Death of a Terrace House Star: Politics and Free Speech in Japan
The sudden death of Kimura Hana, a professional wrestler, and cast on the popular Japanese reality show Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-20, has thrown light on […]
Japan
Irregular Residents in Japan: Forgotten Tales of Human Suffering
“Not knowing what is happening makes you crazy and terrified because you don’t know what to believe,” said an immigrant detained in Japan’s immigration detention […]
Nexus between the Tokyo Olympics, Coronavirus, and Politics
The COVID-19 pandemic has been making global headlines. Also commonly referred to as the coronavirus, the rapid spread of this newly identified virus has been […]
Korea has boycotted Japanese beer. How will I round out a 4-pack of tall cans?
Korea and Japan are squabbling again. Only this time, it’s serious. How do I know? All the Japanese beers have disappeared from the fridge at […]
Japan’s Diplomatic Vanishing Act
The diplomatic detente in Northeast Asia is currently in summit phase. Kim Jong Un has met twice with his counterparts of South Korea and […]
Korea’s Girl of Peace Statue
There is nothing comfortable about rape. It is not easy to talk about it, read about it, or remember. Perhaps that is why many still […]
Going Against the Grain: Japan’s Choice of Self-Restraint
In much of the world, the political current has changed course from globalization towards nationalism. While military spending and sharp upticks in nationalism are not […]
Attack on Pearl Harbor: 75 Years of charting new waters
On December 7th, 1941, 353 Imperial Japanese planes appeared across the early morning skies of Hawaii. By the end of the day, 2,403 Americans perished […]
The End of Pacifism? Or Japan as a “Normal” Country?
On August 30, 2015, tens of thousands of Japanese citizens, young and old alike, gathered in front of the Diet in Tokyo. Holding signs reading […]