July 17 (UPI) — Japanese lawmakers adopted measures Friday to bolster the dwindling ranks of the country’s royal family but ignored public backing to permit female succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in favor of allowing the family to adopt distantly related male kin.
The first major change to the law in almost 80 years legalizes the adoption of males born to former imperial branch families descended from emperors, provided they are 15 or older, as well as allowing female royals to marry outside the family without forfeiting their imperial status.
Males adopted into the imperial family will be permitted to succeed Emperor Naruhito over female members of the royal family, including his popular 24-year-old daughter, Princess Aiko, who remains excluded from the succession.
The children of female royals who marry commoners will remain forever commoners and be recorded on the Basic Resident Register in line with the majority of ordinary Japanese citizens.
The move tabled by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party coalition drew criticism from the opposition over concerns not enough parliamentary time had been allocated to debate the issues and their push to maintain a succession where only males descended from the paternal line can ascend the throne.
The revision, part of the LDP-Japan Innovation Party coalition’s manifesto, expands the three male heirs who could succeed 66-year-old Naruhito to include unmarried males of 11 former branch families who may now legally become part of the imperial family, which is down to just 16 members.
Prior to the revision, the survival of Naruhito’s line hinged on his nephew, Prince Hisahito, producing a male heir.
The other two immediate heirs to Naruhito are his brother, Crown Prince Fumihito, and his uncle — but they are aged 60 and 90-years-old, respectively.
The throne has been passed down through the male line for all of its history, said to be more than 26 centuries, although there is doubt over whether some of the earlier emperors were real; several of those whose existence has been confirmed were female.
LONDON — The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team after players posed with a banner claiming sovereignty over the contested Falkland Islands.
Argentina beat England 2-1 in a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta.
During post-match celebrations, Argentine players held a banner handed over by fans in the stands, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday. “Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
Starmer supported calls for FIFA to investigate, the spokesperson said, after U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the players’ behavior was “entirely inappropriate.”
FIFA can prosecute Argentina’s players and soccer federation because its disciplinary code prohibits at stadiums any “message that is not appropriate for a sports event” including those of “a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
The FIFA fines for political messaging are $5,000 to $20,000.
FIFA was approached for comment Thursday.
A FIFA disciplinary case under previous leadership banned a South Korea player for two 2014 World Cup qualifying games because he held up a similar banner about a territorial claim against Japan at the 2012 London Olympics. Park Jong-woo took a fan banner with the slogan “Dokdo is our territory” after South Korea beat Japan in the men’s bronze medal game.
On Wednesday, Argentina player Lisandro Martínez was asked if the banner could have stirred deep emotions and tears for a veteran of the Malvinas conflict.
“We couldn’t let the Argentine people down” said Martínez, who has played in England for the past four years with Manchester United.
The sporting rivalry between the two countries is heightened by political tensions over the South Atlantic archipelago. It is a British overseas territory with a population of around 3,500 people located about 8,000 miles from the U.K. and 300 miles from Argentina.
Argentina argues that the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833. Britain, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765, sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.
The war in 1982 killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service personnel and three islanders.
That conflict ended during the 1982 World Cup in Spain where Argentina, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all played. British television networks declined to broadcast Argentina playing in the tournament’s opening game, when the defending champion lost to Belgium.
“Sadly, it is a sad part of our history,” Argentina player Leandro Paredes said in Atlanta about the banner, “for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history. And it hurts. We knew we were playing for them, too.”
British government minister Kyle told the BBC “politics needs to be separate from football.”
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football,” he said. “That is now a matter for FIFA.”
FIFA’s statutory political neutrality has been questioned at this World Cup after its president, Gianni Infantino, and disciplinary process — which could now judge Argentina — seemed to cave to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump in allowing United States forward Folarin Balogun to play Belgium in the round of 16.
Balogun was shown a red card in the previous round and FIFA disciplinary rules mandated he should be banned from his team’s next game. FIFA deferred that suspension for one year of probation, provoking an all-time controversy in modern World Cup history. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Infantino is expected to sit with Trump and Argentina President Javier Milei, who are political allies, at the World Cup final Sunday. Argentina plays Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Argentina players showed the same “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” slogan at a warmup game in June 2014 in Buenos Aires for the World Cup that started days later in Brazil.
FIFA’s disciplinary panel ruling in that case was published after the tournament finished and fined the Argentina federation $37,000.
In the 2012 London Olympics case, FIFA’s ruling said the conduct of the South Korea player “cannot be tolerated.”
At the 2022 World Cup, FIFA fined the Serbia federation 20,000 Swiss francs ($24,800) for hanging a political banner about neighboring independent state Kosovo in the locker room before playing Brazil.
It showed a map of Serbia that included the territory of Kosovo, which has been an independent state since 2008, and the slogan “No Surrender.”
Lawless and Dunbar write for the Associated Press. Dunbar contributed to this report from Geneva.
Less than 48 hours after the earthquakes of June 24, X (formerly Twitter) users mentioned that a Japanese team did a study on seismic risk in Caracas in the early 21st century. That’s true. In March 2005, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the primary government agency responsible for managing Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), released the report Basic Plan for Disaster Prevention in the Metropolitan District of Caracas in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The technical report presented a Disaster Prevention Plan as requested by the Venezuelan government. The plan’s goal was to save lives during an earthquake by minimizing asset damage and improving the State’s response capacity.
The study covered only three of the five municipalities that form Metropolitan Caracas: Libertador, Chacao, and Sucre, because the government committed to apply its conclusions to Baruta and El Hatillo. It did not consider what is currently called La Guaira state (Vargas back then).
The Japanese team was headed by Mitsuo Miura (Pacific Consultants International, PCI) and composed of staff members of PCI and OYO International Corporation. They visited Venezuela seven times, from December 2002 to March 2005, when they discussed the results with the Venezuelan officials and conducted field surveys. Upon returning to Japan, the team finished additional studies and prepared this final report.
The study defined several scenarios to estimate risks, soil displacement, and potential damage. It projected that, in the worst case, a considerable number of buildings in Caracas, depending on their age and type, would collapse, with a high human cost. Only the ones built after 2002 showed high seismic capacity. Twenty years ago, those buildings made up no more than 0.1% of the studied area.
On the other side, 98,237 buildings were vulnerable. Those built before 1967 (the year of the previous great earthquake in Venezuela) had low seismic capacity, while those built from 1968 to 2001 had a moderate capacity. Of the 1968-1982 buildings, 82% were made of brick and mortar.
“The project will reduce the number of heavily damaged buildings from around 10,000 to around 1,300, and the number of casualties from around 4,900 to around 400 in the case of a 1967 earthquake.”
The Japanese team evaluated, using Japanese standards, office buildings, homes, bridges and viaducts, and established a range of risks in several seismic scenarios. After surveying the Metro tunnels and stations, they suggested reinforcing columns and structures, as well as adding resistant materials in the gas and water networks, and improving the structure of gas stations to avoid dangerous combustible spills.
By 2005, shantytowns covered approximately 20% of Caracas’ urban area, and hosted 51.2% of the capital’s population. This study conducted, for the first time, seismic reinforcement tests on four full-scale models of the typical rancho. It demonstrated that the unengineered constructions have low seismic resistance and require reinforcement, as they could not withstand minor loads and showed failures in columns and connections. The bricks did not contribute significant resistance. If those homes were reinforced with beams, their resistance increased by 40% at an additional cost of 5% to 7%.
Their plan recommended seven big tasks. To improve safety, reinforce buildings and bridges, control the flux of sediments, and relocate the population living in high-risk areas. To improve response, implement early alert systems and emergency command centers. And to improve coordination, educate the population and stimulate citizen participation. By that time, local technologies made all these projects possible.
“The project”, they assured in the report, “will reduce the number of heavily damaged buildings from around 10,000 to around 1,300, and the number of casualties from around 4,900 to around 400 in the case of a 1967 earthquake.”
There was no plan, no authorities, no clear responsibilities to allow Venezuela’s capital and most populated city to coordinate the response in case of a disaster, the Japanese warned.
When they did the calculations back in 2005, they estimated the plan would cost around 2,800 million dollars (most of them to reinforce all the buildings that could be damaged in an earthquake) and would take 16 years to fully implement. So, if the Chávez and Maduro governments had done their part of the deal, Venezuela would have finished five years ago a seismic prevention and safety strategy in Caracas designed by the experts from a country that knows earthquakes as much as Japan, paying a quarter of the costs estimated for the 2026 earthquakes.
The Japanese team also recommended an early alert system for landslides, to be developed from 2005 to 2007, with a cost of one million dollars. This was meant to protect 19,000 Venezuelans.
The Venezuelan entities involved in the plan would be the ministries of Public Works and Housing, Transportation, and Planning and Development; the Caracas Metropolitan Mayor’s office; the capital’s five municipalities; and the National Civil Protection and Disaster Management Organization (Protección Civil).
But by 2005, only a civil protection law from 2001 defined some of the corresponding responsibilities. The capital’s Disaster Prevention Administration was being developed. As the Japanese experts warned in their report, there was no plan, no authorities, no clear responsibilities to allow Venezuela’s capital and most populated city to coordinate the response in case of a disaster.
When Japan’s JICA delivered the report to Hugo Chávez, the area under assessment had 17 firefighter stations, 15 municipal police stations, 17 civil protection stations and two emergency control centers. Since then, the only visible change for the inhabitants is the increase of National Police (PMB) command centers.
On June 24, 2026, three buildings went down in Chacao municipality, and inspections are being made to assess the structural damage of several more. In Libertador municipality, at least two residential towers collapsed in San Bernardino, and there’s important damage across the city. In parts of Petare, in Sucre municipality, where many buildings are ranchos, an undetermined number of lodgings collapsed totally or partially, and basic services are not available in some places.
Many foreign crews came to help, especially in La Guaira. One of them is a new research team with seven JICA specialists that arrived in Caracas four days after the earthquakes to design the support measures Japan would contribute to. On June 30, after a request from the interim government, Japan sent tents, water tanks and purification equipment, and erected two campaign hospitales, one in Caraballeda, in the middle of the disaster zone in La Guaira, and another by the Dr. Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas.
Besides this, Miyamoto International, a Japanese organization of disaster prevention engineering, came to assess earthquakes’ impact. The team is headed by the famous engineer Hideki “Kit” Miyamoto, the organization’s founder and director. He said they are talking with the Japanese government and reviewing the previous reports. Maybe they will issue a new body of knowledge like the 2005 investigation by JICA. Let’s hope that, this time, the Japanese expertise will be used.
United States President Donald Trump is scheduled to address a defence summit at the US Army War College on Wednesday, where he is expected to laud US investments in its armed forces that he has argued have helped add a new edge to history’s most powerful military.
But his speech comes at a time when the US’s war on Iran has significantly depleted the US military’s weapons stockpile.
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The summit, which will be held in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, comes as the US has re-ignited attacks on Iran in the past week, and as Trump has threatened to continue a war that, according to recent US polls, is highly unpopular among Americans facing high costs of living.
The US has expended half of at least four of its most critical munitions since its war on Iran began on February 28, and has racked up billions of dollars in weapons expenses, analysis shows.
Replenishing low stockpiles could take anywhere between several months and several years. Analysts warn that a shrinking arsenal could put the US in a less formidable position in a potential future conflict – particularly against China.
Here’s what we know about the US weapons inventory:
Following an April ceasefire between the US and Iran, and the subsequent signing of a memorandum of understanding in June, the conflict kicked off again after the US Central Command launched heavy waves of attacks on Iran’s military sites last Wednesday, saying it was aiming to degrade Tehran’s military capabilities. Huge, hourlong attacks have continued for four nights since Sunday, including on railway tracks and bridges.
Both sides traded low-intensity attacks throughout the ceasefire period. However, the US escalated air attacks last week after Iran fired on three commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz – because those vessels had used a shipping route not approved by Tehran.
Each blames the other for violating the ceasefire, and at last week’s NATO leaders’ summit, Trump declared the pact with Iran over, although he said American negotiators could continue talks. Washington has also reinstated a naval blockade on Iran-linked ships trying to transit the waterway and has re-imposed sanctions on Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has responded with retaliatory attacks on US military assets in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
More than a dozen people have been killed in Iran since the new wave of US attacks, including civilians.
“We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” Trump threatened in a Fox News interview that aired on Tuesday.
Attacking civilian infrastructure is a violation of international law.
Washington’s supplies are running low but have not reached a critical level, according to analysis of the US weapons inventory by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.
In the 39 days of conflict between the start of the US-Iran war in February and the ceasefire in April, the US hit more than 13,000 targets, focusing mainly on using seven of its most powerful missiles and air defence systems: Tomahawk missiles, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), Terminal High Altitude Area Defenses (THAAD) and Patriots.
For at least four of the munitions, Washington likely expended more than half of its available stockpiles, although many lower-grade alternatives are still in stock, according to CSIS. Government data on weapons inventory is classified.
Here’s how the munitions were used:
Analysts from CSIS say that while the US may have enough to continue hitting Iran in the near-term war, it has reduced its stockpiles so significantly that it may not have enough for potential future wars, especially against a formidable rival like China.
Replenishing high-capability and costly weapons like the ones the US has used in Iran will likely take several years.
Trump and senior administration officials have publicly maintained that the US has an “unlimited” supply of weapons as the US-Iran war has raged on.
However, in March, Trump said administration officials met with the heads of US manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, BAE Systems, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Missile Solutions, and Northrop Grumman. He said all promised to “quadruple” production and that increased manufacturing was already under way.
Subsequently, in June, Trump signed the Defense Production Act, an executive order compelling US weapons manufacturers to speed up production, citing existing conditions “which may pose a direct threat to the national defense or its preparedness programs”.
An order compelling private actors to ramp up production likely reflects timeline concerns within the Pentagon, analysts note.
In the short term, Washington is also unlikely to meet demands from its allies, and may not have the capacity to supply the THAADs and Patriots that Ukraine says are crucial in its war against Russia.
Already, supply orders have hit road bumps. Japan’s order of 400 Tomahawks from Raytheon was meant to be delivered between 2025 and 2027, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in May that two more years could be added to the schedule.
Meanwhile, Switzerland began negotiations with France, Israel and South Korea in June to buy another missile defence system after its 2022 order from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon continued to face delays.
Hegseth said in May that it could take “months and years” to replenish the supplies, based on the weapons system.
Analysts reckon it could take the US between one and four years to get its most exquisite munitions stockpiles back to pre-Iran war levels, even as Trump has boasted that new weapons plants are being built around the US and production is being ramped up.
Trump’s administration is set to buy large amounts of advanced munitions in its proposed $1.5 trillion 2027 defence budget – a 44 percent increase from 2026’s defence budget.
According to CSIS, estimated timelines to replenish the seven critical munitions, based on existing production facilities, are:
Family members of Korean victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor at the Sado mine complex during World War II explore the mines on Nov. 25, 2024. UNESCO has recommended Japan do more to reflect the “whole history” of the site. File Photo by Yonhap
An international heritage body has recommended that Japan take further steps to adequately reflect the “whole history” of the Sado mine World Heritage site, linked to the wartime mobilization of Korean laborers, saying Tokyo’s related efforts remain insufficient.
The recommendation was included in a draft decision released Wednesday by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee following its review of a State of Conservation (SOC) report submitted by Japan late last year, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.
When approving the inscription of the mine as a World Heritage site in July 2024, the committee recommended that Japan present the site’s “whole history” across all periods of mining activity.
South Korean foreign ministry officials said the “whole history” includes the period during which more than 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to work at the mine during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Once known for its gold production, the complex was later used to produce war supplies for the Japanese imperial army during World War II.
“The interpretation and presentation strategy of the whole history has shown some progress but remains to be fully developed,” the draft decision read.
“Further clarification is needed regarding how the interpretation and presentation strategy and facilities comprehensively address, at the site level, the whole history of the property throughout all periods of mining exploitation,” it noted.
The committee also recommended that Japan closely consult with relevant parties to improve its interpretation and exhibition strategy and ensure that the site’s whole history is fully presented, and submit a follow-up implementation report by December 2027.
The draft decision is scheduled to be discussed at the 48th committee session in the southeastern South Korean city of Busan next week. Unless objections are raised by member states, it is expected to be adopted by consensus.
“We view the decision as reflecting our consistent position that Japan’s implementation of the committee’s recommendations remains insufficient,” a foreign ministry official said.
“We will continue to work closely with the UNESCO Secretariat and relevant countries to ensure that Japan faithfully implements the committee’s decisions and the commitments it made at the time of the site’s inscription,” the official added.
Japan has held annual memorial ceremonies for workers at the mine as part of commitments made during the inscription process. South Korea, however, has declined to attend the Japan-hosted event for two consecutive years, noting the ceremony failed to adequately reflect the site’s whole history, including the forced mobilization of Korean laborers.
Seoul has instead held separate memorial services each year near the mine site with the bereaved family members of the forced laborers.
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Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) said it plans to invest about $3B to expand its advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity in Japan, backed by about $1B in grants from the Japanese government. The expansion is aimed at meeting rising demand from AI and data center
Japan is setting up its first centralised intelligence agency since World War II to try to modernise its defence capabilities against spies, foreign interference and other attacks from foreign adversaries.
Legislation to establish the new agency passed the upper house of Japan’s National Diet in May, a month after it cleared the lower house.
After decades of relying on US intelligence support and after a pacifist stance was enshrined in the Japanese Constitution, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described this law as “a first step” towards strengthening the country’s espionage capabilities.
The legislation creates two bodies: a National Intelligence Council that will act as the government’s command centre for intelligence gathering and analysis and an agency for operations. The reform changes the existing Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) into a centralised National Intelligence Council and National Intelligence Bureau.
Takaichi isn’t exactly building the US Central Intelligence Agency, but The New York Times reported Western allies, including the United States, Germany and Australia, are advising the Japanese government on establishing the new spy agency.
Ken Kotani, professor at Nihon University, said he believes Japan’s new National Intelligence Council and national intelligence agency model will be original to Japan.
Sanshiro Hosaka, a research fellow at the Estonia-based International Centre for Defence and Security, said the reform is aimed at improving the Japanese government’s intelligence abilities “by strengthening coordination, reducing interagency barriers and ensuring that intelligence products better meet policymakers’ requirements”.
Tokyo says it is facing threats from a number of nearby countries such as North Korea, Russia and China, and a national intelligence agency is needed to counter their efforts.
Kotani explained that Japan’s foreign and national security policy followed the US during the Cold War period. But he noted that “recently Japan has gradually pursued her own policy, especially in the Trump administration period.”
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Washington’s allies of not spending enough on their own defence and on relying on American help. He has questioned US alliances and has been ambivalent about whether the world’s most powerful military would come to the defence of smaller nations.
That, Kotani said, is why “Japan needs to collect intelligence by herself.”
Japan currently lacks an antiespionage law that would make it relatively easy for foreign intelligence activities to go unpunished.
Hosaka explained that former Russian intelligence officers who operated in Japan, such as Stanislav Levchenko and Konstantin Preobrazhensky, described Japan as a paradise for spies: “During the Cold War, Soviet intelligence targeted Japanese technologies, industrial and commercial information as well as the US bases in Japan,” Hosaka explained. “As a major US ally in Asia and an advanced technological economy, Japan remains an important intelligence target for China, Russia, North Korea and others.”
Hosaka said what Japan needs “is a foreign-influence transparency law to increase the transparency of foreign actors’ lobbying activities as well as to deter illegal foreign interference. And an antiespionage law to conduct undercover operations and investigations using assumed identities.”
A major obstacle within Japan’s current decentralised structure, experts said, is that no one has the authority to force cooperation from other agencies or bodies or prevent intelligence data from being scattered.
Kotani explained that the political power of Japan’s current intelligence agency has been weak: “This was because the CIRO was not given any legal mandates on intelligence when it was established in 1952.”
Another difficulty is that under current Japanese laws, foreign representatives suspected of potential intelligence affiliations or interference are difficult to intercept because legal grounds are weak for Japanese authorities to intercept their communications or prosecute them.
Takaichi took office in October and has accelerated the expansion of Japan’s military and security ambitions through a number of measures, including establishing a central intelligence body.
In December, the cabinet approved its largest defence budget ever at $58bn as the Ministry of Defence said it needed to accelerate its “transformation” and would use more than $600m for building a so-called drone and laser shield to protect its southwestern region.
In April, Takaichi’s cabinet moved closer to abolishing a longstanding ban on the export of lethal weapons, such as tanks and warships.
The new direction led to antiwar protests in the streets of Japan in May. However, a Jiji opinion poll in April showed only 19 percent were opposed to the new bill to reform intelligence within the country. About 40 percent were indifferent, and the rest were in favour.
Kotani said he has noticed a lot of the old “taboo has gone” around this subject and it is no longer a topic of concern to many Japanese, He said: “Especially younger generations are not interested in such an old story.”
Japan’s defeat in World War II left its citizens with distrust towards state surveillance as the wartime Special Higher Police, known as the Tokko, monitored, arrested and tortured citizens for their political beliefs.
Article 9 in its constitution, drafted in 1947 shortly after the end of the war, renounced war, and Japan has never had its own foreign intelligence service. Instead, it relied on the US.
The efforts for a new security agency have sparked some domestic criticism, but Hosaka said the latest reforms do not amount to a return to the kind of espionage apparatus that could be used against Japanese civilians.
“The legislation does not itself create significant new intelligence collection or counterintelligence powers,” Hosaka said.
Tokyo, Japan – While walking his toy poodle in the park near his home in Ikeda, Gifu Prefecture, Shin Ohta had an idea.
“My dog often stops walking during our strolls. I would carry him every time, but his weight of nearly 5kg [11lbs] started to become a real burden,” Ohta told Al Jazeera.
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“I knew there had to be a better way.
Ohta works in sales for Japan’s oldest baby carrier manufacturer, Lucky Industries, which has produced more than 40 million baby carriers since its founding in 1934.
He has spent his career making baby carriers, but after that walk, he wondered if the same expertise could be applied to pets.
After consulting a veterinarian to ensure the design was viable for dogs, Ohta helped Lucky Industries launch its first line of dog hip carriers in 2022: Nu-i.
Earlier this year, the company joined dozens of other brands at Tokyo’s annual Interpets conference, a showcase of Japan’s rapidly growing pet care market.
During the first weekend of April, stalls lined the walls of the Big Sight convention centre, selling everything from walk-in pet dryers to the latest organic cat treats.
Few of the pet owners attending the event had their four-legged friend on a leash, instead ferrying them to and fro in well-decorated pet strollers, or the doggy equivalent of baby slings.
Many pets were decked out in colourful outfits, fur clips, and diapers.
Pets in Japan now outnumber children under 15 by more than 2 million.
According to market intelligence company Euromonitor, the country’s pet care market was worth 880 billion yen ($5.4bn) in 2025, up from 689.6 billion yen ($4.2bn) in 2020.
As Japan’s birthrate continues to fall and the population of children shrinks, companies that once built their businesses on babies, selling nappies, slings, and strollers, are increasingly turning their attention to pets.
Betting on pets at the Interpets conference, Unicharm’s expansive stall was lined with dog and cat nappies from its latest “Mannerware’” line.
The Tokyo-based company has been one of the great cross-market successes of the pet care boom.
After making its name selling feminine hygiene products and disposable diapers, Unicharm expanded into pet diapers in 2001.
Since then, pet care products have become one of the company’s main growth engines.
While the personal care market for people is larger, the pet care sector has higher profit margins.
According to Unicharm’s financial results for 2025, the company’s pet care division had a profit margin of 15.4 percent that year, compared with personal care’s margin of 10.7 percent.
Isshu Uehara, a Unicharm spokesperson, said that as of 2025, the pet care business accounted for 17 percent of the company’s total sales, with plans to increase that share to 20 percent by 2030.
“Japan’s birthrate is declining,” Uehara told Al Jazeera.
“Lifestyle changes, such as remaining single, marrying late, and the growth of childless, dual-income households, have led to a greater number of people seeking emotional connections through pets.
“As a result, we’re seeing the growth of ‘pet humanisation’, or treating pets like family members or children rather than just animals.
“Customers want to buy premium products to extend pets’ lifetimes, and share experiences with them, like dining together or going out to cafes and friends’ houses,” Uehara added.
Unicharm is not alone.
Across Japan, stroller brands like AirBuggy and clothing companies like Sweet Mommy have made similar leaps, applying expertise built around infants to a growing market of pet owners.
Lucky Industries CEO Hiroyuki Higuchi pointed to the company’s origins to explain the shift towards pets.
“When the company started, Japanese families had many children, and mothers needed carriers to be able to work around the house,” Higuchi told Al Jazeera.
But now, Japanese families are shrinking. While there has been a rise in single-person households and childless dual-income households, families with only one child have become more common as well.
A national survey of fertility trends found that between 2002 and 2021, the proportion of households with only one child increased from 10 percent to nearly 20 percent.
“With fewer babies around, it has been harder to come up with new ideas for baby products,” Ohta said.
“Now, my life is centred around my dogs, as are the lives of many of my friends. When we meet up, we talk about our pets.”
“Compared to the baby goods market, the pet sector is doing better,” said Higuchi.
“Companies see it as a reliable sector… In Japan, dogs are seen as babies, as part of the family. Just like many Japanese carry their babies in slings or carriers, so can dog owners,” Higuchi added.
Barbara Holthus, a sociologist and director of the German Institute of Japan Studies, said pet humanisation has been a growing trend in recent years.
“Before, a dog or cat might have just been an additional family member, but with fewer other family members and fewer children in the house, the focus becomes very concentrated on this animal,” Holthus told Al Jazeera.
“But it’s more diverse than just replacing children. Animals take on many different roles,” Holthus added. “A pet can also replace a partner. After a divorce, people sometimes get pets.
After someone gets widowed, they get a pet. Sometimes, a pet is seen as a play partner for an only child.”
Holthus sees Japan as a prime example of changing family structures, including the emergence of the “multi-species family”.
Holthus said decreasing birth rates, as well as factors such as loneliness and rising urbanisation, help explain why the trend of humanising pets has been particularly pronounced in Japan.
As for why infant brands are turning to pets, Holthus offered a simple explanation.
“It’s understandable,” she said.
“Of course, companies want to make money, and due to demographic change, their market is getting lost.”
July 10 (UPI) — Typhoon Bavi weakened as it moved off the Philippines on Friday but was expected to bring heavy rain to Taiwan and parts of Japan before it makes landfall in China.
Bavi, which was called Inday in the Philippines, killed at least 15 people after heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides in several villages and cities, and affected tens of thousands of people there, The BBC and The Philippine Star reported.
The typhoon on Friday brought storm surge and rain to Okinawa, Japan, and was expected Saturday to pound the north and east sides of Taiwan, potentially bringing nearly 40 inches of rain in some areas.
Once past Taiwan, the storm could make two landfalls in China, part of which is still recovering after Typhoon Maysak earlier this week.
Maysak’s havoc is linked to at least 39 deaths, though searches were underway for people reported missing.
Hundreds of flights in Japan, including Okinawa and the Sakishima Islands, were canceled on Friday and Saturday as residents braced for Bavi’s pounding rain.
Forecasters in China warned of two potential landfalls as it moves toward the north, noting that Bavi’s size — at it’s widest point, the typhoon is as wide as France — means that both its remnants and outer rain bands are likely to affect a huge swath of people and property.
Japan’s ispace is expanding its role in the commercial lunar economy after two unsuccessful moon landing attempts in 2023 and 2025. The company is developing its next-generation Ultra lunar landers, including a mission under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, as competition intensifies in the race to build sustainable infrastructure for future lunar exploration.
Japanese lunar transport company ispace said on Wednesday it would launch a new lower-cost lunar cargo business using SpaceX’s Starship rocket and lunar landing system, marking a significant expansion of its commercial Moon ambitions.
Tokyo-based ispace has purchased 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of payload capacity aboard a future Starship mission expected to land on the Moon as early as 2030. The agreement, valued at $50 million, will allow the company to transport customer payloads through a shared-ride service while developing a lunar surface vehicle capable of carrying cargo from multiple clients.
The company described the new offering as a “lunar access integrator” service, providing a cost-effective way for governments, research organisations and commercial customers to send equipment to the Moon without requiring dedicated spacecraft.
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Hideari Kamiya, ispace’s executive vice president, said the service would complement the company’s ongoing development of dedicated lunar landers described as “taxis” by functioning more like a shared transportation “bus” for lunar cargo.
The partnership expands an existing relationship between the two companies. ispace previously relied on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets for its lunar missions in 2023 and 2025, although both attempts ended unsuccessfully before achieving a soft landing.
Despite those setbacks, ispace continues to pursue its long-term lunar programme and plans to land three next-generation Ultra landers by 2030, including one mission under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
Chief Executive Takeshi Hakamada said working with Starship would “exponentially” accelerate the company’s growth in the emerging lunar infrastructure market while allowing it to continue developing its own landing technology.
SpaceX welcomed the expanded partnership, saying Starship’s reusable design could significantly improve access to the Moon for commercial customers.
Stephanie Bednarek, SpaceX’s vice president of commercial sales, said ispace’s integration services would provide an important pathway for smaller payloads seeking affordable lunar transportation.
Although the agreement is not exclusive, NASA plans to use Starship for its first crewed lunar landing under the Artemis programme in 2028, while U.S.-based lunar rover developer Astrolab has also reserved space on future Starship missions.
Hakamada said SpaceX initially approached ispace with the idea of creating a shared lunar cargo integration business, adding that while competitors may eventually enter the market, few companies currently possess both the transportation expertise and the capability to continue supporting payloads after landing on the Moon.
The partnership reflects the rapid commercialisation of lunar exploration, with companies increasingly seeking lower-cost and more flexible ways to reach the Moon. If Starship enters operational lunar service on schedule, ispace could establish itself as a key provider of shared lunar logistics, expanding opportunities for governments, research institutions and private companies. However, the project’s success will depend on Starship meeting its development milestones and sustaining a reliable launch cadence, making the coming years critical for both companies’ ambitions in the emerging lunar economy.
With information from Reuters.
Relations between North Korea and Japan remain deeply strained due to historical grievances, North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, and growing regional security tensions. In recent years, Japan has significantly increased defence spending and accelerated military modernisation in response to North Korea’s missile launches and China’s expanding military presence.
Tokyo has adopted a new national security strategy that includes acquiring long range strike capabilities, expanding missile defence and strengthening cooperation with the United States and other regional partners. Japan says these measures are necessary to deter growing security threats, while North Korea and China have criticised them as evidence of Japan moving away from its post World War Two defensive posture.
The latest remarks come as North Korea also continues expanding its own naval capabilities and developing new missile systems.
North Korea accused Japan on Tuesday of transforming its military into an offensive force, claiming Tokyo’s overseas military ambitions are now a reality rather than a hypothetical threat.
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A commentary published by the state run Korean Central News Agency criticised Japan’s defence modernisation programme, pointing to plans to develop unmanned submarines, expand long range missile capabilities and acquire advanced weapons from the United States.
The comments come amid growing military activity across East Asia as regional powers continue strengthening their armed forces.
The KCNA commentary argued that Japan is abandoning its long standing policy of maintaining forces solely for self defence.
It claimed Tokyo is developing unmanned submarines capable of carrying torpedoes and naval mines that could be deployed near neighbouring coastlines to conduct pre emptive attacks during a conflict.
The report portrayed these developments as evidence that Japan is shifting toward a more offensive military posture.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the allegations.
North Korea also highlighted Japan’s efforts to strengthen its missile capabilities.
According to the commentary, Tokyo is pursuing domestically developed long range missiles, a new ballistic missile with a reported range of up to 3,000 kilometres, upgraded anti ship missiles and hypersonic glide weapons.
The report also criticised Japan’s acquisition of United States made Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of its broader military modernisation programme.
Japan has argued that these capabilities are intended to strengthen deterrence against growing regional threats.
The criticism comes as North Korea continues expanding its own military capabilities.
State media recently reported that leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch of a strategic cruise missile and inspected weapons systems aboard the newly built 5,000 tonne destroyer Kang Kon.
Kim has instructed that the vessel enter operational service within two months as part of efforts to strengthen North Korea’s naval combat capabilities.
Pyongyang has also commissioned another destroyer, the Choe Hyon, and announced plans to construct additional warships, including larger 10,000 tonne vessels.
The exchange of criticism reflects broader security tensions across Northeast Asia.
Japan has strengthened defence cooperation with the United States and regional partners while increasing military investment in response to North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile programmes and China’s growing military activities.
North Korea has responded by accelerating weapons development, conducting missile launches and modernising its naval forces, further contributing to regional strategic competition.
The latest comments highlight the increasingly confrontational security environment in Northeast Asia, where military modernisation by one country is often cited by others to justify their own defence expansion.
As Japan strengthens its deterrence capabilities and North Korea continues developing advanced weapons, the risk of heightened regional tensions and military competition is likely to remain elevated.
Seeking to strengthen its military capabilities while criticising Japan’s expanding defence posture.
Modernising its armed forces in response to growing regional security threats.
Supporting Japan’s defence strategy as part of its broader Indo Pacific security framework.
Closely monitoring military developments involving both North Korea and Japan.
Watching the evolving security balance as military competition intensifies across Northeast Asia.
Regional attention will remain focused on Japan’s continuing defence modernisation and North Korea’s naval expansion, including the planned deployment of its new destroyers.
Any additional missile tests, military exercises or defence announcements by either country are likely to be closely monitored by neighbouring governments and could further shape the security dynamics of the Indo Pacific region.
With information from Reuters.
Countries raise concerns after Chinese military test-launches ballistic missile from submarine in the Pacific Ocean.
Published On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026
China has test-fired a missile from a nuclear submarine that landed in “designated waters” in the Pacific Ocean, state news agency Xinhua reports, drawing criticism and concerns from Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The Chinese navy test-launched the long-range ballistic missile at 12:01pm (04:01 GMT) on Monday from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific, Xinhua reported.
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Xinhua said the test was a “routine arrangement” of China’s annual military training and was not directed at any specific target.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that China had notified the government of plans to conduct a sea-based missile test into the Pacific but said the action was “destabilising” to the region.
“Australia has been clear that this proposed test is in the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects,” Wong told reporters at a news conference in the Fijian capital, Suva.
Japan’s government said it was notified of the missile launch and had urged China to reconsider.
