Japan

The policy change is widely seen as a major step toward rearming Japan more than seven decades after its demilitarization after World War II.

already brings to the U.S.-Japan alliance. Japan's government, though, he adds, may be able to successfully argue that simply possessing the weapons as a deterrent without using them is in line with the constitution. Japan also plans to develop its own weapons, including [advanced fighter jets](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63908284), [hypersonic missiles](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-considering-hypersonic-missile-deployment-by-2030-nikkei-2022-11-03/) and [armed drones](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan-to-develop-combat-drones-to-assist-jet-fighters). So it's difficult to debate this point." "Not only do we lack a deterrent, we will also prompt a counterattack" from an enemy. The security documents name China, its military buildup and tensions with Taiwan, as primary threats. Japanese politicians are [debating](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/12/12/business/kishida-defense-tax-rises-opposition/) where the money to fund the increase will come from. [missiles](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/30/national/japan-buy-tomahawk-missiles/) from the United States, such as [Tomahawk](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/10/b7fc6dbc9e60-urgent-japan-considering-buying-us-cruise-missiles-to-counter-n-korea.html) cruise missiles, capable of reaching North Korea and parts of China. [indicate](https://japan-forward.com/poll-%E3%83%BC-64-see-enemy-base-strike-capability-as-necessary/) a majority of Japanese now agree that the country needs to have a strike capability. [reinterpreted](https://www.mofa.go.jp/fp/nsp/page23e_000273.html) the constitution in 2014 to allow the military to fight in support of an ally under attack. In a statement, U.S. [accused](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/12/da2cb6187b61-china-wary-about-japan-defense-stance-budget-hike.html) Tokyo of "hyping up the 'China threat' to find an excuse for its military buildup."

Japan on Friday unveiled its biggest military build-up since World War Two with a $320 billion plan that will buy missiles capable of striking China and ...

"The Ukraine war has shown us the necessity of being able to sustain a fight, and that is something Japan has not so far been prepared for," said Toshimichi Nagaiwa, a retired Air Self-Defense Force general. To pay for that equipment, Kishida's ruling bloc earlier on Friday said it would raise tobacco, corporate and disaster-reconstruction income taxes. China defence spending overtook Japan's at the turn of the century, and now has a military budget more than four times larger. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. The government said it would also stockpile spare parts and other munitions, expand transport capacity and develop cyber warfare capabilities. [(BAES.L)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/BAES.L) and Leonardo SPA [(LDOF.MI)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/LDOF.MI) in a joint project between Japan, Britain and Italy announced last week. "This is setting a new heading for Japan. [(7011.T)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/7011.T), which is expected to lead development of three of the longer-range missiles that will be part of Japan's new missile force. It will increase the defence ministry's budget to around a tenth of all public spending at current levels, and will make Japan the world's third-biggest military spender after the United States and China, based on current budgets. "The Prime Minister is making a clear, unambiguous strategic statement about Japan’s role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific," U.S. [accused](/world/asia-pacific/china-accuses-japan-making-false-claims-about-its-military-activities-security-2022-12-16/) Japan of making false claims about China's military activities in the new security strategy, according to a statement from its embassy in Japan. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a serious violation of laws that forbid the use of force and has shaken the foundations of the international order," the strategy paper said.

Japan is set to begin a once-unthinkable $A477 billion military build-up that would arm it with missiles capable...

It will also make Japan the world's third-biggest military spender after the US and China, based on current budgets. Some surveys put support as high as 70 per cent of voters. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a serious violation of laws that forbid the use of force and has shaken the foundations of the international order," Japan said in a national security paper.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's Friday announcement that Japan will double its investment in military power is a sign of how a nation can quickly adapt to ...

[Some LGBTQ fans skipped the tournament altogether](https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/lgbtq-fans-skip-qatar-world-cup-fearing-hostility-rcna56365) for fear of what might happen to them. I appreciate the time and care to make sure I was okay and equipped with the tools for this new journey,” she wrote. (It passed 350-80 last week in the House.) The measure was delayed several days in the upper chamber as senators wrangled for votes on amendments, which needed to be knocked down to avoid punting the bill back to the House. However, [algorithmic stablecoin](https://www.coindesk.com/learn/algorithmic-stablecoins-what-they-are-and-how-they-can-go-terribly-wrong/) like TerraUSD are much more vulnerable than a fully-reserved stablecoin like USD Coin. Instead of cash, displaced people will receive USD Coin, a “stablecoin” cryptocurrency that is pegged to the U.S. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. officials [were finalizing plans to send](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/13/u-s-decision-patriot-missiles-ukraine-00073730) a Patriot missile defense system, which Moscow’s foreign ministry warned would be a legitimate target for Russian troops. It’s intended to expedite the process in which the U.N. We are not in the position we need to be in," Sullivan said at The threats to Japan and others are real and growing, causing even the most cautious of nations to rethink their longest-standing positions. He faced stiff political resistance to that campaign — millions in Japan preferred the country prioritize domestic issues and lean on the United States for its security.

