China

Indonesia

Japan

Military & Security

Politics

Japan and Indonesia agreed to strengthen security cooperation, including joint development of maritime defense capabilities, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Jan. 13. 

Japan, Indonesia: Maritime Defense, Food Security Deals Signed

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba discussed the need to "examine the [electoral] system beyond party lines" and revisit the lower house electoral system at a Jan. 6 press conference, Jiji Press reported on Jan. 10.

Japan: Diet Reform Could Stoke Long-Term Political Instability

Malaysia

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba began a four-day trip to Malaysia and Indonesia, where he will hold separate summits with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Subianto Prabowo, The Japan Times reported Jan. 9.

Japan: Prime Minister Seeks Trade, Defense Upgrades in Visits to Malaysia and Indonesia 

Economics

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reversed his earlier comments by saying, "I am not thinking about a grand coalition at the moment," after the leaders of key opposition parties all denied the possibility of such a coalition with Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of upper house elections in July, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Jan. 6.

Japan: Denied 'Grand Coalition' Keeps Alive Chance of Double Election in July

United States

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Jan. 3 that he would block a $15-billion bid by Japan's Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel, despite Nippon Steel's recent pledges to uphold U.S. Steel's union agreements and preserve U.S. government decision-making power over its steel production.

U.S., Japan: Block of U.S. Steel Acquisition Will Strain Ties With Japan

Philippines

Taiwan

U.S.-China Relations

An annual Pentagon report on China's military detailed on Dec. 18 the faster-than-expected expansion of China's nuclear arsenal to 600 warheads in 2024. 

China, U.S.: Pentagon Report Highlights Escalating Missile Arms Race

The Philippine Senate ratified the country's Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan, Reuters reported on Dec. 16. 

Philippines, Japan: Manila Ratifies Reciprocal Access Agreement

Leaders of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People released a statement on Nov. 20 pledging to consider raising the minimum annual threshold for income tax to 1.03 million yen ($6,600), cutting gasoline taxes, and "increas[ing] the take-home pay" in an upcoming economic support package.

Japan: Ruling Party Accepts Opposition Economic and Political Demands

Columns

On Geopolitics

Asia-Pacific

Australia

South Korea

Vietnam

India

U.S. President Joe Biden gestures to reporters after landing on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump's more aggressive and transactional approach could deliver quick wins for the U.S.'s position in the region, though it could also strain ties with key partners. 

Trump's Asia-Pacific Approach Will Test Biden's Gains

Media

Podcasts

How do demographic trends impact military power?

Applied Geopolitics: Demographic Decline and Military Manpower: Understanding the Shifting Role of Troops in Conflict

South Korean marines participate in joint exercises with U.S. forces Sept. 2 in Pohang, South Korea. Japan and South Korea set the blueprint for how militaries must contend with stiff competition for human resources.

Japan and South Korea set the blueprint for how militaries must contend with stiff competition for human resources.

Demographic Decline and Military Manpower: Understanding the Shifting Role of People in Conflict

Snapshots

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 11, 2024.

Global Elections

While Ishiba is unlikely to leave office anytime soon, Japan's new minority government will impede domestic policymaking, which could fray U.S.-Japan ties if defense spending reforms are delayed.

Japan's PM Ishiba Survives To Struggle Another Day

Assessments

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Sri Lanka

A ballot is cast in front of the Japanese flag. On Nov. 11, the country will select a prime minister and convene an extraordinary session of its bicameral Diet.

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Science & Technology

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Selects a Prime Minister, Trump's Shadow Looms Over COP29

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrives for a plenary session at the lower house of parliament on Oct. 9, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. 

A weaker government will slow policymaking on key economic and defense issues, and could return Japan to a period of revolving-door prime ministers.

Japan's LDP Loses Its Majority in Snap Ballot, Portending Policy Gridlock

Chile

Uruguay

United Kingdom

Georgia

Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (center) waves as he arrives for a campaign rally at Onahama Port in Iwaki, Japan, on Oct. 15, 2024. 

Still reeling from a slush fund scandal, the ruling party and its coalition partner are set to lose seats but remain in power, portending slow and arduous policymaking in the years ahead.

Japan's Snap Elections Set To Weaken the LDP's Governing Capacity

Newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Shigeru Ishiba, speaks during a press conference on Sept. 27, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. 

As prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba will focus on strengthening the Japanese military and regional defense ties. But the opposition would seek to roll back such efforts if it wins the Oct. 27 snap general election.

Japan's New PM Will Seek To Revive His Party -- if He Survives a Snap Election

Mexico

Austria

Supporters of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) wave flags during an election rally in Vienna, Austria, on Sept. 27, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Austrian Elections and a U.S. Port Workers Strike

What key factors are informing the outcome of the elections?

Essential Geopolitics: What to Expect from Japan's Leadership Elections

Lebanon

Germany

The site of an Israeli strike on Sept. 19 in the southern Lebanese border village of Mahmoudiyeh. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah will continue to intensify in the next week.

Social Issues

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Israel-Hezbollah Conflict, the Sri Lankan Presidential Election

<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

Japan, Indonesia: Maritime Defense, Food Security Deals Signed

Japan: Diet Reform Could Stoke Long-Term Political Instability

Japan: Prime Minister Seeks Trade, Defense Upgrades in Visits to Malaysia and Indonesia

Japan: Denied 'Grand Coalition' Keeps Alive Chance of Double Election in July

U.S., Japan: Block of U.S. Steel Acquisition Will Strain Ties With Japan

China, U.S.: Pentagon Report Highlights Escalating Missile Arms Race

Philippines, Japan: Manila Ratifies Reciprocal Access Agreement

Japan: Ruling Party Accepts Opposition Economic and Political Demands

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