Part 3/10:
Amid these tensions, Japan is significantly ramping up its military capabilities. Publicized as the largest troop deployment since the inception of joint exercises in 2005, the 2025 Exercise Iron Fist was conducted primarily across Kyushu and Okinawa—key locations in the Nansi Shoto chain. This island chain, stretching over 1,200 km from Kyushu to Taiwan, is considered a "potential front line" in any conflict involving Taiwan. Its strategic importance is underscored by recent Chinese military activities, including ballistic missile tests in waters near Yunaguni in August 2022 and reconnaissance drone flights near the Nansi Islands in February 2025.