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US brings out B-1B bomber after North Korea’s ICBM launch

November 4, 2024

The United States deployed a B-1B Lancer, a supersonic heavy bomber, to Northeast Asia for a joint exercise with South Korea and Japan. The move is in response to North Korea’s recent test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called the Hwasong-19.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally observed the missile test, which reportedly has a range exceeding 9,300 miles, theoretically putting the U.S. mainland within reach. The missile set a new altitude record for North Korean launches, reaching approximately 4,350 miles—more than 17 times the height of the International Space Station.

In the joint exercise, the B-1B Lancer was joined by four Japanese F-2 fighters, four South Korean F-15Ks, and three U.S. F-16s stationed in South Korea. Originally capable of carrying nuclear payloads, the Lancer was converted to all-conventional strike missions in 2011. With a maximum payload capacity of up to 75,000 pounds, it remains the heaviest conventional bomber in the U.S. fleet.

🇺🇸 – 🇯🇵 – 🇰🇷 fighter aircraft escort a B-1 Lancer during a trilateral escort flight Nov. 3, 2024. This exercise continues strong trilateral cooperation, enabling immediate response to regional security challenges.

Read More: https://t.co/bsjY65UcTE pic.twitter.com/m50DEosawP
— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) November 3, 2024

The exercise demonstrated the collective strength and readiness of the U.S., South Korea and Japan, showcasing their commitment to regional security. South Korean officials described the B-1B’s presence as a display of “overwhelming” power and reiterated Seoul’s stance on close cooperation with the U.S. and Japan in addressing North Korean threats.

According to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the exercise supported a shared vision for a secure, rules-based Indo-Pacific region, showing the allies’ capability for rapid response to any security challenge. This deployment marks the fourth U.S. bomber mission in the region this year.

In June, a B-1B conducted a similar exercise, dropping live 500-pound bombs over the Korean Peninsula—the first live munition drop in the area by the Lancer in over seven years. In August, two B-1Bs flew a non-stop, 12,456-mile round trip from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota to Japan and back, completing the journey in approximately 31 hours.
North Korea fires ICBM; US, South Korea respond with simulated strikes

October 31, 2024

North Korea conducted a significant intercontinental ballistic missile test early Thursday, Oct. 31, with U.S. and South Korea responding swiftly through coordinated air drills, simulating strikes on North Korean missile targets. This marks North Korea’s first long-range missile test in almost a year, a launch that South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff suggest may be a display of strength ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

The missile, launched from near Pyongyang, reached a record altitude of 4,300 miles and stayed airborne for over 80 minutes — one of the longest North Korean missile flights to date.

Fired at a steep angle to avoid neighboring airspace, the missile’s trajectory aligns with North Korea’s recent strategy to showcase range capability without provoking further regional backlash.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch, describing it as “appropriate military action” in response to perceived threats, signaling his continued commitment to expanding North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

This latest test, in clear defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting North Korea from conducting such long-range nuclear-capable missile tests, underscores the country’s growing missile advancements.

Japan confirmed the missile’s landing approximately 190 miles from Okushiri Island near Russia’s coast, with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani calling the launch a direct threat to both Japan and international stability.

In response to the North’s ICBM launch, U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces conducted joint air exercises involving over 100 aircraft, aimed at reinforcing their defense posture and deterring further North Korean provocations.

The drills simulated strikes on mock North Korean missile sites, underscoring the allies’ preparedness and commitment to regional security.

Experts say North Korea’s high-angle missile tests could potentially reach up to 9,300 miles on a standard, flatter trajectory, which would place the U.S. mainland within range. However, uncertainties remain regarding North Korea’s ability to accurately deliver a nuclear warhead over such distances.
Record-breaking warmth delays first snowfall on Mount Fuji

October 31, 2024
While some parts of the United States are already feeling the fall weather, Japan is still feeling the lingering effects of the summer heat. The summit of Mount Fuji has yet to see any snowfall this year. This is the latest the summit has been without snow since snowfall records began in 1894.

