ISIS, AQAP and Saudi Arabia in anti Shia Tripartite Attack against Yemen: US, UK and France Supports? Murad Makhmudov, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The tripartite sectarian nature of ISIS (Islamic State), Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Saudi Arabia led coalition is in full swing and aimed at…
China and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Japan Outfoxing Itself to Appease America Kanako Itamae, Shuchun Zhang and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to be outfoxing itself in order to appease America. This is clearly visible because the newly created Asian Infrastructure Bank (AIIB) is…
Japanese Art: Mount Fuji and Power of Mystery Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Mount Fuji in Japan means many things to different individuals because of the symbolic importance of this highly impressive and unique mountain. Internationally, Mount Fuji is famous and for individuals flying to Japan for the first time, then the view is…
Tunisia and Sousse Massacre: Destruction of Libya and Destabilization of Syria Ramazan Khalidov, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Tunisia must do some soul searching because two terrorist attacks since March 2015 highlight the threat from within. It is known that vast numbers of Tunisians have flocked to Syria…
Tourism in Japan: Amazing Toyama and Stunning Landscape of Kurobe Lake Hiroshi Saito and Tomoko Hara Modern Tokyo News Japan is blessed (http://www.alpen-route.com/english/) with so many amazing places to visit that tourists are literary spoilt for choice. Familiar names for international tourists will apply to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Kamakura, and countless other places like beautiful…
Shia Massacred Inside a Mosque in Kuwait by ISIS: Syria and Gulf Support of Sectarianism Murad Makhmudov, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Shia Muslims in Kuwait have been slaughtered in a mosque by Sunni Takfiri Islamists that deem the Shia to be apostates. Immediately ISIS (Islamic State – IS) claimed responsibility…
Taliban Seeks Better Relations with Surging Islamic State in Afghanistan by John Rossomando Investigative Project on Terrorism The Taliban reached out to Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi calling for unity between the two jihadist factions, a letter posted online Tuesday by a Taliban supporter shows. IS victories have translated into increasing appeal for…
Japanese Art and Mirage of Shogetsu Pond by Keisai Eisen Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times If one views the stunning image of the View of Shogetsu Pond by Keisai Eisen, then only images of tranquility, order and a nation at peace comes to mind. It appears that nature, order and a majestic rural life…
Ogawa Kazumasa and Japanese Photography (1860-1929): Mirage and Ghosts of the Past Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The photography of Ogawa Kazumasa (1860-1929) provides a glimpse into the changing reality of Japan. After all, he was born in the late Edo era but his childhood belongs to the revolutionary period of the Meiji period…
Heatwave Kills 700 in Pakistan Amid Power Cuts and Government Inaction Amina Qamar, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The devastating heatwave in southern Sindh is known to have killed at least 700 people in this part of Pakistan. At the same time, the government of Pakistan responded slowly to the…
The Jihadist Threat in Italy Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Stefano Maria Torelli The Jamestown Foundation In recent months, a number of incidents have brought attention to the possible threat to Italy from cells or individuals linked to the Islamic State. For instance, since mid-April, some pictures of self-proclaimed Islamic State supporters have been circulating on…
Japanese Art by Sawako Utsumi: Buddhism, Shintoism and the Gradual Fading of Kamisaka Sekka Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The highly esteemed Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) produced stunning pieces of art during rapid changes in the land of the rising sun. These changes in Japan equally apply to times of openness and modernity, to times…
South Carolina Christian Church Massacre: Media Should Stop Publishing Images of Deranged Killer Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The derange killer who massacred innocent people inside a Christian church in America should have his name obliterated from the face of this earth. Instead, you have a media frenzy of publishing images…
Tokyo Tourism and Culture: Mountains and Spirituality Olivier LeCourt and Hiroshi Saito Modern Tokyo Times Japanese tourism is internationally famous because of many different angles. This applies to the rich traditions of Japanese culture which can be found throughout this nation. Therefore, images of the Japanese tea ceremony, kabuki, ukiyo-e, Buddhism, Shintoism, Japanese gardens, kimono…
North Korea: Beyond the Six-Party Talks International Crisis Group EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS The Six-Party Talks were established in 2003 as a multilateral forum to achieve the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. However, the parties (China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the U.S.) have not met since December 2008, when the talks stalled…
ISIS Killers Target Shia Mosques in Yemen while Saudi Arabia Kills from the Sky Murad Makhmudov, Toshiyo Tanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times ISIS (Islamic State –IS) once more attacked Shia Houthi mosques while people were preparing for evening prayers in the capital of Yemen. Currently, it is known that over 30 people…
