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February 15, 2026

The Japan Times

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EDITORIALS

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at her ruling party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Lower House election.

After another historic victory, Takaichi takes command

Not only is she the country's first female prime minister and a symbol of a new Japan, her career also marks a break from traditional politics.

Takaichi and the LDP appear poised for a big win

Takaichi’s performance has surprised most observers. Not only did she take office with sky-high approval ratings, but she has maintained them since October.

We must hold America to a much higher standard

The images of mayhem and violence that have been transmitted around the world have alienated many others who once looked to the U.S. as a model of democracy.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Carney warned that a belligerent, unconstrained United States under Donald Trump has shattered the rules-based world order.

Jan 23, 2026

Carney makes clear the world’s choice

Carney this week offered one of the most unblinking, if not scathing, assessments of the world order.

The head priest of Horyuji temple greets Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, on Wednesday.

Jan 16, 2026

Takaichi and Lee beat the drums for better bilateral ties

Among the discussed items were cooperation to promote regional stability, economic security, the complete denuclearization of North Korea and transnational crime.

China has restricted dual-use exports to Japan that can be used for military purposes, including rare-earth elements, prompting Tokyo to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains.

Jan 9, 2026

China resorts to lawfare to squeeze Japan

While the potential size of the list — estimates range from 800 to 1,100 items — is of concern, Japan is especially worried about the inclusion of rare-earth elements.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump address sailors and others aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington during a visit to the U.S. Navy’s Yokosuka base on Oct. 28.

Dec 31, 2025

As the U.S. steps back, Japan must step up

In the wake of Trump’s reassessment of the U.S. place in the world, Japan should be ready to step up.

Japan’s efforts to halt rural depopulation and revive its countryside require a broader focus on quality of life, productivity and realistic population goals.

Dec 26, 2025

Facts, not fantasy, must guide regional revitalization policy

By 2022, more than half of all municipalities in Japan were designated as “depopulated areas.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gives a speach marking the anniversary of the death of Simon Bolivar in Caracas on Wednesday. The Trump administration’s escalating campaign against his government relies on legally dubious force and sanctions that echo past U.S. interventions.

Dec 19, 2025

Maduro is an autocrat, but that doesn’t justify a U.S. coup

It is not clear whether these actions are legal, whether there is a strategic rationale or if they would enjoy the support of the U.S. public.

China’s recent radar lock-on of Japanese F-15s from fighters launched from the carrier Liaoning underscores a rising pattern of coercive pressure that Tokyo and its partners must answer with firm vigilance and clear messaging.

Dec 12, 2025

Lock-on incident shows China will continue to test Japan

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi disputed China’s claim that it had given warning about the exercises, arguing that there was “insufficient information to avoid danger.”

WHAT’S TRENDING
Editors' Picks

Almost 80% in Japan feel public safety worsened over past decade: survey

Many survey respondents cited increases in the number of fraud cases and personal data breaches as reasons for deteriorating public safety.

Japan's Yuma Kagiyama matches Beijing performance with silver medal

Gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan (center) is flanked by silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan (left) and bronze medalist Shun Sato, also of Japan, on the podium after the men’s single skating event during the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday.

Flawless Yuto Totsuka stomps to gold in men's halfpipe

Gold medalist Yuto Totsuka celebrates after winning Olympic gold in the men's halfpipe on Friday night in Livigno, Italy.

Hello Kitty designer bows out after 40 years in charge

Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi poses with a "Fairy Hello Kitty" at an exhibition during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Japanese cartoon character in Hong Kong in 2005.

U.S. military preparing for potentially weekslong Iran operations

U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward the press to speak with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Friday.

Looking at politics from a different perspective

Nobuyasu Nikai, the Liberal Democratic Party's candidate for the October 2024 Lower House election, shakes hands with supporters in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture.

Japanese skier hits back at trolls and brings attention to online abuse at Olympics

Freestyle skier Kokone Kondo skis during a training session in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 4.

Inside Yokohama’s ‘quit your job’ bar, where drinks and advice are free

At the new Tenshoku Sodan Bar, owner Shota Umemoto (right) and recruiting staff from Yokohama-based LIA Group serve up cocktails and career advice in equal measure.

Landslide election victory lets Takaichi confront China on her terms

The resounding victory by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's general election has sent a strong signal that Takaichi is likely to be around for some time, giving her the bandwidth to adhere to her strategy of putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage with Japan.

Is Takaichi on course for a long-term reign?

Sanae Takaichi, prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, at the party’s headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Experts say emotional bonds with AI are often shaped by prior experiences — or disappointments — in human relationships.

Love, engineered in the age of AI

ByElizabeth Beattie

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Yamagata co-hosts event on revitalizing rural economies

Yamagata co-hosts event on revitalizing rural economies

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