SPF China Observer: Differences in Maritime Traffic Protection Between the Navies of the United Kingdom and Japanese During World War II −Insights into Taiwan’s Resiliency− (Part 2 of 3)

3. Why was the Preparation of Maritime Escort Operations Treated as a Secondary Priority in the Imperial Japanese Navy?

IINA: Energy Geopolitics as a Strategic Lens–– Challenges for Japan Highlighted by the U.S.–Israel–Iran Conflict

In response to the military strikes on Iran by the United States (U.S.) and Israel on February 28, 2026, Iran declared on March 2 that it would close the Strait of Hormuz and then intensified its strikes on the energy facilities of the Arab gulf countries. At a time when the Ukraine war, which has entered its fifth year, is having a major impact on the international energy situation, the destabilization of the situation in the Middle East is intensifying shocks to the global energy supply system even more. For Japan, which has low energy self-sufficiency, the impact of international political and security trends on securing a stable supply of energy resources continues to be a long-standing and ever-relevant problem.

By Amane Kobayashi, Associate Professor, Musashino University/ Senior Research Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

SPF China Observer: Differences in Maritime Traffic Protection Between the Navies of the United Kingdom and Japanese During World War II −Insights into Taiwan’s Resiliency− (Part 1 of 3)

Now entering its fifth year, the Ukraine War has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, developing into a high-intensity, prolonged war of attrition.