Dive into the archives.
- Japan as an Immigrant Nation
During the heady days of the Koizumi era, it was common to see and hear of unusually progressive changes in how Japan worked. That included foreign private equity companies buying and managing Japanese banks, foreign-born naturalized persons elected to the Parliament, and privatization of such public institutions as the post office.
Since Koizumi left, there [...]
- Japan’s Border Towns
Japan is an archipelago and has no land border with any neighboring nation. However, several towns and regions take the modern role of “border town”—politically, economically, and culturally.
Wakkanai is the northernmost town in Japan and is located just across from Sakhalin island, which today is Russian territory. Wakkanai developed a century ago as [...]
- Like Blind Moles…
Sake-Drenched Postcards has a great account on clashes between far left and far right protestors at Yasukuni Shrine. With photos! Check it out here.
- The Japan-Malaysia Party Politics Parallel
Both Malaysia and Japan are democratic states. Yet both have seen a majority party in control of all branches of government for many decades. In Japan, it’s the Liberal Democratic Party, while in Malaysia, it’s the Barisan Nasional (National Front). Elections a few years ago in both countries rewarded both – [...]
- US says Indian Photos of Cow Slaughter to Damage Bilateral Ties
NEW DEHLI, India – Recent publication of graphic images of cows at an American slaughterhuose released by the Indian Cultural Affairs Office on Thursday mean a stronger legal case against cattle consumption, the Indian government says. Indian government officials have been monitoring American slaughterhouse activity and the nation is still considering what kind of [...]
- The Zimmermann Telegram Feasability Study
Most Americans know that it was the Zimmermann Telegram, sent by Germany to Mexico at the height of World War I, that brought US into the war in Europe. Frustrated with blatant US support of Britain, Germany solicited Mexico to invade the southern United States and offered aid and assistance. However, the telegram [...]
- Army Wife in Tokyo, 1946
Fascinating story. The luxuries enjoyed by Americans in post-war Japan spread to the rest of the “expat” world and was addressed and criticized in the book The Ugly American.
- Ditto
From Roy at MF:
This is already a week old, but did anyone notice that the very same day US Congressman Mike Honda (D, California) issued yet another call for Japan to issue a more concrete apology to former comfort women, New Jersey became the first Northern state in the United States to issue a formal [...]
- Kawagoe
As the warlord Ieyasu Tokugawa was establishing his hold over Japan and took control of Edo (today’s Tokyo) in 1590, he sent one his top lietenants to secure the domain of Kawagoe, which had vast holdings over the local countryside and was a vital defensive position to secure Edo from enemy attack. The town [...]
- Things change
Tokugawa clan looks to slam the gate on future chief’s marriage to foreigner
Modern day members of the Tokugawa clan—the xenophobic dynasty of Shoguns that shut Japan off from the world for centuries—are up in arms because the man set to one day become head of the family has married a non-Japanese. Iehiro Tokugawa, who [...]
