Rapidus President and CEO Atsuyoshi Koike (far right) and Chairman Tetsuro Higashi (second from left) with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office on June 11. (Inside image ©Sankei/Naoki Aikawa)
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Around the world, concerns are growing over the effective reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz, while the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate. The global situation has become increasingly unstable.
At the same time, China's rapid military expansion, including its nuclear capabilities, and its coercive diplomatic posture have heightened tensions not only across the Taiwan Strait but also in Japan and throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Last month, Japan Forward celebrated its 10th anniversary with supporters. The team received congratulatory messages from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, and Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama.
A common theme ran through their messages: Japan's voice—one that seeks peace and hopes for global prosperity—must be shared with the world.
At a time like this, it is more important than ever for Japan to clearly communicate its vision for the next five and ten years, as well as the direction it intends to take, to the international community.
Building the Future Through Technology
Yet the news is not all grim. There are also reasons for optimism, many of which Japan Forward has been highlighting.
One of them is Japan's return to the forefront of advanced semiconductor manufacturing, an industry that underpins virtually every sector of the global economy.
Satoshi Nohara, Director-General of the Commerce and Information Policy Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and one of the country's leading experts in the field, recently contributed two articles to Japan Forward.
In the following articles, he explained the importance of Rapidus and Japan's efforts to reestablish domestic production of cutting-edge semiconductors.
- Rapidus: Japan's Return to the Frontier of Semiconductor Manufacturing
- Rapidus and the Future of a Resilient Indo-Pacific Semiconductor Ecosystem
Nohara's argument is straightforward. As the world moves deeper into the age of artificial intelligence and robotics, advanced semiconductors have become strategic infrastructure essential to future industrial development.
The global economy requires resilient and trustworthy supply chains that do not depend on a single country.
Although Japan no longer dominates semiconductor manufacturing as it did in the 1980s, it has not lost its technological foundation. Moreover, it possesses the qualities essential for advanced chip production, including international trust and a strong tradition of collaboration.
Rapidus and International Cooperation
Nohara goes on to argue that the semiconductor race "is not merely a competition between nations. It is a shared effort to build the technological foundations of future prosperity."
Responding to skeptics who question whether Japan can reclaim a leading role, he says the better question is why Japan should not.
In the second installment, Nohara emphasizes that Rapidus "represents an opportunity, not to recreate the past, but to build the future." Its success, he writes, "would demonstrate that democratic nations can [...] deliver technological breakthroughs that benefit not only one country but an entire region."
He concludes by asserting that Rapidus will serve as a vital link connecting Japan, ASEAN, and other like-minded partner countries.
These are compelling observations from a specialist who has witnessed both the rise and decline of Japan's semiconductor industry firsthand. Both installments ranked among our most-read articles over the past week.
Journalism and the Next Generation
Another exclusive that ranked among this week's most-read stories covered a visit by students from Baylor University in the United States. They came to the offices of The Sankei Shimbun and Japan Forward earlier this month to learn about journalism in Japan.
Students and members of the editorial staff exchanged views on topics including trustworthy journalism, political labeling, and the changing media landscape.
The students said they do not regularly read newspapers and were curious to learn how the Sankei–Japan Forward team is working to build a new kind of media organization.
As Japan works to build a resilient future, we will continue sharing its efforts with the world across multiple platforms.
Watch for the next issue on August 19.
Japan Forward is a media outlet driven by an unparalleled passion to advance the future of Japan and its role in the world. For inquiries, please call 0570-033-433 (Sankei iD) or email us at info@japan-forward.com.
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Author: Yasuo Naito, Editor in Chief
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