Families in Japanese coastal communities near the Sea of Japan are watching the horizon with renewed unease this week as military activity intensifies. The sight of warships and fighter jets conducting drills in waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula for the first time in five years has brought back memories of past tensions. Local fishermen who navigate these waters daily report heightened naval presence, while residents in cities like Sasebo and Yokosuka—home to major naval bases—are bracing for potential disruptions as the joint exercise unfolds.
U.S. and Japanese warships, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, are conducting their joint naval exercise in waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula for the first time in five years. The U.S. 7th Fleet and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force said they conducted the joint naval exercise at the Sea of Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday.
It was the first time the U.S. aircraft carrier held the exercise in the area since 2017, and is seen as an apparent attempt to deter North Korea’s provocation.
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force said its destroyer JS Kongo and JS Inazuma, as well as Japanese F-2 fighters, joined the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group “in order to strengthen the capability of Japan-US alliance for effective deterrence and response.” The exercise comes amid growing speculation of North Korea’s missile or nuclear testing later this week, when Pyongyang marks the birth anniversary of its founding leader Kim Il Sung.
Regional Tensions Rise Amid North Korean Threats
Defense experts have warned that North Korea may launch another missile or even conduct a nuclear test as early as this week. Tension is rising in the region ahead of an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea. Japan has also stepped up joint military exercises with its closest ally, the United States, as well as regional partners in recent years, amid rising concern over China’s increasingly assertive military actions in the regional seas.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that the ongoing joint exercise is “aimed at strengthening military cooperation between Japan and the United States and is not keeping in mind a specific country.
We will continue to strengthen the deterrence and response capability of the Japan-U.S. alliance and to do our utmost for the defense of our country.” Details of the exercise will be released by the Japanese Defense Ministry “when the situation allows a disclosure.” The North’s recent missile tests, some experts say, were meant to perfect its weapons technology, boost its leverage in future negotiations with the U.S., and secure stronger internal loyalty.
They say North Korea could soon conduct another ICBM launch, a launch of a satellite-carrying rocket, or a test of a nuclear device in the coming weeks.
What to Watch Next
As the joint exercise continues, observers will be watching for any announcement from North Korea regarding a missile or nuclear test around the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung. The Japanese Defense Ministry is expected to release further details of the exercise when the situation allows. The annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea also looms, which could further raise tensions in the region. For now, communities along the Sea of Japan remain on alert, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the growing standoff.
