Advertisement
Advertisement
Japan
TOPIC
 / location

Japan

Related Topics:
Japan
Japan
The latest breaking news and stories on Japan, a country in East Asia known as a constitutional monarchy, and the world’s fifth largest economy. Also covering Japan’s relationship with China and Asia, plus commentary and updates on Japan’s economy, politics, society and trade.
Capital
Tokyo
Head of State
Emperor Naruhito
Head of Government
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Fumio Kishida
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (left) and Japan’s Minister of Defence Koizumi Shinjiro chat after signing the contract for Japan to deliver the first three of Mogami-class warships, in Melbourne on April 18, 2026. Photo: AFP
Defence

Japan, Australia finalise contracts to deliver first 3 of planned frigates

This comes as Japan is set to ease rules on defence equipment exports, which have strict limits on exporting weapons with lethal capability.

videocam
China's military weapons

Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a blockade over Taiwan?

videocam
6
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

videocam
China-Japan relations

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

videocam
9
After leading the LDP to its historic supermajority, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has the confidence needed to push for more assertive defence policies. Photo: Getty Images
Earthquakes

Magnitude 5 quake hits Japan’s Nagano prefecture

The 1.20pm quake in Omachi registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic scale, strong enough ‌to make movement difficult without support.

Weather

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Defence

Japan ditches decades of arm export curbs as US reliability wavers

From drones for Ukraine to warships for Australia, ‘peace-loving’ Japan is fast pivoting towards arming the world.

Japanese Type 10 battle tanks operate during a military drill in Funabashi, east of Tokyo, in January. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong is ageing, but the real question is where people age

The city’s rapid ageing need not turn into a crisis as long as it can look beyond its borders and tap into regional healthcare systems.

videocam
Sanae Takaichi

Video | Is Japan ready for a female emperor?

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne, even as the prime minister proposes a plan that preserves the male-line succession.

China-Japan relations

China slams Japan for sending warship through Taiwan Strait

Beijing calls move a ‘deliberate provocation’ that undermines peace and stability in the strait.

videocam
29
The Japanese Self-Defence Forces will send approximately 1,400 personnel, multiple warships, aircraft and Type 88 anti-ship missile systems to the annual US-Philippine military drills next week. Photo: AP
Hong Kong society

Outside In | Debunking the myth of the lonely, isolated Hong Kong retiree

New findings show that elderly Hongkongers are much more mobile than most people imagine and just want to be treated as normal members of society.

videocam
Passengers young and old disembark from a ferry from Cheung Chau in Central on March 7. New research reveals that in five cities including Hong Kong, people aged over 66 have more encounters with a broader cross-section of society than younger, working-age people. Photo: Sun Yeung
SCMP Highlights

China’s 3-satellite surveillance network, C919 faces ‘final exam’: 7 highlights

From Chinese AI cracking decade-old maths problem to Japan eyeing Nato partnership, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

US, Israel war on Iran

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

Buyers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand have helped push May sales to over 60 million barrels, the highest in three years.

videocam
Taiwan

What does Japan’s role in a US-Philippine military drill mean for Taiwan?

Tokyo’s 1,400 combat troops mark most extensive participation yet in annual joint exercise and signal ‘priorities’ to Beijing, analysts say.

videocam
10
The Japan Self-Defence Forces will deploy about 1,400 personnel for the Balikatan exercise, an annual large-scale joint military drill between the Philippines and the United States. Photo: Shutterstock
China-Asean relations

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

Pledge is a bid to ‘embed Japan at the centre of Southeast Asia’s energy security architecture’, observer notes, but questions its impact.

videocam
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi leads the Asia Zero-Emission Community Plus online summit on energy resilience, in Tokyo on April 15. Photo: EPA
Yuan

China boosts overseas-loan quotas as ‘panda bond’ issuance hits record high

Beijing’s move to lift offshore-loan quotas seen helping stabilise yuan against weaker US dollar while accommodating a surge in net financing via ‘panda bonds’.

European Union

Europe running low on jet fuel, stoking fears of flight cancellations

IEA executive director Birol said the Hormuz blockade-induced energy crisis will hit nations including Japan, China and India harder.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 5 over shoplifting syndicate targeting Muji stores

Group allegedly posted lookouts as other members swiftly stuffed clothing into handbags and reusable bags before leaving.

A source has said the stores being targeted were part of the Muji retail chain. Photo: Getty Images
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’.

videocam
Taiwan

Hong Kong, mainland China equities see largest US investor inflows in 3 years

Asia now accounts for 24 per cent of all US investors’ foreign holdings – the highest share in over a decade.

South Korea

BTS comeback drives record 2.06 million tourists to South Korea

Foreigners who went to South Korea for the K-pop group’s concerts spent US$38 million in purchases between January 1 and April 12 ‌.

videocam
A BTS fan takes a photo of the band’s poster outside the stadium before the “Arirang” World Tour concert in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9. Photo: AP
Asean

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

videocam
11
Japan’s National Defence Academy students participate in a parade in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on April 5. Photo: AFP
Foreign exchange market

China trims US Treasury holdings as global ownership hits record

Beijing slightly pares its sovereign US debt position as private investors and certain financial hubs drive demand up.

Crime

Stepfather tells Japanese police ‘there’s no doubt’ he killed missing boy

About 1,000 people were mobilised to find Yuki, who went missing on March 23. His body was found on Monday in a rural area in Kyoto.

China-Japan relations

The next frontier: China maps seabed resources as Japan races to tap rare earths

Atlas charts location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments.

videocam
China surveyed more than 20,000 observation points, culminating in a geochemical data set of eastern waters, according to state media. Photo: CCTV
Sanae Takaichi

Japan backs a female emperor while Takaichi pushes conservative succession plan

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman taking the throne, even as the prime minister moves to preserve male-line succession.

videocam
(From right) Japan’s Princess Aiko and her parents, Empress Masako and Emperor Naruhito, wave to well-wishers after arriving at the Historical Archive Museum of Tomioka in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, on April 7. Photo: Kyodo
My Life

Former Hong Kong rugby team captain reflects on the first Sevens tournament in 1976

The former England international rugby player tells Annemarie Evans about his turn as captain of the Hong Kong team at the inaugural Sevens tournament here in 1976.

China-India relations

Exclusive | Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources

Trump foresees a ‘big, fat hug’ from China’s Xi Jinping as New Delhi mulls a face-saver Quad meet-up without the US president.

videocam
14
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement