GeoMemo
FRI, MAY 15 · EDT
CountriesJapan (JP)

Japan.

Japan · Tokyo · 123.2M people · east-n-southeast-asia

Governmentparliamentary constitutional monarchyLanguagesJapaneseArea377.9K km²Sanctioned entities83Active conflicts6Mentions 7d155 ▼ 27%CIA· Jan 2026
Stability Score?How the stability score is computedA weighted composite of seven pillars— conflict intensity, event volatility, arms activity, economic health, market stress, sanctions exposure, and humanitarian proxy. Each pillar is scored 0–100 (higher = healthier). The composite is weighted (conflict 25%, economy 20%, events 15%, the rest 10% each) and recomputed daily from strategic events, World Bank indicators, arms-transfer data, and sanctions records.

Risk tier: Critical < 25 · High 25–50 · Elevated 50–75 · Stable≥ 75.
62.9
High risk
27-day trend
Intelligence briefNo brief published today
Daily intelligence brief is generated for the highest-activity countries. Japan becomes eligible as dispatch volume climbs.
Japan · 90-day event volume
1,904
total events · 90 daily data points
Annotated milestones
1 of 12
INTEREST RATE2026-02-152026-04-012026-05-15
Source · intelligence_events · all severity tiersHover any annotated dot for full milestone
Event timelineLast 7 days · 12 milestones · hover for context
MAY 14
2026
US-Japan Meeting
diplomatic_visit · severity 4
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
Japan GDP forecast
economic_indicator · severity 4
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
Interest Rate Hike Forecast
economic_indicator · severity 7
Elevated
MAY 13
2026
India-Japan Cooperation
diplomatic_tension · severity 1
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
SK-JP Economic Growth
economic_indicator · severity 2
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
Japan Diversifies Rare Earths
economic_indicator · severity 2
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
2024 Yen Carry Trade Unwind
currency_crisis · severity 6
Elevated
MAY 13
2026
Geoeconomics Summit 2026
summit_meeting · severity 2
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
Yen Slips
economic_indicator · severity 4
Moderate
MAY 13
2026
Japan-South Korea Tensions
diplomatic_tension · severity 5
Moderate
Stability components7-pillar breakdown · each 0–100, higher = healthier · 30-day trend per pillar
Conflict Intensity
15/100 · 25% wt
target conflicts: 3domestic conflicts: 1max escalation score: 100
Event Volatility
91/100 · 15% wt
target events: 35actor only events: 36domestic events: 1severe domestic: 2instability rate: 0.50%article coverage 90d: 9,675
Arms Activity
0/100 · 10% wt
arms imports: 98total value usd: $17.86Bconflict amplified: yes
Economic Health
79/100 · 20% wt
gdp growth pct: 0.10%inflation pct: 2.74%unemployment pct: 2.50%
Market Stress
71/100 · 10% wt
total signals 30d: 3,595negative signals 30d: 1,041
Sanctions Exposure
83/100 · 10% wt
sanctioned entities: 83is sanctioning power: yes
Humanitarian Proxy
98/100 · 10% wt
life expectancy: 84literacy rate:
Risk matrix5 enterprise-decision dimensions · derived from the 7 stability pillars · higher = more risk
Political
2Stable
Security
65Elevated
Economic
24Stable
Regulatory
17Stable
Operational
41Moderate
Risk dimensions are derived from the 7 stability pillars. Higher score = more risk (inverted from the stability score, where higher = healthier). Operational is a weighted composite intended for enterprise-decision use.
Open the 90-day operational risk view →
Peer comparisonSame-region countries by stability score · this country highlighted
Peer comparison · east-n-southeast-asia
Rank 6 of 22
01Taiwan
51.0
02Union of Burma
52.3
03People's Republic of China
55.8
04Democratic People's Republic of Korea
58.2
05Republic of Indonesia
63.6
06Japan· this country
64.1
07Republic of the Philippines
65.4
08Republic of Korea
66.9
EconomyWorld Bank · 10-year series · 17 indicators
GDP (current USD)
WB· 2024
$4.0T
$185.6B YoY
GDP per capita
WB· 2024
$32.5K
$1.3K YoY
Inflation (CPI)
WB· 2024
2.7%
0.5% YoY
Unemployment
WB· 2024
2.5%
0.1% YoY
Population
WB· 2024
124.0M
541.3K YoY
Military spend %GDP
WB· 2024
1.37%
0.23% YoY
Life expectancy
WB· 2024
84.0 yrs
0.0 yrs YoY
Internet users %
WB· 2024
85.5%
0.5% YoY
Security12 recent events · 6 conflicts · 10 transfers
Event volume · 90 days
1904
Casualties (killed) · 90 days
8
High-severity events
2026-05-14
SEV 4
US-Japan Meeting
Diplomatic Visit
2026-05-13
SEV 4
Japan GDP forecast
Economic Indicator
2026-05-13
SEV 7
Interest Rate Hike Forecast
Economic Indicator
2026-05-13
SEV 1
India-Japan Cooperation
Diplomatic Tension
2026-05-13
SEV 2
SK-JP Economic Growth
Economic Indicator
2026-05-13
SEV 2
Japan Diversifies Rare Earths
Economic Indicator
2026-05-13
SEV 6
2024 Yen Carry Trade Unwind
Currency Crisis
2026-05-13
SEV 2
Geoeconomics Summit 2026
Summit Meeting
Active conflicts involving Japan
Iran war
War · 252819 dispatches
Critical · 100
Persian Gulf conflict
Maritime · 60962 dispatches
Critical · 100
US-China conflict
Cold War · 26848 dispatches
Critical · 100
North Korea nuclear crisis
· 18745 dispatches
Critical · 100
Latest dispatches10 in country corpus · sources come online as coverage grows
Geopolitical Economics

Honda Posts First Ever Annual Loss After Pullback From E.V.s

Honda posts its first annual loss since 1957 due to a multibillion-dollar hit from scaling back electric-vehicle plans.

The New York TimesJapan · United States · China
Other
Ohtani lanza 7 entradas en blanco y Dodgers vencen 4-0 a Gigantes para cortar racha de 4 derrotas
Clarin
Geopolitical Economics
CPF NH Foods Advances to Production Phase, Launches ‘CP Nippon’ Brand in Premium Processed Pork Partnership
Arabian Post
Geopolitical Economics
Don't risk stability warns Reeves, as figures reveal unexpected economic growth - highest in the G7
Sky News
International Relations
Is Taiwan Already Independent? Dispute With China Explained
NDTV
Asian stocks are mixed as investors watch takeaways from Trump-Xi summit
The Independent
PGA Championship 2026 first round tee times and how to watch on TV
The Independent
Honda records its first-ever annual loss on a costly EV strategy
The Independent
Japan’s Unprecedented Tourism Surge Faces Monumental Challenges as Geopolitical Tensions, Overcrowding, and Disaster Preparedness Test the Nation’s Resilience and Future Sustainability - Travel And Tour World
Travel And Tour World
How ASEAN+3 Financial Markets Are Weathering the Middle East Energy Shock - ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office
ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office
Think tanks · this country20 articles from research institutions tracking Japan
Stimson Center
Trump–Xi Summit: Expert Perspectives on the Stakes and Strategic Outlook
Trump and Xi's upcoming summit risks Taiwan's international isolation if Washington shifts rhetorical policy favoring Beijing, while simultaneously straining U.S.-India relations through trade disputes and Trump's Pakistan engagement, creating significant geopolitical complications.
May 12, 2026
Chatham House
The Trump–Xi summit: can progress be made on Iran?
Trump meets Xi in Beijing amid concerns he may trade long-term strategic interests for short-term economic wins, while China exploits US military overextension in Iran and extends technological dominance across manufacturing and emerging sectors.
May 11, 2026
CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
Japan’s New Defense Export Policy: Will Industry Seize the Day?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi eliminated Japan's postwar restrictions on defense exports to security partners in April, marking a historic policy shift that positions Japan's defense industry for potential global growth, though actual industry participation remains uncertain pending government follow-up support.
May 9, 2026
Stimson Center
All-In on AI: How the United States and Taiwan Are Deepening Their Chip Partnership
The United States and Taiwan formalized the Pax Silica Declaration in January 2026, deepening their semiconductor partnership to secure the AI supply chain, with Taiwan's advanced chip manufacturing capabilities proving essential to both nations' technological and economic security.
May 8, 2026
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Geopolitical Debates Over Controlling Cloud Compute
U.S. policymakers debate restricting cloud compute access to prevent China from circumventing semiconductor export controls, as Chinese entities legally access advanced chips through Southeast Asian data centers via cloud services worth billions annually.
May 6, 2026
Brookings
A Look at Hu Jintao’s Visit to Washington D.C.
Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Washington for his first state summit with President Obama, seeking to repair strained U.S.-China relations after a difficult previous year marked by mutual distrust, trade concerns, and military tensions.
May 3, 2026
Brookings
As the TPP lives on, the U.S. abdicates trade leadership
After the U.S. withdrew from the TPP, eleven remaining nations successfully signed the CPTPP trade agreement, demonstrating that trade leadership can exist without American participation and allowing countries to counter Chinese mercantilism and U.S. protectionism.
May 2, 2026
Atlantic Council
Everything, everywhere, all at once: Japan’s geoeconomic reckoning
Japan's new female Prime Minister Takaichi faces mounting geoeconomic pressures including Chinese boycotts, currency speculation forcing $35 billion intervention, and energy supply disruptions, while pursuing security reforms and weapons export authorization amid broader strategic realignment challenges.
May 1, 2026
CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies
Country Economic Security and Technology Assessments
CSIS launched CESTA, examining how U.S. allies strengthen economic and innovation resilience. The spring 2025 Korea assessment identifies vulnerabilities and cooperation opportunities, with future studies planned for the UK, Japan, and Africa.
Apr 29, 2026
View all think-tank coverage of Japan
Top entitiesMost-mentioned actors in Japan-tagged articles · last 30 days
Sanae Takaichi
personlast · May 15
2,536
Shinjiro Koizumi
personlast · May 15
496
Satsuki Katayama
personlast · May 15
420
Kazuo Ueda
personlast · May 15
365
Shinzo Abe
personlast · May 15
287
Takaichi
personlast · May 15
276
Minoru Kihara
personlast · May 14
270
Takaichi Sanae
personlast · May 15
251
Masato Kanda
personlast · May 15
133
Atsushi Mimura
personlast · May 15
128
Forward calendar · relatedUpcoming scheduled events · co-mentioned countries · conflicts · recent reports
Related
+Methodology · how this profile is built

This profile draws from four data tiers. Baseline facts (geography, languages, religion) are from the CIA World Factbook snapshot of January 2026 — the final snapshot before the website was retired. Economic indicators refresh daily from the World Bank. Events, conflicts, dispatches, and entity mentions flow continuously from our continuous intelligence graph — sources come online as we add them. Intelligence briefs are generated daily under ICD 203 analytic-tradecraft standards.

Coverage of Japan will sharpen as we add local-language sources. Every field above carries a provenance chip so you can judge freshness for yourself.