The number of holidaymakers in Japan making domestic trips during the New Year vacation period is expected to rise by 3 million from a year earlier but ...

to 288,900](/news/2022/11/730a1a5e103d-foreign-tourists-in-japan-in-oct-up-15-fold-from-sept-to-288900.html) [Japan gov't domestic travel discount program to continue next year](/news/2022/11/19ac994b2c43-japan-govt-domestic-travel-discount-program-to-continue-next-year.html) [Japan foreign arrivals in Oct. up 22.5-fold from 2021](/news/2022/11/83a3710b86e4-japan-foreign-arrivals-in-oct-up-225-fold-from-2021.html) [Foreign tourists in Japan in Oct. 3, 2023, compared with the previous fiscal year. Likely affecting the slow recovery are the rapid weakening of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar this year and soaring surcharges on international flights on the back of higher oil prices.

The New Zealand and Pacific governments are being urged to take Japan to task over its decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

Pou Tiaki is our commitment to fair representation, equity, diversity and inclusion for all. Japan has kept most of its nuclear plants idled since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. For a radionuclide such as Iodine-129, this could be 160 million years." Our mission is simple: to make NZ a better place for everyone - no matter where you were born, who you love, what you believe or how you live. “From 25,000 tonnes per year before 2011, only 5000 tonnes of fish are now caught,” he said. “We are against the release of radioactive materials into our waters. It was because of these lessons that New Zealand has long declared itself proudly nuclear-free,” Ardern said. [Fukushima nuclear power plant](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/300543087/74-magnitude-quake-hits-north-japan). [nuclear-free Pacific](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/127065066/aotearoa-must-stand-apart-as-others-amass-nuclear-weapons)” by taking a case to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea against Japan. [Japan restarts nuclear reactor 4 years after Fukushima disaster](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/71034742/undefined?rm=a) [Swimming robot probes Fukushima reactor to find melted fuel](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/94943287/swimming-robot-probes-fukushima-reactor-to-find-melted-fuel?rm=a) [China to Japanese official: If treated radioactive water from Fukushima is safe, 'please drink it'](https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/300277569/china-to-japanese-official-if-treated-radioactive-water-from-fukushima-is-safe-please-drink-it?rm=a)

Japan on Friday adopted a national security strategy declaring plans to possess preemptive strike capability and cruise missiles within years to give itself ...

The government says its use is constitutional if in response to signs of an imminent enemy attack. Japan’s government has renamed what is known as preemptive strike to “counterstrike capability,” apparently to emphasize that it’s for self-defense. and Italy, as a way to strengthen the country’s defense equipment industry. It named China as “the biggest strategic challenge” — before North Korea and Russia — to Japan’s effort toward ensuring the peace, safety and stability for itself and the international society. intelligence to be able to detect early signs of an enemy missile launch preparation, experts say, in order to effectively abort the attack without risking blame for making a first strike. Japan’s defense buildup has long been considered a sensitive issue at home and in the region, especially for Asian victims of Japanese wartime atrocities. alliance to develop the capability, Johnstone said. But it is extremely difficult to do and Japan needs to advance its cybersecurity and fully rely on the U.S. To quickly respond to possible attacks, Japan will also deploy several standoff missile units at undisclosed locations. Japan says it will keep its pacifist principle of high standards for arms equipment and technology transfer. China fired five ballistic missiles into waters near Japanese southern islands including Okinawa. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it’s “desirable” for Japan to implement the security policy to contribute to regional peace and stability.

Over the past week, the United States, Germany, and Japan all proposed massive increases in military spending, each marking a radical departure from decades ...

Are the governments in Tokyo and Berlin willing to risk a repeat of the horrors of the Second World War? As in Japan, there is broad popular opposition in Germany to military rearmament as a result of the horrendous crimes of German imperialism in the Second World War. German imperialism is also responsible for the murder of as many as 19 million civilians in the Soviet Union against which it conducted a brutal “war of annihilation.” The United States, Germany, Japan and other imperialist powers are preparing for a new imperialist world war. Both the First and Second World Wars were preceded by years of military spending increases in a massive global arms race. While Germany does not have nuclear weapons of its own, as a member of NATO it participates in nuclear weapon sharing with the United States, and US nuclear weapons are stationed in Germany. In China alone, which was invaded by Japan, it is estimated that between 10 and 25 million civilians died in the war. The Japanese imperial government oversaw the murder of millions of people through massacres, starvation and forced labor. In a press statement, Gallagher praised the fact that the bill “Provides similar drawdown authority to arm Taiwan as we have Ukraine.” For the first time, Japan would procure long-range missiles capable of striking China in an offensive strike. The overwhelming majority of the American population was not informed that the measure was being debated or voted on. The massive surge in military spending comes as the typical US household had its real income fall by three percent in the past 12 months.

