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Self-Defence Forces (Japan)

The latest news and top stories on the Self-Defence Forces. A prominent Japan-based governmental military organisation, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) was established in 1954 with its headquarters in Ichigaya, Tokyo. Its primary mission is to defend Japan against aggression, preserve peace, and maintain national security. Comprising Ground, Maritime, and Air branches, the JSDF also focuses significantly on disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and international peacekeeping operations. Operating under a pacifist constitution, it is recognised for its defensive capabilities and increasing engagement in space and cyber domains, alongside joint exercises with allies.

A Mitsubishi F-2B fighter jet was spotted carrying two inert air-launched Type 12 anti-ship missiles under its wings during a flight test at Gifu airbase in central Japan on July 30. Photo: Handout

China-Japan relations

Japan tests long-range missile as counterstrike capability against China grows

First public flight test of upgraded Type 12 variant marks milestone in efforts to counter Chinese naval power.

5 Aug 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Japan

Japan prepares to drop its pacifist mask as the right rises

8 Jun 2026 - 8:00AM

China's military weapons

China urged to fast-track carrier fleet upgrades as Japan boosts strike power

7 Jun 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Japan

Russia’s military activity has Japan fearing a dual-front war

Japan scrambled its fighter jets 448 times in nine months last year. Most of the intercepts involved Russian or Chinese aircraft.

30 May 2026 - 11:25AMvideocam

F-15J Eagle fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force prepare for take-off at Chitose Air Base, Hokkaido prefecture, in 2017. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

Why the US missile system heading to Japan could be a ‘sitting duck’ for China

This approach could be used ‘to strike our land-based targets on one hand, and block vital maritime passages on the other’: Chinese analyst.

26 May 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

Japan

Why a 2-year US missile delay could expose a ‘serious contradiction’ with Japan

Analysts said any delay could hinder Tokyo’s defence build-up but also open the door for Japanese firms to produce more US-designed weapons.

26 May 2026 - 12:13PMvideocam

Japan

US to send powerful missile systems to Japan for drills amid China tensions

After the joint exercises, the systems will move to a US military base in Japan for storage.

21 May 2026 - 9:23AMvideocam

The Typhon missile launcher is stationed at an airbase in Iwakuni, western Japan, last year. Photo: Reuters

China-Japan relations

Why does the PLA object to Japan’s drone plans for its southern islands?

Tokyo says it’s building a coastal defence system but Beijing sees an offensive purpose in the deployment.

17 May 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

China trade

Sino-Japanese relations

China and Japan have forged strong economic ties, despite having regular diplomatic rows over disputed territories and the legacy of the Second World War. The latest escalation occurred in November after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan’s military forces could be deployed in the event of conflict in the Strait of Taiwan.

15 Jun 2026 - 12:41PM

The Philippines

Philippines shifts defence strategy with Japan, eyes wider security focus

Defence chief Gilberto Teodoro says the Diaoyu Islands are now considered a ‘serious concern’ and the Balikatan drills will also be expanded.

8 May 2026 - 8:25PM

Philippine troops take part in counter-landing live‑fire exercises during the Balikatan joint military exercises at Long Point Beach in Palawan, the Philippines, on April 27. Photo: Reuters

China-Japan relations

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

Beijing says Japan’s ‘neo-militarism’ is a ‘scourge’ that threatens regional peace and stability.

6 May 2026 - 9:48PMvideocam

Japan

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

6 May 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Japan

Japan army unit’s gun-toting AI-generated elephant logo gets trampled by critics

Officers created the logo using ChatGPT based on the ‘elephant’, ‘cool’, ‘blue flame’, and ‘mammoth’ keywords, a media report says.

5 May 2026 - 4:38PM

China-Japan relations

Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?

Beijing asks the international body to prioritise Tokyo’s ‘dangerous tendency to seek nuclear weapons’ as regional row escalates.

