The United States has unveiled a critical-minerals partnership with Japan and the European Union amid growing concerns about China's dominant role in the sector. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/05/economy/us-japan-eu-critical-minerals-partnership/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #rareearths #minerals #usjapanrelations #eujapanrelations
Japan's Supreme Court has dismissed a U.S. airman's appeal against his five-year prison sentence for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an underage girl in Okinawa Prefecture in 2023. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/03/japan/crime-legal/okinawa-rejection-airman-appeal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #crimelegal #us #japanesecourts #okinawa #usmilitary #sexcrimes #usbases #usjapanrelations #women039sissues #childabuse #supremecourt
Opening a new chapter for Japan-U.S.-Europe cooperation may define the strategic legacy of the Takaichi administration. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/02/world/japans-strategic-crossroads/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #sanaetakaichi #usjapanrelations #chinajapanrelations #eujapanrelations #indopacific #defense #donaldtrump
This month 25 and 50 years ago saw The Japan Times reporting on the discovery of Lucie Blackman's body and the beginnings of the Lockheed bribery scandal. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/02/japan/history/japanese-history-lockheed-blackman/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #lockheed #corruption #lucieblackman #usjapanrelations
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is considering treating Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as a state guest during her possible visit to the United States this spring, according to informed sources. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/31/japan/us-takaichi-state-guest/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations
U.S. removes call for BOJ to raise interest rates https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/30/economy/us-removal-call-boj-interest-rates/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #usjapanrelations #boj #japaneseeconomy #inflation #yen #currencies
It is difficult for Japan to give up Russian liquefied natural gas, despite stepped-up sanctions by the United States and Europe, Japan Gas Association leader Takashi Uchida has said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/30/gas-leader-interview-lng-russia/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #lng #gas #utilities #russia #trade #russiajapanrelations #energy #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump
A top Pentagon official discussed strengthening the U.S.-Japan military alliance with a Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as Washington continues to put pressure on its allies in Asia to ramp up defense spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/29/japan/politics/japan-us-defense-alliance-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #defense #defenseministry #elbridgecolby #takehirofunakoshi
A plan to build a synthetic diamond plant in the United States may be part of Japan's $550 billion investment package, amid a push to expand production of the material vital to chip and high-precision manufacturing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/27/economy/us-japan-synthetic-diamond-production/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump #tariffs
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said the Japan-U.S. alliance would collapse if Tokyo did nothing in the event U.S. forces were attacked during an emergency involving the evacuation of the allies’ citizens from Taiwan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/27/japan/politics/japan-takaichi-taiwan-us-alliance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #taiwan #us #usmilitary #pla #china #sanaetakaichi #xijinping
Prime Minister Takaichi is advancing a more assertive security agenda, but insufficiently refined strategic signaling risks diplomatic friction and undermining the coherence and credibility of its foreign policy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/22/japan/takaichis-strengths-and-strategic-signaling/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #apec #southkorea #china #ldp #komeito #jip #taiwan #nuclearweapons #freeandopenindopacific #chinajapanrelations #usjapanrelations #defense
Japan’s exports managed to rise last year despite the first fall in shipments to the U.S. since the pandemic, in a year that was roiled by tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/22/economy/japan-exports-rise-2025/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #economicindicators #trade #japaneseeconomy #tariffs #cars #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations
Despite Japan bracing itself for the worst when Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president, the tumult generated in his first year back has exceeded even Tokyo's deepest fears. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/21/japan/politics/trump-us-japan-year-one/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #us #usjapanrelations #indopacific #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi #defense #budgets #china #pla #taiwan #greenland #venezuela #usmilitary
The Bank of Japan is expected to keep rates steady at 0.75%, a 30-year high, ahead of the Lower House election in February. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/21/markets/boj-preview-jan-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #markets #boj #us #tariffs #usjapanrelations #inflation #japaneseeconomy
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has called the U.S.-Japan alliance “unshakable” after talks with U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth, but declined to offer specifics about any discussions on China during their meeting. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/16/japan/politics/hegseth-koizumi-meeting-alliance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #petehegseth #us #usjapanrelations #washington #china #defense #defenseministry
Japan has roughly 12 years to overhaul its postwar strategy, military posture and political mindset to preserve its autonomy and deter China as U.S. reliability fades and regional power balances shift. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/13/world/japan-cant-afford-strategic-confusion/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #usjapanrelations #chinajapanrelations #defense #china #sdf #xijinping #donaldtrump #sanaetakaichi
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will visit the U.S. next week, with plans to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/09/japan/politics/koizumi-hegseth-washington/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #petehegseth #us #usjapanrelations #washington #defense
Japan will form a panel of experts as early as this spring to start full-scale discussions on a review of the country's three key national security-related documents, government officials have said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/09/japan/japan-security-strategy-review/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #usjapanrelations #us #usbases #okinawa #defense #defenseministry
For Tokyo, 2026 will be full of pressing questions — namely about the U.S. commitment to its alliance with Japan under President Donald Trump, a concern that is sure to bleed into other aspects of Tokyo’s foreign policy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/08/japan/politics/japan-diplomatic-outlook/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #chinajapanrelations #defense #xijinping #china #budgets
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Wednesday met with Nago Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi to seek local understanding on relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the city. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/08/japan/koizumi-local-understanding-futenma/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #shinjirokoizumi #okinawa #futenma #henoko #us #usmilitary #usbases #usjapanrelations #defense