CSIS Japan Chair

News on Japan: Japan's Cabinet decided Friday to allocate about 1.1 trillion yen ($7 billion) from the government's reserves to finance a subsidy program aimed at capping retail gasoline prices amid the conflict in the Middle East. Read More: bit.ly/4yV8goh

📢 Applications are open for the CSIS Japan Chair spring internship. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, résumé, academic transcripts, and a short writing sample by November 20, 2026. For more information and to apply, visit bit.ly/4ziCBya

News on Japan: The Bank of Japan announced on Oct. 30 that the underlying inflation rate has reached its 2 percent target, marking the first time since the central bank set the price stability goal in 2013. Read More: bit.ly/3V1yQyh

News on Japan: A new mother vessel will be built that can carry submersibles for ultra-deep-sea exploration, including one that can reach 11,000 meters below sea level, to support surveys of mineral and other resources in the deep sea. Read More: bit.ly/4jP4EjY

News on Japan: Legislation to establish a "second capital" to serve as a backup for Tokyo's core functions and decentralize economic activity went into effect Friday, paving the way for eligible prefectures to apply for designation. Read More: bit.ly/4iMnA1M

News on Japan: The U.S. & Japan have agreed to establish a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles. Read More: bit.ly/4iPih1y

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet approval has outpaced support for the ruling party, suggesting that her personal appeal extends beyond party backing. What could this mean for her political future? Explore this and more in Yuko Nakano's analysis: bit.ly/4zMxffq

News on Japan: A Chinese coast guard ship has passed through the Osumi Strait off Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, along with three Chinese naval ships including missile destroyers, the Japanese Defense Ministry's Joint Staff has said. Read More: bit.ly/48mtwbP

News on Japan: Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi pledged at a regional defense forum to uphold the country's exclusively defense-oriented policy, in an apparent response to China's claims that Japan's defense buildup plans mark a revival of its past militarism. Read More: bit.ly/4yTyEPJ

News on Japan: Germany and Japan have agreed to hold defense minister-level talks soon to discuss the European country's possible participation in a next-generation fighter jet program led by the Asian nation, Britain and Italy. Read More: bit.ly/4eY2Oda

News on Japan: Japan's LDP, JIP, DPFP formally agreed to reduce the number of seats in the House of Representatives, which is currently 465, by 31 solely through proportional representation tier. Read More: bit.ly/4srVTOZ

Does a more challenging security environment mean greater support for nuclear weapons in Japan? Japan Chair research finds that most surveyed Japanese strategic elites remain opposed to acquisition. Explore the findings and let us know what you think. bit.ly/4yHQbuq

News on Japan: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed Wednesday to strengthen critical mineral supply chains, amid shared economic security concerns over China, and set up a high-level dialogue framework on AI. Read More: bit.ly/4iHqeG5

News on Japan: Defense Minister Koizumi & his U.S. counterpart Hegseth agreed on the importance of increased defense investment & continued strategic alignment to strengthen the deterrence of the bilateral security alliance amid rising military activities by China. Read More: bit.ly/4eF1yeX

News on Japan: The concept of “denial capabilities” will be a pillar of the nation’s defense buildup program in the three security documents, including the National Security Strategy, set to be revised this year, according to government sources. Read More: bit.ly/3UThDXN

News on Japan: The Japanese government is seeking to establish a new corporation under the defense and industry ministries to strengthen the arms industry before revising the three security-related documents by year-end. Read More: bit.ly/48nd9vA

News on Japan: A U.S. military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft made an emergency landing at an airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday and took off again about three hours later. Read More: bit.ly/4zTYqEc

News on Japan: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that Japan expects 1 trillion yen ($6 billion) in investment from domestic companies into Bangladesh in the coming five years, following summit talks with her counterpart Tarique Rahman in Tokyo. Read More: bit.ly/4i7pCJH

News on Japan: Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday he plans to meet with his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines of a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and partner countries later this week in Cebu in the Philippines. Read More: bit.ly/3UpTNTk

News on Japan: Following a series of personal information leaks caused by cyberattacks, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Monday plans to finalize a package of emergency measures by next week. Read More: bit.ly/4zOJEi6