How close is too close when it comes to geopolitics?
Just 110 km from Taiwan, Japan’s tiny island of Yonaguni is quietly becoming a frontline.
And now, Japan has put a date on it—surface-to-air missiles are expected to be deployed there by 2031.
Why now? Tensions with China have been rising steadily. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own, and hasn’t ruled out force.
Meanwhile, Japanese leaders are signaling they won’t sit back.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently hinted Japan could activate its self-defense forces if Taiwan is attacked.
Words that sent relations with Beijing to new lows.
Rising Regional Tensions
Defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi calls the move strategic: missiles capable of intercepting aircraft and incoming threats.
But critics see escalation. “This creates regional tension,” China warned previously, even sending drones near Yonaguni in protest.
Zoom out, and the stakes get bigger. Any Taiwan conflict could pull in the United States—and allies like Japan.
Turning a regional dispute into something far more dangerous.
Yonaguni, once sleepy, is now a symbol. A question mark. A warning.
Because when nations start drawing lines this close… are they preparing for peace—or something else?
