
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-scambles-jets-over-china-military-fly-past/a-35890212
23 SEPTEMBER 2016
Japan PM raises North Korea nuclear programme with Cuba’s Fidel Castro
Abe arrived in Cuba for summit talks with President Raul Castro to seek Havana’s assistance in responding to Pyongyang’s nuclear activities
https://sputniknews.com/asia/20160923/1045621554/japan-cuba-visit.html
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-cuba-japan-abe-idUKKCN11S2BT?il=0
6 SEPTEMBER 2016
Japan to provide planes, ships for Philippines amid sea dispute with China
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday agreed to provide two large-sized patrol ships and lend up to five used surveillance aircraft to the Philippines, a Japanese government spokesman said, with both countries locked in territorial disputes with China.
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2016212/japan-provide-planes-ships-philippines-amid-sea-dispute
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160906_37/
3 SEPTEMBER 2016
For Japan, developing new missiles helps prevent China’s provocations
To prepare for military provocations by China and North Korea, it is essential to steadily make progress on bolstering Japan’s defence capabilities
http://www.asianews.network/content/editorial-developing-new-missiles-helps-prevent-china%E2%80%99s-provocations-27160
19 AUGUST 2016
Japan defence ministry seeks record budget in 2017 to upgrade missile system, fighter jets
Japan’s defence ministry will seek a record budget of 5.16 trillion yen (US$51 billion) for fiscal 2017, as tension rises in the East China Sea and North Korea steps up its missile threat, a government official with direct knowledge of the plan said
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2006071/japan-defence-ministry-seeks-record-budget-2017-upgrade-missile
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201608190031.html
14 AUGUST 2016
Japan to develop missile as tensions with China mount: report
Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile as part of plans to beef up its defence of remote southern islands, as tensions with China increase over the disputed territory, a report said Sunday (Aug 14)http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/japan-to-develop-missile/3041898.html
9 AUGUST 2016
Japan says ties with China ‘deteriorating’ over disputed islands
Japan warned China on Tuesday that ties were “deteriorating markedly” over disputed East China Sea islets, and China’s envoy in Tokyo reiterated Beijing’s stance that the specks of land were its territory and called for talks to resolve the row
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37019028
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160809_15/
02 AUGUST 2016
Japanese Defense white paper: China still destabilizing factor in region
This year’s defense white paper expressed concern about China’s habit of portraying all its actions as accomplished fact and again referred to Beijing’s “heavy-handed” efforts to increase its military presence in the East China Sea and South China Sea
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201608020072.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160802_14/
29 JULY 2016
US military to return a large portion of Okinawa
The United States military said on Friday it was preparing for the biggest land return in Okinawa since 1972, as it faces a surge in opposition to its presence following the arrest of one its civilian contractors for the murder of a local woman.
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-07/29/content_15470591.html
24 JULY 2016
Survey: Japan is favorite country of Taiwanese
A survey of people in Taiwan shows that a record 56 percent of respondents picked Japan as their favorite country. About 1,000 Taiwanese responded to the survey that was carried out in January and February
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160724_15/
18 JUNE 2016
Russia calls on Japan to jointly develop disputed islands
Russia’s minister for development of the Far East has called on Japan to jointly develop the disputed islands known in Japan as the Northern Territories
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160618_13/
15 JUNE 2016
For the first time since 2004, a Chinese warship enters Japanese territorial sea in East China Sea
A Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy Type 815 Dongdiao-class spy ship entered Japanese territorial waters on Wednesday, according to Japan’s defense ministry. The move is the first of its kind since 2004, when a Chinese nuclear submarine entered Japan’s 12 nautical mile territorial sea near Sakishima Islands, in Okinawa prefecture
http://thediplomat.com/2016/06/for-first-time-since-2004-chinese-warship-enters-japanese-territorial-sea-in-east-china-sea/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/06/15/national/politics-diplomacy/chinese-naval-ship-briefly-enters-japans-territorial-waters-off-kagoshima/#.V2HKZ49OLNP
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160615_37/
9 JUNE 2016
Japan protests as China’s PLA Navy sails near disputed Diaoyu Islands in East China Sea
A People’s Liberation Army vessel entered waters surrounding the Tokyo-administered isles, called the Diaoyu Islands by China and the Senkakus in Japan, at 12.50am and left at 3.10am, the Japanese foreign ministry said.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1970375/japan-protests-chinas-pla-navy-sails-near-disputed
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160609_12/ht
27 MAY 2016
Obama makes historic visit to Hiroshima
U.S. President Barack Obama emphasized the need to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons during his visit to the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima on May 27, the first by a sitting U.S. president
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36394975
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201605270097.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160527_34/
25 MAY 2016
Why has Japan been cozying up to Vladimir Putin ?
In early May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia. It was the 13th time the two leaders have met since 2013, when Abe made the first official visit by a Japanese premier to Russia in a decade. But when Abe has only held seven meetings with his U.S. counterpart, why is he meeting Putin so often?http://worldaffairsjournal.org/content/opinion-why-has-japan-been-cozying-vladimir-putin
6 MAY 2016
Abe meets Putin to advance bilateral talks on isle row and peace treaty
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, eager to promote bilateral dialogue and advance talks on the decades-old territorial row that has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a postwar peace treaty
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/05/06/national/politics-diplomacy/abe-meets-putin-advance-bilateral-talks-isle-row-peace-treaty/#.Vy0Je49OLNN
http://www.voanews.com/content/russia-japan-leaders-meet-as-tensions-loom/3318571.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160507_10/
3 MAY 2016
No nuke bombing apology to Japan: White House
US President Barack Obama does not believe that his country owes Japan a formal apology for the 1945 nuclear bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday.
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-05/03/content_15426640.html
Japan agrees to lease military aircraft to Philippines
Japan will lease military aircraft to the Philippines in another sign of deepening security ties between the two former foes to counter Beijing’s increasing regional influence.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/japan-agrees-lease-military-aircraft-philippines-050815514.html?nhp=1
30 APRIL 2016
Chinese, Japanese FMs hold talks on relations
China and Japan both expressed a willingness to improve strained relations on Saturday after a rare meeting between their two foreign ministers in Beijing, though China said Japan should stop pushing the notion that China is a threat.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/564593/news/world/china-wants-cooperation-not-confrontation-with-japan
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/nation/2016-04/30/content_15425617.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160430_27/
22 APRIL 2016
Japan-made stealth aircraft takes to skies for 1st time
With an eye to the future, the nation’s first stealth airplane made its maiden flight on April 22, making Japan the fourth country in the world to successfully fly a manned stealth Aircraft.
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/content/japan-made-stealth-aircraft-takes-skies-first-time
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/japan-succeeds-test-flight-first-stealth-fighter-jet-060235847.html?nhp=1
19 APRIL 2016
Japan’s South Asia Focus: Growing Association With Bangladesh – Analysis
Solid bilateral economic relationships between the two nations can be regarded as a testimony of Japan’s influence in Bangladesh. While Bangladesh has been keen to exploit its economic potential and diversify its relationship with Japan, it has also used it to as an option to balance Beijing’s increasing influence in the region.
