Japan and US Discuss How to Manage Public Opinion for Future Nuclear War

From Kyodo:

As part of the extended deterrence talks in recent years, Tokyo and Washington have held multiple tabletop exercises to strategize a scenario in which a conflict broke out in East Asia and the United States is pressured to use nuclear weapons, according to the sources.

With that in mind, Japan and the United States reviewed how to coordinate and how to deal with issues stemming from the possible use of nuclear weapons, such as managing public opinion. Discussions also broached how much information the United States can share with Japan, the sources said.

A totally normal thing to do and publicly report I'm sure.

MacArthur Looming Over Modern Japan

Andrew Sharp from Nikkei:

Even now, eight decades after his arrival, MacArthur's legacy casts a long shadow over Japan's politics, identity and security. For some, he was a reformer who laid the foundations of democracy, pacifism and prosperity. For others, he was a foreign dictator who imposed a constitution that stifled Japan's sovereignty. Either way, the U.S.-led occupation -- and the institutions it birthed -- continue to define Japan's postwar trajectory.

A good history of MacArthur, the drafting of the Japanese constitution, and how all of that could be undermined in our current world. Bonus points for the photo of the nasty chair at Dougie's desk.

South Korean Military Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Okinawa

From The Japan Times:

The South Korean Air Force said Friday that a transport aircraft bound for Guam urgently landed at the U.S. Air Force's Kadena base in Okinawa Prefecture on July 13 as it ran out of fuel.

The South Korean military transport aircraft is believed to have entered Japan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) without prior notice, causing the Air Self-Defense Force aircraft to scramble.

I'm far from an expert on fuel consumption but this must have been quite the diversion to force a landing at Kadena. Someone fucked up in a big way here.