Japan

Politics

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party revealed its manifesto for the upcoming Oct. 27 snap general election, the Sankei Shimbun reported on Oct. 10.

Japan: LDP Manifesto Drops Controversial Foreign Policies Ahead of Polls

Economics

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced the formal dissolution of the lower house of the Diet ahead of the Oct. 27 snap election, with campaigning due to begin on Oct. 15, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Oct. 9.

Japan: Ishiba Dissolves Lower House Ahead of Snap Election

Military & Security

Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba won the election to become the president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which means he will become the next prime minister on Oct. 1, Reuters reported on Sept. 27.

Japan: Incoming PM Ishiba Will Deepen Western Security Ties

China

Japanese naval destroyer JS Sazanami conducted the country's first military transit through the Taiwan Strait, accompanied by an unspecified number of Australian and New Zealand navy ships, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sept. 26.

Japan: Kishida Greenlights First Taiwan Strait Transit Over Chinese Incursions

Russia

A raft of recent Chinese and Russian air and sea incursions near Japanese territory have triggered diplomatic rebukes and the scrambling of Japanese military assets, Jiji reported on Sept. 23. 

Russia, China, Japan: Military Incursions Forestall Efforts to Ease Tensions

United States

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revealed in a press conference that China claimed it would consider easing import restrictions on Japanese seafood, The Asahi Shimbun reported on Sept. 20.

China, Japan: China Extends Diplomatic Olive Branch With Easing of Fish Ban

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

South Korea

United Kingdom

Leaders of the AUKUS grouping (the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia) issued a joint statement on Sept. 18 revealing ongoing consultations with Canada, New Zealand and South Korea to collaborate on Pillar II of the agreement.

AUKUS: Joint Statement Hints at Expansion

U.S.-China Relations

Japan and the United States are close to reaching a deal under which Tokyo will place more restrictions on the export of chipmaking technology to China, the Financial Times reported on Sept. 16.

U.S., Japan: Negotiators Near Deal on Restricting Chipmaking Technology to China

Assessments

Newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Shigeru Ishiba, speaks during a press conference on Sept. 27, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. 

As prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba will focus on strengthening the Japanese military and regional defense ties. But the opposition would seek to roll back such efforts if it wins the Oct. 27 snap general election.

Japan's New PM Will Seek To Revive His Party -- if He Survives a Snap Election

Mexico

Austria

Supporters of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) wave flags during an election rally in Vienna, Austria, on Sept. 27, 2024. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Austrian Elections and a U.S. Port Workers Strike

Media

Podcasts

What key factors are informing the outcome of the elections?

Essential Geopolitics: What to Expect from Japan's Leadership Elections

Israel

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Germany

Sri Lanka

The site of an Israeli strike on Sept. 19 in the southern Lebanese border village of Mahmoudiyeh. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah will continue to intensify in the next week.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Israel-Hezbollah Conflict, the Sri Lankan Presidential Election

The candidates for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership election sit on stage during a debate in Tokyo on Sept. 14, 2024.

Whoever the ruling LDP picks as its new leader will remain focused on improving Japan's military ties, but if he or she is replaced quickly, the turnover could harm Tokyo's preparedness for regional conflicts.

Previewing Japan's LDP Leadership Election

Turkey

Cambodia

France

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Afghanistan

The Geopolitics of Water

Energy

The escalating impacts of climate change and water scarcity will inflame tensions between Central Asian countries, raising the risk of violent state conflict in the coming decades. 

The Looming Threat of Central Asian 'Water Wars'

Snapshots

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio on Aug. 14 in Tokyo. The prime minister's resignation raises the prospect for change in domestic economic policy, such as cost-of-living issues, but major changes are unlikely regarding Japan's pursuit of military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and a national policy turn toward the left is not yet imminent.

The prime minister's resignation raises the prospect for change in domestic economic policy, such as cost-of-living issues, but major changes are unlikely regarding Japan's pursuit of military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, and a national policy turn toward the left is not yet imminent.

In Japan, Kishida's Resignation Will Bring a New Face to the Same Old LDP

Ghana

Kenya

Nigeria

Uganda

Venezuela

Philippines

India

A motorcyclist looks at his phone in front of a National Electoral Council poster promoting the upcoming presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 23, 2024.

Global Elections

The Weekly Rundown: An Election in Venezuela, Economic Reforms in the U.K.

South Africa

The European Commission in Brussels. On July 18, incumbents Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen are expected to be confirmed for a second term as presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission, respectively.

The Weekly Rundown: A New European Commission President, the Third Plenary Session of the CPC

Ukraine

A banner reading "public services in danger, let's vote" on July 5 in Paris.

The Weekly Rundown: French Legislative Runoffs, a NATO Summit in Washington

(From left to right) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang attend a joint press conference during a trilateral summit on May 27, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea. 

Barring major economic and political shifts, cooperation between the three countries is unlikely to notably improve, as Seoul and Tokyo's strategic interests will remain largely at odds with Beijing's.

Reviewing the China-Japan-South Korea Summit: A Long Shot Effort To Ease Tensions

North Korea

Taiwan

While President Biden would be expected to continue to build and strengthen alliances with America's key allies in the northern Asian region, the reelection of President Trump could spur those same allies to look beyond the U.S. for their physical and economic security.

The 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections, Northern Asia and Geopolitical Risk: What to Expect

<p>Japan is a mountainous, volcanic island chain located in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands arc from Russia in the north toward the Korean Peninsula in the south. The country has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of minor ones extending through the Ryukyu island chain framing the East China Sea. Japan&#39;s rugged terrain and lack of interregional connecting rivers isolated its population into separate, densely populated coastal plains. The Yamato plain, which dominates the &quot;Inland Sea,&quot; the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The Inland Sea saw the rise of early Japanese maritime culture and facilitated communication and political control. As Japanese culture expanded over the island chain, the seat of power moved to the more productive and strategically located Kanto plain, Japan&#39;s core region and home to Tokyo, the world&#39;s largest metropolitan area. The country&#39;s primary geographic challenge is sustaining its large population on an island with little arable land and few natural resources. Japan&#39;s geography has prompted the country to alternate between periods of isolationism and expansion. When Japan unifies under strong centralized control, it is often drawn toward the continent for resources and land. This happened in the late 1500s and again in the early 1900s, leading to World War II. Given its location, the Korean Peninsula has been the corridor of invasion between Japan and China, and its status remains of strategic importance to Tokyo. The lack of natural resources in Japan continues to force the country to seek them abroad, leaving the country to balance between U.S. naval dominance and China&#39;s expanding maritime interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan: LDP Manifesto Drops Controversial Foreign Policies Ahead of Polls

Japan: Ishiba Dissolves Lower House Ahead of Snap Election

Japan: Incoming PM Ishiba Will Deepen Western Security Ties

Japan: Kishida Greenlights First Taiwan Strait Transit Over Chinese Incursions

Russia, China, Japan: Military Incursions Forestall Efforts to Ease Tensions

China, Japan: China Extends Diplomatic Olive Branch With Easing of Fish Ban

AUKUS: Joint Statement Hints at Expansion

U.S., Japan: Negotiators Near Deal on Restricting Chipmaking Technology to China

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