Rockin’ the Liberal Democratic Party
There’s a whole lotta shaking going on in Tokyo.
Losing the Plot in Okinawa
The virtues of Shokichi Kina as an Okinawan folk musician are impossible to deny. Long after the man is dead and buried, his song “Hana” will be an immortal classic. As a politician, however, the sooner his career is forgotten the better.
One Leader, Two Masters
People in Hong Kong knew in their gut that this day would come, the day when there would be an inevitable showdown with China over the former British colony’s autonomy and desire for full democracy in all its governing institutions.
No One’s Party
Keiichiro Asao is among the most urbane and accessible of Japanese party leaders, and so he is in many ways a man that you want to root for. But in the nearly six months since he took over the leadership role of Your Party he has produced little prospect of a bright future for the organization.
It’s a Small World
The Japan Travel and Tourism Association (JATA) annual “Tourism Expo Japan” wrapped up today after a three-day run. It bills itself as the largest tourism expo in the world, and it is undoubtedly very sizeable. Filling up a whole wing of Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba, there were booths representing all 47 prefectures of Japan as well as about 150 foreign nations. In all, close to a thousand companies and organizations participated.
Shibuya: Icon of Modernity and Loyalty
Shibuya is one of Japan’s most iconic locations.
Mito Kakizawa Discusses Casino Support
Lawmaker argues that wealth should be kept at home, and that building casinos in Japan may be just the ticket to keep it there.
Lawrence Repeta on Secrecy Law
The government deals itself all the cards in deciding what constitutes acceptable journalism about official policymaking.
Henoko and Ferguson
The various dramas occurring today near Henoko beach, Okinawa, and the city of Ferguson, Missouri, undoubtedly have many points of difference, but it is worth reflecting briefly on some issues that unite these two cases.
Gaza “Die-In” Staged in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park
A group of Japanese and foreign activists and concerned citizens staged a “die-in” in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park today to bring attention to the plight of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. This event is the latest in a series of related protests that have occurred in the Japanese capital since Israel launched “Operation Protective Edge,” a military campaign that took the lives of almost 2,000 Palestinians and injured more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians.