Japan
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Partnerships
Philippines: ‘Stronger security cooperation’ with Japan essential for regional peace
Benar News The Philippines’ top diplomat said stronger security ties with Japan are essential for peace in the Indo-Pacific region, as he advocated for enhancing Philippine defenses because of “repeated infringements on our sovereignty.” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo’s comments in mid-May 2023 underscored the security challenges that both nations face from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Manila and Tokyo…
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Global Commons
Japan, South Korea, U.S. boost electronic warfare capabilities to safeguard regional security
Felix Kim Electronic warfare (EW) — military activity conducted in the electromagnetic spectrum — is a growing priority for Indo-Pacific armed forces. Japan, South Korea and the United States are enhancing their EW capabilities in the air, at sea and on land in the face of regional threats posed by North Korea, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia.…
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Northeast Asia
Japan, South Korea, U.S. discuss sharing North Korea missile data
The Associated Press Japan, South Korea and the United States are negotiating an agreement on sharing real-time data on North Korean missile launches, as cooperation among the three nations becomes increasingly important amid growing nuclear and missile threats from the North, Tokyo’s chief government spokesperson said in early May 2023. “I understand that defense authorities are vigorously proceeding to set…
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Global Commons
Automation, new technologies support Japan’s defense future
Marc Jacob Prosser Japan’s plan to boost defense spending to 2% of its gross domestic product by 2027 comes as the nation faces a stark security challenge: an aging, shrinking population. In 1994, there were 17 million Japanese citizens age 18 to 26, the core of the Japan Self-Defense Forces’ (JSDF) recruitment pool. By October 2021, the number had fallen…
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Conflicts - Tensions
PRC, Russia increasing military collaboration, Japan’s foreign minister warns
The Associated Press Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern in mid-May 2023 about Chinese and Russian military cooperation in the region and said the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific since Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Hayashi said Russia’s war in Ukraine has “shaken the very foundation of the international order” and…
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Features
Maritime Transparency
James McAden/HawkEye 360 Radio frequency (RF) space-based technologies aid in maritime domain awareness (MDA) and in the detection of dark vessels or dark ships. At sea, such vessels have disabled their automatic identification system (AIS) responders to avoid the tracking of their location, identity, course and speed, potentially to carry out nefarious activities. MDA poses a challenge, particularly given nations’…
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Northeast Asia
Japan, South Korea strengthen defense, supply chain cooperation
Marc Jacob Prosser Japan and South Korea are working together in key areas including defense and supply chain resilience. Through formal agreements and increased dialogue, their governments are sharing intelligence and cooperating on technology trade security, officials and analysts said. “There is an increasing need for [South] Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time of a polycrisis, with North…
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Contemplations
Meet Japan’s Cyborg Cockroach, Crawling to a Disaster Near You
Story and Photo by Reuters If an earthquake strikes in the not-too-distant future, trapping survivors under tons of rubble, the first responders to find them could be swarms of cyborg cockroaches. That’s a potential application of a recent breakthrough by Japanese researchers who demonstrated the ability to mount “backpacks” of solar cells and electronics on the bugs to remotely control…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Bangladesh shifts position, calls Ukraine war a ‘violation of international law’
Benar News Formerly noncommittal Bangladesh has proclaimed the Ukraine war violates international law and the United Nations charter. The South Asian nation revised its position in a joint statement with Japan issued during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Tokyo in late April 2023. (Pictured: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands…
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Northeast Asia
Allies increase missile defense proficiency, will not be badgered by North Korean threats
The Associated Press Japan, South Korea and the United States conducted a joint missile defense exercise in mid-April 2023 in waters near the Korean Peninsula as they expand military training to counter growing threats from North Korea Days earlier, North Korea conducted one of its most provocative weapons demonstrations in years by flight-testing an intercontinental ballistic missile powered by solid…
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