https://www.scmp.com/rss/522757/feed The latest news and top stories on Sanae Takaichi. A long-serving member of the Japanese House of Representatives, she has held numerous significant cabinet roles. Her past positions include Minister of State for Economic Security, Internal Affairs and Communications, Science and Technology Policy, and Youth Affairs and Gender Equality. Known for her staunch conservative views and close alliance with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has focused on strengthening Japan’s economic... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama has called on Beijing and Tokyo to work together against “US arrogance”, as the global order is upended by President Donald Trump. Hatoyama, who was Japan’s prime minister from 2009 to 2010, said the two nations should find common ground and work to manage their bilateral relations. “I would argue that Japan and China should jointly confront a self-centred United States and [prevent] the collapse of the world order,” Hatoyama said at an event in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351796/fragmenting-global-order-former-japanese-leader-urges-pivot-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351796/fragmenting-global-order-former-japanese-leader-urges-pivot-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:17 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo There is a time and a place. Just because you have a right to do something doesn’t mean you should exercise it. The United States and its allies keep claiming they have the right of navigation in international waters by sending their navies through the Taiwan Strait. Their intention to provoke is clear despite their justification under international law. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s row with Beijing over her remarks about militarily intervening in a Taiwan crisis has yet to die down.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351526/remilitarised-japan-threatens-more-just-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351526/remilitarised-japan-threatens-more-just-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore 2. Why Japan’s earthquake has Bali on edge over magnitude 9 ‘megathrust’ risk 3. 3 killed in Japanese Type 10 tank blast that has military baffled 4. This retiree in the Philippines downloaded an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3351648/aseans-natural-leader-bali-edge-over-japanese-earthquake-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3351648/aseans-natural-leader-bali-edge-over-japanese-earthquake-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:18:41 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Japan’s first female prime minister is facing a growing backlash from women new to political activism, as alarm spreads over her government’s push to revise the country’s pacifist constitution and expand its role in arms exports. The women are part of a protest wave that has grown from a few thousand people in late February to tens of thousands outside the National Diet in Tokyo, where demonstrators have rallied against constitutional revision, weapons exports and what they see as Japan’s drift... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351589/japans-takaichi-faces-women-led-backlash-over-constitution-reform-push-arms-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351589/japans-takaichi-faces-women-led-backlash-over-constitution-reform-push-arms-build?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:02:46 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Customers of Ikesu Onsen, a traditional Japanese bathhouse in Tsushima in Aichi prefecture, have had to delay their daily dips due to the Iran war. The sento, or public bathhouse, has been forced to push back its opening time by an hour since late March because of an unstable supply of fuel oil, according to Kyodo. Monthly delivery has been halved from about a tonne, leading the number of customers of the family-run 97-year-old sento to fall to around 10 per day. “It’s a major blow,” its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351540/japans-bathhouses-struggle-stay-afloat-oil-prices-spike-supply-dwindles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351540/japans-bathhouses-struggle-stay-afloat-oil-prices-spike-supply-dwindles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:49:29 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au The appreciating yuan and ongoing Sino-Japanese tensions have given Hong Kong tourism a boost ahead of mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday, with hotel prices rising by as much as 8 per cent, an industry representative has said. Lawmaker Alan Chan Chung-yee, who is also the chief operating officer of Miramar Group, expressed optimism on Monday that the city would welcome more mainland tourists originally heading to other parts of East Asia during the country’s coming long holiday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351523/sino-japanese-tensions-boon-hong-kong-tourism-golden-week-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351523/sino-japanese-tensions-boon-hong-kong-tourism-golden-week-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:33:38 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong War on Iran has changed many things, not least of which is the tenor of nuclear debate in two of America’s closest Asian allies: countries that have long defined themselves by the weapons they do not possess. For decades, the question of whether South Korea and Japan might one day build their own nuclear arsenal was treated as fringe speculation – the preserve of hawks and provocateurs. No longer. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has sounded the alarm.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Protesters gathered in Tokyo on Friday to rally against Japan’s decision to ease decades-old arms export curbs, which critics argue erode the country’s post-war pacifist tradition. The new rules permitting the sale of lethal weapons overseas signal a major shift, as Japan ramps up its defence ambitions and seeks to enter the global arms market in part to boost economic growth. The move, announced this week on Tuesday by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government, has been met with some criticism... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351370/japanese-protest-frightening-easing-decades-old-arms-export-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351370/japanese-protest-frightening-easing-decades-old-arms-export-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:54:34 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi complained she was not getting enough sleep, a veteran politician who met her on Thursday said. The remark came as Takaichi’s premiership recently reached the six-month mark. After winning her ruling party’s leadership election in October, putting her on course to become Japan’s first female prime minister, she vowed to “work, work, work, work and work”, a phrase that became a catchphrase in 2025. “I want to get a little more sleep,” the 65-year-old prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351142/japans-pm-takaichi-tells-fellow-politician-she-needs-more-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351142/japans-pm-takaichi-tells-fellow-politician-she-needs-more-sleep?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:37:21 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro In March 2024, the Bank of Japan raised interest rates for the first time since 2007, lifting borrowing costs out of negative territory and calling time on decades of ultra-loose monetary policy as Japan emerged from a long period of entrenched deflation. At the time, inflation had been above the central bank’s 2 per cent target for 22 months. Fast forward to today, and inflationary pressures continue to build. Although headline inflation fell to 1.3 per cent in February, this was because of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351088/why-japans-central-bank-caught-between-rock-and-hard-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351088/why-japans-central-bank-caught-between-rock-and-hard-place?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei PLA warships transited sensitive international waterways off southwestern Japan twice this week, a rare move seen as a clear warning to Tokyo over its recent actions relating to Taiwan. The transits marked the start and end of exercises in the western Pacific, outbound through the Yokoate Channel on Sunday and back via the Yonaguni-Iriomote Waterway on Wednesday. In a statement on Wednesday, the Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said: “[We] have organised the 133rd Fleet to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351040/warning-over-taiwan-pla-warships-make-rare-transits-southwest-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351040/warning-over-taiwan-pla-warships-make-rare-transits-southwest-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:24:14 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Flights between China and Japan faced even more cancellations in March – with further cuts expected during the coming Labour Day holiday – as political tensions between the Asian neighbours continue to simmer. A total of 2,691 China-Japan flights were scrapped last month, according to figures from the data platform DAST cited by Chinese media outlet Yicai. That brought the cancellation rate to nearly 50 per cent, 1.1 percentage points higher than February. Only 2,711 flights between the two... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350995/2700-china-japan-flights-axed-march-rift-between-asian-powers-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350995/2700-china-japan-flights-axed-march-rift-between-asian-powers-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Japan has scrapped long-standing restrictions on arms exports in a major break with its post-war pacifist policy that is likely to derail any potential thaw in relations with China. The plans, given final approval by the cabinet on Tuesday, could clear the way for sales of lethal equipment that had long been banned and prompted expressions of “serious concern” from Beijing. Japan’s Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology had previously limited exports to five non-combat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350913/japans-new-arms-export-rules-trigger-chinese-warning-against-moves-towards-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350913/japans-new-arms-export-rules-trigger-chinese-warning-against-moves-towards-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:01:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering on Tuesday to a shrine honouring the country’s war dead that has long angered neighbouring countries but did not visit in person, media reports and an unidentified source close to the matter said. The Yasukuni shrine in central Tokyo is dedicated to 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who perished in conflicts since the late 19th century. That number includes senior military and political figures convicted by an international... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350867/japans-takaichi-sends-yasukuni-shrine-offering-south-korea-expresses-regret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350867/japans-takaichi-sends-yasukuni-shrine-offering-south-korea-expresses-regret?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:58:05 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Reports of friction inside Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party suggest Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s biggest political challenge may now lie not with the opposition, but within her own party. Despite her strong public standing following February’s general election, reports have grown louder that Takaichi is clashing with the LDP’s influential old guard – notably former prime minister Taro Aso. Japanese tabloids, which are often more willing than the mainstream press to air insider... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350767/why-japans-takaichi-already-facing-resistance-inside-her-own-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350767/why-japans-takaichi-already-facing-resistance-inside-her-own-party?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:30:23 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong travellers in Japan were reported safe by at least one major tour operator while the Immigration Department said it was closely monitoring the situation after a powerful earthquake struck off the country’s northeast coast on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings. Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of EGL Tours, said the operator currently had about 40 tour groups in Japan, including three in the northeast and four in Hokkaido, areas covered by the alert. “All our customers are... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350777/40-hong-kong-tour-groups-safe-after-magnitude-75-quake-strikes-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350777/40-hong-kong-tour-groups-safe-after-magnitude-75-quake-strikes-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:02:36 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China issued a “strong protest” after a Japanese destroyer, travelling to military exercises in the Philippines, passed through the Taiwan Strait on the anniversary of an 1895 treaty ceding the island to Japan. Friday’s voyage was a “deliberate provocation”, said Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry. The 14-hour passage by the JS Ikazuchi “once again exposes the dangerous plot of some people in Japan to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait and undermine peace and stability... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350723/japan-warships-taiwan-strait-voyage-reignites-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350723/japan-warships-taiwan-strait-voyage-reignites-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:19:52 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been putting her own spin on omotenashi, the Japanese concept of hospitality, to build personal rapport with foreign leaders as her diplomatic skills are put to the test about six months into office. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, who was not widely known for her diplomatic experience before taking office, has been adding an element of entertainment to summit talks and relying on personal gifts to win over her counterparts. Most... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350665/how-sanae-takaichi-redefining-japanese-diplomacy-personal-touches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350665/how-sanae-takaichi-redefining-japanese-diplomacy-personal-touches?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:40:14 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Tensions in East Asia reached a fresh peak with a Japanese warship’s transit of the Taiwan Strait on a historically freighted date for China. According to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi spent 14 hours navigating the sensitive waterway on Friday, the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki or Treaty of Maguan, an unequal treaty that forced the then-ruling Qing dynasty administration to cede Taiwan to Japanese colonial rule. In a commentary on Saturday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:55:08 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley East Asia’s “economic miracle” in the post-World War II period was predicated upon a number of factors, such as the region’s export-led growth model, but critically it also depended on an assured supply of capital to finance business investment. One source of such finance was bank loans, the supply and direction of which can be officially influenced by various means rather than being chiefly market-determined. Even today, bank loans account for most of the business financing in Japan, the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350329/why-japans-bond-moves-could-see-shift-east-asias-financing-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350329/why-japans-bond-moves-could-see-shift-east-asias-financing-model?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pursuing the first ever revision of her country’s post-World War II pacifist constitution, a step that observers say is likely to be welcomed in Washington and condemned in Beijing. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a historic two-thirds majority in the National Diet’s lower house in February’s election, passing the threshold needed to pass constitutional amendments without other parties’ support. “An independent constitutional amendment... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350506/peace-out-takaichi-putting-japans-pacifist-constitution-chopping-block?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350506/peace-out-takaichi-putting-japans-pacifist-constitution-chopping-block?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is hoping further US-Iran talks will ease tensions in the Middle East and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz permanently, but there is also mounting anxiety over what a failure could mean for the country as summer approaches. On Friday, Iran said it would reopen the strait for commercial shipping following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, while US ⁠President Donald Trump added that a US naval blockade of Iran’s ports would ‌remain until a deal with Tehran was struck. The fear in Japan,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350475/japan-warned-hellish-summer-energy-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350475/japan-warned-hellish-summer-energy-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 02:30:09 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China criticised Japan for sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, just days after Tokyo announced its troops would join a major US-Philippine military drill for the first time. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the entry of a Japanese Self-Defence Force vessel into the strait was a “deliberate provocation.” He added that Beijing had lodged a “strong protest” with Tokyo. “The Chinese military has dealt with this incident in accordance with regulations,” Guo said. “[The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350499/china-slams-japan-sending-warship-through-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350499/china-slams-japan-sending-warship-through-taiwan-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:10 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Alcott Wei Seong Hyeon Choi,Alcott Wei Japan’s most extensive participation to date in a counter-landing and missile defence exercise in the Philippines signals its “priorities” in deterring Beijing in a Taiwan contingency, according to analysts. Japan’s Joint Staff announced on Tuesday that its Self-Defence Forces (SDF) would deploy about 1,400 personnel, multiple warships and aircraft, as well as Type 88 anti-ship missile systems for the Balikatan exercise, an annual large-scale joint military drill between the Philippines