Japan

Asahi Shimbun - E | English | News | Nov. 28, 2025 | Extreme Weather Events

Thailand is deploying the aircraft carrier Chakri Naruebet, along with 14 boats, helicopters, medical teams, relief supplies, and field kitchens capable of producing 3,000 meals daily, to assist its southern provinces hit by severe flooding. The floods, intensified by heavy rains, have affected nine provinces in Thailand and eight states in Malaysia, resulting in 13 deaths and widespread disruption. The carrier can also function as a floating hospital. Around 1.9 million people in Thailand are impacted, with sustained heavy rain and flash flood warnings from the meteorological agency.

Hat Yai, Thailand's fifth largest city and a key rubber trading center, has been among the worst hit, receiving an unprecedented 335 mm (13 inches) of rain in one day, the highest in three centuries. Authorities have ordered evacuations as floodwaters reach up to 2 meters in some areas. Rescue efforts include the use of rubber boats and evacuations in life vests, while many residents have posted urgent pleas for food, water, and rescue amid rapidly rising waters and disrupted communications.

In Malaysia, more than 18,500 people have been evacuated to 126 centers, mainly in northern border states. Rescue teams are operating in flood-affected areas, particularly in Perlis and Kelantan, with the Malaysian Prime Minister emphasizing family safety and compliance with evacuation orders. The floods pose a risk to the rubber industry, with Thai government estimates predicting a reduction in output by about 10,300 tons due to the rains.

The ongoing crisis has seen thousands of pleas for rescue and aid via social media, highlighting the severity of the situation and the growing need for assistance in affected communities.

NHK | English | News | Nov. 28, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

The commander of US Space Forces Japan, Colonel Ryan Laughton, plans to enhance cooperation with Japan to monitor increasingly contested activities in space, which he describes as becoming a war fighting domain. US Space Forces Japan, established at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo in December 2024, recently held a ceremony with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Space Operations Group to mark its first anniversary.

Laughton emphasized the growing number of nations launching satellites, some potentially capable of attacking others, and stressed the importance of the US and Japan understanding both the capabilities and intents of these developments to strengthen defense. He highlighted a plan to install US military sensors on a satellite to be launched by a Japanese rocket within the current fiscal year, seeing this as a way to extend the US-Japan alliance into the space domain and initiate further cooperative efforts in space.

〈社説〉台湾有事答弁 国益を損ねた責任は免れない

Tokyo Shimbun | Local Language | News | Nov. 28, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during her first leaders' debate, did not retract her earlier statement that a Taiwan contingency could pose a “situation threatening the existence of Japan.” Her comments have caused significant backlash from China, leading to negative impacts on Japan’s economy, including declines in tourism and seafood import suspensions. Despite criticism, she has not taken clear responsibility for these consequences.

Opposition leader Yoshihiko Noda criticized the government’s stance, highlighting the U.S.'s ambiguous military position on Taiwan and questioning the Prime Minister’s unilateral and potentially harmful approach to Japan-China relations. Takaichi reiterated the government’s standard position on national security responses, expressing her responsibility to maintain positive Japan-China dialogue and protect national interests.

A key issue is the divergence between Japan and the U.S. on Taiwan. While Takaichi emphasized a severe crisis scenario requiring worst-case assumptions, former U.S. President Trump indicated there would be no invasion during his term, underscoring the U.S.'s ambiguous stance. The Prime Minister’s framing of U.S. military intervention as certain was viewed as careless, risking diplomatic friction.

This misalignment risks undermining East Asian peace and stability. The editorial stresses the importance of close Japan-U.S. consultation to avoid gaps in alliance communication. With U.S.-China relations easing under a “one-year truce” in their trade war, Japan’s hardline approach could lead to its diplomatic isolation. A measured, coordinated strategy is urged to safeguard Japan’s national interests.