Japan
South Korea’s top court upholds compensation for victims of Japan’s forced wartime labor

South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld lower court orders to two Japanese companies to compensate 11 forced wartime labor victims

Okinawa: A bastion for peace?

If Okinawa is an unsinkable aircraft carrier for the US to wage war, it can also become a bastion for movements to wage peace.

Fighting remilitarization in Japan

Japanese peace activist Seishi Hinada talks about the policy of militarization pursued by the Fumio Kishida government and the campaign against US bases in Okinawa

Japan signals an attitude shift to the growing power of the Global South

The subtle reorientation of Japan towards the Global South and away from US orientations is a sign of the shifting global context

Japanese company set to launch first commercial mission to the Moon

The M1 lander of the Japanese company Ispace is scheduled to be launched this week from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. The company expects it to land on the Moon in March-April 2023

Japan’s discomfort in the New Cold War

In December, Japan will release a new National Security Strategy, the first since 2014. The country has indicated that it would increase its military budget by 11% a year from now till 2024

Okinawa governor elections Japan
Okinawa governor poll results hamper plans to expand US military presence in Japan

The re-election of Denny Tamaki marks the third consecutive gubernatorial election in Okinawa where an anti-US base candidate has won with a clear majority

Japanese court lands a blow to marriage equality during Pride Month

The Osaka District Court deemed that the ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional. Last year, a petition at the Sapporo District Court ruled the ban unconstitutional

Iwakuni residents fight back against US military presence

Residents of Iwakuni, which hosts one of the largest US foreign bases, recently announced that they will file a lawsuit that could have wider implications for foreign military bases in Japan

Will Japan and Russia tensions over contested Pacific Islands spill over into war?

A leaked version of Japan’s yearly text on its foreign policy suggests that its government is taking a tougher stance on its long-standing conflict with Russia

Protest against U.S. base relocation in Okinawa
With rising COVID-19 cases, US bases in Japan come under scrutiny

A recent surge of COVID-19 infections in the Okinawa, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures has been connected to the presence of US military bases in Japan

Japan elections
Elections in Japan end with boost to right-wing, defeat of center-left opposition

The opposition coalition of five parties led by the Constitutional Democratic Party suffered a massive defeat, while the ruling conservative coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party continues to maintain its majority in the National Diet