Coast Guard to pick up retiring Hatsuyuki-class destroyers?

Coast Guard to pick up retiring Hatsuyuki-class destroyers?

by James Simpson on Apr 2, 2013 • 6 Comments
The MSDF and Japan Coast Guard are in talks to push retiring Hatsuyuki-class destroyers into service patrolling the Senkaku islands to cover a shortage of mid-term vessel numbers.

Read more...
New Minister and a Change of Pace at Ichigaya

New Minister and a Change of Pace at Ichigaya

by James Simpson on Jan 3, 2013 • 1 Comment
Incoming Defense Minister Onodera's foreign policy background and Ichigaya's new breeze of life over the New Year.

Read more...
MSDF Ships Visit Yokohama's Minato Mirai

MSDF Ships Visit Yokohama’s Minato Mirai

by James Simpson on Oct 8, 2012 • No Comments
MSDF vessels put into Yokohama for a public open-day event. JSW's James Simpson was on the scene, unprepared but eager to serve.

Read more...
GSDF Chief of Staff Kimizuka Visits USS Bonhomme Richard

GSDF Chief of Staff Kimizuka Visits USS Bonhomme Richard

by James Simpson on Sep 28, 2012 • No Comments
As the GSDF's 15th Brigade trains alongside the USMC, Gen. Eiji Kimizuka (GSDF Chief of Staff) visits the USS Bonhomme Richard to discuss the future of SDF-USMC interoperability.

Read more...
TRDI's New Toy: Unmanned 4x4

TRDI’s New Toy: Unmanned 4×4

by James Simpson on Sep 28, 2012 • No Comments
Strike and Tactical magazine has an exclusive this month covering the Technical Research and Development Institute's new toy: an unmanned 4x4

Read more...
Latest entries
Australian Warship to 'Embed' with the Seventh Fleet

Australian Warship to ‘Embed’ with the Seventh Fleet

by Corey Wallace on May 7, 2013 • No Comments
Very much under the radar comes the news that the Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate HMAS Sydney (FFG 03) is about to join the US Seventh Fleet, where it will be  ”embedded” with a US carrier strike group operating out of Yokosuka. Launched in 1980, the warship is only one of four guided-missile frigates operated by the RAN, and...

Read more...
WPR Global Insider: Military Dimensions of Japan-Vietnam Cooperation on the Rise

WPR Global Insider: Military Dimensions of Japan-Vietnam Cooperation on the Rise

by Corey Wallace on May 4, 2013 • No Comments
Shameless Self Promotion Alert: I would like to direct readers to World Politics Review where I participated in an email interview on Japan-Vietnam security cooperation. This is a topic I could have gone into more depth on, and will at a later date, as it is an interesting and quietly taking place development.

Read more...

Japan and AirSea Battle

by Kyle Mizokami on Apr 29, 2013 • 6 Comments
I recently finished listening to T.X. Hammes on the Midrats podcast for the second time. If you don’t listen to Midrats you should, particularly when they address Asia/Pacific. I think Sal gets Asia wrong at times, but he and Eagle1 ask good questions. They have good guests, and they let their guests talk (sometimes on and on...

Read more...

Shukan Bunshun: Former U.S. State Dept. Japan Hand: Let Us Fight Together!

by Kyle Mizokami on Apr 24, 2013 • 5 Comments
(Weekly magazine “Shukan Bunshun“; February 21, 2013; By Satoshi Tomizaka. Translation, as always, by a trusty pal.)  Kevin Maher, Former State Department Japan Country Director: “Japan, Let us fight together!” Former State Department Japan Country Director, Kevin Maher stated, “Lighting up the Fire-Control (FC) radar and lock-on is equivalent to an actual attack, and can...

Read more...

Shukan Bunshun: Who is Responsible for PLAN Radar Lock-On Incident?

by Kyle Mizokami on Apr 22, 2013 • 4 Comments
From the Japanese weekly magazine “Shukan Bunshun“; February 21, 2013; By Satoshi Tomizaka. Translation by a JSW/ASW pal.  (Regarding this incident here.) Who is responsible for the Chinese Navy’s radiation of Fire Control Radar (FCR)? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs broke their silence on 8 February and released a statement in countering Japan’s accusation...

Read more...

Japanese Media: Taiwan-Japan Fishing Deal Strategically Significant

by Corey Wallace on Apr 10, 2013 • No Comments
Following on from Michal Thim’s ASW post, which contains the details of the deal, the Japanese media reaction has been illuminating, and it appears to be the number one story alongside North Korean missiles on most Japanese news sites. Something appeared to be stirring in late March when it was reported in the Japanese media...