Typically, Mount Fuji has a dusting of snow by early October. Last year, the first snowfall arrived on Oct. 5, and the average start date for the snowcap is Oct. 2, according to The Guardian.

Before this year, the latest first snowfall on the summit was recorded on Oct. 26 in both 1955 and 2016.

Experts described this year’s summer in Japan as “sweltering.” It tied with 2023 as the hottest summer on record. Something scientists partially attribute to climate change.

Even though temperatures have cooled somewhat in October, they remain higher than normal. These abnormally high temperatures have prevented the conditions needed for snowfall to begin forming at Japan’s highest peak.
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Japanese nuclear reactor restarts 13 years after 2011 earthquake, tsunami

October 30, 2024
After Japan was battered by a record setting earthquake and tsunami in 2011, all of Japan’s 54 commercial nuclear reactors were taken offline for safety assessments and upgrades. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant saw a major meltdown that spread contaminants over the surrounding area, particularly damaging the fishing industry.

The 2011 disaster had dire consequences for many, and damages totaled approximately $300 billion, the costliest natural disaster in recent history. The major nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima plant saw many in Japan turn away from nuclear energy, including the government itself.

Now, politicians have softened on nuclear power, and Japan has a goal of hitting carbon neutrality by the year 2050. The Onagawa nuclear power plant, 62 miles north of the Fukushima plant, was damaged by the 42-foot-high tsunami wave 13 years ago. However, the wave did not disable the reactor’s cooling system.

Officials have since installed a 95-foot-tall tsunami wall to prevent future incidents. After the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected the Onagawa facility, a review was conducted. After the review, Onagawa was given the green light to restart the second reactor. It started generating power on Tuesday, Oct. 29, according to the plant’s operator.

While nuclear reactors are expensive to maintain and many in Japan still worry about the safety of the facilities in times of crisis, the country seeks to recommission these reactors one at a time. Onagawa’s reactor is number 13 out of 33 total reactors set to be brought back online since 2011.
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Japan in political uncertainty after long-ruling party loses election

October 28, 2024
A major political shakeup has taken over Japan. The ruling party failed to win a majority in parliament for the first time in more than a decade.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he won’t step down, despite the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) losing the general election Sunday, Oct. 27. Ishiba called a snap election soon after being sworn in, hoping to cement his leadership of the LDP.

The ruling party lost 68 seats in Sunday’s election, dropping the LDP from 259 seats to 191 seats in the 465 seat Japanese House of Representatives. The LDP’s coalition partner, Komeito, also lost 8 seats, dropping from 32 to 24 seats.

Big winners in the election included the Constitutional Democratic Party, led by Yoshihiko Noda, which jumped from 96 seats to 148 seats, and the Democratic Party For the People, led by Yuichiro Tamaki, which gained 17 seats, rising from just 11 seats to 28 after the election.

A number of issues led to the election result, with many voters in Japan upset over rising inflation, and a major political funding scandal at the center of the Liberal Democratic Party.

An investigation in 2023 revealed lawmakers had been pocketing millions of dollars in proceeds from fundraisers, resulting in approval ratings of lower than 20%.

This is the first time the Liberal Democratic Party has lost its majority since 2009. The party ruled almost continuously since 1955. Japan’s parliament has 30 days to convene and choose a prime minister.

The chosen prime minister’s party will form the government and can do that without a majority of seats, making up that loss by creating a larger coalition with other political parties.
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- Japanese prime minister won’t seek reelection amid political scandals
- Japanese government admits to editing ‘sloppy’ cabinet photo
Group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors wins 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

October 11, 2024
Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization representing thousands of survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was announced as the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Oct. 11. The survivors, also known as hibakusha, were honored for their activism against nuclear weapons.

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A post shared by Nobel Prize (@nobelprize_org)

“The hibakusha helps us describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable and to grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons,” Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairman, said. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes nevertheless to acknowledge one encouraging fact — no nuclear weapons have been used in war in nearly 80 years.”

