Skynet surveillance system in China: Friend or foe? Horace C. White Modern Tokyo Times China’s Skynet places all of its citizens under surveillance In an effort to build a perfectly controlled society, China has developed a surveillance system that will monitor everyone living in the country. According to the Chinese authorities, Skynet surveillance system will…
Changing dynamics of Japanese art during the Meiji era Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Sadahide (Gountei Sadahide) witnessed the first years of modernization in Japan that emerged after the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Yet, prior to this dramatic period in Japanese history, the artist Sadahide depicted aspects of Western encroachment. Indeed, while many spectrums…
Samurai Tadamori (1096-1153) in Japanese art and folklore Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Taira no Tadamori (1096-1153) was a famous and notable samurai who was loyal to the Taira clan. In Japanese art and folklore, he is depicted favorably based on his many attributes that were so important in this period of Japanese history.…
Asia / China / Geopolitics / Japan geopolitics / Japan news
Japan Considers a New Security Relationship Via “Networking” with Taiwan Publication: China Brief Volume: 19 Issue: 10 By: Howard Wang The Jamestown Foundation Introduction—Japan Seeks “Networking” with Regional Allies In early May 2019, Japanese Foreign Minister (FM) Taro Kono tweeted support for Taiwan’s bid to attend the World Health Assembly as an observer—thereby advocating for…
Asia / China / Geopolitics
Suspension of Extradition Bill in Hong Kong but full cancellation is needed Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, announced the suspension of the extradition bill that is despised in vast numbers in Hong Kong. Despite this, her distractions seem rather blasé and not based…
PM Abe of Japan returns from a pointless visit to Iran: Middle East quagmire Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returns to Japan after a pointless visit to Iran that made him look out of touch. Once more, the Japanese Foreign Ministry that is aloof about the real…
Japanese Buddhist poetry and the shadow of life: Henjō (816-890) and Sōgi (1421-1502) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Two short poems by two Buddhist holy men who hail from Japan say much about the shadow of life and the memories that are left behind. It matters not that both poets come from very…
President of Taiwan says “all like-minded friends” stand with the protestors in Hong Kong Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of China under the current leader Xi Jinping is known for re-closing Christian churches, ruling Muslim subjects by fear in Xinjiang, continuing its firm grip over Buddhist Tibet, mass surveillance,…
Japan and the pension debacle: Political elites fail to understand ordinary people Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It is well and fine for political elites to provide international support to countless nations while running an enormous public deficit. After all, they don’t fear the pension debacle that awaits ordinary people because…
Fulani butcher the Dogon ethnic group in Mali with roughly 100 people killed Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Fulani ethnic group is creating enormous tensions in several nations, notably Nigeria and Mali. Indeed, in Nigeria, the Fulani Muslim community is behind countless massacres against Christians. Therefore, the latest massacre of…
The footsteps of death followed the Japanese poet Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The life of the Japanese poet Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) was short and blighted by ill health from a very early age. Hence, the words that flowed from Shiki were naturally impacted by the shadow of death. However,…
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit Iran but Saudi Arabia may be displeased? Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan is planning to visit Iran once all arrangements have been made. This especially applies to meeting President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Therefore, senior…
Capitalist Big Brother in Japan: Yahoo Japan to Mizuho FG and George Orwell Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The privacy of information is endlessly being crushed just like freedom on social media. George Orwell in 1949 published a powerful book titled Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). Sadly, the ramifications of his words are…
Brutal crackdown in Sudan by the state apparatus kills at least 30 protestors Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times America and the United Kingdom – and other nations – have condemned the brutal crackdown by the military of Sudan against protestors in Khartoum. Reports are currently stating that at least 30 people…
Japanese artist and her colorful and spiritual nuance of Maurice Utrillo Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sawako Utsumi is a delightful contemporary Japanese artist who hails from northern Japan. In her latest art piece, she focuses once more on Maurice Utrillo (1883-1955). However, as usual, her nuance to the original by Utrillo is reshaped…
Japan and Russia territorial dispute made worse based on US containment policies Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan wants stronger relations with the Russian Federation but three issues remain that are preventing this. This applies to the role of America that seeks to contain China and…
Novatek May Be Carving Out a Bigger Role in Russian Energy Diplomacy Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Rauf Mammadov The Jamestown Foundation Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer, Novatek, which captured the largest share of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market in Europe in the first quarter of 2019, has sold 20 percent of its planned…
Kurz ousted in Austria despite strong European election showing Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria was ousted in a no-confidence vote brought on by the shenanigans of the far-right political party, the Freedom Party (FPO). This happened because the FPO – that is still smarting by Kurz…
Japanese art depicting a famous holy Buddhist warrior Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Saito no Musashibo Benkei (1155-1189) is a famous and highly esteemed Japanese warrior of the twelfth century. Not only is Benkei revered for his loyalty, prowess, and knowledge but also he is deeply admired for his Buddhist faith. Hence, Benkei’s loyalty…
