Sub-Saharan Africa

Japan

Economics

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba unveiled plans to launch an Indian Ocean-Africa economic zone initiative during the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Aug. 20.

Africa: Japan's Ishiba Unveils Plans for Indian Ocean-Africa Economic Initiative, Fresh Investments and Loans

United States

Military & Security

Politics

Japan's Ministry of Defense is preparing to make a budget request of 8.8 trillion yen (about $60 billion) for fiscal year 2026, marking only a slight uptick from the 8.7 trillion yen requested in 2025, Kyodo News reported on Aug. 19.

Japan, U.S.: Tokyo's Defense Spending Slows, Risking Washington's Ire

South Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun chose Tokyo as his first overseas destination in July (instead of Washington) to counter the “misperception” that President Lee Jae-myung would be an anti-Japan president, Yonhap News Agency reported on Aug. 14, citing a senior government official.

South Korea: President Lee’s Efforts To Shake Anti-Japan Image Likely To Fail

Japanese trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa said in Washington on Aug. 7 that his U.S. interlocutors had agreed to have President Donald Trump issue a new executive order in a "timely" manner clarifying the reduction in U.S. automobile tariffs on Japan and that new U.S. tariffs on Japan will not compound with old ones, The New York Times reported on Aug. 8. 

Japan, U.S.: Automobile Tariff Pledge a Much-Needed Win for Tokyo and Ishiba

The U.S. federal register released on Aug. 6 noted that the new 15% tariff on Japanese goods would come on top of existing tariffs for all Japanese imports, contrasting with Tokyo's understanding that Japanese exports to the United States with a preexisting tariff of 15% or higher would be exempted. 

Japan, U.S.: Trade Deal Uncertainty Endangers Ishiba and South Korea Deal

Australia

United Kingdom

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Australia's Defense Ministry announced on Aug. 5 that Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had won a contract worth upward of $6.5 billion to supply the Royal Australian Navy with 11 advanced frigates, marking Japan's first major export deal for warships.

Japan, Australia: Frigate Deal To Expedite Naval Buildouts, Integrate Japan Into Western Security Networks

The leader of Japan's main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda, noted on the last day of the post-election extraordinary Diet session on Aug. 1-5 that he would delay a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba until autumn, Jiji Press reported on Aug. 5.

Japan: No-Confidence Vote Delayed, But Conservatives Still Aim To Oust Ishiba

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will hold a plenary session of LDP Diet members in the coming days, according to LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama on July 29.

Japan: Potential Vote To Oust Prime Minister Ishiba Would Likely Fail

Assessments

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Paraguay

Uruguay

Venezuela

Lebanon

United Arab Emirates

Indonesia

Singapore

Vietnam

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) speaks next to leaders of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) during a press conference at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 28, 2024. 

Following recent setbacks, the powerful party will evolve to ensure it stays relevant on key policy issues and resists dissolution, but it may emerge as a first among equals rather than as Japan's undisputed leader.

The LDP, Japan's Political Leviathan, Faces Another Reckoning

Mexico

Cambodia

China

Taiwan

Thailand

A Cambodian soldier stands on a truck with a rocket launcher in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand, on July 25, 2025. 

U.S.-China Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. Tariff Deadline Passes, Thai-Cambodian Border Tensions Persist

A photo taken on Feb. 21, 2025, shows Subaru vehicles bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama, Japan. 

The deal is a win for Japan's economy and its ruling party, but it may hasten Prime Minister Ishiba's exit. It will also help South Korea and Taiwan secure their own U.S. trade deals.

U.S. Trade Deal Is a Mixed Victory for Japan, a Template for Regional Partners

Snapshots

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addresses the media at the vote counting center in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters in Tokyo on July 20, 2025.

Prime Minister Ishiba's days are likely numbered following his party's poor electoral performance, which will worsen policy gridlock and potentially weaken Tokyo's position in trade talks with Washington.

LDP's Defeat in Japan's Upper House Elections Will Stoke Political Instability

South Africa

Philippines

 The European Union and China will hold a high-level leaders' summit July 24 in Beijing, marking the 50th anniversary of Chinese-EU diplomatic relations.

The Weekly Rundown: An EU-China Summit, South Africa's Budget Vote

Media

Podcasts

What are the key implications of the possible election outcomes?

Essential Geopolitics: Japan's Upper House Parliament Elections

Leaders of eight political parties pose before a debate at the Japan National Press Club on July 2, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. From left to right are Sanseito Secretary General Sohei Kamiya, Japanese Communist Party Chairperson Tomoko Tamura, Komeito Chief Representative Tetsuo Saito, Constitutional Democratic Party President Yoshihiko Noda, Japan's Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Shigeru Ishiba, Governor of Osaka and Japan Innovation Party Co-Representative Hirofumi Yoshimura, Democratic Party for the People Representative Yuichiro Tamaki and Reiwa Shinsengumi President Taro Yamamoto.

Japan's upper house elections will determine whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will stay in power and -- if so -- how easily it will be able to pursue its key policy goals.

Japan's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Iran

Israel

India

A photo taken in Tehran, Iran, on June 26, 2025, shows an Iranian political banner hanging near the remains of a residential building struck by an Israeli attack. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Fragile Iran-Israel Ceasefire Holds, U.S. Tariff Deadline Approaches

Germany

France

Italy

Rescue teams work at damaged buildings in Nobonyad Square following Israeli airstrikes on June 13, 2025, in Tehran, Iran. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: G7 Leaders' Summit, More Israeli Attacks on Iran

Ukraine

An image shows a row of flags from the G7 members.

The June 15-17 summit will provide an opportunity for the bloc to discuss trade tensions and the war in Ukraine, but the meeting is more likely to expose transatlantic divisions over Trump's tariffs and reluctance to pressure Russia.

What To Expect From the First G7 Summit Following Trump's Return to the White House

A U.S. courthouse facade with columns in lower Manhattan, New York.

The court ruling nullifies most -- though not all -- of the Trump administration's tariffs, giving U.S. trading partners temporary breathing room in negotiations while the White House searches for alternative trade measures.

The White House's Tariff Ambitions Bend -- But Do Not Break -- Under the Weight of a Court Ruling

<p>Japan is a mountainous, volcanic island chain located in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands arc from Russia in the north toward the Korean Peninsula in the south. The country has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of minor ones extending through the Ryukyu island chain framing the East China Sea. Japan&#39;s rugged terrain and lack of interregional connecting rivers isolated its population into separate, densely populated coastal plains. The Yamato plain, which dominates the &quot;Inland Sea,&quot; the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The Inland Sea saw the rise of early Japanese maritime culture and facilitated communication and political control. As Japanese culture expanded over the island chain, the seat of power moved to the more productive and strategically located Kanto plain, Japan&#39;s core region and home to Tokyo, the world&#39;s largest metropolitan area. The country&#39;s primary geographic challenge is sustaining its large population on an island with little arable land and few natural resources. Japan&#39;s geography has prompted the country to alternate between periods of isolationism and expansion. When Japan unifies under strong centralized control, it is often drawn toward the continent for resources and land. This happened in the late 1500s and again in the early 1900s, leading to World War II. Given its location, the Korean Peninsula has been the corridor of invasion between Japan and China, and its status remains of strategic importance to Tokyo. The lack of natural resources in Japan continues to force the country to seek them abroad, leaving the country to balance between U.S. naval dominance and China&#39;s expanding maritime interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Africa: Japan's Ishiba Unveils Plans for Indian Ocean-Africa Economic Initiative, Fresh Investments and Loans

Japan, U.S.: Tokyo's Defense Spending Slows, Risking Washington's Ire

South Korea: President Lee’s Efforts To Shake Anti-Japan Image Likely To Fail

Japan, U.S.: Automobile Tariff Pledge a Much-Needed Win for Tokyo and Ishiba

Japan, U.S.: Trade Deal Uncertainty Endangers Ishiba and South Korea Deal

Japan, Australia: Frigate Deal To Expedite Naval Buildouts, Integrate Japan Into Western Security Networks

Japan: No-Confidence Vote Delayed, But Conservatives Still Aim To Oust Ishiba

Japan: Potential Vote To Oust Prime Minister Ishiba Would Likely Fail

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