Issei Tanaka

Issei Tanaka is a staff writer of The Sankei Shimbun Political News Department.

JF-Graphic The Two Former Prime Ministers who Hold the Key to the LDP Presidential Election

Post-Kishida Showdown in the LDP: Who Will Be Kingmaker?

Issei Tanaka July 8, 2024

Former PM Suga and LDP Vice President Aso are competing to determine who will...

20240421 By Elections Matsue Kishida 001

'Down With Kishida' Movement Within the LDP Remains Subdued

Issei Tanaka May 8, 2024

The LDP's loss in the Shimane 1st by-election signals broader challenges. There are concerns...

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Will Kishida Dissolve Lower House Early With Improved Approval Rating?

Issei Tanaka March 27, 2023

The slight boost in the Cabinet's approval rating could prompt Kishida to dissolve the...

Kishida Ukriane

How Kishida Gave Reporters the Late-Night Slip to Make His Surprise Trip to Ukraine

Issei Tanaka March 23, 2023

Kishida had just completed a summit meeting in India. He slipped out of his...

Minamitorishima Island and Defence Minister Taro Kono

Glimpsing the Reality of a Maritime Nation as SDF Protects Japan’s Easternmost Point in the Pacific

Issei Tanaka July 30, 2020

Minamitorishima, the easternmost tip of Japan, floats in the Pacific Ocean about 1800...

Japan Senkaku Islands 009

Provocations in the Senkakus Show How China Plans to Expand Maritime Control Post-Pandemic

Issei Tanaka May 27, 2020

Even as nations around the world are struggling to respond to the...

China Will Be Largest Military Spender in Asia-Pacific in 10 Years: Should We Worry?

China Continues Military Provocations in the Pacific As Coronavirus Pandemic Rages

Issei Tanaka April 23, 2020

The National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS), in its latest East Asian Strategic Report...

Japan Set to Deploy MSDF to Middle East 003

4 Years After the Passage of New Security Law, Japan-U.S. Alliance No Longer One-Sided

Issei Tanaka April 8, 2020

March 29 marked the fourth year since the passage of a historic package...

Japan to Develop Interception System for North Korea’s Irregular-trajectory Missiles

Japan to Develop Interception System for North Korea’s Irregular-trajectory Missiles

Issei Tanaka January 11, 2020

Amidst rising threats from North Korean ballistic missiles, Japan’s Defense Agency has begun...