As the tumultuous and controversial Tokyo Olympics came to an end, the world set its eyes on Beijing, where the Winter Olympics is to be held in just six months. The 2022 Games could become even more contentious than the event which just closed.
More than eighty historians of fascism and authoritarianism from around the world have signed an open letter warning that US democracy is in existential peril and urging people to take action now before it’s too late to save it.
Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files, and Paul Jay discuss how working people and the left should respond to the presidential election.
Chinese military activities around Taiwan have visibly escalated in past weeks. Apart from military exercises conducted in the area, a visit to Taiwan by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach saw consecutive days of warplanes sent into Taiwanese airspace.
While New York Times reporters have relocated to Taipei earlier this year due to media expulsions from China, it remains to be seen whether or not other western media outlets intend to open bureaus in Taiwan.
A promising trend in relations between Japan and the Russian Far East has been put on ice by the coronavirus pandemic. As soon as the health emergency is under control, Tokyo should be bold in resuming ties with the region that is Japan’s closest geographic neighbor.
There’s an oft-used expression in Japanese: sekinin tenka. Best translated as “passing the buck,” it’s a reflex of dodging blame for one’s own actions by transferring responsibility to others. For too long, Japan has done so on the world stage with impunity—even when it affects the world adversely.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the last half of November 2019.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the second half of July 2019.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported on December 20, 2017.
