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Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 2 days ago
    • Japan

    The power of surprise: How Takaichi’s snap election delivered a LDP landslide

    Peter Chai , Willy Jou
    Japan’s first post-war two-thirds majority was won by avoiding economic debate and overwhelming a fractured opposition.
  • 29 Jan 2026
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • International law

    Tokyo court finds North Korea’s “Paradise on Earth” survivors were misled

    Jiwon Kim
    The ruling on mass repatriation of Koreans from Japan between 1959 and 1984 will have wide implications for Japan-North Korea relations.
  • 22 Jan 2026
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Australian trade, investment & economy
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability

    Japan’s net zero bet needs an Australian hedge

    Ryan Neelam , Reuben Finighan
    Australia can offer Japan what it desperately needs to realise its energy ambitions.
  • 16 Jan 2026
    • Afghanistan
    • Japan
    • Diplomacy

    How Western unity on Taliban Afghanistan is quietly fracturing

    Amit Kumar
    The closure of the former republic’s embassy in Japan shows allied democracies’ slow creep towards diplomatic fatigue.
  • 19 Dec 2025
    • Japan

    Japan-Korea relations: Sanae's puzzling provocation

    Soyoung Kim
    The new prime minister's claim over disputed islands was made with a domestic audience in mind.
  • 5 Dec 2025
    • Japan
    • Germany

    Has the Second World War finally ended for Germany and Japan?

    R. N. Prasher
    Doubts about US commitment are pushing Berlin and Tokyo toward military self-reliance they haven’t sought since 1945.
  • 4 Dec 2025
    • Japan

    Japan’s analog bureaucracy holds back a digital economy

    Charles Crabtree
    Obtaining a criminal-record check should be a simple task, yet in Japan reveals a state capacity problem.
  • 3 Dec 2025
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Energy
    • Climate change

    Japan lost its climate leadership – and now Australia can help

    Richard Neumann
    Japan’s largest supplier of coal and LNG has just pledged to transition from fossil fuels – creating both tension and opportunity.
  • 27 Nov 2025
    • Japan
    • Migration

    Don’t believe everything you read in the media about Japan’s strong anti-immigrant sentiment

    Peter Chai
    Social pressure pushes people to sound tougher on immigrants than they feel.
  • 17 Nov 2025
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    The paradox of US military retrenchment in the Asia-Pacific

    Denny Roy
    A partial retreat in the region could backfire, flaming tensions and emboldening China’s aggression.
  • 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.
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