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Shinjiro Koizumi

The latest news and updates on Shinjiro Koizumi, a prominent Japanese politician and Member of the House of Representatives for the Liberal Democratic Party. Currently serving as Minister of Agriculture, he previously held the post of Minister of the Environment from 2019 to 2021, where he championed initiatives for plastic waste reduction and renewable energy transition. Educated at Columbia University, he also served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Reconstruction. Known for his progressive stance on social and environmental issues, Koizumi is considered a rising figure in Japanese politics, with a focus on strengthening Japan-U.S. relations and advocating for climate change countermeasures.

Japan plans to send three F-2 fighter jets to the Veer Guardian 26 joint exercise in India next month. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

What Japan’s coming fighter jet deployment to India means for China

The historic move signals Tokyo’s desire to strengthen defence ties with ‘like-minded’ Indo-Pacific powers, analysts say.

29 Aug 2026 - 8:00PM

Japan

Japan looks to Australia, India to sustain defence readiness

17 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

China-Japan relations

China slams Japanese officials’ visit to Yasukuni Shrine on WWII anniversary

15 Aug 2026 - 8:48PMvideocam

Japan

Japan PM avoids Yasukuni Shrine on WWII anniversary, 4 ministers visit

Before taking office last October, Takaichi visited Yasukuni several times but has refrained from going to the shrine since becoming PM.

15 Aug 2026 - 7:09PMvideocam

Japan

What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?

Diplomatic offensive seen to signal growing alignment between Beijing and Moscow to isolate Tokyo ahead of key November summit.

14 Aug 2026 - 10:26PMvideocam

Japan

Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game

Japan’s latest defence white paper confirms Chinese strategists’ fears that post-war pacifist guard rails are being dismantled under the guise of ‘self-defence’.

9 Aug 2026 - 9:33PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

‘Ghosts of the 20th century’: how China and Japan clash over post-WWII narrative

In quest to win trust of Asian neighbours, Beijing is intensifying its rhetoric against Tokyo’s changing defence posture.

7 Aug 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Amid an escalating diplomatic crisis, China and Japan are trying to define each other’s international identity. Photo: Shutterstock

China-Japan relations

Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost

Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it improves capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace, white paper warns.

4 Aug 2026 - 9:37PMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s overworked defence ministry plans first new bureau since 2007

The ‘long overdue’ move is expected to boost the defence ministry’s capacity to work more closely with allies and ease operational strain.

24 Jul 2026 - 4:00PM

Defence

Canada becomes first observer to British-Italian-Japanese GCAP fighter project

Ottawa gains front-row insight into the next-gen combat jet as it seeks to diversify ties amid Washington tensions.

22 Jul 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Defence ministers (fromleft) David McGuinty (Canada), Wes Streeting (Britain), Guido Crosetto (Italy) and Shinjiro Koizumi (Japan) discuss the Global Combat Air Programme at Wellington Barracks in London on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Nato

Nato, Indo-Pacific 4 vow defence, tech boost as China-Russia ties spark alarm

Nato chief Mark Rutte meets top officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on sidelines of Ankara summit.

8 Jul 2026 - 6:10PM

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte (third left) with representatives from the Indo-Pacific Four, (from left) New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and Australia’s defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, in Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo

US-China relations

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato’s secretary general contacts Japan’s defence minister after Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific.

7 Jul 2026 - 9:44AMvideocam

Japan

How Japan seeks to win over allies by refuting China’s claims of militarism

Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi questions the accuracy of China’s military spending data, contrasting it with Japan’s transparent approach.

23 Jun 2026 - 4:47PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Japan’s defence outreach to counter China in the region hits hidden roadblocks

Tokyo’s approach combines security, economic and diplomatic tools to show regional nations an alternative to the China-US dilemma.

23 Jun 2026 - 6:36AMvideocam

Japan

Japan adds Indonesia to its ‘network of navies’ after Australia, Philippines

By exporting warships, analysts say Tokyo is sidestepping military pacts to bind partners through shared hardware.

14 Jun 2026 - 8:17AM

JS Asagiri, lead ship of Japan’s Asagiri-class destroyers, heads a fleet review in Sagami Bay, Japan, in 1997. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

How a US prosecutor’s private diaries documented Nanking Massacre evidence

Disclosure came ahead of Donald Trump’s high-stakes visit to China and amid Japan’s recent attempts to erode lessons of post-WWII tribunal.

10 Jun 2026 - 9:45AMvideocam

Japan

Japanese IT head says he made AI videos to smear Takaichi’s rivals during poll

The Sanae Token developer says he used generative AI to create 1,000 to 1,500 short videos criticising contenders Koizumi and Hayashi.

8 Jun 2026 - 12:38PM

China-South Korea relations

South Korea and Japan eye military logistics pact. Should China be wary?

Northeast Asian neighbours signal closer security ties, but wartime history and Seoul-Beijing relations could stand in the way, analysts say.

2 Jun 2026 - 8:54PM

A military logistics support agreement between Japan and South Korea could simplify the exchange of supplies – such as ammunition, fuel and food – during emergencies or joint operations. Photo: Kyodo

Malaysia

Malaysia blasts ‘conspicuously muted’ response over axed Norway missile deal

Defence Minister Khaled told the Shangri-La Dialogue that Oslo’s move was ‘destructive’ to the credibility of the rules-based global order.

31 May 2026 - 6:23PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Japanese minister rejects ‘new militarism’ label from China in Shangri-La speech

‘Every country must be able to choose its future by its own will,’ Shinjiro Koizumi says at Singapore defence forum.

31 May 2026 - 9:04PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

How will South Korea’s nuclear submarines alter balance near first island chain?

Analyst cites further Indo-Pacific nations eyeing SSNs, with potential to ‘tie together with the broader US alliance system in the region’.