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/content/analysis-japan%E2%80%99s-south-asia-focus-growing-association-bangladesh
12 APRIL 2016
Japanese Maritime SDF destroyers visit port in Vietnam for 1st time
For the first time since the end of World War II, Japanese destroyers dropped anchor at a Vietnamese port, signifying the two nations’ defense cooperation
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201604120043.html
11 APRIL 2016
Kerry visits Japan’s Hiroshima memorial
US Secretary of State John Kerry has paid a historic visit to the Hiroshima memorial located on the site where American planes launched the world’s first nuclear attack. The blast and the radiation that resulted killed some 140,000 people
http://www.dw.com/en/kerry-visits-japans-hiroshima-memorial/av-19178054
http://www.euronews.com/2016/04/11/john-kerry-lays-flowers-at-hiroshima-memorial/
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/kerry-deeply-moved-by/2685544.html
3 APRIL 2016
Japanese submarine, destroyers arrive in Philippines for port call near disputed South China Sea waters
A Maritime Self-Defense Force flotilla of three ships arrived in the Philippines early Sunday on a goodwill visit — the first to include a Japanese submarine in 15 years — amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/03/national/msdf-submarine-escort-ships-arrive-philippines-port-call-training/#.VwF2bThXrIV
http://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Japanese-sub-arrives-in-Philippines-on-training-exercise
http://eurasiadiary.com/news/conflicts/17217-japanese-submarine-warships-dock-at-philippine-port-near-disputed-south-china-sea-waters
2 APRIL 2016
Two years after Crimea, are Japan–Ukraine ties weakening?
Times of crisis are a chance to discover who your true friends are. Ukraine learned this lesson two years ago. While it was largely Euro–Atlantic nations that spoke out against Russia’s actions in Crimea, Ukraine also found a supporter in Japan.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/04/02/two-years-after-crimea-are-japan-ukraine-ties-weakening/
29 MARCH 2016
China accuses Japan of threatening Pacific peace with military law
China has accused Japan’s “warlord” prime minister, Shinzo Abe, of threatening peace in the region, following the enactment on Tuesday of controversial laws allowing Japanese troops to fight on foreign soil for the first time since the end of the second world war.
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/content/china-accuses-japan-threatening-pacific-peace-military-law
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/12206654/Japans-controversial-law-allowing-troops-to-fight-overseas-comes-into-force.html
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=189546
28 MARCH 2016
Tokyo’s new ‘self-defence’ laws take effect, allowing Japan to fight in foreign wars
Japan’s new security laws took effect enabling its troops to fight overseas for the first time since the second world war in a landmark defence policy shift in a country with a war-renouncing constitution.
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/1931393/tokyos-new-self-defence-laws-take-effect-allowing-japan-fight
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160329_02/
24 MARCH 2016
A more sincere attitude needed in new talks on Futenma issue
That requires both the Abe administration and the Okinawa prefectural government to offer sincere and straightforward answers to questions posed by the other side as part of serious efforts to find common ground
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201603240018
21 MARCH 2016
India and Japan get closer as China flexes its muscles
This recalibration of their national interests has brought countries such as Japan and India closer in ways like never before. Recently, in a move that is bound to raise quite a few eyebrows in Beijing, Japan and India began discussing the modalities for cooperation to set up a 15MW diesel power plant in India’s Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/03/india-japan-closer-china-flexes-muscles-160320134401362.html
8 MARCH 2016
Japan invites Robert Mugabe to summit as it eyes Africa for growth
The Japanese government has invited Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, to Tokyo for talks later this month as Tokyo seeks to expand its influence and business opportunities in Africa
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/12187070/Japan-invites-Robert-Mugabe-to-summit-as-it-eyes-Africa-for-growth.html
5 MARCH 2016
Turning over a new leaf in Japan–Philippines relations
Under a series of landmark agreements Washington served as the de facto guarantor of Philippine national security for almost a century. But in recent years Japan has rapidly upgraded its security cooperation with Manila. Today, Japan is the Philippines’ top provider of development aid, leading trading Partner
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/03/05/turning-over-a-new-leaf-in-japan-philippines-relations/
22 FEBRUARY 2016
S Korea urges Japan to stop islets provocations
South Korea on Monday urged Japan to stop provocations over disputed islets lying halfway between the two countries as Japan sent a senior government official to attend the controversial “Takeshima Day” event.
