In the past 12 months, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force has intercepted suspected airspace violations by Russian and Chinese military aircraft nearly 700 times, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. This figure represents a decrease of 109 incidents from the previous year, but remains significantly higher than a decade ago. The majority of scrambles occurred in southwestern Japan, coinciding with increased Chinese activity in the Western Pacific. The incidents underscore the ongoing tensions in the region and Japan’s commitment to defending its airspace.