Japan's new a national security strategy created to give itself more offensive footing against threats from China and North Korea.

Despite a nuanced wording of the strategy, the main threat is China, for which Japan has had to prepare "by using North Korea's threat as a cover" said Tomohisa Takei, a retired admiral of Japan's navy. Japan says its exclusive self-defence policy is unchanged, but "long-range cruise missiles represent a threshold capability that will fundamentally change Japan's approach to deterrence," Christopher Johnstone, a senior advisor and Japan chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a statement said Japan's new strategy "sets forth the vision of Prime Minister Kishida and the Japanese people for a broad and strong community of partners and allies in the region". The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was "desirable" for Japan to implement the security policy to contribute to regional peace and stability. Possession of the strike-back capability is "indispensable" as deterrence to discourage enemy attacks, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference on Friday, calling it "a major change to Japan's postwar security policy". With China, North Korea and Russia directly to its west and north, Japan "faces the severest and most complicated national security environment since the end of the war," the strategy announced on Friday said, referring to World War II.

Japan says missile attacks against it have become "a palpable threat" and its current interceptor-reliant missile defense system is insufficient. North Korea ...

Japan says it will keep its pacifist principle of high standards for arms equipment and technology transfer. While North Korea keeps advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities, the [main threat is still China](https://apnews.com/article/china-japan-ba727bc6b80fe06278ce43ae9a36e703), for which Japan has had to prepare "by using North Korea's threat as a cover," said Tomohisa Takei, a retired admiral in Japan's navy. Kishida said his government will need an extra 4 trillion yen ($30 billion) annually and proposed tax increases to fund a quarter of it. The new spending target follows the NATO standard and will eventually push Japan’s annual budget to about 10 trillion yen ($73 billion), the world’s third biggest after the United States and China. Opponents say strike capability goes beyond self-defense under Japan's pacifist constitution. The biggest change in the National Security Strategy is possession of “counterstrike capability” that Japan calls “indispensable."

Three new security documents prepared by the Kishida administration mark a new era in Japan's post-war security strategy.

By contrast, a clear strategy easily spreads to national institutions and enhances the ability to implement policies, and increases internal and external transparency. On the other hand, it is also true that an ambiguous attitude weakens deterrence against other countries and may increase the risk of conflict. Dualism, especially when intertwined with territorial and historical issues, can lead to a surge of nationalism and patriotism in each country and a loss of self-control. That said, the United States has sometimes referred to China as a “threat” in its important documents. government in October, China was identified as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.” The official said Japan and the United States are in step with each other on important documents. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in December 2020 repeatedly refers to China as a “threat.” Notably, Japan avoided specifying China as a “threat” even in the updated documents. As a reason for acquiring such a counterstrike capability, government officials stressed that missile strike capabilities in the region have significantly improved in both qualitative and quantitative terms, so Tokyo has been forced to enhance its missile defense capabilities. When considering various aspects such as military, economic, and diplomatic aspects, it is not a good idea to simply use the word ‘threat’ toward China,” the official said. This is a 56.5 percent increase from the 27.47 trillion yen in the current five-year plan, which covers fiscal year 2019 to 2023. The NDS has come in line with the U.S. On December 16, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s cabinet approved the nation’s three key security documents, which will mark a major turning point in Japan’s post-war policy of maintaining an exclusively defense-oriented policy if realized.

In one of his last diary entries, Japanese teacher Yoshio Kudo lamented workdays that started early and could last until nearly midnight.

The shares continued to trade down to the end of the session, and the sell-off even spread to rival bike GLOBAL LEADER: The Taiwanese chipmaker’s sales rose 11.1 percent from the second quarter to US$20.16 billion, while its market share increased to 56.1 percent Apple Inc’s orders for chips used in iPhones benefited Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the third quarter of this year and increased the chipmaker’s global market share, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said on Thursday. However, the relocation of the supply chain is a project that will take many years to complete, not to mention that China remains a big market for Apple. PAYMENT POSTPONEMENTS: The bicycle manufacturer said it is grateful to its suppliers for providing flexibility to its brand by adjusting orders and payments Shares of Giant Manufacturing Co (巨大機械), one of the leading bicycle brands in the world, tumbled yesterday amid a sell-off sparked by reports that the company had asked its suppliers for payment postponements. TSMC’s market share rose to 56.1 percent from 53.4 percent in the previous quarter, the Taipei-based market information advisory firm said in a research report. Its sales rose 11.1 percent from the second quarter to US$20.16 billion in the third quarter after Apple released its latest iPhone 14 series in September, TrendForce said. In November 2019, Indian Kapil Sharma would not have known that he would share a bond with Taiwan because of its guavas. Laid off from his job as a bank teller during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharma returned to his home village of Shahijadpur, near Sonipat City north of New Delhi, where he turned his life around by growing Taiwanese guavas. In addition, the migration of supply chain mainly refers to the relocation of the US firm's assemblers, not the shift of production sites of its components suppliers, Yuanta said. There he saw Taiwanese guava tree saplings, which appealed to him because they consume less water, and a lack “Toward the end, he was telling me that teachers should stop working like this and that he wanted to lead that change in the future,” his widow said. “I feel like my husband and I are working together to follow through on his last words — that he wants to change the working practices of teachers.”

