Utagawa Yoshitaki and Japan Art: Oni Demon and the Namazu (Giant Catfish) in Folklore Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Yoshitaki (1841-1899) produced many fabulous pieces of art based on many different themes. His art in relationship to the oni is a fine example of the utter mystery of some of the art pieces…
Islamists in Bangladesh are Killing Free Thinkers in New Tyrannical Wave Amina Qamar, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Bangladesh had a traumatic birth because of the combined barbarity of Pakistan and internal Takfiri Islamists that despised their own culture and history. In recent times, the ghosts of the…
Iran Should Utilize the Nuclear Issue for the Shia Houthis and Syria: US and Gulf States Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Iran must utilize the talks over the nuclear issue in order to protect the people of Syria from Gulf and NATO based sectarian forces. At the same…
Pierre Bonnard and Japanese Art: Le Nabi Tres Japonard Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artistic genius of Pierre Bonnard was far from the mind of his father because he had hoped that his son would become a barrister. At the same time, the sweeping political changes in Japan meant that artistic fusions and…
Hezbollah Rebukes anti Shia Forces in Yemen: Saudi Arabia and US Meddling Omar Abdullah Ismail and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The balance of power is changing in Yemen because the persecuted Shia Houthi minority is sweeping over parts of this country. Over many decades the Shia have suffered from perennial central corruption,…
Marginalization of Tajikistan’s Political Opposition Could Threaten Security Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Mark Vinson The Jamestown Foundation On March 1, Tajikistan held parliamentary elections. The Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) officially received less than 2 percent of the votes cast and lost its only two seats in the 63-member parliament (BBC Tajik, March…
Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Japanese Art: Natural Beauty in a Changing World Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Kuniyoshi is amongst the crème de la crème of ukiyo-e artists because his artwork was truly amazing and so powerful. Kuniyoshi, just like other famous Japanese artists like Ando Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai, was very diverse. This…
Christian Survival in Syria Relies on President Assad: Ghosts of Cyprus, Kosovo and Iraq Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The demise of Orthodox Christianity in Northern Cyprus and Kosovo took place on the watch of Western powers, the ambitions of Turkey and the geopolitical and religious ambitions of feudal Gulf monarchs.…
Syria is the Terrorist Graveyard of NATO Turkey: Obama and Ten Steps Back Nuray Lydia Oglu, Hiroshi Saito and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The secular government of Syria continues to hold out against the many Gulf and Western intrigues that have tried to oust the current leadership at all costs. Prior to the…
Ginza Fashion, Cosmetics and Technology: Shiseido The Ginza Kanako Itamae and Sarah Deschamps Modern Tokyo Times Tokyo is famous for exquisite boutiques and where high fashion flourishes throughout this mega-city. Not surprisingly, Shiseido The Ginza suits this environment because of the rich sophistication to be found throughout this delightful store. On top of this, Shiseido…
The New Silk Road and Latin America: Will They Ever Meet? Publication: China Brief By: Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga The Jamestown Foundation Chinese President Xi Jinping’s New Silk Road stretches over 8,000 miles from China to Europe, traversing the Eurasian land mass and even touching Africa, but notably excludes one continent on the other side of the…
Ike No Taiga and Japan Art: Rich Legacy of China and Shattering the Myths of the Edo Period Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japanese art is very distinctive and contrasts greatly with classical European art. This notably applies to religious differences, environmental factors, culture, limited social interaction between both artistic poles – and other…
Takfiri Islamists in Yemen Slaughter over 140 People: ISIS, Operatives or Al-Qaeda? Boutros Hussein, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The one constant theme in Egypt, Kosovo, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and probably now in Yemen, is that certain massacres and events appear to have a hidden hand involved. This includes utilizing various…
Woman with Mental Health Problems Lynched in Afghanistan for Burning the Koran Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, a woman with mental health problems was lynched by many individuals and then set alight after being stoned. The Taliban may openly kill apostates and do other barbaric…
Terrorists Kill Many in Tunisia: The Ongoing Arab Winter Nawal Soueif, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It is known that at least nineteen innocent people have been butchered in Tunisia by suspected Sunni Takfiri Islamists that deem murder to be a religious duty. In the past, Tunisia was once viewed…
Utagawa Toyokuni and Japan Art: My pictures – they are merely something that I draw! Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Toyokuni was born in 1769 and died in 1825 during the Edo Period in Japan. Sadly, despite producing elegant and stylish art he gave a rather negative comment about his artistic merits. Indeed,…
