DSEI Japan: Showcasing Innovation Amid Rising Threats
The 2025 event was the largest to date, featuring 471 exhibitors from 33 countries. Japanese companies comprised roughly 40% of all participants, reflecting the nation's growing interest in the defense industry.
On May 22, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba became the first sitting Japanese leader to attend the exhibition. He delivered a speech stressing his commitment to defense equipment collaboration with allies and partner nations.
"Advancing collaboration in equipment transfer, joint development, and joint production is crucial for promoting peace and stability in Japan and the region," he said.
Ishiba highlighted China's "unilateral attempts to change the status quo" in the East and South China Seas, North Korea's ballistic missile launches, and expanding military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. "The security environment is becoming increasingly severe," he said. Kawasaki Heavy Industries' unmanned helicopter can carry 200 kg of cargo. (©Hidemitsu Kaito)
Ishiba added, "Equipment cooperation will help strengthen deterrence not only for our country but also for our allies and partners."
The Prime Minister also mentioned the significance of Japan, the UK, and Italy collaborating on the next-generation fighter jet, the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). "This will lay the foundation for broad coordination with the UK and Italy for generations to come," he said.
After his speech, Ishiba toured the venue, observing the latest defense technology.
The exhibition featured cutting-edge technologies, including gears, small arms, large ships, unmanned vehicles, and cybersecurity systems. Japan's Ministry of Defense drew particular attention with its "railgun" (electromagnetic cannon) designed to intercept hypersonic missiles. Japan's Ministry of Defense unveils "rail gun" at the DSEI exhibit (left) on May 21. (©Hidemitsu Kaito)
Rising geopolitical tensions are boosting demand for unmanned aircraft and automated, labor-saving technologies. They are also accelerating innovation to enhance soldier safety.
Sweden's SAAB showcased a training system for anti-tank recoilless rifles. Meanwhile, Turkish firm OTOKAR displayed an armored vehicle designed for countering anti-tank mines. A Ukrainian company unveiled a drone-based precision strike system, gaining attention for its technology honed through real combat experience. SAAB showcases a training system for firing anti-tank recoilless rifles. (©Hidemitsu Kaito)
On May 21, United States Ambassador to Japan George Glass attended the opening ceremony at the US Pavilion. In his remarks, the ambassador emphasized the need for regional stability and stronger deterrence."Coordination among allies in the Indo-Pacific, joint development, and joint production are essential. Collaboration between American and Japanese defense industries is indispensable," he said. Ambassador George Glass speaks at the opening ceremony of the US Pavilion. (©Hidemitsu Kaito)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries presented an unmanned helicopter capable of carrying up to 200 kilograms of supplies for potential use in island defense. Meanwhile, Rakuten Group emphasized its support for Ukrainian startups through partnerships with Ukrainian government agencies. The Rakuten and Ukrainian agencies' booth showcases support for startups. (©Hidemitsu Kaito) Defense Minister Gen Nakatani tours the exhibition on May 21. (©Hidemitsu Kaito)
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, who toured the venue on the first day, said, "The number of enlistments in the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) is declining, making the introduction of drones and labor-saving equipment essential." The SDF has a capacity of around 247,000 personnel, but is projected to face a shortfall of 23,000 by the end of 2024.
Japan's defense system continues to evolve. The FY2025 defense budget is set at ¥8.4748 trillion JPY ($58.8 billion USD). This level represents a 9.7% increase from the previous year and reaches 1.8% of GDP.
In 2020, the Air Self-Defense Force established a Space Operations Squadron to focus on outer space. Space surveillance has become increasingly vital, as evidenced by foreign firms capturing real-time satellite images of a North Korean destroyer grounding during its launch ceremony. A model of the next-generation fighter jet being jointly developed by Japan, the UK, and Italy. (©Hidemitsu Kaito)
The next-generation fighter jet under development, GCAP, mentioned by Ishiba, is expected to outperform the American stealth fighter F-35. However, as China and Russia rapidly expand their military power, Japan must further strengthen its defense capabilities.
