The Japan Times

A powerful U.S. missile system deployed to Japan for joint exercises with the Self-Defense Forces will be stored indefinitely at a key military base in Okinawa Prefecture from mid-October, the Japan Times reports. The open-ended arrangement, rather than withdrawal after training, is likely to fuel debate in Okinawa over the growing U.S. military footprint and tensions with China and North Korea.

Foreign Affairs argues that Japan is creating an opening for the United States to strengthen its position in Asia. The piece suggests Tokyo's diplomatic and strategic moves are giving Washington a renewed chance to deepen regional partnerships at a time of shifting power dynamics in the region, though the specific policy steps involved are not detailed in the headline.