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  • 7 Nov 2025
    • Japan
    • Australia

    Australia-Japan ties are about shaping outcomes, not hedging bets

    David Vallance
    With strong security ties, both countries can influence Washington’s strategy and constrain Beijing’s options.
  • 4 Nov 2025
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security

    With Sanae Takaichi, “Japan is back” is back

    Tom Corben
    Coalition politics, tax resistance and ambitious defence spending goals will require the new PM to strike a fine balance.
  • 24 Oct 2025
    • India
    • Japan

    Japan’s hawkish turn under Takaichi tests India’s balancing act

    Sanchari Ghosh
    Security convergence with New Delhi looks set to deepen, but nationalist priorities in Tokyo may shift the tone of economic engagement.
  • 13 Oct 2025
    • Japan

    Japan’s “Iron Lady” faces a fractured political landscape

    Tim Hornyak
    Sanae Takaichi’s conservative agenda collides with the realities of coalition government and mounting economic pressures.
  • 13 Oct 2025
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • United States

    Why the US–Japan–South Korea trilateral agreement must evolve

    Ju Hyung Kim
    History shows us that an adaptive coalition built on trust and interoperability can trump formal alliances.
  • 9 Oct 2025
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security

    Takaichi and Prabowo can redefine the Japan-Indonesia relationship

    Ayu Rachman
    Tokyo’s conservative turn meets Jakarta’s military modernisation, transforming a development partnership into dual-track ties.
  • 6 Oct 2025
    • Japan

    Can Japan’s first female PM escape the revolving door?

    Tan Ming Hui
    Sanae Takaichi must revive Japan’s economy, restore LDP credibility, and navigate great power tensions – all at once.
  • 22 Sep 2025
    • Asia
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Australia

    Complacent nation: Australia and the Asian Century

    Tim Watts
    Decades of ambition have left us with a nation still unable to speak the language of our neighbours.
  • 9 Sep 2025
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Peacemaker, Pacemaker, Playmaker: The three-way formula for engaging North Korea

    Jiwon Kim
    A coordinated US-South Korea-Japan approach could succeed where previous bilateral efforts with Pyongyang have failed.
  • 1 Sep 2025
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Quad

    Four legs bad, three legs better? Rescuing the Quad with an India-Japan-Australia grouping

    Sanchari Ghosh
    Three democratic middle powers have compelling reasons to forge an independent partnership that doesn’t depend on US politics.
  • 28 Aug 2025
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • New Zealand

    Why France must join: Turning the Quintet into a Sextet

    Lindsay R. Dodd
    Paris brings territorial legitimacy, EU leverage and military presence that would strengthen any Indo-Pacific grouping.
  • 28 Aug 2025
    • Japan
    • South Korea

    Pragmatism reigns as Japan and South Korea look toward the future

    Maximilien Xavier Rehm
    Lee and Ishiba’s summit signals a shift from historical grievances to practical cooperation, but politics could derail progress.
  • 26 Aug 2025
    • Japan
    • Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament
    • Nuclear Weapons

    Why fears about Japan going nuclear are likely overblown

    Gabriela Bernal
    The atomic weapons taboo remains just that.
  • 22 Aug 2025
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United Kingdom
    • New Zealand

    Why the United Kingdom and the Indo-Pacific Four should form a new Quintet

    Ben Bland
    These five resource-constrained democracies face shared challenges that require coordination beyond existing alliance structures.
  • 19 Aug 2025
    • Japan
    • Australia

    Between China and Trump, little wonder Australia and Japan have lots to talk about – even if not a wartime past

    Richard McGregor
    Neither nation can handle China on their own, but must also know that the US can engage in naked coercion, too.
  • 13 Aug 2025
    • China
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Thailand
    • Australia
    • United Kingdom
    • Global Issues
    • Türkiye

    Religious revival: Why young people around the world are finding faith again

    Intifar Chowdhury
    From digital spirituality to gendered divides, faith seems to offer meaning and identity where secular culture has fallen short.
  • 6 Aug 2025
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    Why Japan’s Mogami frigates can’t protect Australia’s trade

    Sam Roggeveen
    Big warships face growing vulnerabilities while the promise of protecting vast oceans remains questionable.
  • 28 Jul 2025
    • Asean
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    The TSD: The most underrated minilateral?

