The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) — a new party formed by the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito — announced its basic policies and party platform on Monday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/19/japan/politics/cra-policies-security-energy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cra #2026lowerhouseelection #komeito #cdp #junazumi #tetsuosaito #henoko #futenma #okinawa #sanaetakaichi #sanseito
The incumbent mayor and two challengers filed their candidacies for the Jan. 25 mayoral election in Nago, Okinawa, which will focus on the planned relocation of a U.S. military base to the city’s Henoko area. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/19/japan/politics/okinawa-nago-mayor-election-kickoff/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #okinawa #nago #henoko #futenma #usbases #usmilitary
In Taiwan’s Yilan county, efforts are being made to preserve aircraft bunkers built by Imperial Japan during World War II for its kamikaze suicide attack pilots and commemorate them as part of local history. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/11/japan/history/taiwan-kamikaze-wwii/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #taiwan #wwii #okinawa #usmilitary #imperialjapanesearmy #yilan
Back in SFO, where they have an #Okinawa plaque in the floor of the international arrival lobby ✈️
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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
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
Nagasaki placed 17th and Okinawa 46th on The New York Times' list of "52 places to go in 2026." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/07/japan/nagasaki-okinawa-ny-times/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #nagasaki #okinawa #us #tourism #wwii #atomicbombings #newspapers #newyorktimes
U.S. military police in Okinawa Prefecture temporarily detained a civilian by mistake in the city of Okinawa on Nov. 22, a joint U.S.-Japan government panel has said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/27/japan/us-military-police-detain-civilian-okinawa/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #us #usmilitary #usbases #okinawa #usjapanrelations
The United States has informed Japan of its hope to additionally use heavy weapons, such as antitank missiles and rocket launchers, in training at Ground Self-Defense Force firing ranges. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/24/japan/us-heavy-weapons-use-gsdf/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #us #usjapanrelations #okinawa #gsdf #defense #rockets #missiles #defenseministry #hokkaido #miyagi #yamanashi #shizuoka #oita
A suicide note left by a negotiator for the 1972 Okinawa reversion — which describes the envoy’s grief over brokering a secret nuclear agreement with the U.S. — is now on display. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/22/japan/history/okinawa-reversion-envoy-note/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #keiwakaizumi #okinawa #usbases #usmilitary #nuclearweapons
Okinawa Prefecture’s image of “islands blessed with children” might not be entirely accurate when it comes to its remote islands and isolated communities, which struggle with acute depopulation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/22/japan/society/okinawa-remote-islands-depopulation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #okinawa #population #depopulation #rurallife #localgovernment
Okinawa development funds to see first rise in 10 years https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/18/japan/japan-okinawa-development-funds/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #ldp #okinawa #budgets #yukoobuchi
Beijing wants the world to believe that unification with Taiwan represents the rightful and intended state of the postwar system. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/12/japan/china-guardian-of-postwar-order/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #china #taiwan #us #chinajapanrelations #taiwanjapanrelations #okinawa #ccp #defense
The U.S. shift to transactional engagement leaves middle powers exposed but able to shape a multipolar world through defense, partnerships, and economic resilience. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/11/world/trump-putin-and-xis-great-power-world/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #china #us #sanaetakaichi #donaldtrump #xijinpingeurope #middleeast #asia #firstislandchain #okinawa #taiwan #russia #ukraine #hongkong #uyghurs #australia #southkorea #asean #quad #india #nato
China’s escalating backlash to Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks backfired by reinforcing Japan’s long-held position on Taiwan, strengthening ties among the self-governing island, Japan, the U.S. and First Island Chain partners. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/10/japan/chinas-takaichi-attack-backfires/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #china #taiwan #uschinajapanrelations #taiwanjapanrelations #treatyofsanfrancisco #chinesecommunistparty #onechinapolicy #usnationalsecuritystrategy #firstislandchain #okinawa
American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris has been released three weeks after his arrest in Okinawa on suspicion of drug smuggling while prosecutors investigate. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/12/10/entertainment-news/jeremy-o-harris-drug-release/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #entertainmentnews #emilyinparis #jeremyoharris #drugs #okinawa #smuggling
A Chinese military fighter jet twice locked its fire radar on SDF aircraft over international waters southeast of Okinawa Prefecture on Saturday, as ties between the neighbors continue to plunge to fresh lows. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/07/japan/china-japan-radar-lock-on/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #china #chinajapanrelations #sdf #defense #pla #taiwan #sanaetakaichi #okinawa
Prominent American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris has been arrested in Japan on suspicion of drug smuggling, according to local media reports. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/12/05/jeremy-o-harris-okinawa-arrest/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #jeremyoharris #drugs #okinawa #smuggling
An international school in Okinawa is attracting many families from Tokyo seeking international education for their children. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/01/japan/society/okinawa-educational-relocation-international-school/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #okinawa #education #schools #okinawainternationalschool
The central government and Okinawa Prefecture remain apart over the planned relocation of a U.S. military base within the prefecture. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/01/japan/politics/japan-okinawa-futenma-base-relocation-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #okinawa #futenma #usbases #dennytamaki #minorukihara