“We expressed our grave concern over the Chinese military’s increased activity,” the government said, adding that Japan’s coastguard had been notified on Sunday by Chinese authorities about falling space debris that could fall within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The New Zealand government said it was informed of the planned launch within hours of it taking place.
“New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development. We, like our neighbours in other Pacific countries, have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site for missile capability,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
The S&P Global Japan Manufacturing PMI was revised slightly lower to 54.8 in June 2026 from 54.9 in the preliminary estimate. However, the reading comfortably beat May’s 54.5 and marked the sixth consecutive month of expansion, driven by accelerating output and new orders.
Published on
The Japanese yen fell to around 162.4 per dollar in Asian trading on Tuesday morning, its lowest level since 1986.
The drop extends a punishing run for the yen, which has kept weakening despite the Bank of Japan’s efforts to support it, and now revives the prospect that the authorities will step into the market directly.
Japan’s finance minister, Satsuki Katayama, has already responded to the situation by stating that the government was ready to take “appropriate” and even “decisive” action against excessive currency moves, adding that she had confirmed with Washington that such a step remained an option.
Traders are now watching closely for any sign that Tokyo is selling US dollars to prop up the yen, as it did in the spring.
At the heart of the weakness is the current wide gap between Japanese and American interest rates.
Even after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark to 1% in mid-June, its highest since 1995, Japanese yields remain far below those in the US, where ten-year government bonds have recently paid around 4.5%, compared with roughly 2.6% in Japan.
That gap sustains the so-called carry trade, in which investors borrow cheaply in yen to buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere, continually pushing the currency down.
A robust dollar has compounded the pressure.
The greenback has drawn safe-haven demand from tensions around the conflict involving Iran, while expectations that the US Federal Reserve could raise rates later this year, even as the Bank of Japan moves cautiously, have widened the divide further.
Japan’s heavy reliance on imported energy, which is costlier amid elevated oil prices, has also added to demand for US dollars.
The renewed slide is a headache for policymakers who have already thrown considerable firepower at the problem.
Between April and May, Japan spent a record ¥11.7 trillion (€63.3bn) intervening in currency markets, the largest such effort on record, yet the Japanese yen has continued to weaken.
Domestic politics has not helped, with the big-spending, growth-focused agenda of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raising doubts about Japan’s fiscal discipline.
Analysts say the immediate risk of intervention is high, given that speculative bets against the Japanese yen have climbed to multi-year peaks and a fresh four-decade low tends to sharpen political anxiety in Tokyo.
However, many doubt that buying the currency would reverse its course for long, since the underlying rate gap remains firmly against it.
The Bank of Japan’s next policy decision, due on 31 July, is now in sharp focus, with further rate rises seen as the more durable route to stemming the decline.
For now, the Japanese yen remains at the mercy of forces its central bank has struggled to control.
Published On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026
Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner late in injury time to give five-time champions Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in Houston.
Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the match on Monday appeared to be heading to extra time.
Brazil will next face either the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the round of 16.
Casemiro had earlier equalised with a header in the 56th minute off an assist from Gabriel Magalhaes after just missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot sailed just out of reach of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.
Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced pass in midfield before his right-footed shot from above the half-circle put Japan ahead after 29 minutes.
Vinicius Junior, who has scored four goals so far in the tournament, had a chance to put Brazil on top in the 58th minute, but his shot from the left was deflected by goalkeeper Suzuki and went past the far post.
Brazil had two chances to even the score early in the second half before breaking through late on. First, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimaraes in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro’s header bounced off a defender’s head and Suzuki’s face.
Japan have never won a World Cup knockout match.
The win was Brazil’s 12th in 15 games against Japan. The teams have also played to two draws, while Japan got their first win in the series in a friendly in Tokyo in October.
This was a match-up between two countries with deep ties, Brazil being home to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, which is the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
Those ties extend to football, where Brazil superstar Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and help build Japan’s professional football network. He coached the Japan national team from 2002–06, leading the team to the World Cup in 2006.
That team lost to Brazil 4-1 in the only previous meeting between the teams at the World Cup.
Brazil won Group C after a draw with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland.
Monday’s victory came on the anniversary of their first World Cup championship in Sweden in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored two goals in the final against the host country.
Japan reached the round of 32 as runner-up in Group F after draws with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss snaps a 10-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2-0 defeat to the United States in September.
Five wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win World Cup 2026? Click here.
Who: Brazil vs Japan
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – round of 32
Where: Houston Stadium, Houston, United States
When: Monday, June 29, at 12pm (17:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream.
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Carlo Ancelotti faces his first major test as the Brazil coach when the record five-time world champions take on Japan, arguably the best Asian team at the tournament, in the round of 32.
Monday’s meeting in Houston offers Brazil the chance to exact revenge for their friendly defeat to Japan late last year, as the South American giants lock in on their target of a deep run in North America.
The odds are heavily in Brazil’s favour, but after Japan came out of a tricky group with flying colours, it would be foolish to write them off.
There is also a mutual respect and camaraderie between the nations, given the overwhelming Brazilian influence on professional football in Japan.
Al Jazeera tells you everything about the second game of the round of 32:
The five-time world champions began the tournament with a 1-1 draw with Morocco before beating Haiti 3-0 next. A 3-0 win over Scotland in the final group game sent them to the top of Group C and sealed their place in the round of 32.
Of all the seven goals Brazil registered across three games, Real Madrid star forward Vinicius Jr scored four of them, while Matheus Cunha netted three. Bruno Guimaraes bagged the most assists (three).
Since their low-key display in the first game, Brazil appear to be growing into the tournament, showing glimpses of their all-round potential, with some of the Selecao stars finding their rhythm.
Ancelotti knows Japan will be no pushovers, describing the record four-time Asian champions as “one of the best teams” in the world.
During Sunday’s pre-match press conference, the Italian was relaxed and betrayed no signs of feeling the pressure, despite Brazil being cast as the clear favourites for the knockout tie.
“We need a lot of things: A strong mind, a strong heart, a clear mind,” he told the media. “I think we have to be ready for anything that might take place in a knockout match, and a lot can happen in a knockout match.
“I think the team is ready. They’re motivated, they’re confident,” added Ancelotti, who is leading Brazil’s charge for a record-extending sixth world title.
Japan started their campaign by holding the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw before thrashing Tunisia 4-0 in the second game. They wrapped up the first round with a 1-1 draw with Sweden, which saw them finish with five points, confirming a second spot in Group F.
Ayase Ueda and Daichi Kamada are the joint top scorers for Japan so far, with two strikes each, while Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito and Daizen Maeda have also scored one each.
Japan have lived up to their billing as the “dark horses” at the tournament, holding two formidable European sides – the Netherlands and Sweden – to draws.
After beating Germany and Spain en route to a round of 16 run at the 2022 World Cup, Japan have shown the world they are capable of pulling off upsets, especially on the sport’s biggest stage.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said his side’s collective spirit can fire them into the last 16 again.
“All the players will do what they can for the team and contribute,” Moriyasu said on Sunday. “The team is united, and that feeling is getting even stronger now.”
