By Akio Tanaka
Tokyo-based correspondent covering Japanese politics, economy and the region from a Japanese vantage.
Japan's Combat Role in Balikatan Exercise Signals Strategic Shift in Indo-Pacific
Japan is sending a 1,400-strong amphibious task force to participate in combat drills during the US-Philippines Balikatan exercise. The depl
Japan's Strategic Ambiguity: The Growing Gap Between Pacifist Rhetoric and Military Reality
Japan's constitutional pacifism is cited to limit military action, yet Tokyo has repeatedly reinterpreted these constraints to deploy forces
Fujitsu Leads Japan's Push for AI Chip Sovereignty with Advanced Processor
Japanese tech giant Fujitsu is spearheading a national initiative to create a domestically produced AI inference device. The project, involv
Japanese Yen Nears 160 to Dollar, Traders Eye Historic 200 Level
The Japanese yen is approaching the critical 160-to-the-dollar threshold, prompting aggressive intervention from the Ministry of Finance. Cu
Markets May Be Misreading Japan's 'Takaichi Trade' After LDP Landslide
The yen surged after Sanae Takaichi's LDP landslide, but the rally may reflect a misreading of her policy agenda. Markets are betting on agg
SoftBank Divests $2 Billion in Uber Shares Amid Ride-Hailing Sector Recovery
SoftBank Group's Vision Fund affiliate sold 38 million Uber shares for approximately $2 billion. The Japanese conglomerate remains Uber's la
Tokyo's Bid to Attract Hong Kong Finance Firms Faces Structural Hurdles
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike aims to make the city Asia's top financial hub, opening a support center in Hong Kong. However, Japan's high inc
Japan's Economy Enters Recession as Q1 GDP Shrinks 0.9%, Q2 Expected Worse
Japan's GDP fell 0.9% in the first quarter of 2020, marking its first recession since 2015. Analysts forecast a sharper decline in Q2 as the