30 Apr 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Japan

As I see it | A remilitarised Japan threatens more than just China

As Japan expands its defence posture with the backing of major allies, its leaders seek to portray Beijing’s objections as an overreaction.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Type 10 tanks operate during an annual New Year military drill by the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force First Airborne Brigade at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, east of Tokyo, Japan, on January 11. Photo: Reuters

US military

Pentagon mulls plan to outsource warship design, building to South Korea, Japan

If the proposal goes ahead it will be the first time the US has bought a major surface combatant from a foreign partner since WWII.

28 Apr 2026 - 9:02AM

Japan

3 killed in Japanese Type 10 tank blast that has military baffled

A round detonating inside a tank turret is virtually unheard of. The last time it happened in Japan was in 1979.

25 Apr 2026 - 12:05PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Japan warship’s Taiwan Strait voyage reignites China tensions

The JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the anniversary of an 1895 treaty handing Taiwan to Japan.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:16PM

China-Japan relations

Is Japan’s treaty-day Taiwan Strait warship transit a new flashpoint with China?

The JS Ikazuchi’s passage through the waterway on Friday ‘harmed the feelings of the Chinese people’.

19 Apr 2026 - 11:55PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

China says embassy intrusion, bomb threat are among ‘grave violations’ in Japan

Acting head of embassy lists incidents he describes as ‘a threat to the safety of Chinese diplomatic personnel and premises’.

16 Apr 2026 - 7:02PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

With an eye on China, Japan looks to kamikaze drones and low-cost missiles

Tokyo plans to introduce loitering munitions with a range of more than 1,000km, according to Japanese media reports citing official sources.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Tokyo is said to have plans to introduce suicide-style drones that fly to a target, crash into it and explode. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China-Japan relations

Chinese navy arrives in Sea of Japan just as Tokyo deploys long-range missiles

Five ships transit Tsushima Strait and are tracked heading northeast after China warned of strong response to ‘neo-militarism’.

28 Jul 2026 - 4:26PMvideocam

Japan

Businesses, smokers burnt by Japan’s record US$8 billion defence budget

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of Japan’s gross domestic product.

1 Apr 2026 - 11:40AM

China-Japan relations

Japan has enough plutonium to make 5,500 nuclear warheads, PLA Daily says

China’s military mouthpiece claims Tokyo has ‘astonishing’ stockpile of nuclear materials and the tech to produce weapons.

31 Mar 2026 - 4:08PM

China-Japan relations

Japan upgrades ship with Tomahawk missiles. Why it might pose a threat to China

Analysts say the move marks a fundamental shift in Tokyo’s defence strategy, forcing Beijing to stay on high alert.

29 Mar 2026 - 8:00PM

Japanese destroyer JS Chokai has been equipped to fire long-range Tomahawk missiles, with the first firing test expected this summer. Photo: Commander, US Third Fleet

China-Japan relations

Should China be worried about Japan’s maritime force overhaul?

Reform reflects shift towards quasi-carrier operations and preparations for potential conflict with Beijing, Chinese analysts say.

25 Mar 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force ship JS Ise, a Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer, is the flagship of the newly established Amphibious and Mine Warfare Group under the Fleet Surface Force. Photo: EPA-EFE

China-Japan relations

China slams Japan’s ‘kill network’ as long-range missile deployment looms

PLA Daily describes upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles as offensive weapons capable of targeting neighbouring countries.

24 Mar 2026 - 6:54PMvideocam

Japan

Most Japanese oppose helping Trump fight his war on Iran, polls show

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says she has explained to Trump that there are limits to what Japan can do due to legal constraints.

23 Mar 2026 - 3:02PM

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Self-Defence Forces (Japan)

Japan tests long-range missile as counterstrike capability against China grows

First public flight test of upgraded Type 12 variant marks milestone in efforts to counter Chinese naval power.

Japan prepares to drop its pacifist mask as the right rises

China urged to fast-track carrier fleet upgrades as Japan boosts strike power

Russia’s military activity has Japan fearing a dual-front war

Japan scrambled its fighter jets 448 times in nine months last year. Most of the intercepts involved Russian or Chinese aircraft.

