Nipponica

Against the backdrop of the evolving security environment, the statement stipulated that the United States "intends to reconstitute U.S. Forces Japan as a joint force headquarters" to "facilitate deeper interoperability and cooperation on joint bilateral operations (with Japan) in peacetime and during contingencies."

The reconstituted USFJ is expected to serve as an important counterpart of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' joint operation headquarters that will be launched by March 2025 to unify the command of its ground, maritime and air services, it said.

We are living through a transition period in world affairs. The power and the unity of Western countries to act as the ultimate arbiters of global affairs is not collapsing, but is in clear decline.

Most of us can agree on this point, but where is the better place to spectate this era of transition, from inside the West or from outside? Perspective is everything. For those of us from Western countries, on both sides of the Atlantic, the politics of populism inevitably becomes a major talking point when viewing the changing world.

While I broadly agree with the overall point of the shift of global power away from the west, almost no mention was made in the article about the rise of Africa to fill some of the western vacuum. Nigeria alone is quickly becoming a powerhouse in population while China and the rest of East Asia is declining. Factor in India and ASEAN and the multipolar future looks quite clear.

Like in many other countries, Japanese debates over the best response to Donald Trump’s potential return to the American presidency have gained momentum of late. In fact, the phrase moshitora—shorthand for “What if it’s Trump?”—has become a regular part of the Japanese political lexicon. Below I share some reflections on what a Trump 2.0 administration could mean for the US-Japan relationship.

Not entirely sure I fully agree with this take but as long as the government follows the Abe playbook, they should be in good standing with any future American ruler.

The meeting is being backed by the cross-party Japan-Tibet Parliamentary Association, which is headed by former education minister Hakubun Shimomura and aims to boost support for Tibet.

The legislative body of Tibet’s government in exile will run the meeting, with around 90 people including lawmakers and scholars to come from 26 countries. The Dalai Lama, exiled supreme leader of Tibetan Buddhism, is planned to deliver a speech online

The work consisted of simply printing personal information data on both sides of a white card with a fake IC chip embedded. She would often make 60 cards in a day, which she would then send to specified domestic addresses. For one day’s work, she would receive electronic money equivalent to about ¥12,000 to ¥16,000.

The MPD investigated, suspecting that the person giving instructions was in China. On May 15, they arrested two Chinese nationals on charges including suspicion of forging sealed official documents for allegedly making fake My Number cards at the request of the same group. They believe the forged cards may have been used for purposes such as setting up mobile phone contracts.

The whole point of a digital ID is that the digital bit can prove authenticity of the card itself. The fact that most businesses and banks rely only on the visual information printed on a card without certifying the digital certificate renders the whole enterprise pointless. While the counterfeiting of these cards is certainly a problem, the real issue is that people don't seem to understand or care on how to use this IDs for their intended purpose.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is scheduled to hold a summit meeting with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday on the sidelines of a NATO summit, which is set to begin Tuesday in Washington, a U.S. government official said Friday.

NATO and the four countries are expected to discuss cyber affairs, countermeasures against false information and Ukraine aid, while keeping China and Russia in mind.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference it was "regrettable" that China has set up a small buoy in the waters off Japan's western main island of Shikoku and north of the southernmost Okinotori Island "without explaining its purpose and other details."

The article later says that the alleged purpose of the buoy is for tsunami monitoring but an email or two to Tokyo would have been a nice gesture. A similar buoy was installed around the Senkakus last year.