( Read this in Japanese )
Author: Hidemitsu Kaito
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The evolution of a family business
MORDEN — Prairie Barnwood Ltd. may be a small furniture operation in southern Manitoba's Pembina Valley but when owner Blayne Wyton was thinking about changing the company's focus, he looked to a Japanese conglomerate and an Italian sports car business for encouragement. Before Sony was known for audio and video equipment, its first product was an electric rice cooker; and before Ferruccio Lamborghini turned his attention to luxury automobiles, he made tractors. To Wyton, those shifts seemed much greater than the one he was contemplating and ultimately chose to pursue. If they could evolve and find success, maybe he could, too. At the end of May, Wyton announced in an open letter to customers that after almost two decades, Prairie Barnwood was stepping away from offering made-to-order furniture handcrafted using predominantly reclaimed wood. More recently, he's publicized the company's new focus: crafting a line of architectural features that includes shelves, mantels and ceiling beams. It's a new direction but it will maintain the same look and feel that Prairie Barnwood customers have come to love. Sitting in the studio of his shop, located about 90 minutes southwest of Winnipeg in the Morden Industrial Park, Wyton explains that the rising price of materials and the uncertainty surrounding United States President Donald Trump's tariffs factored into the decision. The tattooed and bearded businessman names white oak, a species of wood he used to purchase from the U.S., as one example. In 2019, it cost $4 per board foot (a board foot is one foot square by an inch thick). Today, it's $19. The cost of shipping has quadrupled in recent years too, Wyton says. These financial realities caused the 46-year-old and his wife and business partner, Tara, to take a hard look at what they love doing and make a decision about how to move forward. Deciding to step away from making furniture, Wyton says, was 'horrific.' 'We built furniture for 18 years and kind of even raised our family with this business,' says Wyton, who has three children. (The eldest, Natalya, handles the company's online presence.) 'I didn't think it would be that emotional making the shift and adjustment,' he says. 'It kind of came to the surface just how invested we were emotionally and mentally into each job, and making sure customers were happy and got what they wanted.' Making the decision to evolve the company's focus was difficult, but Wyton says he found joy in the idea as he read about businesses like Sony and Lamborghini. It's not the first time his life has changed course. Wyton was born in Edmonton and raised 20 minutes east of the city in Sherwood Park, Alta. As a teenager, he worked for his grandfather's company, which manufactured nylon tow ropes for the oil fields. He met Tara in college and the couple were married in 1999. The next year, they moved to Morden, where Tara grew up. In 2001, Wyton started an antique refurbishing business. Seven years later, while driving through southern Ontario, he was inspired to start a company that would create brand-new furniture using wood reclaimed from old barns. He got started that year, officially incorporating the business two years later. As he was starting Prairie Barnwood, he thought about how every customer at his antique refurbishing business had a story about the piece they brought in. 'When I had the opportunity to get into furniture I (thought), 'I want to build stuff that will have that ability to last long enough for a story to be told about it,'' he recalls. Wyton set up shop in an old chicken barn and got to work building tables, chairs and dressers using wood from barns in the Pembina Valley and southern Ontario. They were built anywhere from the 1850s to the 1930s. In 2017, the Wytons purchased a one acre piece of property and built Prairie Barnwood's current headquarters, a 6,000-square-foot building that includes a workshop, studio and showroom. Over the years, Prairie Barnwood employees have dismantled more than 20 barns and used them to create thousands of pieces of furniture. The company has sold furniture as far away as Norway. In Canada, it sells products from coast to coast (though Wyton estimates that 70 per cent of Prairie Barnwood's sales are in Manitoba). Jackie Kagan discovered Prairie Barnwood online in 2019 and hired Wyton to refinish a maple dresser. The Winnipeg resident was so impressed with the company's work that she and her husband hired Prairie Barnwood to build numerous custom pieces for their cottage at Falcon Lake. Between a mantel, bathroom vanities, shelving, countertops and a dining table that seats at least a dozen people, there's Prairie Barnwood furniture in just about every room. Each piece was custom-designed to fit the Kagan family's space and style. 'Blayne and Tara were incredible to work with,' Kagan says. 'Their attention to detail, craftsmanship and genuine passion made the entire process seamless. It was such a rewarding experience to work with a local company that takes so much pride in what they do.' Greg and Shannon Griffiths had a similar experience when they hired Prairie Barnwood to build custom furniture for their home in Winnipeg's Whyte Ridge neighbourhood. When the Griffiths put the house on the market a few years later, the eventual buyers loved the pieces so much that they included them in their purchase offer. The Griffiths subsequently hired Prairie Barnwood to build furniture for their current home in Charleswood. 'We're just super impressed by Blayne and his attention to detail,' Greg says. 'His ability (to understand) the environment we were trying to create in the house… was exceptional. He just nailed it.' Wyton is looking forward to delivering that same attention to detail and focus on customer service with Prairie Barnwood's new line of architectural features. The company has always existed to craft beautiful pieces that will add value to a home and become part of a family's life. Prairie Barnwood's employees still get to do that now — it's just that instead of doing it with $10,000 dining sets, they're doing it with $300 shelves. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We get to help more people and be part of their homes,' Wyton says. 'That (is) exciting.' In the coming weeks, the Wytons will host a grand re-opening event that will allow the community to help them celebrate the latest evolution of Prairie Barnwood. (Stay tuned to social media for details.) In the meantime, people can already stop by the studio at 445 Jefferson St. to see the company's new products. The site is also now home to Hope Re:news, a Canadian charity started by the Wytons' relatives that benefits people on the Greek island of Lesvos. When he considers what his life might have been like if he hadn't moved to the Pembina Valley, Wyton gets choked up. Without his wife and the community he's now a part of, he says, he wouldn't be the person he is today. 'The simplicity of Morden and the quality of life that it's given us as a family has been life-changing,' he says. 'I think it's given us a bigger purpose than just working to accumulate or working to make money.' Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
South Korea's president to pardon jailed ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's president will pardon jailed former justice minister and liberal ally Cho Kuk this week, officials said Monday, cutting short his two-year sentence for falsifying academic records to help his children enter prestigious schools. The decision will also reinstate Cho's right to run in elections, likely reviving a political career once seen as having presidential aspirations. But it could also prove to be a divisive move for liberal President Lee Jae Myung, as the scandal surrounding Cho had struck a deep nerve in a country notorious for its educational zeal and fiercely competitive school environment. Lee, who won an early election in June to replace ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, said pardoning Cho and some other convicted politicians and public officials, including some conservatives, would help promote political unity. But the conservative People Power Party criticized the pardon, accusing Lee of arrogance and abusing his presidential powers to release and reinstate Cho, who 'trampled on the fairness and common sense of future generations.' The party was also critical of Lee's decision to pardon former liberal lawmaker Yoon Meehyang, who was convicted of embezzling funds while leading a group supporting Korean survivors of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. Cho will be among 2,188 people — including convicted politicians, business leaders, and former officials — receiving pardons on Friday's Liberation Day, which marks the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II. Cho, who launched the minor Rebuilding Korea Party before last April's legislative elections, had been serving a two-year prison term since December after the Supreme Court upheld various charges, including abuse of power and forging documents to help his children enter elite schools. The controversy, which erupted in 2019 and forced Cho to resign as justice minister, fueled public anger in a country grappling with widening inequality and an intensely competitive education system, and hurt the popularity of then-liberal President Moon Jae-in. Cho's party supported Lee's candidacy during the June presidential election, which was set up after Yoon was formally removed from office in April over his short-lived martial law imposition in December.
Japan Forward
8 hours ago
- Japan Forward
Next Generation Tackles the Abductions Issue at Recent Summit
このページを 日本語 で読む On August 8th, Tokyo's Headquarters for the Abductions Issue hosted the third "Junior High School Student Summit," bringing together students from across Japan to discuss the North Korean abductions issue. Launched by the Japanese government in 2023, this initiative aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of the topic among young people. A total of 67 students participated. They were each recommended by education boards from prefectures and designated cities around the country. At the start of the event, Takuya Yokota, younger brother of abduction victim Megumi Yokota (now 60, abducted at age 13), delivered a speech. He is now the principal representative of the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea. Yokota emphasized that "the abductions issue is not a matter of the past, but an ongoing human rights concern." Takuya Yokota speaks at the "Junior High School Summit," where students discuss the North Korean abductions issue on August 8, Taito Ward, Tokyo. (©Sankei by Yuki Kajiyama) He also shared personal stories about Megumi's cheerful nature and their childhood together. Then, he recounted how, in 1977, his sister was abducted by North Korean agents who had slipped into Niigata City. Later, from one of the suspects, they learned that the agents boarded Megumi onto a ship bound for North Korea, while she cried out all the way, "I want to go home." "For 47 years, she has been unable to communicate with her family, receive an education, or pursue her dreams. I want people to truly grasp just how long that time has been," Yokota said. At the summit, students brainstormed ideas for educational videos on the abductions issue and brought their concepts to life through short plays. The government plans to produce videos based on the best ideas and release them online in December. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who also oversees the abductions issue, expressed hope at the event. "The messages conveyed by young people like you will become powerful voices that resonate with adults," he said. Author: The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
