Japan PM says weighing ‘all options’ amid China, North Korea threats

Nov 27, 2021 | News On Japan

Nov 27, 2021 (South China Morning Post) - At his first troop review on Saturday, Fumio Kishida vowed to strengthen the country’s military and consider acquiring so-called enemy base strike capability.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday renewed his pledge to consider “all options”, including acquiring enemy base strike capability, and vowed to create a stronger Self-Defence Force to protect the country amid growing threats from China and North Korea. At his first troop review as prime minister, Kishida said the security situation around Japan is rapidly changing and that “the reality is severer than ever”, with North Korea continuing to test-fire ballistic missiles while advancing its capability, and China pursuing a military build-up and increasingly assertive activity in the region. “I will consider all options, including possessing so-called enemy base strike capability, to pursue strengthening of defence power that is necessary,” Kishida said in an address to hundreds of Ground Self-Defence Force members in olive-coloured helmets and uniforms. Kishida, who took office in October, served as top commander for the first time at Saturday’s Self-Defence Force troop review held at the main army base Camp Asaka, north of Tokyo. About 800 troops gathered for the inspection, according to the Defence Ministry. “The security environment surrounding Japan has been rapidly changing at an unprecedented speed. Things that used to happen only in science-fiction novels are today’s reality,” Kishida said. He said his government will lead “calm and realistic” discussions to determine what is needed to protect people’s lives and gain their understanding.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.