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Takahashi Kosuke

Takahashi Kosuke is Tokyo Correspondent for The Diplomat.

Takahashi Kosuke is former Tokyo Correspondent for Janes Defence Weekly and former editor-in-chief of HuffPost Japan. He also was a former staff writer at The Asahi Shimbun and Bloomberg.

Takahashi graduated from Keio University with a B.A. in economics in 1993. After working for The Asahi Shimbun and Dow Jones, he studied at Columbia University’s Journalism School and School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and graduated with Master of Science in Journalism and Master of International Affairs in 2004. Prior to joining the Asahi as a reporter in 1993, he worked for Baltimore Economic Development Corporation as an exchange trainee to a sister city program of Kawasaki City, and researched trade issues between the United States and Japan. He was awarded an Honorary citizenship of Baltimore for his work in 1988.

Posts by Takahashi Kosuke

July 12, 2022

Assassination of Kingmaker Abe Will Consolidate Prime Minister Kishida’s Power

By Kosuke Takahashi

The political shockwaves from Abe's assassination are just starting to be felt with the upper house election.

July 08, 2022

Japan Needs a National Space Strategy: Former JASDF General

By Kosuke Takahashi

Tokyo needs to enhance multilateral cooperation with the U.S. and other Western countries in space security, says General Kataoka Haruhiko, a former chief of staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

July 02, 2022

Japan Awards Contract to Shipbuilder JMU for 12 New Offshore Patrol Vessels

By Kosuke Takahashi

The new ships are supposed to be both more capable and more automated than current vessels.

July 01, 2022

US-led RIMPAC, World’s Largest Maritime Exercise, Starts Without China or Taiwan

By Kosuke Takahashi

The exercises kicked off without Taiwan’s participation, despite a push from Congress, while China's previous invitations are a distant memory.

June 23, 2022

Japan’s MHI Launches 5th Mogami-Class Multirole Frigate for JMSDF

By Kosuke Takahashi

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is pursuing more compact ships to counter China and Russia in the East China Sea and broader Indo-Pacific.

June 08, 2022

Japanese Former Defense Minister Morimoto Satoshi on a Taiwan Contingency

By Kosuke Takahashi

If “China can unify Taiwan while eliminating U.S. interference. This is the best scenario for China... The surrounding countries cannot help Taiwan.”

June 03, 2022

Japan Air Self-Defense Force Points to Vertigo in Fatal January Crash

By Kosuke Takahashi

Spatial disorientation of pilots was the likely cause of the January F-15 crash, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force says.

May 25, 2022

China, Russia Fly 6 Bombers Near Japan Amid Quad Summit

By Kosuke Takahashi

The first such joint flight since November 2021 coincided with Japan's hosting of the Quad summit.

May 18, 2022

Japan to Co-develop Future Fighter F-X With UK

By Takahashi Kosuke

Japan may choose BAE Systems, not Lockheed Martin, to support Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in developing next-generation fighter aircraft.

April 29, 2022

Japan Commissions the Name-ship of New Mogami-Class Multirole Frigate

By Kosuke Takahashi

Notably, the Mogami class will boast the first unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and unmanned surface vehicle (USV) deployed on a Japanese frigate.

April 26, 2022

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Commissions First Yard Oil Tanker

By Kosuke Takahashi

The JMSDF has relied on civilian ships to transport fuel from oil refineries to bases. Now it has its own oil tanker, the first of two.

April 22, 2022

Defense Panel Within Japan’s Ruling Party Urges Tokyo to Acquire ‘Counterattack Capability’

By Kosuke Takahashi

The proposal, which stretches the limits of Japan's defense-oriented security policy, will inform the government’s long-term National Security Strategy.