Japan’s best finish at the World Cup has been reaching the round of 16 on four occasions: 2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022. They have never won a World Cup knockout game.
Launched in 1993, Japan’s top-flight, the J-League, took much of its inspiration from Brazil and also employed plenty of their players.
Zico, the creative lynchpin of Brazil’s fabled 1982 World Cup team, was enticed out of retirement to join Kashima Antlers, while internationals Bismarck and Elivelton started a run of Brazil national team players making the move to Japan.
By the late 1990s, seven of the Brazil team that won the 1994 World Cup, including captain Dunga, had played or were playing for Japanese clubs and, by extension, lent their influence to a rapidly developing scene.
Opta’s supercomputer has calculated a 58.3 percent probability of Brazil winning this fixture in regulation time, while Japan is assessed an 18.1 percent chance of victory.
The probability of going to extra time – or potentially penalties – is 23.6 percent.
The winner of Brazil vs Japan will face either Norway or the Ivory Coast in the round of 16.
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
In the all-time head-to-head record, Brazil have only lost once to Japan (W11 D2 L1). In their only World Cup contest 20 years ago at Germany 2006, Brazil won 4-1.
Significantly, Japan’s sole victory over Brazil came in their most recent clash, a 3-2 victory in a friendly in October 2025 in which Brazil let a two-goal lead slip in Tokyo, with Ueda scoring the hosts’ winner.
Raphinha remains sidelined for Brazil due to a hamstring injury, while Japan’s Takefusa Kubo is out with a sprained knee.
Neymar, who made his first appearance for Brazil since October 2023 when he came off the bench in the last game, will be available to play more minutes against Japan. The star forward is working his way back to full fitness after dealing with a lingering calf injury.
(4-3-3): Alisson (goalkeeper); Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Santos; Guimaraes, Casemiro, Paqueta; Rayan, Cunha, Vinicius Jr
(3-4-2-1): Suzuki (goalkeeper); Tomiyasu, Taniguchi, Ito; Doan, Sano, Tanaka, Nakamura; Ito, Kamada; Ueda
Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (L) and South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (R) attend their meeting at the headquarters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Yokosuka District, south of Tokyo, Japan. Photo by EUGENE HOSHIKO / EPA
June 26 (Asia Today) — South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will meet Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Seoul on Sunday morning, the ministry said Friday.
Koizumi will visit South Korea as part of reciprocal ministerial diplomacy following Ahn’s trip to Japan in January.
During the visit, the ministers are scheduled to inspect aircraft operated by the South Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team, hold bilateral talks and take part in a security dialogue with young people from both countries.
They will also discuss ways to strengthen defense exchanges and cooperation between South Korea and Japan.
The meeting will come about one month after Ahn and Koizumi held bilateral talks on May 30 on the sidelines of the 23rd IISS Asia Security Summit, commonly known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore.
It will be the first visit to South Korea by a Japanese defense minister specifically for bilateral talks since 2015, according to the ministry.
Koizumi is also scheduled to pay his respects at Seoul National Cemetery during the trip. He is expected to meet South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Sunday.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260626010009329
The Palantir logo is displayed on a mobile phone alongside a stock market graph displayed on a laptop screen in Liverpool, Britain, 09 June 2026. Photo by ADAM VAUGHAN / EPA
June 26 (Asia Today) — Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to expand the use of artificial intelligence in the Self-Defense Forces’ command-and-control operations, potentially bringing AI into the process through which commanders assess battlefield conditions and direct military units.
The move would mark a new stage in Japan’s defense transformation, shifting its focus beyond acquiring more weapons and equipment toward digitally supported battlefield decision-making.
The Asahi Shimbun reported Friday, citing multiple government officials, that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government plans to include the expanded use of command-and-control AI in three revised national security documents expected by the end of the year.
The documents are the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program.
The Defense Ministry is also considering including some related expenses in its fiscal 2027 budget request, according to the report.
Japan has used AI for some defense-related functions, but it has not placed the technology at the center of the Self-Defense Forces’ operational command structure.
A command-and-control system allows commanders to assess enemy threats, friendly forces, unit locations and intelligence assets before planning operations and issuing orders.
AI could rapidly organize and analyze large volumes of surveillance, reconnaissance, communications and sensor data before presenting commanders with possible courses of action.
One system reportedly under consideration is the Maven Smart System developed by U.S. data analytics company Palantir Technologies.
Maven analyzes information from satellites, drones, radar systems, battlefield sensors and intelligence reports. It can identify potential threats and targets and help commanders compare possible operational responses.
The U.S. Defense Department has expanded its use of the system and is moving to establish it as a formal long-term military program.
Adopting Maven could improve interoperability between the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, allowing them to process and share operational information more quickly during joint missions.
The proposal, however, has also raised questions about data control, technological dependence and Japan’s authority over its own military command systems.
Command and control is not an ordinary administrative function. It is the highest-level structure through which a government decides how and when to use military force.
Reliance on software and algorithms supplied by a foreign private company could require Japan to establish clear rules covering military data management, access to source technology, system control, wartime operating authority and alternatives in the event of a malfunction or service disruption.
The introduction of foreign software would not formally transfer command authority to the company or the United States. Japanese commanders would retain responsibility for operational decisions.
The debate instead centers on how much of the information-processing infrastructure behind those decisions should depend on technology that Japan does not fully own or control.
Calls for domestically developed defense AI have consequently grown within Japan’s government and ruling-party circles.
One proposal would allow Japan to use a U.S. system initially while developing an independent platform through Japanese technology companies and the country’s defense industrial base.
Japan could eventually replace the foreign system or operate domestic and U.S. technologies together.
Developing a military-grade AI command system capable of immediate operational deployment would be difficult, however. A combined approach using both American and Japanese technology is therefore considered more likely in the near term.
The Defense Ministry identified seven priority areas for military AI in a policy issued in 2024: target detection and identification, intelligence collection and analysis, command and control, logistics, unmanned systems, cybersecurity and administrative efficiency.
The policy states that AI should assist rather than replace human judgment and that meaningful human involvement must be maintained.
The ministry has since established a team to accelerate AI adoption and has called for greater cooperation with Japanese defense companies and technology startups.
Japan’s consideration of command-and-control AI also carries implications for South Korea.
During a conflict or regional emergency, information sharing and operational coordination among the U.S. military, the Self-Defense Forces and South Korea’s military could become increasingly rapid and automated.
AI-assisted command systems could improve coordination in responding to North Korean missile launches, Chinese military activity or a crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
The same technology could also accelerate errors.
Incorrect intelligence, incomplete data or biased algorithms could cause an AI system to present commanders with misleading threat assessments or inappropriate operational choices.
Human commanders would remain responsible for final decisions, but the speed and complexity of AI-supported operations could make errors more difficult to identify before action is taken.
Japan’s plan therefore represents more than a military technology upgrade. It raises broader questions about who controls defense data, how allied systems should be connected and who bears responsibility when AI influences a military decision.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260626010009431
Daizen Maeda’s smart finish to Japan’s team goal is cancelled out by Anthony Elanga’s long-range strike as Sweden fight back to earn a 1-1 draw, ensuring both sides progress to the World Cup knockout stages.
