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
A record 15 countries took part in a New Year's jump training, which simulates island defense moves. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/11/japan/gsdf-new-year-jump-drill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #gsdf #newyear #chiba #shinjirokoizumi
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
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
Japan’s Cabinet has approved a defense budget request exceeding ¥9 trillion for the first time ever, including some ¥100 billion to build a drone “shield” to help defend the country’s southwestern periphery. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/26/japan/japan-defense-spending-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #defense #budgets #defenseministry #sdf #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and British Defence Secretary John Healey have shared serious concerns over moves by China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/18/japan/japan-uk-defense-ministers-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #ukjapanrelations #defense #shinjirokoizumi #johnhealey
China’s increasingly aggressive military actions toward Japan, highlighted by a recent radar lock-on incident, reflect a growing pattern of pressure that Tokyo and its allies must counter with steady vigilance. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/editorials/2025/12/12/chinas-continue-to-test-japans-defenses/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #editorials #chinajapanrelations #china #defense #pla #shinjirokoizumi #defenseministry #donaldtrump #us #taiwan #sanaetakaichi
Japan is taking a “calm and resolute” response in its ongoing dispute with China — a row that grew more heated with last week’s radar incident — as it looks to the international community to help lower the temperature. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/11/japan/politics/japan-china-dispute-diplomacy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #china #pla #japanchinarelations #us #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump #taiwan #defense #shinjirokoizumi
The U.S. has for the first time criticized the Chinese military’s use of radar on Japanese fighter jets last week, as Tokyo refuted Beijing’s claims it had given sufficient advance notice of military drills near Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/10/japan/politics/china-radar-lock-on-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #china #defense #pla #shinjirokoizumi #defenseministry #donaldtrump #us #taiwan #sanaetakaichi
The defense chiefs of Australia and Japan have announced a new “strategic defense” framework as they look to deepen cooperation amid shared concerns about Chinese military activities in the region. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/07/japan/japan-australia-defense-ministers/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #australiajapanrelations #australia #defense #shinjirokoizumi #defenseministry
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is planning to visit the United States next month to hold talks with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, government officials have said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/06/japan/politics/koizumi-us-visit-january/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #defense #defenseministry #budgets #us #usjapanrelations #petehegseth
The defense minister’s trip reminded observers of two things: China’s proclivity for overreaction and the challenges facing Japan in a tough neighborhood. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/11/28/japan/koizumis-yonaguni-visit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #shinjirokoizumi #gsdf #taiwan #china #defense #yonaguni
Japan’s defense minister, visiting a military base close to Taiwan, said plans to deploy missiles to the post were on track as tensions smolder between Tokyo and Beijing over the East Asian island. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/23/japan/japan-deploying-missiles-to-island-near-taiwan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #yonaguni #ishigaki #miyako #okinawa #taiwan #china #usmilitary #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #sdf
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is actively using social media and other means to disseminate information on the military movements of countries around Japan and how the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are responding. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/23/japan/politics/defense-chief-koizumi-one-month/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #defense #defenseministry #sdf
Japan and Indonesia have agreed to boost their defense and security ties, opening up opportunities for trilateral cooperation involving Australia following Jakarta’s plan to upgrade a key pact with Canberra. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/18/japan/politics/indonesia-japan-meeting-defense/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #indonesiajapanrelations #shinjirokoizumi #toshimitsumotegi #indonesia #china #sdf #msdf
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held talks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, on Monday after the pair inspected frigates and submarines that Jakarta has expressed an interest in acquiring. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/17/japan/politics/japan-indonesia-defense-chiefs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #indonesiajapanrelations #indonesia #defense #shinjirokoizumi #sjafriesjamsoeddin
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday that a proposed supplementary budget would include spending to help local governments address attacks by bears. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/12/japan/politics/extra-budget-bear-attacks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #bears #animals #budgets #shinjirokoizumi #localgovernment
The government has decided to extend the deployment of Self-Defense Forces personnel in the Middle East for one year to deal with issues such as maritime piracy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/07/japan/sdf-middle-east/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #middleeast #sdf #defense #shinjirokoizumi
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force were dispatched to Akita Prefecture to assist with bear control as the number of attacks and subsequent fatalities continue to rise in Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/05/japan/gsdf-bear-akita-deployed/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #bears #animals #akita #sdf #gsdf #defenseministry #shinjirokoizumi #kentasuzuki
Defense chief Shijiro Koizumi used a series of meetings during a regional summit to push for deepened cooperation with partners while expressing concern to his Chinese counterpart over military moves near Japan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/02/japan/politics/koizumi-defense-ministers-china-asean/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #defense #defenseministry #china #chinajapanrelations #pla #eastchinasea #senkakus #budgets #sdf