Ogata Korin and Japanese Art: Fading Light to High Culture Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The art of Ogata Korin remains potent because of clarity and his own unique ways. However, at one point it appeared that the winds of time would threaten his legacy. If this had happened then Japanese art would have…
Japanese Art: Impact of Paris Upon Yasui Sotaro Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yasui Sotaro (1888-1955) was born in Kyoto and he is famous for yoga (Western-style) portraiture. It is clear that this talented individual understood his vocation because he pursued a career in art despite his family desiring a more commercial career. Therefore, from an…
Belarusian Foreign Minister Makei: ‘We want to be friends with everybody’ Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Grigory Ioffe The Jamestown Foundation In his lengthy and informative May 19 interview to the Washington Post, Foreign Minister of Belarus Uadzimir Makei responded to four variations of one and the same persistent question: Should Belarus develop its relations…
Nigeria Focused on Boko Haram Crisis: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger (France in the Shadows) Paul Joseph Nzeribe, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The recently elected President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is intent on focusing on the Boko Haram Takfiri Islamist crisis. This can be seen by a five African nation…
South Korea MERS Crisis Witnesses Another Death but WHO Issues Positive Statements Ri Kuk-Chol and Noriko Watanabe Modern Tokyo Times Another individual just perished in South Korea from MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) bringing the total to 14 deaths. This sad reality, and with cases numbering at least 140, is highlighting the severity of…
Tokyo Gardens and Tourism: Chinzanso and Fusion of Religions Kanako Itamae and Michel Lebon Modern Tokyo News The history of Chinzan-so (Chinzanso) is fascinating because you have many historic remains therefore you feel like you are entering a different world that is far from modern Tokyo. This applies to the pre-Meiji period and the Meiji…
Burundi: Peace Sacrificed? International Crisis Group Africa Briefing OVERVIEW Despite the failed coup attempt on 13 May, popular mobilisation against outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third term has not abated, and confrontation between the government and the “Halte au troisième mandat” (Stop the Third Mandate) street movement is intensifying. Over 90,000 Burundians have fled and a…
Art of Japan and Old World of Kyoto: Nishikawa Sukenobu and Women in Society Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Nishikawa Sukenobu was born in 1671 and until his death in the middle of the eighteenth century, this stunning artist opened up aspects of the role of women in Japanese society. Also, with Sukenobu being…
Jihadists are Useful Lackeys Serving the Interests of Gulf Powers and Pakistan Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Al-Qaeda affiliates and a plethora of Sunni Islamic jihadist movements in Syria are highlighting the ultra-reactionary reality that exists wherever jihadists are based because of sinister forces throughout the Gulf region. In the Gulf…
Japanese Shinto Shrine and Isolated Buddhist Monk by Sawako Utsumi Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) utilized part of his art by focusing on simplicity but within the realm of sophistication based on hidden meanings. Of course, individuals can create, or shatter the myths of hidden meanings and in this sense…
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Try to Mitigate Water Disputes Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Umida Hashimova The Jamestown Foundation In April 2015, the parties to the CASA-1000 project (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan) signed a number of important legal documents that allow them to finally break ground on the project (Casa-1000.org, April 27, accessed June 5).…
Old Japan at Nightfall by Sawako Utsumi Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The mirage of Kamisaka Sekka can be felt in this art piece but with original themes based on the Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi. This applies to the altered nightfall and other areas in relation to the original by Sekka. Thankfully, the original…
Sectarian Takfiri Killers Entering Syria Find Liberal Europe to be a Useful Reality Salma Zribi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The vibes of multi-cultural Europe, gender rights, numbing down on Christianity, progressive age based on new technology, growing atheism, and so forth, appears to be bypassing Islamist sectarians going to Syria in order…
United Kingdom Hints at Softening Stance Against Russia despite G-7 Condemnation about Ukraine Crisis Galina Zobova, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Obama continues to sound like a Cold War leader of America when it comes to the Russian Federation. After all, it is clear that the crisis in the Ukraine…
How Belgium Became a Top Exporter of Jihad Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Guy Van Vlierden The Jamestown Foundation Belgium has in recent years produced some of the largest numbers of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, both in absolute and relative terms of any European country. This article aims to take a critical look at…
Japan Art, Taisho Romanticism and Death: Yumeji Takehisa and Shadow of Shusui Kotoku Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yumeji Takehisa produced many stunning pieces of art but he never received the international acclaim that he fully deserved during his lifetime. He was born in 1884 and passed away in 1934 because of illness. Indeed,…
