Live2026-09-21 06:00 UTC
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Japan Tension Score

building record · 4 days on file

Live 0–100 tension reading for Japan, built by our own engine from 2,698 world headlines in the last 30 days. Refreshed every 10 minutes; a fresh headline count twice a day.

28
Calm
7d · 30d

Where Japan stands

#28 of 197 countries today, #9 of 44 in Asia-Pacific (region score 58). Tension is steady this week.

Same 0–100 scale and zones as the World Tension Index.

Japan news pulse

22 headlines in 30 days · newest first
North Korea launches ballistic missiles, prompting 'stern protest'
ABC AU World · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
49 · Moderate
Hormuz oil shipments hit six-month high, U.S. military commander says - The Japan Times
GN Trade · 20 September 2026 energy
44 · Moderate
North Korea fires off second apparent ballistic missile - The Japan Times
GN Conflict · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
40 · Moderate
North Korea fires ballistic missile into waters outside Japan EEZ - The Japan Times
GN Conflict · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
40 · Moderate
Games-From dressing as a man to competing with the elite, no backpedalling for Afghan Hashimi
Al-Monitor · 20 September 2026 geopolitics
23 · Low
Anthems, transport, housing: What’s gone wrong at the Asian Games in Japan?
Al Jazeera · 20 September 2026 trade
16 · Minimal
Russia lodges protest with Japan over US Typhoon missile deployment
ABC Intl · 19 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
46 · Moderate
North Korean anthem played for South Korea at Asian Games
BBC World · 19 September 2026 geopolitics
29 · Low
Japan under pressure amid accommodation woes as Asian Games kick off
France24 · 19 September 2026 tradegeopolitics
23 · Low
Japan tests mobile robotic rubbish bins at Shinjuku Station
Euronews · 19 September 2026 geopolitics
20 · Low
Bank of Japan hikes rates to 31-year high to battle inflation
Hindu Intl · 18 September 2026 energyfinance
45 · Moderate
Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high to curb impact of rising prices
Guardian · 18 September 2026 conflictfinancegeopolitics
40 · Moderate
Japanese Global Hawk drone splashes down in crash
Defense News · 18 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
35 · Moderate
Japan raises interest rate to new 31-year high to curb rising prices
BBC World · 18 September 2026 energyfinancegeopolitics
34 · Low
Bank of Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high, flags concerns over inflation
CNBC World · 18 September 2026 finance
32 · Low
A boat towed by a North Korean cargo sinks off Japan's northwestern coast, 1 missing
ABC Intl · 18 September 2026 tradegeopolitics
28 · Low
Japan's Refiners Have Enough Crude to Last Through November, Industry Body Says
OilPrice · 18 September 2026 energygeopolitics
28 · Low
Japan's central bank raises benchmark interest rate to 1.25%
ABC Intl · 18 September 2026 finance
26 · Low
North Korea anthem played at South’s Bangladesh hockey match at Asian Games
Al Jazeera · 18 September 2026 geopolitics
23 · Low
Why Japan’s markets flipped the usual script after central bank rate hike
CNBC World · 18 September 2026 financegeopolitics
20 · Low
Pokémon card curbs send shares of Japanese online marketplace Mercari on a bumpy ride
CNBC World · 18 September 2026 finance
20 · Low
Weather tracker: Thunderstorms hit Spain as Japan braces for typhoon
Guardian · 18 September 2026 geopolitics
9 · Minimal

Every story the engine read that names Japan, its capital or its leaders. Links go to the original outlet; the badge is the engine’s own 0–100 tension weight. This list is what moves the number above.

What is driving Japan’s tension score

last 30 days
  • 41 headlines in 30 days — 1.52% of everything the engine read, in line with the previous 30 days (0).
  • 41% of those were violent (attacks, strikes, casualties) and 20% scored as high-tension stories.
  • Conflicts on the roster: none. Japan is not a party to any conflict our engine tracks right now.
  • Region: Asia-Pacific reads 58 today; it carries 15% of this score.

Read it like this. Attention (how much the world is talking about Japan) is the biggest input at 30%. Violence and high-tension share tell you what kind of talk it is. A country can be loud and calm — an election, a summit — or quiet and dangerous. The mix is the point.

Japan tension month by month

average score, headline counts
MonthAvg scoreZoneHeadlinesViolentDays
September 202626.2Calm41174

Record for Japan began on 18 September 2026. Nothing is revised after the fact.

How the Japan score is built

Five inputs, fixed weights. Attention 30% (share of world coverage), violence 25% and high-tension share 15% (what kind of coverage), roster conflicts 15%, and the Asia-Pacific region score 15%. A momentum nudge (+6 / −4) rewards a country whose coverage is accelerating or fading.

Same physics as the world score. The number rises 85% of the way to its new level at once and falls no faster than 3 points a day — fear arrives fast and leaves slowly.

No third-party index inside. Every count comes from the 41 public news feeds our engine reads itself; the full method is on the methodology page. Data is free under CC BY 4.0 via the API.

Questions people ask about Japan

Is Japan in a war right now?

Not on our roster. Japan is not a party to any tracked conflict; the engine flags new candidates automatically when coverage repeats.

Is tension in Japan rising or falling?

Too early to say — the 7-day change appears once a week of data exists.

How does Japan compare with the rest of Asia-Pacific?

Below its region: Japan reads 28 against 58 for Asia-Pacific, ranking #9 of 44 there.

Keep exploring

Japan and world tension: the long view

evergreen · World Tension Meter team

The alliance’s anchor in Asia. Japan hosts the largest US military presence abroad and is rearming for the first time since 1945. It faces China, Russia and North Korea across narrow seas.

The yen matters. Japan is the world’s biggest creditor, so yen swings and bond moves ripple through global markets. It also imports nearly all its energy.

What our engine watches in Japan

  • Incidents with Chinese and Russian vessels
  • North Korean missile launches
  • Yen and bond-market shocks

Indexes to follow: Currency Stress · Energy Security · Market Fear.