Sanae Takaichi

Japan's leader Sanae Takaichi is used to working long hours alone in her official residence, but a nightly encounter with a cockroach disrupted her routine. After she refused to kill it due to her beliefs, her aides intervened and destroyed it. She admitted: 'I felt relieved, but at the same time a little lonely and even sad.'

The Russian president's visit to Iturup, one of the four islands Tokyo demands be returned, sparked an exchange of protests between the countries. Japan criticized the move, Moscow summoned the ambassador, and Sergey Lavrov accused Tokyo of having "crossed the line of good taste."

After decades of a fragmented intelligence apparatus, Japan is establishing a new National Intelligence Bureau and a National Intelligence Council. Plans also include an anti-espionage law and a foreign intelligence agency amid regional threats and doubts regarding US reliability.

Japan is presenting its military buildup as an engine for economic growth, calling for investment in the arms industry and new technologies. The government warns that the Chinese threat to Taiwan remains its greatest strategic challenge.

The US administration is purchasing yen in the amount of 5–10 billion dollars as the Japanese currency hits 40-year lows. Beyond supporting an ally, the intervention offers a direct benefit to Washington: it may reduce Japan's sale of US bonds, thereby lowering the cost of servicing American debt.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has announced the establishment of two new intelligence bodies to counter foreign espionage and cyberattacks. The move follows reports identifying Japan as a hub for Russian intelligence operations.

For the first time since World War II, Japan has opened the "National Intelligence Bureau" to unify its scattered security branches. The move comes against the backdrop of a strengthening axis between China, Russia, and North Korea, and follows revelations that Japanese equipment was smuggled for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced today, Wednesday, that the earthquake that struck the island of Kyushu has claimed the lives of 13 people. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors trapped under the rubble of a shopping center.