Thailand: Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2024 begins

RAYONG PROVINCE, Thailand — Thousands of servicemembers from the United States, Thailand and partnering countries gathered to participate in the opening ceremonies of the 43rd Annual Cobra Gold exercise, which commenced Tuesday morning in Rayong province, Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. Read More …

Royal Solomon Islands Police Force EOD officers on UXO training

Officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit are undergoing a two-week training facilitated by Japan’s Ammunition College, Self-Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence. The training is to boost the EOD unit’s capabilities including Read More …

Japan: U.S. mines from WWII found at wind farm in Kanmon Straits

In a two-step process on Dec. 14, the MSDF vessel cleared a mine from World War II. “We managed to dispose of it without fail,” said Lt. Cmdr. Akira Ito of the 43rd Mine Warfare Force. It was the first Read More …

Japan to provide more than $1 million to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia

The Royal Government of Japan, through the Embassy in Cambodia, has agreed to provide more than $1.3 million to Cambodia for the clearance of cluster munitions, landmines, and unexploded ordnance. The grant agreement under the Grant Scheme for this Japanese Read More …

Japan pledges $4.5 billion more in aid for Ukraine

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $4.5 billion to Ukraine, including $1 billion in humanitarian aid to help support the war-torn country’s recovery effort in an online summit of leading industrial nations. Kishida made the announcement late Wednesday in Tokyo while Read More …

Japan extends further support to demining activities in Sri Lanka

Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka – Mr. Mizukoshi Hideaki yesterday (Nov. 27) signed the grant contracts of two demining projects under the scheme of “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”, with Ms. Cristy McLennan, Country Director of the Read More …

Japan to join multinational project to clear mines in Ukraine

Japan plans to join a multinational project to clear land mines in Ukraine, a government source said Tuesday, as the country continues to resist Russia’s invasion. Under the project being planned by the U.S.-led “Ukrainian Defense Contact Group,” Japan’s Self-Defense Read More …

Japan supplies mine clearance equipment to Ukraine

Units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine have received mine clearance equipment from Japan, including special vehicles and mine detectors. The aid package includes 40 special vehicles, 50 hand-held mine detectors, as well as containers and fire extinguishing liquid. Read More …

UNDP and Japan supply vital equipment to boost Ukraine’s demining capacity

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Government of Japan, today announced the delivery of vital equipment and vehicles to aid Ukraine in demining its territories. The package supplied to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) Read More …

UNODC: Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia – Latest developments and challenges

East and Southeast Asia’s drug market has been marked by a decade of growth in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine – a trend that continues. The region has also experienced an expansion in the production and Read More …

Japan: Police seize likely explosive powder from attack suspect’s home

Police seized powder believed to be used in making explosives at the home of a man accused of throwing an explosive device near Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was campaigning for a Lower House by-election. Investigators suspect that the silver-colored Read More …

Japan: Man arrested after ‘smoke bomb’ is thrown at the prime minister Fumio Kishida

Japan’s prime minister was forced to take cover on Saturday after a pipe-like object believed to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him during an outdoor speech. Fumio Kishida was unharmed in the incident, which came after former Prime Read More …

Solomon Islands: RSIPF-EOD welcome Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Visit to Hells Point

  Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) have welcomed His Excellency Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan during a brief visit to the Hells Points facilities on 19 March 2023. Read More …

Japan contributes to UN Mine Action Service for humanitarian mine action and peacebuilding in Sudan

The Government of Japan has contributed USD 980,000 to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), a component of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), to advance Sudan’s peacebuilding efforts through humanitarian mine action. Aiming to Read More …

Ukrainian officials inspect mine removal equipment in Japan

Ukrainian government officials on Tuesday inspected land mine removal equipment displayed at an educational facility in Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture. Ukraine needs about 60 land mine removal machines and hopes to gain Japan’s assistance, said Stanislav Kulykivsky, head of the international Read More …

Cambodia, Japan provide tech training for Ukrainian deminers

Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said his government will continue contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine through demining cooperation with Cambodia and other countries. Hayashi made the remarks as the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) held a January 20 closing Read More …

Japan: GSDF removes unexploded bomb left over from WWII in Osaka

Ground Self-Defense Force members removed an unexploded U.S. bomb likely dropped during World War II from the site of a future university campus here on Nov. 6. Officials called for the evacuations of around 3,750 residents in about 2,200 households Read More …