Overview
- Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Chokai, which the Defense Ministry said Friday had completed U.S. upgrades, can now launch Tomahawk cruise missiles after software refits and crew training.
- The ship remains overseas for live-fire tests, with use from Japanese waters expected around September, and the step fits a wider push to field longer-range missiles, including ground units scheduled to start deployment March 31 in Kumamoto and Shizuoka.
- The Tokyo High Court on Friday ordered the government to disclose documents on the legal reading that let a prime minister refuse Japan Academy appointments, dismissing claimed harms to operations as a “logical leap.”
- Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama told the Upper House budget committee Friday that the government would draw on a 1 trillion yen contingency reserve for energy-price relief if needed, favoring speed over rewriting the initial fiscal 2026 budget.
- Local accountability moved forward as Asahikawa settled a high-profile bullying lawsuit with a 70 million yen payment to the bereaved family while Oiso published a long-delayed school bullying report that parents condemned for poor handling and record keeping.