Pushing Japan to remilitarize was never, and still is not, a good idea. This is not just because an arms race in Asia is the last thing the region needs. But also because Japan, consistently unable to face up to its own history, is simply not the country to represent the world’s liberal democracies in Asia, especially as a military power.
Henry Johnstone Morland Scott-Stokes, patrician among Japan’s foreign correspondents since 1964, recently died in Tokyo at the age of 83, but not before he did untold damage by performing as a foreign handmaid to Japan’s fascists.
Japan’s questionable single custody system continues to come under fire, with particular attention devoted to the recent hunger strike of Vincent Fichot, a Frenchman who had his children taken from him by his Japanese wife. Less attention, however, has been given to the fact that his campaign resonated with many mothers in Japan as well.
Japan’s labor laws have made several several distinct steps forward since the Meiji Restoration of 1868, with workers gradually gaining a degree of protection from the exploitation of business owners and managers. However, the era of Shinzo Abe has been characterized not only by a failure to progress further, but by a distinct step backwards.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the last half of December 2019.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported on June 8, 2019.
Photographer Fernando Ras shares his photo collection with reporter Astrid Walmer in Buenos Aires, discussing the characteristics of Meiji period architecture in Japan.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported on October 7, 2018.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported on September 8, 2018.
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported on January 22, 2018.
