Editorial

For many observers, there was something contradictory about Japan's diplomatic agenda in Manila. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with his counterparts from the QUAD, reaffirmed support for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, discussed regional security with ASEAN partners, defended freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and still found time for a brief conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Seen from Brussels or Washington, this may appear inconsistent. Seen from Asia, it is simply diplomacy. Western foreign policy increasingly frames international relations as a choice between competing blocs. Countries are expected to demonstrate loyalty, reduce engagement with rivals…

For decades, Japan cultivated an international identity built on economic strength, technological excellence and constitutional restraint. Security was important, but it rarely defined the country's diplomatic narrative. That balance is gradually changing. Without dramatic announcements or sweeping declarations, Tokyo is steadily expanding its role as a provider of international security. The latest meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwao Horii and UN Under-Secretary-General Atul Khare illustrates this evolution. On the surface, it was another routine discussion on UN peacekeeping operations and the Triangular Partnership Programme. In reality, it reflects Japan's growing ambition to shape international security through capacity-building rather…

For much of the post-Cold War era, economic competitiveness was measured by access to markets, labour costs and production capacity. Today, a different variable has moved to the centre of global affairs: trust. Governments, investors and multinational corporations increasingly make strategic decisions based not only on economic efficiency but also on the institutional reliability of their partners. In an era marked by geopolitical fragmentation, trust has become a strategic asset. This transformation is reshaping the international economic landscape. Supply chains are no longer organised solely around cost optimisation; they are increasingly structured around political predictability, regulatory transparency and technological security.…

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first official visit to India is far more than another bilateral summit. The agreements signed in New Delhi on defence, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy security and supply chain resilience reflect a profound transformation in the Indo-Pacific. Japan and India are no longer simply strengthening a partnership. They are laying the foundations of what may become one of the defining strategic relationships of the coming decade. For decades, Asia's economic architecture revolved around China. Regional prosperity depended on Beijing's manufacturing capacity, investment and market size. That reality has not disappeared, but it has been fundamentally altered…

For more than three decades, the global economy was built on a powerful assumption: that deeper economic integration would naturally foster stability, prosperity and peace. Governments lowered trade barriers, companies fragmented production across continents, and efficiency became the defining principle of globalization. Strategic considerations rarely dictated where to manufacture a semiconductor, refine a critical mineral or assemble an electric vehicle. Markets, rather than geopolitics, were expected to determine those choices. That assumption is no longer sustainable. The COVID-19 pandemic first exposed the fragility of global supply chains. Russia's invasion of Ukraine demonstrated how energy could once again become a geopolitical…

International summits are measured not only by the agreements they produce, but also by the image they project. At a time when geopolitical tensions continue to reshape global alliances, the recent G7 meeting once again demonstrated that diplomacy extends well beyond official statements. Every gesture, every photograph and every public appearance contributes to the credibility of a country's international standing. Japan has earned worldwide respect through a diplomatic tradition rooted in discretion, institutional discipline and careful attention to protocol. These qualities have become part of its international identity, reinforcing the country's influence far beyond its economic and military capabilities. In…

For much of the twentieth century, diplomacy was associated with summit meetings, trade agreements and military alliances. Yet some of the most effective forms of international engagement often take place far from conference rooms. Football, the world's most popular sport, has become one of the most powerful instruments of soft power, capable of connecting societies that politics alone sometimes struggles to bring together. The FIFA World Cup offers perhaps the clearest example of this phenomenon. Every four years, countries that may have little direct contact in their daily political relations suddenly find themselves sharing the same global stage. National teams…

The Island States Ocean Summit highlights a quiet but structural shift in global governance: the growing economic and strategic relevance of small island states within the ocean economy. Long framed primarily through the lens of climate vulnerability, these countries are increasingly emerging as relevant actors in infrastructure management, maritime regulation, and the governance of trade routes that underpin global commerce. The ocean can no longer be understood solely as a geographic or environmental space. It functions as critical infrastructure for the global economy. Around 80% of world trade moves by sea, passing through corridors that intersect with the exclusive economic…

When Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Tokyo last week, the images followed a familiar diplomatic script: official meetings, joint statements and renewed commitments to closer cooperation. Yet the significance of the visit extends well beyond bilateral relations. It offers a glimpse into a broader transformation taking place across the Indo-Pacific, where strategic partnerships are increasingly being shaped by economic security, technological competition and shifting geopolitical realities. For much of the post-war era, Japan's engagement with Southeast Asia was primarily economic. Trade, investment and development assistance formed the backbone of its regional presence. Today, however, Tokyo is pursuing a…

A few years ago, few in Seoul would have imagined Sanae Takaichi arriving in South Korea as the face of regional pragmatism. Long associated with the nationalist wing of Japanese politics and frequently criticised for her positions on historical memory, Takaichi represented precisely the kind of leadership many South Koreans feared could push bilateral relations back into permanent confrontation. Yet her recent visit to Seoul suggests something important is changing in Northeast Asia: strategic necessity is beginning to override ideological instinct. The shift has less to do with reconciliation than with pressure. China and Russia have accelerated their alignment with…