Japan has approved a new national security strategy this week, which includes a pledge to have the potential to "counterstrike" to deter enemy strikes and ...

The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). The ability to counterattackThe most significant change brought on by Japan's "ability to counterattack is crucial. A look at how [Japan](/topic/japan)'s defensive stance will change due to the country's new security and military policy.

In one of his last diary entries, Japanese teacher Yoshio Kudo lamented workdays that started early and could last until nearly midnight.

This year, Japan's ruling party established a task force to study the issue. "I feel like my husband and I are working together to follow through on his last words -- that he wants to change the working practices of teachers".© 2022 AFP "So many teachers regret that they lived their lives without stopping to enjoy the growth of their own children," she said. Instead, the law adds eight hours' worth of extra pay to their monthly salaries, a framework that Nishimoto says results in "making teachers work without limits for fixed pay". But she acknowledged that many "continue to work long hours" and "efforts need to be accelerated". Kudo's taxing schedule was far from an exception in Japan, where teachers work some of the longest hours in the world, saddled with tasks from cleaning and supervising school commutes to after-school clubs.

Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian announced the designation at a ceremony held Saturday in Adventure World, an amusement park in Shirahama of Japan's ...

Adventure World has announced that Eimei will return to Chengdu research base of giant panda breeding in February next year along with his twin daughters Ouhin and Touhin. There will be only four giant pandas in the park. Eimei, or Yong Ming in Chinese, is a 30-year-old male panda and the oldest giant panda living in Japan.

"I've got my business to attend to, so the only time I can take time off for a home visit is at the year end," a Japanese residing in Australia, ...

"On the one hand that made travel inside Japan considerably cheaper, so the number of foreign tourists planning visits soared. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October 2021 found that 1.34 million Japanese nationals reside outside of their homeland. "I've got my business to attend to, so the only time I can take time off for a home visit is at the year end," a Japanese residing in Australia, referred to only by his first name, Akio, tells Weekly Playboy (Dec 26).

The modern ear, tuned to the aesthetics of a different timbre, may find that one era's beauty is another's cacophony.

What sounds, rhythms and melodies would they have produced? Experts disagree; some say one, some say the other, some say neither, they arose together. The earliest known musical artifacts date to around 50,000 B.C., the dawn of our species.

Japanese companies are set to raise winter bonus payments by 9.7%, the largest gain since 1975, a survey by Nikkei newspaper reported Sunday.

In 1868 a group of female samurai took part in the fierce Battle of Aizu for the very soul of Japan.

In it, he romanticized the samurai and dedicated a chapter to the meaning of Bushido, the samurai moral code for women, emphasizing the values of chastity, self-denial, and domesticity. The stereotype of Japan as a submissive, beautiful, and enthralling woman still exists and is invariably tied to questions of power, representation, and empire. With swords and halberds in hand, the women met their enemies, who were armed with guns. In 1899 Nitobe Inazō, a renowned writer and diplomat who later became Under-Secretary-General of the League of Nations published Bushido: The Soul of Japan. She and other women were initially barred from joining a battle battalion lest the attackers see their participation as a sign of weakness. She taught other women how to make ammunition and oversaw the men who operated the cannons. Facing the advancing enemy army in the fall of 1868, the Aizu women had four options: flee to the countryside, retreat to Tsuruga Castle, commit suicide, or fight. Takeko threatened suicide in protest, when a newly arrived commander conceded and allowed the women to form their own unit. Unsurprisingly, then, the vast majority of samurai-class women never took part in battle. The Meiji Restoration ended Japan’s seclusion policy and opened the country up to foreign powers, hastening change in almost all areas of life. Empress Jingū, said to have ruled between 201 and 269 CE, is one of the country’s earliest female warriors. After sustaining heavy losses, the Aizu population was ordered to barricade themselves in nearby Tsuruga Castle.

Japan is planning to ease its post-war principles on national defence by allowing plans for pre-emptive cruise missile strikes.