29 May 2026 - 5:28PMvideocam

South Korea says it will build its own nuclear-powered submarines, with the first vessels to be launched by the mid-2030s. Photo: Getty Images

2026 Xi-Trump summits

What to watch at Shangri-La Dialogue after Trump’s China visit resets ties

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s speech at Asian security forum to serve as important gauge of whether summit has stabilised US-China relations.

27 May 2026 - 8:44PM

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s trip to this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue marks his fourth visit to the Indo-Pacific region as Pentagon chief. Photo: Reuters

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

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

The Philippines

More than a missile? Why the Philippines wants Japan’s old Type 88

Manila’s military already operates superior weapons, but analysts say Tokyo’s Cold War-era hardware still has something to offer.

20 May 2026 - 11:42AMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi backs aide over smear claims against LDP rivals

Analysts say Japan’s prime minister used an ‘excellent non-answer’ to shield an aide against claims of orchestrating a smear campaign.

13 May 2026 - 11:00AMvideocam

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said that personal attacks are not her “approach”. Photo: Pool via AP

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

China-Japan relations

Are China and Russia flexing their maritime muscle near Japan?

Tokyo’s recent tracking of three PLA Navy warships transiting Tsushima Strait comes amid heightened regional tensions.

8 May 2026 - 7:00PM

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Shinjiro Koizumi

What Japan’s coming fighter jet deployment to India means for China

The historic move signals Tokyo’s desire to strengthen defence ties with ‘like-minded’ Indo-Pacific powers, analysts say.

Japan looks to Australia, India to sustain defence readiness

China slams Japanese officials’ visit to Yasukuni Shrine on WWII anniversary

Japan PM avoids Yasukuni Shrine on WWII anniversary, 4 ministers visit

Before taking office last October, Takaichi visited Yasukuni several times but has refrained from going to the shrine since becoming PM.

What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?

Diplomatic offensive seen to signal growing alignment between Beijing and Moscow to isolate Tokyo ahead of key November summit.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game

Japan’s latest defence white paper confirms Chinese strategists’ fears that post-war pacifist guard rails are being dismantled under the guise of ‘self-defence’.

‘Ghosts of the 20th century’: how China and Japan clash over post-WWII narrative

In quest to win trust of Asian neighbours, Beijing is intensifying its rhetoric against Tokyo’s changing defence posture.

Japan sounds alarm over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, vows defence boost

Beijing is strengthening its aircraft carrier force as it improves capacity to operate in more distant seas and airspace, white paper warns.

Japan’s overworked defence ministry plans first new bureau since 2007

The ‘long overdue’ move is expected to boost the defence ministry’s capacity to work more closely with allies and ease operational strain.

Canada becomes first observer to British-Italian-Japanese GCAP fighter project

Ottawa gains front-row insight into the next-gen combat jet as it seeks to diversify ties amid Washington tensions.

Nato, Indo-Pacific 4 vow defence, tech boost as China-Russia ties spark alarm

Nato chief Mark Rutte meets top officials from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on sidelines of Ankara summit.

Nato can’t be ‘naive’ about China as it ramps up military might, Rutte claims

Nato’s secretary general contacts Japan’s defence minister after Chinese nuclear submarine fires test missile into Pacific.

How Japan seeks to win over allies by refuting China’s claims of militarism

Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi questions the accuracy of China’s military spending data, contrasting it with Japan’s transparent approach.

Japan’s defence outreach to counter China in the region hits hidden roadblocks

Tokyo’s approach combines security, economic and diplomatic tools to show regional nations an alternative to the China-US dilemma.

Japan adds Indonesia to its ‘network of navies’ after Australia, Philippines

By exporting warships, analysts say Tokyo is sidestepping military pacts to bind partners through shared hardware.

How a US prosecutor’s private diaries documented Nanking Massacre evidence

Disclosure came ahead of Donald Trump’s high-stakes visit to China and amid Japan’s recent attempts to erode lessons of post-WWII tribunal.

Japanese IT head says he made AI videos to smear Takaichi’s rivals during poll

The Sanae Token developer says he used generative AI to create 1,000 to 1,500 short videos criticising contenders Koizumi and Hayashi.

South Korea and Japan eye military logistics pact. Should China be wary?

Northeast Asian neighbours signal closer security ties, but wartime history and Seoul-Beijing relations could stand in the way, analysts say.

Malaysia blasts ‘conspicuously muted’ response over axed Norway missile deal

Defence Minister Khaled told the Shangri-La Dialogue that Oslo’s move was ‘destructive’ to the credibility of the rules-based global order.

Japanese minister rejects ‘new militarism’ label from China in Shangri-La speech

‘Every country must be able to choose its future by its own will,’ Shinjiro Koizumi says at Singapore defence forum.

How will South Korea’s nuclear submarines alter balance near first island chain?

Analyst cites further Indo-Pacific nations eyeing SSNs, with potential to ‘tie together with the broader US alliance system in the region’.

What to watch at Shangri-La Dialogue after Trump’s China visit resets ties

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s speech at Asian security forum to serve as important gauge of whether summit has stabilised US-China relations.

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 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.

More than a missile? Why the Philippines wants Japan’s old Type 88

Manila’s military already operates superior weapons, but analysts say Tokyo’s Cold War-era hardware still has something to offer.

Japan’s Takaichi backs aide over smear claims against LDP rivals

Analysts say Japan’s prime minister used an ‘excellent non-answer’ to shield an aide against claims of orchestrating a smear campaign.

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.

Are China and Russia flexing their maritime muscle near Japan?

Tokyo’s recent tracking of three PLA Navy warships transiting Tsushima Strait comes amid heightened regional tensions.

Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game