MATCH REPORT: Japan 1-1 Sweden – Group F
Available to UK users only.
Japan has increased its visa fees for tourists(Image: Getty Images)
Japan has dramatically hiked its visa fees for tourists, with the cost of entry now a whopping five times higher.
From Wednesday, 1 July, many foreign nationals travelling to the country home to Mount Fuji will be required to pay 15,000 yen (£69.99) for a single-entry visa, a sharp rise from the previous 3,000 yen (£14). Meanwhile, multi-entry visas will now set travellers back 30,000 yen (£139.98), jumping up from 6,000 yen (£28).
This represents a staggering fivefold increase, meaning visitors will fork out an additional £55.99 for a single trip, or £111.98 for a multi-entry visa. Remarkably, this marks the first time Japan has raised its visa fees since 1978 — a full 48 years ago.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the changes were made to “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations”. He added: “We do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”
The updated visa fees will apply to all applications submitted on or after 1 July, 2026, as the nation continues to experience a surge in visitor numbers. Last year alone, Japan welcomed a remarkable 42.7 million international tourists, with iconic destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka remaining amongst the most sought-after, reports the Express.
The good news for Brits is that Japan has reciprocal visa exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions, allowing citizens to enter for short-term stays without a visa. UK passport can stay for 90 days visa-free.
Japan’s new visa charge places it among the pricier destinations to enter globally. Other nations with steep tourist visa costs include the UK, where a standard visitor visa costs £135, and Ghana, where travellers from non-African nations pay $260.
Some countries levy per-night charges, with Bhutan ranking among the most expensive. A daily sustainable development levy of $100 is imposed per adult.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises that Brits travelling to Japan must make sure their passport remains valid for the duration of their visit. The FCDO states on its travel advice page: “No additional period of validity is required. You need a blank page for your visa stamp.”
In guidance on obtaining a visit, the Foreign Office adds: “You can get a visa on arrival in Japan for tourism or business for up to 90 days. You do not need to apply before you travel. If you need a multiple-entry visa, you must ask the immigration officials when you arrive. If you want to stay longer, you can apply at your nearest immigration office for an extension for another 90 days. Your passport must be valid for the period of the extension.”
The FCDO adds: “For long-term stays or to work or study, you must meet the Japanese government’s entry requirements. Check which type of visa you need. It is illegal to work in Japan without the correct visa, no matter how informal or temporary the work.
“If you overstay your permission to remain in Japan, you risk arrest, detention and a heavy fine. For residency information, see the Japanese Immigration Services Agency website and read about living in Japan.”
While there is no advice against travelling to Japan, the FCDO has warned about “global travel impacts due to escalation in the Middle East.” They stated: “Escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights.
“Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. Before you travel:
For more information on travel to Japan, visit the Foreign Office travel advice website.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Remaining group schedule, teams, as well as the best third-round group fixtures at the tournament in North America.
After 48 matches in North America, it’s time for the final round of games in the group stage at World Cup 2026.
Sixteen teams will be eliminated after these fixtures, with 32 nations heading through to the knockout stages.
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The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – will proceed to the next phase.
Here are the top five “must-watch” matches in the second round of fixtures from June 24 until June 27.
Miami Stadium – Wednesday, 6pm (22:00 GMT)
These two sides will meet at the World Cup for the fifth time and there’s plenty to play for in an intriguing encounter in Miami.
Brazil are looking to secure their place in the knockout stages as group winners and are currently tied with Morocco on four points at the top of Group C.
Scotland are aiming to escape the group for the first time at a major international tournament and know that a point will almost certainly guarantee a spot in the round of 32.
Expect Group C to change a lot during these final fixtures, with Morocco taking on Haiti at the same time.
If that isn’t enough, Brazil’s Neymar is also set to make his first appearance at this World Cup.
Dallas Stadium – Thursday, 6pm (23:00 GMT)
It’s difficult to predict which Sweden will turn up in Dallas on Thursday.
Graham Potter’s side beat Tunisia 5-1 in their opening match of the World Cup, before losing by the same score to the Netherlands.
Japan have been entertaining to watch at this tournament and were in fine form during their 4-0 win over Tunisia at the weekend.
Expect plenty of goals in this match and plenty of drama. The winner will secure a top-two finish in Group F, so there is a lot to play for.
Boston Stadium – Friday, 3pm (19:00 GMT)
Norway and France are already through to the knockout stages, but this game looks set to be a blockbuster affair with both sides looking to top Group I.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have both scored four goals so far and they’ll be desperate to add to their tally as they chase down Lionel Messi.
France are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup next month and are looking to end the group stage with three wins from three.
But Norway have the opportunity to prove that they truly are dark horses in this tournament and can compete with elite international sides.
Buckle in for a big one in Boston.
Seattle Stadium – Friday, 6pm (00:00 GMT on Saturday)
Group H has been a tight affair following some surprise results in the opening round of fixtures.
Uruguay drew with Saudi Arabia, while Cape Verde shocked the world with a goalless draw against Spain.
La Roja bounced back by thrashing Saudi Arabia and they go into their final game as group leaders, with Uruguay two points behind in second.
Spain will secure top spot with a win in Seattle, ensuring that they avoid Argentina in the round of 32.
Seattle Stadium – Friday, 8pm (04:00 GMT on Saturday)
Neither of these sides have ever made it out of the group at a World Cup, but on Friday, at least one of them will achieve that feat.
Group G is closely bunched after a number of drawn matches and it sets things up nicely for an intriguing final round of fixtures.
Victory for either Egypt or Iran will guarantee them a spot in the knockout phase, so expect both sides to be up for this one.
Iran have faced numerous challenges at this World Cup, with restrictions on travel and visa issues before the tournament even began.
If Iran progress, there’s also still a chance that they will face the US in the knockout stages.
Tokyo isn’t one city. It’s many cities, and each is its own universe.
Occasionally — at a certain subterranean bar big enough for only seven people, or a sushi counter on the fifth floor of a random office building — I feel as if I’m stepping into another time or dimension.
Finding your way to any of the millions of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops (some are micro-businesses in an alley in a village in the city) can be like figuring out a many-layered puzzle. Like Tokyo, each experience is dense.
Use these handy dining guides for all of your summer travel, near and far.
The Japanese word for hospitality is omotenashi. But its meaning goes far beyond just customer service. Even the translations “wholehearted, selfless hospitality” or “flawless care” don’t cover all of the philosophies that make up omotenashi: magokoro (“true heart” or “sincere feeling”), ichigo ichie (“one time, one meeting”) and kuuki wo yomu (“reading the air”). The last refers to the intuitive ability to anticipate guests’ needs before they ask — an idea rooted in tea ceremony, which is rooted in Buddhism. It’s hard to grasp that level of selflessness.
Here are some of our favorite places to lose yourself in Tokyo. — Betty Hallock