Nobuhiro, Kubo. "Japanese warship takes Asian guests on cruise in defiance of China." Japan Today. N.p., 24 June 2017. Web. 24 June 2017.
The fight over ownership of land and claims to ambiguous areas of land, like the Senkaku islands, have been going on for a long time. China is known to be one of the most aggressive nations in laying claims to lands and its surrounding waters; China has even created manmade islands in an attempt to claim more of surrounding seas, even though the seas are far from China’s main coastline. Recently, there have been rising conflicts in the South China Sea, as more neighboring nations are taking action in defiance of China’s claims on the sea. Despite being named the “South China Sea”, this body of water is recognized as international waters by the majority of nations in concern, and Japan’s actions this week have demonstrated that they are not intimidated by China, and will not submit to China’s assertiveness. By sailing a warship through the waters, Japan is taking on more of a leadership role; the act is also “unseen coordinated push by Japan's Self Defense Forces and defense bureaucrats to bolster ties with countries ringing the contested waters” (Nobuhiro). In this way, Japan is taking action to stand up for itself and smaller neighboring countries to unite against unjust claims to land. According to Japan Today, “Abe's government believes Japan may be better placed to prise Southeast Asian nations away from Chinese influence than its U.S. allies with a gentler approach that emphasizes a common Asian heritage”. By using its identity as an Asian nation, Japan is hoping to improve relations with other Asian nations in similar situations, and together, contribute to fighting for less territorial views on lands and seas that are international.
Kyodo. "Japan eyes U.S. nuclear pact that renews automatically amid Trump administration vacancies." The Japan Times. N.p., 20 June 2017. Web. 24 June 2017.
Now, more than ever, with the Trump administration decreasing emphasis on climate change and environmental protection, it is crucial that other countries step up and continue to help protect the environment. With nuclear products still playing a large role in energy production and such, getting rid of wastes and keeping nuclear material at safe levels is a global challenge that many nations, including both the U.S. and Japan have to face. The previously established nuclear pact is the Bilateral Agreement, which “entered into force in July 1988 authorizes Japan for 30 years until July 2018 to establish a nuclear fuel recycling system”. However, since this agreement is set to expire soon, new pacts need to be made; this time, Japan is looking towards establishing a more long-term, self-renewing solution. Once again, this depicts how Japan is rising as a leader in many front-end global issues to hopefully find more permanent solutions.