The Untold Story of Japan's Secret Spy Agency

Known only as “C1,” the office building is located inside a high-security compound that houses Japan’s Ministry of Defense. But it is not an ordinary military facility – it is a secret spy agency headquarters for the Directorate for Signals Intelligence, Japan’s version of the National Security Agency.

China vs Japan - Who Would Win? - Army / Military Comparison

Why Japan’s Soryu-Class Submarines Are So Good

Japan’s postwar submarine fleet is one of the best in the world. With an authorized total of twenty-two submarines, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s submarine fleet is also one of the largest. Japan builds its own submarines, with the work split between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, both based in the port city of Kobe.

Japan Looks to Greece for First Major Defense Export

Japan will begin negotiations with Greece to export the US-2 rescue aircraft in a deal that would mark the nation's first sale of finished defense equipment, sources have told Nikkei. Greece is modernizing its aging fleet of firefighting planes and plans to replace several dozen. The European country has expressed interest in buying the amphibious craft produced by ShinMaywa Industries.

The Japanese Military Recruits With Anime Girls

In the past, there was a tradition in the U.S. military to paint pin-ups on aircraft. Today, that tradition lives on in Japan. But there’s an important difference: they’re not cheesecake pin-ups. They’re anime girls, and they’re not only on aircraft, but also recruitment posters. 

Japan's Cute Army

But it’s fascinating to watch how Japan’s armed forces have endeared themselves to the Japanese public. The militaries of many nations harness mass media and pop culture for promotional purposes: the United States cooperates with Hollywood; Russia ostentatiously unveils a three-tiered “war center” seemingly modeled on a Bond villain’s lair. Japan is no different. But what makes their military unusual is that the image being projected isn’t one of might or machismo but of cuteness.

Shield of the Pacific: Japan as a Giant Aegis Destroyer

Several decades ago, former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone once described his country as a “big aircraft carrier” from which to defend against Soviet aircraft. Although such an analogy fails to capture the richness and depth of the U.S-Japan alliance, it did say something important about Japan’s unique geographic and strategic position.

Japan Is Building Out Its Own Satellite Network That Could Replace GPS

Japan is targeting independence in space-based information. In doing so, the country certainly has an eye on security at home and the wider East Asia-Oceania region. It also has one eye on the future standing of its formal ally, the United States.

Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin - Future Japanese Fighter

Japanese Armed Forces 2017

The Whale of Iron: Inside the JMSDF Akishio submarine and the Kure Maritime Museum

Japan's Akishio submarine was decommissioned in 2004 and now sits on dry land just outside Hiroshima. The Kure museum next door has a scale model of the largest battleship ever built. Here's what they're like inside.

Is Japan Breaking With Pacifism to Increase Defense Spending?

Facing multiple security challenges, Japan has begun exploring legislation to lift a spending cap on defense. The move reflects a new strategic reality but also risks antagonizing neighbors. DW's Julian Ryall reports.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's Helicopter Carrier "Izumo"