President Trump to enjoy his state visit to Japan and meet the new Emperor Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times President Donald Trump of America will enjoy his state visit to Japan based on the friendliness of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Equally important, and a great honor for Trump, the leader of America will be the…
BJP given a stronger mandate in India based on Narendra Modi’s enormous appeal Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India is showing increasing signs of popularity based on the results of the 2019 general election. In 2014, some questioned the longevity of the BJP under Prime…
Report: Al-Qaida-Linked Charities Funded Canadian Organization, Quran Competition tby John Rossomando Investigative Project on Terrorism A Toronto-area mosque received funding from a Kuwaiti charity blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury and the United Nations., the Kharon Brief found. The Kharon Brief describes itself as an open-source intelligence group headed by former senior officials from the U.S.…
Cyberspace in uproar after Google slams Huawei Horace C. White Modern Tokyo Times Fears Grip Users as Google Suspends Services to Huawei It is often said that it is easy to start a war, but no one knows when the war would end. Indeed, there is no better way to describe the U.S.-China trade war…
Arakida Moritake (1473-1549) and Japanese poetry: Iio Sogi and Shintoism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In time, the poet Arakida Moritake (1473-1549) became the symbolic head Shinto priest of the prestigious Inner Ise Shrine. Hence, with the Shinto faith meaning so much to Moritake, one can only imagine the inner-peace this provided. After all,…
Political hacktivism in decline on the low profile of Anonymous and the state apparatus Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times According to IBM’s X-Force, the international community is witnessing an enormous decline in the activity of hacking by political hacktivists. Of course, the decentralized hacktivist group Anonymous is part of this huge…
Japan and electronic warfare based on a wary eye on China and Russia Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Irrespective of the rights or wrongs of events surrounding Crimea between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the role of Russia’s electronic warfare opened-up eyes in Japan. Similarly, with China and the Russian Federation…
Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide: Whither Jihadism in China? Publication: China Brief By: Jacob Zenn The Jamestown Foundation Introduction—Ethnic Conflict in Xinjiang and the Government’s Response Over the past year, political re-education camps in the western Xinjiang Province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have attracted much international attention due to allegations that…
Sōami (1472-1525) and art of Japan: Aesthetics, Buddhism, and the Middle Kingdom Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist, Sōami, is known for an array of areas linked to high culture in the land of the rising sun. Hence, he is strongly linked to Japanese aesthetics and the power of high culture that…
Online invaders hack Binance for over $40 million Horace C. White Modern Tokyo Times Hackers hit Binance Crypto Exchange, Steal $40.7 in Bitcoin The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has been reportedly hacked by unknown persons. It announced Tuesday that there has been an incursion on its online platform, which led to the loss of…
Art of Japan in the sixteenth century and the sword and the brushstroke Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Kano Eitoku (1543-1590) says much about the various dynamics of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period and the warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582). This applies to the growth of Japanese art and culture despite the warring period…
Turkish Prosecutor’s Document Suggests Turkey Spying on U.S. Soil by John Rossomando IPT News Investigative Project on Terrorism A Turkish prosecution obtained by the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) could offer the first public documentation showing Turkish spying on people in the United States. Turkey has cited information gathered in the 2017 document in a…
Namibia asks for support because of a severe drought that threatens 500,000 people Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Namibia is asking for international support because of a severe drought based on poor rains. It is known that at least 500,000 people are already struggling because of the lack…
Japanese photos of the late nineteenth-century: Ogawa Kazumasa and lovely flowers Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ogawa Kazumasa (1860-1929) was born during the final period of the Edo era in Japan. Hence, the modernizing dynamics that followed during the Meiji period that began in 1868 impacted greatly on Kazumasa. This includes learning photography techniques…
The last throes before the ghost of time for Judy Doggett Walker Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times A lifetime of friendship becomes distant. Moments of confusion grow from minutes to days. Loved ones often erased. The river once flowed and reached my heart. Now the flow is lost. Art hangs on many walls, like…
Japanese art and power concentration: Kano Sanraku (1559-1635) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kano Sanraku (1559-1635) belongs to a time of major change in Japanese society. Hence, he witnessed the power processes of centralization under several warlords. This culminated with the emergence of the Tokugawa Period that lasted from 1603 to 1868. Therefore,…
Moscow Plans to Expand Canal System Between Caspian and Azov Seas Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Paul Goble The Jamestown Foundation Russia surprised many last year when it used its internal canal system to shift military vessels from the Caspian Sea to the Sea of Azov in order to ramp up pressure on Ukraine (see…
Ebola stalks the Democratic Republic of Congo with over 1,000 deaths being reported Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Countless ethnic issues and a plethora of different militias that stalk the country blight the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At the same time, enormous poverty, a weak centralized state, lack of health…