and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350344/what-does-japans-role-us-philippine-military-drill-mean-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350344/what-does-japans-role-us-philippine-military-drill-mean-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Japan has pledged US$10 billion to its Asian neighbours in energy support, in what analysts say is a strategic bid to counter China’s regional influence and position itself as a reliable partner as the Iran war upends global oil markets and supply chains. However, one observer argued that the move’s impact might be limited, given Japan’s inability to alter the ground realities in the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries’ instinct for strategic hedging over picking sides. Unveiled by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350353/can-japans-us10b-energy-shield-oust-chinas-influence-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350353/can-japans-us10b-energy-shield-oust-chinas-influence-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:02:15 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang The Chinese embassy in Japan has received a series of “terrorist threats”, including an intrusion and a bomb threat, in the past month, a diplomat said on Thursday, describing the incidents as “extremely egregious”. Shi Yong, the acting head of the embassy, said that on March 5 the embassy received a threatening letter from an organisation claiming to comprise former Japanese police officers and former Self-Defence Forces members. Shi said the embassy had reported the matter to the local police,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350341/china-says-tokyo-embassy-intrusion-bomb-threat-are-among-grave-violations-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350341/china-says-tokyo-embassy-intrusion-bomb-threat-are-among-grave-violations-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan is expected to remain the most trusted power among Southeast Asian countries, even as it seeks to amend its pacifist constitution and continues its military build-up. However, Tokyo will need to be transparent about its motives and reassure others that its military-related actions contribute to regional security, according to analysts. In the latest annual survey conducted by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Japan retained its ranking as the region’s most trusted power,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350284/japan-remains-most-trusted-power-southeast-asia-despite-military-build-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350284/japan-remains-most-trusted-power-southeast-asia-despite-military-build-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:08:38 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has issued its first map pinpointing seabed chemical elements in the country’s eastern waters as Japan also races to tap undersea rare earth resources and deep-sea minerals. The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources published the results of marine geological surveys over the past two decades for the seas, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. The result was an atlas charting the location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s public has once again signalled strong support for a woman ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne, but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader, is pushing in a different direction. A Mainichi newspaper poll published on Wednesday found that 61 per cent of respondents believed the law should be changed to allow a woman to become emperor, against just 9 per cent who said the throne should remain reserved for a man. The emperor is defined in the 1947 constitution as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350203/japanese-public-backs-female-emperor-while-takaichi-pushes-conservative-succession-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350203/japanese-public-backs-female-emperor-while-takaichi-pushes-conservative-succession-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan has said it will establish a financial framework worth about US$10 billion to help Asian countries procure energy resources and bolster their stockpiles ‌as Middle East tensions drive prices higher and disrupt supply chains. The support, aimed at preventing knock-on effects on Japan’s own supply chains, would be channelled mainly through state-backed financial institutions such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance. Announcing the plan on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350182/japan-plans-us10-billion-support-help-asia-secure-oil-we-are-mutually-dependent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350182/japan-plans-us10-billion-support-help-asia-secure-oil-we-are-mutually-dependent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:15:28 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The operator of Japan’s Narita International Airport is considering compulsory acquisition of farmers’ land to complete a planned third runway, recalling the forced land purchases that led to violent clashes between riot police and local residents when the airport was built in the 1960s. Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) has been able to secure 88.4 per cent of the land it requires to finish the extension of the existing 2,500-metre second runway at the airport and construct a new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350085/japans-narita-airport-expansion-revives-row-over-forced-land-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350085/japans-narita-airport-expansion-revives-row-over-forced-land-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:27 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Japan is planning to replace some of its attack helicopters with multipurpose drones, prompting warnings from some Chinese media outlets and analysts that this could be seen as a hostile move. The country’s defence budget, which took effect on April 7 for this financial year, allocates 11.1 billion yen (US$70 million) for the procurement of five wide-area unmanned aerial vehicles. A further 280 billion yen was allocated for research and development into “unmanned asset defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350063/should-china-be-worried-japan-starts-replacing-helicopters-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3350063/should-china-be-worried-japan-starts-replacing-helicopters-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:19 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s effort to shield itself from President Donald Trump’s tariffs is facing a new backlash, with environmental groups warning that US projects tied to Tokyo’s investment pledge could generate greenhouse gases equal to around 20 per cent of Japan’s annual emissions. The Japanese government agreed to invest 5.7 trillion yen (US$35.6 billion) in the three projects as part of the first round of spending on US infrastructure in return for Trump’s tariffs being suspended. In total, the bilateral... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3349936/japans-bid-avert-trump-tariffs-draws-fire-over-climate-impact-us-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3349936/japans-bid-avert-trump-tariffs-draws-fire-over-climate-impact-us-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan and Nato are drawing closer together, with 30 representatives from the transatlantic security alliance’s member states set to visit Tokyo this month amid mounting concern over Washington’s reliability as a security partner. The Nato envoys will reportedly hold talks on China’s expanding regional influence, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the implications of a more volatile global security order, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. “A delegation of this size underlines just... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349766/japan-welcome-30-nato-envoys-trump-rattles-us-allies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349766/japan-welcome-30-nato-envoys-trump-rattles-us-allies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s energy security has long hinged on Middle Eastern oil. The Iran war simply exposed how breakable that lifeline had become. While a two-week ceasefire agreed on Tuesday promises some relief by reopening the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic, analysts say the shock has laid bare vulnerabilities Tokyo cannot easily paper over. As an archipelago nation with no cross-border pipelines, Japan draws more than 95 per cent of its crude from the Middle East and routes the bulk of it through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349679/japans-middle-east-oil-habit-gets-iran-war-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349679/japans-middle-east-oil-habit-gets-iran-war-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Legendary British rock band Deep Purple made ⁠Japanese Prime Minister ⁠Sanae Takaichi’s day with a brief ⁠visit to their high-profile superfan on Friday as they returned to the country they first toured more than half a century ago. Takaichi’s reputation as an amateur drummer and fan of hard rock and heavy metal has been ‌well documented, and she has referred to Deep Purple as one of her favourite bands along with the likes of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. “You are my god,” a giddy Takaichi... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349631/japans-sanae-takaichi-tickled-pink-meet-uk-band-deep-purple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349631/japans-sanae-takaichi-tickled-pink-meet-uk-band-deep-purple?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:15:38 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Japanese band One OK Rock has abruptly cancelled the Hong Kong leg of its Asian tour in early May due to “unforeseen circumstances”, leaving local fans disappointed. The announcement on Thursday followed a similar move in early March, when the band cancelled its May 9 concert in Shanghai. Led by frontman Taka, the band, which has 3 million Instagram followers, was originally slated to perform at the Central Harbourfront Event Space on May 2 and 3 as part of its “Detox” Asia Tour 2026. “This... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349517/japanese-band-one-ok-rock-cancels-hong-kong-concerts-may-no-specific-reason-given?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349517/japanese-band-one-ok-rock-cancels-hong-kong-concerts-may-no-specific-reason-given?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:01:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen The People’s Liberation Army division responsible for the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait carried out a decontamination exercise amid targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities by the United States and Israel. A recent training exercise at an Eastern Theatre Command naval base included an emergency response to a simulated nuclear attack, according to a report on Tuesday by state broadcaster CCTV, which did not specify the time or location of the drill. The exercise focused on rapid detection... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349361/pla-troops-facing-taiwan-strait-and-japan-simulate-response-nuclear-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349361/pla-troops-facing-taiwan-strait-and-japan-simulate-response-nuclear-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:27:41 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s tougher deportation drive is deepening fear among asylum seekers and long-term foreign residents, rights groups say, warning that the government’s push to remove more undocumented migrants is clashing with its duty to protect refugees. Official figures show a record 318 foreign nationals were forcibly deported from Japan under escort in 2025, up 30 per cent from a year earlier, as authorities ramped up the Zero Illegal Foreign Residents Plan (Zero Plan), a government drive launched last... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349313/japans-deportation-drive-strikes-fear-asylum-seekers-foreign-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349313/japans-deportation-drive-strikes-fear-asylum-seekers-foreign-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The Japanese government is arranging summit talks with Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, with tensions mounting in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz approaches. “We are preparing dialogues at the leadership level at an appropriate time,” Takaichi told a parliamentary committee when asked by an opposition lawmaker about Japan’s diplomatic efforts regarding the US-Israeli war with Iran. “Japan will make every effort... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349124/japans-takaichi-seeks-urgent-summit-iran-trumps-hormuz-deadline-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:32:07 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Japan is considering plans to relax its rules on the sale of offensive weapons in a move that one Chinese analyst said may open the door to it exporting weapons to war zones and possibly to Taiwan. Currently, Japan can only export military equipment designated for five defensive purposes: rescue, transport, warning, surveillance or minesweeping. But a draft government document, reportedly seen by the news agency Kyodo, would scrap this rule and these categories. Kyodo said the new regulations... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349045/why-china-worried-japans-plans-change-rules-arms-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349045/why-china-worried-japans-plans-change-rules-arms-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:37:00 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Japan plans to introduce a fleet of kamikaze drones and low-cost missiles to boost deterrence against regional threats including China, according to Japanese media reports. The Yomiuri newspaper and Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday that the strategy was focused on “integrated attacks” from unmanned aerial vehicles and long-range stand-off missiles, citing government and ruling coalition sources. They said the drones and missiles would be used to break down enemy air defences and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348960/eye-china-japan-looks-kamikaze-drones-and-low-cost-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348960/eye-china-japan-looks-kamikaze-drones-and-low-cost-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Beijing recently invited Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun to pay a visit to mainland China from April 7 to 12, an invitation she promptly accepted. The last time a sitting chairperson of the KMT visited the mainland was 10 years ago. On November 1, 2025, Cheng was... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348808/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-mainland-china-significant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348808/why-kmt-leaders-planned-visit-mainland-china-significant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 03:30:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi plans to flip the script on Beijing Allies of exiled Iranian royal Reza Pahlavi signalled a potential reset in Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, as the 65-year-old increasingly positioned himself as a central figure in Iran’s political future – a claim that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on Wednesday to design a road map for critical minerals supply as they seek to deepen cooperation in the sector amid China’s dominance of global rare earths. The two leaders also affirmed that Japan and France will maintain close communication in support of efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East and establish a high-level dialogue on artificial intelligence, Takaichi said at a joint press appearance... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348694/japan-france-draw-road-map-supply-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:58:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan on Wednesday raised tobacco and corporate taxes to finance a boost in defence spending, with income tax hike set to follow in 2027 as the government projects the tax increases will add some 1.3 trillion yen (US$8 billion) annually in revenue. As the security environment surrounding Japan deteriorates and the government is set to further strengthen the country’s defence capabilities, the public is likely to face further tax burdens to finance the outlays, which have now ballooned to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348609/japan-begins-tax-increases-bankroll-record-us8-billion-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:40:03 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan has moved swiftly to contain the diplomatic fallout after a member of its Self-Defence Forces broke into the Chinese embassy in Tokyo last week. But observers and local media say the incident has given Beijing an opening to reinforce claims of rising militarism and anti-China sentiment in Japan. Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, on Monday called the break-in on March 24 “extremely unusual and serious”, adding that it “should not have happened”. His... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348549/japan-races-limit-fallout-chinese-embassy-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348549/japan-races-limit-fallout-chinese-embassy-break?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s military mouthpiece accused Japan of “dangerously expanding” its defence industry – in capacity, technology and international engagement – and said it had “crossed the red line”. In a rare full-page report on Monday, PLA Daily claimed Japan possessed an “astonishing” stockpile of nuclear materials and that it had the technology to produce nuclear weapons. It said 44.4 tonnes of plutonium had already been separated by the end of 2024 – enough to make about 5,500 nuclear warheads. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348518/japan-has-enough-plutonium-make-5500-nuclear-warheads-pla-daily-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3348518/japan-has-enough-plutonium-make-5500-nuclear-warheads-pla-daily-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:08:14 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Emmanuel Macron touched down in Tokyo on Tuesday with a packed agenda and a receptive audience in a Japanese government anxious about a choked oil route and looking for support amid its diplomatic falling-out with Beijing. The French president’s three-day visit, before he heads to South Korea later in the week, comes as Japan looks to Europe for solidarity amid a crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that has sent oil prices soaring. The backdrop to Macron’s meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348495/japan-seeks-french-backing-macron-begins-asia-trip-iran-wars-shadow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348495/japan-seeks-french-backing-macron-begins-asia-trip-iran-wars-shadow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:36:20 +0000