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July 11, 2026
 

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DEFENSE

U.S. President Donald Trump with Adm. Harry Harris (center right), head of the U.S. Pacific Command, at the command's headquarters in Hawaii in November 2017
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
Pentagon restores U.S. military’s Pacific Command moniker, dropping ‘Indo’
The command’s vast area of responsibility “remains exactly the same,” the Pentagon said, with the move coming amid soured U.S.-India ties.
A resident of a village isolated by the Noto earthquake expresses his gratitude as he heads to a Self-Defense Forces rescue helicopter, in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 6, 2024.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 17, 2026
‘Poor kids join the SDF’ remark reflects deeper debate over Japan’s military
The statement by a CDP lawmaker exposed a widening gap between public support for the SDF and the political debates that continue to shape Japan’s civil-military relations.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi walks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, as the two inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Jakarta on May 4.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 17, 2026
Japan steps on the gas in unprecedented regional defense export push
Japan is moving with unusual speed to deepen defense ties across the Indo-Pacific after easing military export rules, with Indonesia emerging as one of the clearest beneficiaries.
A French Navy officer observes an oil tanker. The U.S., which is short on demining capabilities that it can deploy to the Middle East, needs the help of its allies to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is free of mines and safe for navigation, a European official has said.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 17, 2026
Europeans wary of committing naval power to Hormuz quickly
The U.S. is short on demining capabilities and needs the help of its allies to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is free of mines and safe for navigation, a European official has said.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a Japan–Italy summit meeting in Rome on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
Japan and Italy agree to promote fighter jet development with U.K.
Leaders of the two nations also agreed to boost cooperation on economic security, including expanding supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals.
Ground Self-Defense Force troops lower the Japanese flag at the end of the day at their camp on Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture, in April 2022. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 15, 2026
Who’s afraid of ‘Japanese neo-militarism’? Nobody
More countries see a stronger Japan not as a danger, but a counterweight to China’s actions and growing U.S. untrustworthiness.
Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius during an interview Monday aboard the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter in Tokyo after the warship arrived for a three-day port call
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 15, 2026
Dutch defense chief says Chinese naval encounter won’t deter Europe in Indo-Pacific
The Netherlands will continue its regular military deployments to the Indo-Pacific, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius has said.
China is Australia's largest trading partner, ​accounting for almost a third of Australia's exports.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 15, 2026
China’s strike capacity over Australia set to expand, think tank says
The report said ​China can already strike ⁠northern Australia with missiles deployed to its South China Sea outposts.
Chinese H-6N bombers fly in formation during a rehearsal in Beijing last August, ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2026
Chinese bombers put Japan’s defense strategy in jeopardy, report finds
Long-range counterair ability to detect, track and engage Chinese aircraft before they can launch attacks is missing from current plans, a think tank says.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a banquet hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during Xi's state visit to Pyongyang on June 8.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 15, 2026
Xi swaps fighter jets for diplomatic hardball to squeeze Taiwan
China is escalating efforts to silence Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on the world stage.
DF-21D ballistic missiles are paraded in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in September 2015.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 14, 2026
China direct strike threat to Australia ‘growing’: report
The DF-27 missile has a range of 5,000 to 8,000 kilometers, the U.S. military said in December.
A Cyber Force would centralize military cybersecurity, building a cadre of elite tech warriors akin to the Green Berets in cyber space.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 14, 2026
The Pentagon needs to create the green berets of tech
America’s current cyber defenses are a patchwork of governmental and private-sector efforts.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands in Tokyo in January.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 14, 2026
Starmer to meet Japan’s Takaichi as fighter jet funding sputters
The Global Combat Air Program has faced roadblocks including delays to Britain’s financial contribution to the project.
German Ambassador to Japan Petra Sigmund speaks during an interview in Tokyo on June 11.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 14, 2026
German envoy hopeful of Japan joining Eurodrone project
In addition to Germany, the Eurodrone project includes such countries as Italy and Spain, with India participating as an observer.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a news conference after a meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in December.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 12, 2026
The U.S. and Israel can’t hide their differences on Iran
The cause of their dispute is, on the surface, simple. Israel says the April ceasefire between Tehran and Washington did not cover Lebanon.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Thursday. Takaichi is planning to visit Ankara from July 6 to 8 to attend a NATO summit.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 12, 2026
Takaichi to attend NATO summit in Turkey and seek closer ties with alliance
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims to confirm with NATO that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and that of Europe are inseparable, seeking greater NATO involvement in Asia
Beijing recently leaned on countries including the Czech Republic to deny Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's plane passage for a planned visit to Africa.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 12, 2026
Taiwan’s ‘Dumpling Alliance’ fades under China’s economic squeeze
How the relationships of Eastern European states and Taiwan evolve under the informal alliance bears watching as China tries to peel partners away from Taiwan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greets Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 12, 2026
China-North Korea ties: New heights and new realities
While China is perhaps more powerful than at any time in its modern history, its leverage over North Korea is considerably diminished.
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota sails off the coast of Western Australia on March 16, 2025.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2026
Hard scrutiny of AUKUS won’t scuttle that deal
Power and passion won’t overcome the strategic logic of Australia’s sub ambitions.
A model of a fighter jet from the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), led by Britain, Japan and Italy, in London in September 2023
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2026
Canada to join Japan-Italy-U.K. fighter project as observer
A observer country will be able to access sensitive information, such as progress in the fighter project.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Japan’s southwestern islands on high alert as Typhoon Bavi approaches
A woman walks out of a shop with duct-taped windows to prevent damage from Typhoon Bavi as it approaches, in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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