Latest news with #AirSelfDefenseForce
NHK
13-07-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Beijing says Japan at fault for warplane nearing Japanese aircraft
A spokesperson for China's defense ministry has defended a Chinese military plane's behavior toward a Japanese aircraft in two separate cases that Japan says happened days before. The spokesperson on Sunday commented on Japan's announcement that a Chinese fighter bomber flew unusually close to an Air Self-Defense Force intelligence-gathering aircraft. Japan says the incidents took place over the high seas in the East China Sea on Wednesday and Thursday. The spokesperson said the Japanese aircraft had engaged in repeated close-in surveillance efforts in China's air defense identification zone. The spokesperson argued that the Chinese aircraft took measures to track and monitor the Japanese aircraft in accordance with the law. He explained that the Chinese response was entirely legitimate and reasonable. He added that close-in reconnaissance and harassment by Japanese vessels and aircraft are sources of maritime and air security risks between the two countries. Last month, Japan announced that a Chinese fighter jet flew abnormally close to a Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on June 7 and 8. Japan expressed serious concerns to China over the June and July incidents and strongly urged it to ensure such actions do not recur. Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Malaysia on Thursday. Iwaya expressed concern over what Japan called the deteriorating situation in the seas and airspace around the country.
NHK
12-07-2025
- Climate
- NHK
World Expo in Osaka reaches halfway point
The 2025 World Expo in Osaka has reached the halfway point to its finish in October. While the number of visitors has been growing, protecting them from extreme heat has been a challenge. Saturday marks exactly three months since the expo opened in April, with 158 countries and territories participating. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition estimates that the event has to draw at least around 22 million visitors to be profitable. The provisional visitor count from the opening to Friday was about 9.9 million. Since its slow start, the expo has attracted an increasing number of visitors. This has eased concerns that it would sustain losses, which had been voiced before its opening. However, the visitor count tends to fall on scorching hot days. This is because there are only a limited number of pavilions with roofs and visitors often have to wait in lines for hours before being allowed in. The rainy season in the region ended unusually early this year. And from June 1 to July 11, 28 people were taken to a hospital from the expo site for suspected heatstroke. The association has added more water supply points, as well as installed parasols and spot coolers to help protect visitors. Despite the grueling heat on Saturday, many spectators ventured to the expo site to see Japan's Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse acrobatic flight. The air show was originally scheduled for the expo's opening day, but was postponed due to bad weather. A formation of six aircraft departed the Kansai International Airport and demonstrated its maneuvering over the expo site. The team will perform again on Sunday.
NHK
10-07-2025
- Politics
- NHK
China warplane nears Japan SDF aircraft on two occasions this week
Japan's Defense Ministry said a Chinese military plane flew unusually close to an Air Self-Defense Force aircraft on two occasions earlier this week. It said both cases happened over the high seas in the East China Sea. The ministry said the first incident occurred on Wednesday morning, when a Chinese JH-7 fighter bomber repeatedly approached a Japanese YS-11 intelligence-gathering aircraft. This lasted about 15 minutes. The ministry said the Chinese plane came as close as roughly 30 meters horizontally to the Japanese aircraft at one point. It said the Japanese aircraft was conducting surveillance and monitoring operations at the time. The ministry said the second close encounter took place on Thursday, when a Chinese JH-7 plane repeatedly flew near a Japanese YS-11 aircraft for about 10 minutes. At one point, it cut the horizontal distance to around 60 meters. The ministry said it cannot disclose precisely where the close encounters occurred or whether the crews of the Japanese and Chinese aircraft exchanged radio or other forms of communications. The ministry added that neither the Self-Defense Force aircraft nor the crews were harmed. It stressed that unusually close approaches could induce accidental collisions. The ministry said Japan has expressed serious concerns to China and strongly urged it to ensure similar actions do not recur. Last month, the ministry announced that a Chinese fighter jet flew abnormally close to one of its Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft on two occasions. It said the cases happened over the Pacific Ocean near Japan on June 7 and 8. At that time, Tokyo expressed serious concerns over the incidents to Beijing and called for steps to prevent a recurrence.
Japan Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Chinese fighters came within 30 meters of Japanese spy aircraft, Tokyo says
Chinese fighter jets twice risked collisions with Air Self-Defense Force surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, in the latest close encounters between the two militaries. The Defense Ministry, which announced the incidents late Thursday, said both involved Chinese JH-7 fighter-bombers making 'unusual approaches' that took the jets within 30 meters of the ASDF YS-11EB electronic intelligence aircraft over international waters. During the first maneuver on Wednesday morning, the Chinese jet flew within 30 meters to the side of the ASDF aircraft — a short enough distance to risk a collision. The following morning saw the Chinese jet perform a similar maneuver, this time flying within 30 meters vertically from the Japanese aircraft. 'Such unusual approaches by Chinese military aircraft pose a potential risk of accidental collision and have raised serious concerns,' the Defense Ministry said. 'We have strongly urged the prevention of such incidents from recurring.' This week's close encounters came as Japan's top diplomat met with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of a regional summit in Malaysia to voice unease over a spate of recent military moves by Beijing — including two similar encounters last month. In early June, Chinese J-15 fighter jets from the country's Shandong aircraft carrier risked collisions with Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C surveillance aircraft over the Pacific Ocean after flying within 45 meters of the Japanese plane on June 7 and flew just 900 meters in front of its flight path — a distance that can be covered in a matter of seconds by the plane — the following day. The latest encounters echoed two that occurred in 2014, when Chinese fighter jets also came within 30 meters of Japanese patrol planes over the same waters in the East China Sea, near the disputed Senkaku Islands, which are controlled by Japan and claimed by China. Concerns have been growing in Tokyo over China's moves in the waters and airspace near the Senkakus after a Chinese government helicopter violated Japanese airspace around the uninhabited islets in May and as Beijing continues to send government ships to the area on a daily basis. Beijing has ramped up military exercises and training in the waters and airspace near Japan in recent months, highlighting its growing prowess ever farther from its shores. China's two operating carriers were spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time last month, in what Japanese defense officials have said is a significant expansion of Chinese naval activities.
Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Japan Times
ASDF's Blue Impulse to perform for Osaka Expo on July 12 and 13
The Blue Impulse aerobatic team of the Air Self-Defense Force will perform over the venue of the Osaka Expo on July 12 and 13, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The commemorative flight was initially scheduled for April 13, when the six-month event kicked off, but was canceled soon after the planes took off that day due to bad weather. On both July 12 and 13, Blue Impulse aircraft are slated to depart from Kansai International Airport at around 2:40 p.m. As originally planned, the planes will fly over major tourist attractions including Tsutenkaku tower and Osaka Castle, both in the city, and the "Tower of the Sun" monument in nearby Suita. The tower was the symbol of the 1970 World Expo. The aircraft will then fly over the venue of the ongoing expo on Yumeshima Island for about 15 minutes from around 3 p.m. "Many people have asked us to reschedule the Blue Impulse flights," Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said at a news conference Tuesday. "We will conduct the performance to further enhance the excitement of the memorable expo."