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-02/22/content_15388451.html
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/s-korea-protests-over-japan-sending-official-to-disputed-isle-event
15 FEBRUARY 2016
Six Challenges for US–Japan Cooperation in Asia
A key question as 2016 progresses will be: how best to focus US–Japan cooperation to address both the challenges and opportunities that accompany the rise of China? There are six thorny issues that carry the potential to undermine US–Japan cooperation
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/02/15/six-challenges-for-us-japan-cooperation-in-asia/#more-49565
12 FEBRUARY 2016
North Korea disbands committee on Japan abduction issue in response to sanctions
North Korea said Friday it has disbanded a special committee that was set up in 2014 to look into the whereabouts of missing Japanese nationals suspected of being abducted decades ago and in its territory, in response to Tokyo’s decision earlier this week to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/n-korea-disbands-team-probing-fate-of-japanese-abductees
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/02/12/national/politics-diplomacy/north-korea-disbands-committee-on-japan-abduction-issue-in-response-to-sanctions/#.Vr5ZnTjMtjp
10 FEBRUARY 2016
Japan announces new sanctions on Pyongyang
Japan has decided to impose more sanctions against North Korea following the country’s launch of what it called a satellite-carrying rocket on Sunday. The launch is seen by the international community as a long-range ballistic missile test
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20160210_38.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/japan-slap-sanctions-north-korea-rocket-160210112644465.html
8 FEBRUARY 2016
Japan moves toward unilateral sanctions over North Korea’s missile launch
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Feb. 8 he is preparing to slap unilateral sanctions against North Korea for its “intolerable” act on firing a long-range ballistic missile that flew over islands of Okinawa Prefecture.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201602080046
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-plans-to-impose/2499056.html
03 FEBRUARY 2016
Abe calls for amending part of Article 9 of Constitution
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday advocated amending part of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, saying there is a contradiction between the existence of the Self-Defense Forces and the article that stipulates Japan never maintains land, sea and air forces.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/abe-calls-for-amending-part-of-article-9-of-constitution
02 FEBRUARY 2016
Japan tells UN no evidence of forced WWII sex slavery
Japan says it has found no evidence its WWII government and military forcibly rounded up women to be sex slaves, Tokyo has told a UN committee, the latest pronouncement in a corrosive row over interpretations of history
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=187796
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japan-tells-un-no-evidence-forced-wwii-sex-slavery
31 JANUARY 2016
Clinton e-mail: U.S. asked Japan to talk with China before buying Senkakus
The United States urged Japan to consult with China before its provocative Senkaku Islands purchase in 2012, a declassified email forwarded to then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has revealed
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201601310039
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/31/national/u-s-urged-japan-consult-china-2012-senkakus-purchase/#.Vq6FdzjMtjp
Japan doubles number of F-15s on southern island of Okinawa
Japan has doubled the number of F-15 fighter jets deployed on the southern island of Okinawa, near disputed islands in the East China Sea, the defence ministry said Sunday
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/japan-doubles-number-f-15s-southern-island-okinawa
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20160131_15.html
28 JANUARY 2016
Japan reconsiders, decides to join U.N. nuclear disarmament group
Tokyo, in a sharp reversal of policy, will now join a U.N. nuclear disarmament group even though it still does not want a treaty banning weapons of mass destruction.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201601280036
27 JANUARY 2016
Japan steps up campaign for full UN Security Council seat
Tokyo believes 70 years of pacifism and a commitment to international law and order give it a right to a permanent seat at the UN’s top table. But regional rival China is unlikely to allow that to happen
http://www.dw.com/en/japan-steps-up-campaign-for-full-un-security-council-seat/a-19007001
23 JANUARY 2016
Japan must carefully evaluate China’s strategic intentions
There is no doubt that China is building up its military capabilities. Nor that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played up the threat of China, which spends three times as much as Japan does on its national defence, as a justification for new security legislation in Japan. But deeper scrutiny of this issue requires a broader perspective on China’s strategic intentions.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/01/23/japan-must-carefully-evaluate-chinas-strategic-intentions/
8 DECEMBER 2016
Japan, UK to develop air-to-air missile system
Japan and the UK are taking defence co-operation a step further. The two countries’ foreign and defence ministers announced this after a meeting in Tokyo on Friday (Jan 8)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-uk-to-develop-air/2410918.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/12087634/RAF-fighters-bound-for-Japan-for-first-time-in-decades-as-UK-builds-military-ties.html
5 JANUARY 2016
Will Japan and Russia finally resolve their territorial dispute?
