Oct 17 (HBB Defense Military) - Japan launched the second Taigei-class attack submarine today. The advanced diesel-electric Hakugei (SS-514) will be commissioned by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in early 2023.
Hakugei translates in English as "white whale".
Tensions between Japan and China have escalated rapidly following remarks by Prime Minister Takaichi in the Diet regarding a potential contingency involving Taiwan, prompting Beijing to introduce a series of countermeasures including a call for citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, with the impact already spreading across the Kansai region’s economy.
A large-scale fire in Oita City’s Saganoseki district entered its third day on November 20th, and although authorities declared the blaze “brought under control” late in the morning, firefighters continued battling smoldering hotspots across the affected area as a full extinguishment remained out of reach.
Aiko, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, attended a luncheon in the ancient Laotian capital of Luang Prabang on November 20th during the imperial couple’s official visit to Laos, where she delivered her second set of remarks since arriving in the country.
The three-day weekend beginning on November 22nd is expected to bring mostly clear skies across much of the country as Japan comes under the influence of a high-pressure system, with cooler air affecting only the northern regions on the first day and comfortable conditions likely to continue in eastern and western Japan.
China’s Communist Party–affiliated Global Times reported on its front page this morning that it had “demanded a clear explanation from the Japanese side” regarding the discussions held on the previous day, underscoring Beijing’s position that Tokyo must address the issue directly.
A woman in her 40s who was scheduled to perform at a live house in Akasaka was stabbed in the abdomen and other areas on November 16th, leaving her seriously injured, and new information indicates that the man who attacked her had changed his shoes near the scene roughly two hours before the assault.
A man who hid his face from cameras as he was escorted by police at the Tokorozawa Police Station in Saitama was among the suspects arrested on suspicion of theft. Police say he and three others allegedly broke a window and entered a vacant home in Hitachi City in August 2025, where they stole wristwatches and other items valued at about 15,000 yen.
A series of arrests involving Japanese nationals overseas is drawing renewed attention to the expansion of special fraud rings, with on-the-ground reporting in Cambodia revealing the presence of hidden power brokers whose influence is believed to extend into the country’s political establishment. As scam groups establish bases across Southeast Asia, new details are emerging about how these networks operate and why Japanese citizens have become prime targets.
Osaka prosecutors have decided not to indict a 21-year-old man from Shizuoka Prefecture in a case where the body of a Russian woman was discovered in a multi-unit residence in Osaka City in July, concluding on October 18th that the evidence did not warrant pursuing charges.
A light aircraft carrying three people that departed from Saga Airport on the morning of November 19th was found crashed in the mountains of Hoshino Village in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where emergency crews recovered three bodies whose identities and genders have yet to be confirmed.
Princess Aiko, who is in Laos on her first official overseas duty, attended a state banquet on Tuesday night and delivered a greeting that included some Lao phrases.
A reporting team found itself face to face with a bear while investigating the sharp rise in bear-related incidents that has left 13 people dead this year.
Saitama, which drew attention after placing last in the latest prefectural attractiveness rankings, is in fact home to an unexpectedly large number of people dedicated to promoting the prefecture — so many that residents often joke about it.
