https://www.scmp.com/rss/523744/feed The latest news and top stories on Daito Bunka University. A Japanese private university, Daito Bunka University is dedicated to promoting Eastern cultures, particularly Chinese studies, and fostering a fusion of Eastern and Western approaches. Its main areas of focus include cultural arts and humanities, including calligraphy and rare language courses. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan could get a boost in its push for a next-generation fighter jet if Canada joins a multinational consortium backing the aircraft’s development, as Tokyo aims to narrow the gap with China’s fast-modernising air force. The Canadian government said it intended to take part in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), currently involving Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday. Japan is planning to replace its ageing F-2 fleet with a sixth-generation stealth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348709/why-japans-advanced-fighter-project-may-get-canadian-tailwinds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is reportedly planning to deploy advanced anti-ship missiles on Minamitorishima, the country’s easternmost island, as it moves to enhance its defence posture against what it perceives as rising Chinese military activity in the region. The defence ministry is also seeking to deploy a launcher, spotting drones and radar systems on the island as early as June, according to a report by national broadcaster NHK on Tuesday. These would be used to identify and target vessels, complementing the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347873/what-japans-missile-plan-remote-pacific-island-reveals-about-its-defence-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347873/what-japans-missile-plan-remote-pacific-island-reveals-about-its-defence-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:27 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A German defence company has successfully tested an uncrewed cargo glider designed to support frontline military units, a technology that Tokyo is also exploring as it looks to bolster its capabilities in islands to the far southwest of the Japanese archipelago. Munich-based Hensoldt said on February 5 that it had marked a milestone in the development of its High-Altitude Drop Infiltrating System, or HADIS, after releasing a scale version of the uncrewed vehicle from a transport aircraft during... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343528/can-german-stealth-cargo-gliders-boost-japans-remote-island-defence-and-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343528/can-german-stealth-cargo-gliders-boost-japans-remote-island-defence-and-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 03:00:16 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The Japanese government’s plans to tighten espionage and secrecy legislation have been welcomed as a necessary bulwark at a time of deepening national security concerns, although analysts fear that any revisions will be too broad and could be used to stifle free speech and media freedom. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a long-time proponent of tightening rules on espionage and secrecy, was already formulating policies before she took office in October. On November 26, Takaichi told a Diet session... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336322/japans-proposal-speedily-draft-anti-spy-laws-raises-human-rights-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336322/japans-proposal-speedily-draft-anti-spy-laws-raises-human-rights-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The new Japanese government has moved swiftly to make it clear that it intends to relax the rules covering exports of weapons abroad at a time of worsening global insecurity and rising defence spending. Shinjiro Koizumi, who was named defence chief when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced her new cabinet on Tuesday, used his first press conference the following day to lay out the administration’s aims, adding that the revised policy had the full support of the ruling Liberal Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330247/peace-loving-japan-ease-weapons-export-rules-amid-rising-security-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330247/peace-loving-japan-ease-weapons-export-rules-amid-rising-security-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Inspired by the success that Ukraine has had in fooling Russian forces on the battlefield, Japan is reportedly buying more inflatable dummy weapons systems, a move observers say is also embedded in Tokyo’s fighting history. Vehicle News reported on Friday that Japan’s Defence Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency announced last month a public tender for “balloon decoys” that would have to be delivered to an aircraft factory operated by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Gifu Prefecture,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328546/inspired-ukraine-japan-eyes-inflatable-military-decoys-boost-deception-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328546/inspired-ukraine-japan-eyes-inflatable-military-decoys-boost-deception-tactics?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Tokyo has expressed “serious concerns” to Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet came close to a Japanese aircraft operating in international airspace over the East China Sea on two occasions this week, with analysts suggesting that a pattern is emerging of China being increasingly willing to challenge Japan at sea and in the air. According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flew within 70 metres of an Air Self-Defence Force YS-11EB electronic surveillance aircraft on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317863/chinese-fighter-jets-buzzing-japanese-aircraft-new-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317863/chinese-fighter-jets-buzzing-japanese-aircraft-new-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:27:42 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall China could test Japan’s resolve by flying drones near disputed islands in the East China Sea after Tokyo clarified that its military is authorised to shoot down such unmanned aircraft intruding into its airspace, according to analysts. In response to a written query from a lawmaker, the Japanese government affirmed at a cabinet meeting on June 27 that the Self-Defence Forces could take such an action even if foreign drones were not an immediate threat to the country’s security. Ryo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316841/japan-facing-higher-risk-drone-warfare-over-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316841/japan-facing-higher-risk-drone-warfare-over-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:17 +0000