    Shreya Maknoor
    Reviving a languishing security agreement between Australia, Japan and the United States would be a win for regional stability.
  • 25 Jul 2025
    • Japan

    Japan: After the Upper House election, what comes next, who’s next in line

    Donna Weeks
    Ishiba is holding on for now with succession uncertain.
  • 21 Jul 2025
    • Japan

    Upper House election exposes Japan’s fragmenting political landscape

    Donna Weeks
    Ishiba Shigeru has lost twice now, and the third test could well be for his job.
  • 25 Jun 2025
    • China
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security

    China’s Pacific carrier deployment signals new phase in tensions with Japan

    Anupama Vijayakumar
    Beijing and Tokyo appear locked in an escalating cycle of military demonstrations.
  • 3 Jun 2025
    • Asia
    • Asean
    • India
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Trade
    • United States

    The tariff war that’s accelerating Asia’s trade transformation

    Vu Lam
    As the deadline for suspension looms, regional economies are looking to patch the vulnerabilities of regional economic architecture.
  • 30 May 2025
    • Japan

    Can Japan fill the leadership void as America steps back from Asia?

    Ryosuke Hanada
    So far, Tokyo has been cautious in articulating a broader strategic vision and political challenges at home appear set to curb its regional ambition.
  • 27 May 2025
    • Japan
    • Sustainability

    Rice prices soar as Japan rethinks food security

    Yusaku Yoshikawa
    Global instability, climate stress and small-scale farming practices are all putting stress on the market.
  • 2 May 2025
    • Asean
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • South China Sea
    • United States

    How the Squad risks upending ASEAN norms

    Vincent Kyle Parada
    Is minilateralism really the way forward for the Indo-Pacific?
  • 15 Apr 2025
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe

    Xi and Putin drive Japan and NATO closer together

    Stuart Lau
    Tokyo wants to learn more about Russia’s tactics in preparation of potential conflicts with China, while NATO eyes Japan’s defence industry.
  • 12 Mar 2025
    • Asia
    • Asean
    • Japan
    • Singapore
    • Australia
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability
    • Technology

    Artificial intelligence and sustainability in the Asia-Pacific

    Melinda Stuart
    With the right strategies, AI and clean energy can work in harmony, driving progress without compromising the planet.
  • 17 Feb 2025
    • Japan

    Japan’s US-China headache

    Rintaro Nishimura
    Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba got off to a good start but must walk a tightrope between neighbours and friends.
  • 31 Jan 2025
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe
    • The Americas

    The practical effect of a constitutional ban on war

    Sheridan Ward
    A declaration might be often dismissed as symbolic but can promote peace by shaping the perspective of the public and leaders.
  • 20 Dec 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • Global Economy
    • United States

    A US dollar deal? Explaining a lack of enthusiasm for a Plaza Accord redux

    Stephen Grenville
    A few lessons from economic history for a start.
  • 19 Dec 2024
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security

    An opposition party could hold the deciding vote on Japan’s national security policy

    Rintaro Nishimura
    Minority government has its challenges, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is discovering.
  • 12 Dec 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    The trouble with Australia’s best friends in Asia

    Kieran Thompson
    Political turmoil in Japan and South Korea cannot be insulated from relations with the region.
  • 29 Nov 2024
    • Asia
    • China
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States

    As traditional “Anglo” international education destinations falter, Asia-Pacific countries look closer to home

    Angela Lehmann
    Chinese students are largely driving the surge in international students choosing universities across the region.
  • 21 Nov 2024
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Space exploration

