The recent crash of a US Air Force CV-22 Osprey aircraft off the southern coast has once again highlighted Japan’s enduring lack of control over its own territories, even 78 years after the Pacific War.
Exclusionary businesses have a long history in Japan, and people seem to be forgetting it. Here’s a reminder from somebody who has studied them more than anybody.
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.
The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has occasioned a lot of valuable, eye-opening discussions in the media, but few if any have focused upon how Abe’s death could be seen as a form of karmic payback–what happens when you ignore the lessons of history in the pursuit of raw political power.
The Yokohama Spring Homeless Patrol offers hope to those in the most desperate need for help within their community.
US Forces Japan has the duty to recognize that what they do affects Visible Minorities in Japan, whether it be inspiring bigots to slam shop doors in their faces, or giving more ammunition to reactionaries who seek to seal off Japan’s borders.
Visitors to Japan’s main international hub are still greeted by a sign saying “Down With Narita Airport,” a giant middle finger waved by diehards from a different era.
On the eve of the Tokyo Olympics, let’s talk about the mess, both its impact on our minorities and the International Olympic Committee’s responsibility for scamming Japan.
The Japanese government is demanding a national effort to host the Olympics. But it’s time to cancel the Games and put the national effort into supporting nurses and other healthcare professionals who are now working to save lives.
An hour’s drive from central Taipei lies a wasteland for Chiang Kai-shek statues, symbols of Taiwan’s authoritarian past.
