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Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Jan. 23 the dissolution of the lower house of the Diet, with the campaign period set to begin on Jan. 27 and the vote scheduled for Feb. 8, marking the shortest window in Japan's history from dissolution to voting, Kyodo News reported on Jan. 23.

Japan: Takaichi Dissolves Lower House To Push Fiscal, Defense Expansion

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Suzuki Shunichi and the heads of her coalition partner, Japan Innovation Party, on Jan. 14 and informed them of her intent to dissolve the Diet on Jan. 23 and call snap elections, with a press conference with more details set for Jan. 19.

Japan: Takaichi To Call Risky Snap Elections, Could Delay Budget

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara, Takaichi's home city, where they discussed economic security cooperation, including on critical mineral supply chains, Yonhap News Agency reported on Jan. 13.

South Korea, Japan: Lee and Takaichi Seek Cooperation, Avoid Historical Debates

Hirofumi Yoshimura, the head of the Japan Innovation Party, a coalition partner of the government, told reporters he believed elections for the lower house of parliament would soon occur following Jan. 9 talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Reuters reported on Jan. 11.

Japan: Takaichi Seriously Considering Risky Snap Elections

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

China's regulators have stopped reviewing applications for licenses to export heavy rare earths to Japanese companies in the days since China announced a ban on dual-use goods exports to Japanese military end users on Jan. 6, according to two Chinese exporters interviewed by The Wall Street Journal on Jan. 8.

China, Japan: Beijing Cuts Exports of Heavy Rare Earths to Japan

China's commerce ministry on Jan. 7 commenced a 12-18-month anti-dumping investigation into Japanese imports of dichlorosilane, a chemical used in semiconductor manufacturing.

China, Japan: Beijing Targets Japan's Chip Chemicals, Mulls Rare Earth Curbs

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in Shanghai with a business delegation following a Jan. 5 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in which they discussed technology and cultural goods exchanges and their shared history of fighting for independence from Japan, Yonhap News Agency reported on Jan. 6.

South Korea, Japan: Lee's Historical Visits, Trade Opportunism Constrain Tokyo Ties

China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Jan. 6 that it was banning all exports of items on its list of dual-use goods to "Japanese military users, for military purposes, and for any other end-user purposes that could enhance Japan's military capabilities."

China, Japan: Export Curbs To Impede Japan's Military Modernization, Harden Its National Security Focus

Snapshots

Japanese Prime Minister and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sanae Takaichi reacts as she speaks with media on the day of lower house elections at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 8, 2026. 

The LDP's decisive lower house victory will enable Prime Minister Takaichi to boost social and defense spending and strengthen ties with the U.S., though at the expense of Japan’s relations with China and South Korea.

Election Landslide Stabilizes Japanese Politics, Cements Defense Modernization

Assessments

Iran

Thailand

Bangladesh

Campaign posters Feb. 6 of candidates running in the upcoming Japanese House of Representatives election, in Inagi, Tokyo prefecture.

U.S.-Iran Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Holds Snap Elections, U.S. Weighs Options After Iran Talks

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (top, 5th from left) speaks during the election campaign rally on Jan. 29, 2026, in Himeji, Japan. 

Global Elections

Outcomes for the Feb. 8 snap ballot include a decisive victory for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party, a weakened conservative coalition and an opposition win.

Japan's Lower House Elections: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Israel

Palestinian Territories

United Kingdom

India

Egyptian trucks and heavy machinery on Oct. 26, 2025, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Gaza Border Reopening, EU Leaders Visit India

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Canada

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Australia

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Indonesia

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Myanmar

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Europe

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Russia

Afghanistan

Nepal

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Flight routes.

Cyber

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Angola

South Africa

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

South Sudan

Burundi

Ethiopia

Kenya

Malawi

Mozambique

Tanzania

Uganda

Zambia

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Over the next decade, Kenya and Tanzania will compete for the title of East Africa's leading trade gateway, particularly as global demand for Central Africa's critical minerals grows. 

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 1 

Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire

Argentina

Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025.

Sanae Takaichi's appointment as prime minister will reduce short-term political instability in Japan and strengthen U.S. ties, but her conservative government will struggle to recover domestic support and could alienate neighboring countries.

New Premier Takaichi a Quick Fix for Japan's Long-Term Political Problems

Media

Podcasts

On Oct. 4, conservative candidate and former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi won the leadership election of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, clearing the way for her to become Japan's next prime minister after a Diet vote tentatively scheduled for mid-October.

Essential Geopolitics: Who Will Be Japan's Next Prime Minister?

France

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Tetsuo Saito, the leader of Japan's Komeito party, attends a meeting at the Diet in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2025.

The collapse of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's longstanding coalition with Komeito increases the likelihood of a fragile opposition government taking power, which could strain U.S.-Japan trade ties while improving Tokyo's regional diplomatic prospects.

End of an Era: Japan's 26-Year Coalition Government Falls Apart

<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: Takaichi Dissolves Lower House To Push Fiscal, Defense Expansion

Japan: Takaichi To Call Risky Snap Elections, Could Delay Budget

South Korea, Japan: Lee and Takaichi Seek Cooperation, Avoid Historical Debates

Japan: Takaichi Seriously Considering Risky Snap Elections

China, Japan: Beijing Cuts Exports of Heavy Rare Earths to Japan

China, Japan: Beijing Targets Japan's Chip Chemicals, Mulls Rare Earth Curbs

South Korea, Japan: Lee's Historical Visits, Trade Opportunism Constrain Tokyo Ties

China, Japan: Export Curbs To Impede Japan's Military Modernization, Harden Its National Security Focus

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