    Working together in space can enhance worldly ties between Australia and Japan

    Andre Kwok , Cassandra Steer
    And the region stands to benefit, too.
  • 4 Nov 2024
    • Asean
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • Chinese Trade
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Trade

    ASEAN countries confront Chinese export glut

    Henry Storey
    Left unchecked, a saturation of Chinese goods may complicate what has otherwise been a very compelling ASEAN growth story.
  • 31 Oct 2024
    • Bangladesh
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand

    Asia’s year of electoral upsets

    Greg Earl
    The poor result for the region’s most successful electoral machine in Japan on Sunday has only underlined a surprisingly bad year for incumbents across Asia.
  • 24 Oct 2024
    • Japan

    Japan: Will Ishiba’s election gamble pay off?

    Morgan James
    A self-confessed defence “nerd” hopes voters are growing alarmed about regional threats, despite the long rule of the Liberal Democratic Party.
  • 23 Oct 2024
    • Japan

    Japan would benefit from an economic security strategy

    Rintaro Nishimura
    An overarching, single document is the logical next step for a government that sees economic security as part of national security.
  • 21 Oct 2024
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • War Crimes

    The ghosts of Japan’s occupation of Malaysia

    Ikhlas Abdul Hadi , Marin Ekstrom
    Haunting stories of wartime brutality live on in Malaysia’s folklore, allowing the country to navigate the trauma.
  • 8 Oct 2024
    • Japan

    What Japan’s new Prime Minister thinks about Indo-Pacific peace

    Jenny Bloomfield
    Shigeru Ishiba will have his hands full with domestic priorities but those same hands are safe on regional security questions.
  • 26 Sep 2024
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Quad
    • United States

    The Quad has solid foundations

    Kieran Thompson
    Questions of the group’s future after the leaders’ summit are misguided.
  • 26 Sep 2024
    • China
    • China-Japan Relations
    • Japan
    • Trade

    Yesterday’s stick, today’s carrot? China’s removal of the Japan seafood ban

    Victor Ferguson , Darren Lim
    Talk of easing import restrictions raises questions about Beijing’s motivations at this time.
  • 9 Sep 2024
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Southeast Asia
    • Thailand
    • Australia
    • Australia and Asia

    China’s rise in Southeast Asia is bringing in a golden age for Australia

    Susannah Patton
    Disquiet about Beijing’s growing presence is motivating countries across the region to seek deeper cooperation with Canberra.
  • 5 Sep 2024
    • Japan
    • Sustainability

    In teaching about Sustainable Development Goals, Japan has a chance to learn about itself

    Marin Ekstrom , Ikhlas Abdul Hadi
    English as a foreign language courses could become a catalyst for change by fostering a critical thinking in classrooms.
  • 28 Aug 2024
    • Asia
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • India
    • India's Economy
    • Japan
    • Japan's Economy
    • Geo-economics

    The geopolitical ripple effect of Asia’s ageing population

    Mohd. Yunus
    Economies, cultures and foreign policy objectives are set to evolve with the region’s shifting demographics.
  • 19 Aug 2024
    • Japan

    The race to be Japan’s next prime minister: The chances for a first woman in the top job

    Tan Ming Hui
    If the long-ruling party wants to signal a fresh start, a big first might be the answer.
  • 16 Aug 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United States

    Farewell Fumio Kishida – regional foundations are stronger for your legacy

    Jane Hardy
    Too much focus on personality politics can obscure the enduring common interests between countries.
  • 15 Aug 2024
    • Japan

    Kishida's abrupt resignation: Japan leaves a decade of Abe's influence behind

    Yuma Osaki
    But there is an unprecedented uncertainty about who will take up the Japanese leadership next.
  • 22 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Japan, South Korea and United States: Let’s hope for a robust, lasting pact

    Jane Hardy
    The new framework for security cooperation will have important consequences for the region – if it survives domestic politics among the partners.
  • 18 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Defence & Security

    Philippines-Japan security pact puts China on notice

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Though both nations recognise the indispensability of Washington, they are also hedging against future uncertainties.
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