Japan and Russia have yet to sign a peace treaty after WWII. The reason is a sovereignty dispute over an island chain. Now PM Abe has called for a summit with President Putin to tackle the issue. But can it succeed?
http://www.dw.com/en/will-japan-and-russia-finally-resolve-their-territorial-dispute/a-18959623
4 JANUARY 2016
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants summit with Vladimir Putin to resolve territorial row over islands
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin must take place in order for the countries to forge a peace treaty
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35219262
http://www.dw.com/en/japans-abe-to-try-and-resolve-world-war-ii-row-with-russia/a-18956623
1 JANUARY 2016
Japan’s Master Plan to Destroy the Chinese Navy in Battle
It seems that Japan is developing plans to craft its own Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) strategy—or what one former Japanese official describes as “maritime supremacy and air superiority”—against the Chinese Navy
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/japans-master-plan-destroy-the-chinese-navy-battle-14779
28 DECEMBER 2015
Korea and Japan reach historic agreement on sex slave issue
South Korea and Japan have reached a landmark agreement on the thorny issue of wartime sex slaves, known as comfort women, that has long strained relations
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=186676
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151228_24.html
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/content/foreign-ministers-japan-and-republic-korea-comfort-women
3 DECEMBER 2015
Japan Set to Test Stealth Jet as Abe Boosts Defense Focus
Japan is closing in on becoming the fourth nation to test fly its own stealth jet, a move that could further antagonize neighboring Asian countries who’ve opposed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to strengthen the role of its armed forces
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-02/japan-set-to-test-stealth-jet-as-abe-strengthens-armed-forces?cmpid=yhoo.headline
1 DECEMBER 2015
Russia building new military bases on islands claimed by Japan
Russia has begun building two modern military compounds on the far eastern Kuril islands, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday, heightening long-running tensions with Japan over the disputed islands
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-building-military-bases-islands-claimed-japan-134635651.html
20 NOVEMBER 2015
U.S. approves sale of Global Hawk drones to Japan
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of three unmanned drones worth $1.2 billion to Japan, the Pentagon said Friday
http://news.yahoo.com/u-approves-sale-global-hawk-drones-japan-165257370–finance.html
1 NOVEMBER 2015
South Korea, China, Japan put hostility aside at rare summit
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Chinese and Japanese premiers Li Keqiang and Shinzo Abe discussed a wide range of topics, from free trade to the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/south-korea-china-japan/2232370.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151101_23.html
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002534535
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/01/national/politics-diplomacy/east-asia-leaders-agree-revive-annual-trilateral-summit/#.VjaVWzgQVjp
25 OCTOBER 2015
Taiwan president says should remember good things Japan did
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Sunday it was important to remember the good things Japan did for the island while not forgetting the bad, as he marked 70 years since Japan gave up control of Taiwan at the end of World War Two
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/taiwan-president-says-should-remember-good-things-japan-did
20 OCTOBER 2015
S Korea, Japan defence ministers meet as ties thaw, but Seoul, Tokyo differ over Japan’s overseas military operations
The defence ministers of South Korea and Japan held talks in Seoul on Tuesday, in a further sign that relations are beginning to emerge from an extended diplomatic deep freeze
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/s-korea-japan-defence-ministers-meet-ties-thaw
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151020_42.html
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20151020001104