# Japan
Latest news and articles about Japan
Total: 54 articles found
Beneath the Congratulations: Trump’s Frustration over Slow $550bn Japan-to-US Investment and the High-Stakes Bargain Ahead of a March Summit
President Trump publicly congratulated Japan’s newly strengthened LDP government while privately pressing Tokyo over slow progress on a $550 billion investment package pledged to the United States. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s March visit will bring proposals such as joint rare-earth development and the first tranche of investments, but deep mutual distrust and high American demands risk turning the bargain into a geopolitical lever rather than a simple economic pact.
Takaichi’s Gambit: Japan’s Election Win Paves Way for Arms Exports and Regional Frictions
Sanae Takaichi’s decisive electoral victory has unlocked a push to lift Japan’s long-standing ban on lethal weapons exports, signalling a major shift in Tokyo’s postwar defence posture. The change promises economic opportunities for Japan’s defence industry but risks heightening regional tensions and provoking strong responses from China and neighbouring states.
PLA’s Five‑Day South China Sea Patrol Raises Stakes as Manila Shifts Tactics and Tokyo Deepens Involvement
China’s PLA carried out a five‑day patrol in the South China Sea in early February, a move framed as a response to Philippine actions around Scarborough Shoal and joint exercises with the United States. Manila has signalled a tactical pivot toward pushing a South China Sea code of conduct during its 2026 ASEAN chairmanship, even as Japan deepens support for the Philippines, widening the dispute’s international dimensions.
Beijing Rebukes Japan’s Talk of Dialogue as ‘Words’ While ‘Hands Busy with Confrontation’
China publicly rejected Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi’s expressed openness to dialogue, saying words mean nothing if Tokyo pursues confrontational policies, especially on Taiwan. Beijing demanded a retraction of Takaichi’s Taiwan-related remarks and strict adherence to established political agreements as preconditions for credible talks.
Asia Stocks Climb as Japan Rally Dominates; Dollar Firms, Gold Slides and Offshore RMB Strengthens
Japan's equity rally, driven by Sanae Takaichi's election victory and investor bets on policy continuity, pushed the Nikkei to fresh highs and lifted regional markets. At the same time the dollar stabilized, gold and silver fell back, crude eased slightly, and the offshore renminbi strengthened past 6.91 amid speculation Beijing is promoting the yuan's global role.
Japan’s Militarist Gamble: Is Sanae Takaichi Betting on Revival — or Self-Destruction?
Sanae Takaichi’s push for a more militarized Japan has reignited debate over constitutional revision, defense spending, and the country’s postwar identity. While proponents frame militarization as necessary national revival in the face of regional threats, critics warn it could spark domestic division, economic strain, and a regional arms dynamic.
Beijing Rebukes Tokyo as Japanese Leader Signals Push to Normalize Yasukuni Visits
China’s foreign ministry condemned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after she said she was working to create conditions for visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, calling such moves a relapse into militarism on the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials. Beijing framed the issue as central to Japan’s moral responsibility and regional trust, warning that denial of wartime crimes risks repeating them.
Beijing Says Japan Election Won’t Alter China Policy, Warns Against Right‑wing Drift
China’s foreign ministry said its policy toward Japan will remain stable despite the ruling coalition’s victory and Sanae Takaichi’s continued leadership, while warning Tokyo against right‑wing adventurism and urging withdrawal of contentious Taiwan remarks. Beijing framed the election as a domestic matter but used the briefing to reiterate core demands and to signal vigilance over Japan’s future defence and Taiwan posture.
Takaichi’s Electoral Mandate Fuels Fiscal Boldness — and Fresh Downward Pressure on the Yen
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s governing coalition won a decisive lower-house majority, clearing the path for expansionary fiscal measures such as cuts to the food consumption tax and a new sovereign wealth fund. Markets have swiftly priced in a higher probability of yen weakness and a Japanese equity rally, while analysts warn that persistent fiscal loosening could exacerbate sovereign-financing pressures and elevate the risk of market intervention if the currency weakens beyond key thresholds.
Hibakusha Families Protest Plans to Weaken Japan’s Non‑Nuclear Stance as Councils Urge Upholding the Three Principles
Relatives of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic‑bomb survivors protested in Hiroshima against Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s reported consideration of revising Japan’s “three non‑nuclear principles,” calling on Tokyo to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Municipal assemblies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have formally urged the central government to respect survivors’ feelings and retain the prohibition on possessing, producing or introducing nuclear arms.
Hibakusha Groups and City Councils Push Back as Tokyo Considers Weakening Japan’s Non‑Nuclear Pledge
Family members of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic‑bomb survivors and both cities’ councils have protested proposals by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government to revise the "no‑import" element of Japan’s Three Non‑Nuclear Principles. The protests underline the moral authority of hibakusha and foreshadow a contentious domestic and diplomatic debate over Japan’s nuclear posture and its role under the US security umbrella.
Japan’s Deep‑Sea Rare‑Earth Claim Provides Political Cover — Not a Market Breakthrough
Japan’s claim to have located large rare‑earth deposits near Minamitorishima and its plan for a 2027 trial eases domestic political pressure after Chinese export curbs, but substantial technical, economic and environmental barriers make rapid independence from Chinese supplies unlikely. Beijing’s structural advantages in extraction and refining mean China is likely to remain central to global rare‑earth supplies in the near to medium term.