Articles | Lowy Institute

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.