Why the US missile system heading to Japan could be a ‘sitting duck’ for China

This approach could be used ‘to strike our land-based targets on one hand, and block vital maritime passages on the other’: Chinese analyst.

Why a 2-year US missile delay could expose a ‘serious contradiction’ with Japan

Analysts said any delay could hinder Tokyo’s defence build-up but also open the door for Japanese firms to produce more US-designed weapons.

US to send powerful missile systems to Japan for drills amid China tensions

After the joint exercises, the systems will move to a US military base in Japan for storage.

Why does the PLA object to Japan’s drone plans for its southern islands?

Tokyo says it’s building a coastal defence system but Beijing sees an offensive purpose in the deployment.

Sino-Japanese relations

Philippines shifts defence strategy with Japan, eyes wider security focus

Defence chief Gilberto Teodoro says the Diaoyu Islands are now considered a ‘serious concern’ and the Balikatan drills will also be expanded.

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

Beijing says Japan’s ‘neo-militarism’ is a ‘scourge’ that threatens regional peace and stability.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

Japan army unit’s gun-toting AI-generated elephant logo gets trampled by critics

Officers created the logo using ChatGPT based on the ‘elephant’, ‘cool’, ‘blue flame’, and ‘mammoth’ keywords, a media report says.

Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?

Beijing asks the international body to prioritise Tokyo’s ‘dangerous tendency to seek nuclear weapons’ as regional row escalates.

As I see it | A remilitarised Japan threatens more than just China

As Japan expands its defence posture with the backing of major allies, its leaders seek to portray Beijing’s objections as an overreaction.

Pentagon mulls plan to outsource warship design, building to South Korea, Japan

If the proposal goes ahead it will be the first time the US has bought a major surface combatant from a foreign partner since WWII.

3 killed in Japanese Type 10 tank blast that has military baffled

A round detonating inside a tank turret is virtually unheard of. The last time it happened in Japan was in 1979.

Japan warship’s Taiwan Strait voyage reignites China tensions

The JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the anniversary of an 1895 treaty handing Taiwan to Japan.

Is Japan’s treaty-day Taiwan Strait warship transit a new flashpoint with China?

The JS Ikazuchi’s passage through the waterway on Friday ‘harmed the feelings of the Chinese people’.

China says embassy intrusion, bomb threat are among ‘grave violations’ in Japan

Acting head of embassy lists incidents he describes as ‘a threat to the safety of Chinese diplomatic personnel and premises’.

With an eye on China, Japan looks to kamikaze drones and low-cost missiles

Tokyo plans to introduce loitering munitions with a range of more than 1,000km, according to Japanese media reports citing official sources.

Chinese navy arrives in Sea of Japan just as Tokyo deploys long-range missiles

Five ships transit Tsushima Strait and are tracked heading northeast after China warned of strong response to ‘neo-militarism’.

Businesses, smokers burnt by Japan’s record US$8 billion defence budget

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of Japan’s gross domestic product.

Japan has enough plutonium to make 5,500 nuclear warheads, PLA Daily says

China’s military mouthpiece claims Tokyo has ‘astonishing’ stockpile of nuclear materials and the tech to produce weapons.

Japan upgrades ship with Tomahawk missiles. Why it might pose a threat to China

Analysts say the move marks a fundamental shift in Tokyo’s defence strategy, forcing Beijing to stay on high alert.

Should China be worried about Japan’s maritime force overhaul?

Reform reflects shift towards quasi-carrier operations and preparations for potential conflict with Beijing, Chinese analysts say.

China slams Japan’s ‘kill network’ as long-range missile deployment looms

PLA Daily describes upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles as offensive weapons capable of targeting neighbouring countries.

Most Japanese oppose helping Trump fight his war on Iran, polls show

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says she has explained to Trump that there are limits to what Japan can do due to legal constraints.

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation