Japan’s military chiefs are warning that the country faces its most severe and complex security environment since World War II, attributing the outlook to China, Russia, North Korea and instability in the Middle East. The chiefs vowed to strengthen the Japanese military’s deterrence and response capabilities along with increasing cooperation with allies and like-minded countries in 2025 in their New Year’s message. “Looking back on the past year, unfortunately, the international community has become even more divided and the situation has continued to deteriorate. The international community is on the brink of whether it can maintain a free and open