Read more...

Senkaku Breakthrough: Taiwan and Japan agree on fishing rights

by Michal Thim on Apr 10, 2013 • No Comments
Japan and Taiwan have signed a ground-breaking agreement on fishing rights that leaves China isolated in the territorial dispute over Senkaku/Diaoyutai islands. According to Taipei Times, major elements of the agreement are: intervention-free fishing zone for Taiwanese fishing boats in waters between 27° north latitude and the Sakishima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture; furthermore, Taiwan is given...

Read more...
NY Times: "Japan Shifting Further Away From Pacifism"

NY Times: “Japan Shifting Further Away From Pacifism”

by Corey Wallace on Apr 2, 2013 • 2 Comments
To be sure, the article itself is solid and talks to all the right people, including Professor Richard Samuels and Associate Professor Michishita Narushige who are both outstanding scholars of Japan’s security strategy. Ultimately, despite appearances below, the article doesn’t bother me all that much. But it provides a good opportunity to reflect on a few...

Read more...
Japanese Media Now Openly Talking about Japan-Australia Soryu Deal

Japanese Media Now Openly Talking about Japan-Australia Soryu Deal

by Corey Wallace on Feb 17, 2013 • 5 Comments
Today the Nikkei featured an article (日) that raised once again the possibility of Japan transferring the technology underpinning the prized Soryu submarine to Australia. The article did not offer much additional detail about how the process from here is likely to unfold, although it did frame the technology transfer as part of a supposedly mutual...

Read more...
Tekken At Sea: Japanese Destroyer vs. Chinese Frigate

Tekken At Sea: Japanese Destroyer vs. Chinese Frigate

by Kyle Mizokami on Feb 8, 2013 • 9 Comments
Last week a Chinese Jiangwei-II (Type 053H3) class frigate locked its fire control radar on a Japanese destroyer. The name of the Chinese frigate was not mentioned, but the Japanese destroyer involved in the incident was JS Yudachi (DD-103), of the Murasame class. After being lit up by the Chinese radar, Yudachi took evasive action....

Read more...

To Counter China, Defense Ministry Considering F-15s at Civilian Airport

by Kyle Mizokami on Jan 28, 2013 • 2 Comments
Well, this is certainly interesting: Japan is considering using a civil airfield in the Ryukyu islands to base F-15s, because those based on Okinawa are too far away. The planes would be stationed on Shimojijima Island, which is much closer to the Japan-administered Senkakus, which China claims as the Diaoyu, than to Okinawa’s prefectural capital...

Read more...
PRC in 1950: "Senkaku Islands" as Part of Okinawa?

PRC in 1950: “Senkaku Islands” as Part of Okinawa?

by Corey Wallace on Dec 27, 2012 • 17 Comments
Jiji Press in Japan went big yesterday (日) on an exclusive revolving around historical PRC government documents related to PRC awareness of the territorial dispute over the islands, publishing a number of articles and commentaries in rapid fire succession. The Japanese government’s position has been that the PRC, at least, only made a claim to the islands after...

Read more...

Recent Comments

  • User AvatarMark – (May 13, 05:39)
    Their constitution prohibits Japan from having an offensive-capable military...
  • User AvatarJohn LaChance – (May 12, 22:16)
    I think this is Japan's war to win. Stop hiding behind the US Navy's skirt. Do your own shellacking. Your navy is powerful. Your military...
  • User AvatarTri-ring – (May 07, 08:49)
    I was re-watching some vids of Zipang a really interesting anime which probably have some parallels with real life JMSDF personnel especially the brief moment...
  • User AvatarTri-ring – (May 03, 02:18)
    On top, even if PRC fails to gain control of the islands through invasion, they still obtain the option to place the issue on the...
  • User AvatarTri-ring – (May 02, 21:00)
    Concerning the two strategies I believe PRC would want the Offshore Control as an option since it will ensure they can make an endeavor for...

Select a category:

JSW in the Press

"Japanese forces gird for mock island assault", by Peter J. Brown, The Asia Times, August 31, 2010.

"China's Rising Military", by Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2011.

JSW editor James Simpson interviewed on Bloomberg TV, "ON THE MOVE ASIA", April 10th, 2012.

"Japan and the U.S. It's Time to Rethink Your Relationship", by Kyle Mizokami, The Atlantic, September 27th, 2012.

Translations and images are owned by their respective copyright holders. All attempts are made to ensure they are properly sourced. All other content © 2011- Japan Security Watch. Part of the New Pacific Institute Project. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by WordPress.

Designed by WPSHOWER