Articles by Mitsugi Endo

Japan, China and the race for Africa’s critical minerals

As Japan expands its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision across Africa, competition with China is increasingly centred on critical minerals, supply chains and strategic infrastructure. Japanese academic Mitsugi Endo analyses the implications.

Mitsugi Endo

25 May 2026

Africa in the spotlight: How Japan, China and Indonesia are building connections

Japanese academic Mitsugi Endo takes a look at the recent and upcoming Africa-related forums held in China and Japan, and notes that the continent is a rising area of focus, especially in Asia, with South Korea and Indonesia also seeking to engage with African countries.

Mitsugi Endo

20 Sep 2024

TICAD8: Can Japan exert its influence in Africa amid great power politics?

Japanese academic Mitsugi Endo gives his assessment of the recent Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) in Tunisia. While it was announced that Japan's public and private sectors combined would make investments in Africa amounting to US$30 billion over the next three years, the impact of great power politics in Africa, including by players such as China and Russia, may have an impact on Japan's future engagement with the continent.

Mitsugi Endo

14 Sep 2022

How Japan can be a part of Africa's development amid great power competition

Tunisia will host the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) on 27-28 August, during which various topics will come under discussion. How can Japan set itself apart from other powers such as China who are aggressively supporting Africa's development?

Mitsugi Endo

24 Aug 2022