Will he or won’t he? As Aug. 15, the 68th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, approaches, it’s time to take bets on whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine. The Shinto …
Japan
Tokyo Doesn’t Care Who the U.S. Ambassador Is (but Caroline Kennedy Will Do Fine)
The Kennedys are the last big dynastic name in American politics. With no more Nixons to kick around and the Reagan offspring reduced to infighting, the Kennedys still have clout — which also makes them reliable targets for …
Japan Spends Millions in Order to Be Cool
Just as Washington shuts its stimulus chest, and with the economies of Europe tightening their purse strings in times of austerity, Tokyo’s wallet is suddenly very fat and visible. The object of its lavish spending this time is …
The Identity Crisis That Lurks Behind Japan’s Right-Wing Rhetoric
When anti-Japan protests, the fiercest in years, erupted in China over territorial disputes last September, I was attending a conference in Tianjin, roughly 80 miles south of Beijing. Footage from the capital was chilling: …
Mega Snow: James Whitlow Delano’s Buried Japan
Japan’s Aomori Prefecture might be at the same latitude as New York, but its climate can seem a lot more harsh. Nestled at the northernmost part of the country’s Honshu Island, the average yearly snowfall there is around 34 ft. …
Japan: Politician Banned for Wearing Wrestling Mask to Meetings
Spiderman, Batman and Iron Man all wear masks while helping their communities, but a local Japanese politician can’t attend council meetings while wearing his trademark mask.
Two Years After Fukushima, Japan Worries About the Next Big Quake
Experts warn that despite increased disaster preparedness in the wake of the 2011 earthquake, Tokyo is vulnerable to calamity
Japanese PM Links Falklands War with Senkaku Dispute
Japan’s Prime Minister looks to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for inspiration in the territorial conflict with China over the islets in the East China Sea
Old Questions and Few Answers as Japan’s Abe and Obama Discuss Asia Security Tensions
On Shinzo Abe’s first trip to the U.S. as Japan’s Prime Minister, the key issues included the rise of China, North Korea’s quest for nuclear weapons and whether Japan would revise its constitution to allow a standing …
A Familiar Party Returns to Rule Japan, Promising a Fresh Start. Don’t Hold Your Breath
With a decisive win in the Dec. 16 general elections, the conservative LDP has returned to power
A Nervous Japan Swings Right Ahead of Dec. 16 Polls. But Don’t Expect Real Change
The Japanese, alas, aren’t expected to be shaken out of their muddling ways. They do have strong feelings about politicians and China (they don’t like all of them). But no one seems to know which direction to really take.
Asia’s Passport Wars: Chinese Map Triggers Diplomatic Firestorm
Grumbling over territory and marine boundaries, China and India and Vietnam go titting and tatting with pieces of paper.
Must-Reads from Around the World
Things get feisty in China as anti-Japanese anger simmers; why have the Czechs banned the sale of hard liquor?