Japan | Overview

Expect disruption to business travel and commercial activities during the Golden Week holiday period (29 April-6 May). Golden Week is centred around four major dates – Showa Day (29 April), Constitution Memorial Day (3 May), Greenery Day (4 May) and Children’s Day (6 May). Expect heightened security and associated disruption at related gatherings in major urban centres, including in the capital Tokyo.

This Monthly Security Forecast analyses the security landscape in Congo (DRC) amid clashes between the rebels and the security forces while political tensions simmer in Zimbabwe and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Anti-government protests in Argentina, Panama and Peru will persist in April while Canada plans for snap elections. Mid-term elections in the Philippines will be marred by political violence while situation remains volatile in Sudan and Syria. Russia and Ukraine continue to vie for military advantage as peace talks continue. Additionally, APAC countries brace for a hotter-than-normal summer amid water and power outages.

Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency brings significant changes in the superpower’s foreign policy in Asia and the Pacific. Organisations must proactively prepare for considerable alterations to the operating environments due to Trump’s policies towards China, tariff wars and regional geopolitical tensions. Degradations and improvements with respect to risks to exposed personnel and organisations are both plausible outcomes. This Insight Report uses structured analysis to provide predictive judgments by examining the administration’s ideological doctrines and likely foreign policy objectives as well as their interplay with regional drivers of insecurity. The report concludes with recommendations for risk managers to prepare for and respond to the shifting landscape.

Expo 2025 is scheduled to be held in Osaka (Kansai region) from 13 April to 13 October. More than 150 countries are participating in the event, which the organiser expects will attract 28m visitors. Although Osaka is a LOW-security- and LOW-medical-risk destination, the surge in business travellers will have logistical and health impacts. The risk of natural hazards also remains a factor to consider when planning travel to the expo. This Insight Report outlines key considerations for attending the event and provides advice on how to navigate them during travel to Osaka.