Islamic State Loots Archaeological Sites for Cash Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: John C. K. Daly The Jamestown Foundation By late 2013, more than 90 percent of Syria’s cultural sites lay in regions affected by fighting and civil unrest, leaving them open to plunder. In addition, regions of Iraq now under the control of the Islamic…
Heirinji Zen Temple in Saitama: Buddhism and Tourism on the Fringe of Tokyo Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times If you adore history, culture, and the rich legacy of Buddhism, then a visit to Heirinji Zen Temple in Saitama prefecture is extremely rewarding. This fascinating temple is located in Niiza but the closeness to Tokyo…
Turkmenistan and the Geopolitical Tightrope between Russia/Iran and NATO/EU Powers Nuray Lydia Oglu, Hiroshi Saito and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Turkmenistan is of major geopolitical significance because of its shared borders with Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Of equal significance is the coastal area that links Turkmenistan to the Caspian…
President Obama Condemned by Regional Nations over Venezuela Joachim de Villiers, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Obama was on the wrong side of history when America plugged to support the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and in other nations in North Africa and the Middle East. Similarly, he is on…
Ando Hiroshige and Japanese Art: Complexity of Culture and Powerful Mirage Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ando Hiroshige is deemed to be one of the finest artists to bless the country of Japan. On top of this, this amazing artist also influenced famous artists like Van Gogh. Not surprisingly, Hiroshige left a lasting impression…
Japanese Art and Gyoshu Hayami: Northern Renaissance to Bunjinga Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Gyoshu Hayami (1894-1935) was born in the Meiji era whereby Japan entered a period of rapid modernization. However, his art belongs to the Taisho and Showa periods of Japanese history because he was too young to make a…
China’s Tacit Approval of Moscow’s Ukraine Policy Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Roger McDermott The Jamestown Foundation Since Moscow initiated military operations in Ukraine in February 2014, China has seemingly adopted an ambiguous stance as Russia’s annexation of Crimea and destabilization of southeastern Ukraine evoked international condemnation. During the past year, Beijing and Moscow strengthened…
March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami: Fire brigade Heroes of Otsuchi and Fleeing Embassies Kanako Itamae and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times March 11, 2011, will forever be etched in the consciousness of Japan because of the brutal reality of the Great East Japan Earthquake that triggered a brutal tsunami. Indeed, even today over 2,584…
Former Leader of Japan visits Crimea: Japan and Russian Federation Relations Takeshi Hasegawa, Galina Zobova and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Russian Federation is a pivotal nation for Japan in the area of security, energy links, enabling greater access to Central Asian nations, breaking down barriers with China and for other essential reasons.…
Chad and Niger Launch Military Offensive against Boko Haram in Nigeria Paul Joseph Nzeribe, Lielit Kebede and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Chad and Niger have sent their respective armed forces into northeastern Nigeria in order to assist Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram terrorists. This reality is further evidence that Nigeria needs…
FARC and Government of Colombia to Remove Landmines Together Olivier LeCourt and Helmet Joachim Schmidt Modern Tokyo Times The government of Colombia and FARC rebels are cementing the trust obtained between both sides in 2014 in order to move forward in 2015. This applies to mutually agreeing to remove indiscriminate landmines in rural parts…
Katsushika Hokusai and Richness of Japanese Art Modern Tokyo Times Lee Jay Walker Japanese art in all its elegance and richness can be viewed in abundance by the lifework of Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was born in 1760 and he died in 1849 during a period in Japan that was known for stratification. However, despite living during…
Christian Cleansing after Gulf and Western Meddling in Kosovo, Libya, Iraq and Syria Murad Makhmudov, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Recent interventions by America, France and the United Kingdom equates to Christian persecution and enormous instability. This reality would appear to be a constant Western policy objective because the same scenario…
Al-Nusra Sectarian Terrorist Leaders Killed in Syria in Special Operation Murad Makhumudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The secular government of Syria is on the frontline against international terrorism, while America continues to plot with Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia against this independent nation. Once more, the armed forces of Syria are showing…
Asai Chu and New Wave of Japanese Art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Meiji Restoration of 1868 led to many social convulsions and like all revolutionary periods you had many winners and losers. This applies to individuals who could adapt to the rapid changes in society and the art world was no exception…
U.S. Suggestion For Japanese Patrols in South China Sea Prompts ADIZ Threat Publication: China Brief By: Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga The Jamestown Foundation A recent U.S. suggestion for Japanese patrols in the South China Sea has elicited a sharp rebuttal by the Chinese government and reignited Chinese media discussion of a South China Sea Air Defense Identification…
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