The prize was awarded as conflicts rage in Ukraine and the Middle East, with the Nobel Committee expressing concern that “the taboo against the use of nuclear weapons is under pressure.”

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his country was changing its nuclear doctrine, widening the threats it considered would warrant a nuclear strike from Moscow.

“In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to honor all survivors who despite physical suffering and painful memories have chosen to use their costly experience to cultivate hope and engagement for peace,” Frydnes said.

The survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings are the latest anti-nuclear activists to win the peace prize. The most recent of the winners, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, received the honor in 2017.

Over 200,000 people were killed in the two U.S. atomic bombings. About 114,000 of the approximately 650,000 survivors are still alive today.
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US Navy fast-attack submarine surfaces near Japan, China

October 10, 2024
The USS Seawolf is one of the most advanced hunter-killer submarines in the water, and there has been a rare sighting of it in Japan. On Oct. 4, the nuclear-powered submarine surfaced in the waters near Yokosuka, a city located at the mouth of Tokyo Bay —basically in China’s backyard.

Images were taken by a local ship spotter and posted to X. They show the submarine at the surface, being accompanied by a pair of tugboats to the dock.

The USS Seawolf is just one of three subs in the class — also named Seawolf. They were built to be the faster, better-armed replacements of the Los Angeles-class submarines.

They’re also much quieter — 10 times quieter than the subs they were built to replace. And the Seawolf isn’t just quiet when it’s moving slowly, it can downright fly through the water at more than 20 knots. That’s about 23 miles per hour, and that is really fast to be moving while also staying virtually undetectable on sonar.

Seawolves were among the first ships in the Navy to make use of modular design methods, making upgrades and repairs easier when necessary.

US Navy has pod of mine-laying Orcas

It’s a submarine, so of course, it can fire torpedoes. But those torpedo tubes can also be used to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are capable of hitting things on land or at sea and can carry nuclear warheads. Or the tubes might be loaded with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which the Navy likes to use during its various SINKEX drills to remind U.S. adversaries what high-explosive freedom looks like when delivered at sea.

And if that isn’t enough, the space on the boat used to haul extra torpedoes or missiles can also be cleared to haul mines, which would be deployed without the enemy ever knowing.

And this speaks to the Seawolf’s stealth capabilities. In addition to stalking its prey from the shadows, the Seawolf can even learn what its adversary is thinking. That’s thanks to a host of electronic warfare and signal intelligence equipment aboard.

At $3 billion, it all adds up to a very exquisite weapons system, as it’s known in the community, capable of gathering all kinds of intelligence and conducting all sorts of multi-domain warfare. It does all this while also remaining relatively free from detection — except for when the Navy wants you to know it’s there, which is what’s suspected of happening in Japan.

US, Japan bolster military ties to counter threat from China

Yes, it’s true that another Seawolf-class sub, the USS Connecticut, had to make an unscheduled emergency surface after it hit an uncharted underwater mountain, but for the most part, Seawolves are designed to stay at sea, undetected, for months at a time.

So if it surfaces on China’s backdoor, there’s a reason for that. It’s a pretty big flex on behalf of the U.S. Navy to remind Beijing the U.S. Navy’s silent service is always there, it’s watching, and it can go pretty much wherever it wants.
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Tokyo’s Shibuya shuts down Halloween celebrations amid crowd safety concerns

October 9, 2024
One of the world’s premiere locations to celebrate Halloween is taking steps to crack down on crowds. Tokyo’s Shibuya ward has officially “closed for Halloween” this year, as authorities move to prevent chaos experienced in recent times.

Shibuya has a reputation for street parties, drawing crowds since the early 2010s. As the crowds grew, so did the problems, with drunken behavior, vandalism and even violence during these parties.

Last year, Japanese officials took a stand. They started a campaign with signs which read, “No event for Halloween in Shibuya streets,” and this year, they’re doubling down with a new message, “Shibuya is closed for Halloween.”

A year-round overnight alcohol ban on the street around Shibuya Station was also introduced. Officials are asking shops not to sell alcohol in the last week of October.

There will be a significant amount of police also present, with extra crowd control measures in place. Interestingly, they can’t technically ban people from dressing up or walking around, but the plan is to make Shibuya as inconvenient as possible for partygoers, hoping it will drive them somewhere else.

In the past, “somewhere else” has been Shinjuku ward, and recently the two wards announced that they will be working together to lessen these crowds. The ban on alcohol consumption is in effect daily in Shibuya from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. in areas surrounding JR and Keio Shibuya stations, while Shinjuku’s ban will be in effect for 12 hours, starting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31.

These precautions reflect the growing concern globally about the dangers of overcrowded areas, whether it’s locals or tourists. This is a fear brought into stark focus by the tragic events in Seoul in 2022.

Just last week, another police officer was sentenced to prison in South Korea for his failure to prevent the deadly Halloween surge that resulted in 159 deaths.
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Japanese government admits to editing ‘sloppy’ cabinet photo

October 7, 2024

Japan’s government confirmed Monday, Oct. 7, that it made minor edits to an official photo of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s newly announced cabinet after online criticism of the group’s appearance. The alterations, which were made to address visible shirt creases and untidy suits, sparked a wave of mockery on social media.

Eagle-eyed users were quick to point out discrepancies between the unedited images released by local media and the final version posted on the prime minister’s official website.

https://twitter.com/kantei/status/1841190560255848502

One user commented that the photo looked more like “a seniors’ club on a trip to a hot spring,” while others humorously suggested further edits to improve the cabinet’s appearance.

When asked about the edits, government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that minor retouching had been done.

“Group photos during official events of the prime minister’s office, such as the cabinet reshuffle, will be preserved forever as memorabilia, so minor editing is customarily performed on these photos,” Hayashi said.

The controversy comes as Ishiba’s cabinet has faced additional scrutiny for its gender imbalance, with only two women in minor roles among the 19 members. Ishiba, a former defense minister, was elected prime minister last week by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The edits to the cabinet photo have drawn comparisons to similar controversies in other countries, including Britain, where a doctored portrait of the Princess of Wales caused public debate earlier this year.

Despite the backlash, some social media users were more forgiving, calling the edits minor and urging the public to move on.
Tokyo to expand underground ‘cathedral’ complex to handle more extreme storms

October 3, 2024

Tokyo is upgrading its flood defense systems to counter the increasing threat of extreme storms fueled by climate change. The city’s Metropolitan Outer Area Underground Discharge Channel, a massive network of tunnels and reservoirs, has played a crucial role in preventing major flooding since it became operational in 2006.

https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1529528659152887808

In August 2024, Typhoon Shanshan brought torrential rains to Tokyo, even though the storm’s center was nearly 400 miles away.

The storm filled a vast underground chamber known as the “cathedral,” part of the discharge channel.

The system has saved Tokyo from billions of dollars in potential flood damage by diverting water from densely populated areas.

The cathedral chamber, located six stories underground, contains 59 pillars that each weigh more than 1.1 million pounds and stand nearly 60 feet tall.

These pillars support a reservoir capable of holding water equivalent to nearly 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The chamber’s drop shaft is large enough to fit the Statue of Liberty inside.

https://twitter.com/japan/status/1591309848666583042

Despite the system’s effectiveness, Tokyo’s defenses are under increasing pressure as storms grow more frequent and severe.

Sudden downpours that release large amounts of rain in a short time are testing the city’s infrastructure.

To address this, Tokyo has launched a seven-year, $250 million initiative to expand and upgrade its flood defenses. This includes reinforcing levees, improving drainage, and building new reservoirs to increase capacity.

Tokyo’s current sewer system is designed to handle up to 3 inches of rain per hour, but recent storms have brought as much as 4 inches, pushing the system beyond its limits.

New projects aim to raise this threshold to better manage extreme weather events.

The Metropolitan Outer Area Underground Discharge Channel, which cost $1.63 billion to build over 13 years, has become a global model for urban flood control.

Officials say further upgrades to the system will be completed by 2027 to ensure it can meet the growing challenges posed by climate change.

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