A Call to Formally Label ISIS Attacks on Christians, Yezidis as Genocide by Abigail R. Esman Special to IPT News Investigative Project on Terrorism They buy and sell the women, using them as slaves. They kidnap children, even infants, and detonate them as bombs. As the Islamic State tightens its grip on Syria and Iraq,…
Japanese Art and Utamaro Kitagawa: Beautiful Ladies and Impressionism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utamaro Kitagawa is internationally famous because of his stunning art and this notably applies to the art of beautiful women (bijin-ga). Despite this, the life of Utamaro is shrouded in mystery because many areas remain foggy. Therefore, it is the…
PM Abe and a New Confident Japan: Realistic Approach to Geopolitics Hiroshi Saito, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It appears that aspects of the media in Japan are beset by Western “gilt trips” and the trappings of “multi-cultural apologetics.” This certainly applies to the English speaking media on a whole in…
Islamists are Butchering in Kenya and Nigeria: Indigenous Islam and Christianity must Counter Attack Lielit Kebede, Nuray Lydia Oglu and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Takfiri Islamists keep on butchering in Kenya and Nigeria and clearly central forces in Nigeria can’t contain Boko Haram. Kenya currently isn’t on the level of daily massacres like…
The Libyan Political Dialogue: An Incomplete Consensus International Crisis Group The preliminary political agreement that emerged from UN-led talks between Libyan rival factions at a signing ceremony in the Moroccan coastal resort town of Skhirat last week was a critical first step toward ending the Libyan civil war. Yet one side’s refusal to come on…
Islamists Threaten Christians in Northeast Kenya: Somalia and Al-Shabaab Islamist Inquisition Murad Makhmudov, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Kenya must do more to protect Christians in parts of the country where al-Shabaab (al-Shabab) holds sway. After all, hundreds of Christians have been killed by Takfiri Islamists in northeast…
Art of Japan and Bunjin Ideas in the Edo Period: Richness of China, Japan and Korea Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Bunjinga school of thought ran deep within the literati of Japan during the Edo period. Bunjin (literati) artists trace their artistic roots to the literati of China during the Song Dynasty (960-1267). However, the differences between…
Burundi and Election Victory of President Nkurunziza Marred by Boycott Paul Joseph Nzeribe, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Nkurunziza was re-elected in Burundi but given the opposition boycott then clearly the result is marred to the full. It remains to be seen if fresh violence will erupt in this country…
Remembering the Algeria Hostage Crisis and Deaths of Japanese Nationals: Time for Japan to Listen to Russia Jibril Khoury, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The hostage crisis in Algeria in 2013 led to the deaths of ten Japanese nationals along with many other individuals from different nations. Sadly, it was…
The Greek Crisis: Financial and Political Risks to the Balkans Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Margarita Assenova The Jamestown Foundation Although the Greek banks reopened on July 20, and Athens repaid some of its debt to the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, unease about the Greek crisis continues in the Balkans. The…
Yorozu Tetsugoro and Japanese Art: Impact of Iwate and Tokyo Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yorozu Tetsugoro was born in 1885 and died of tuberculosis in 1927 after severe complications from pneumonia that finally took its toll. Sadly, all too often many artists in this period died very young and the same fate awaited…
Socialist Youth Killed by Darkness of Islamist ISIS in Turkey: Syria and Ankara’s Takfiri Ghosts Nuray Lydia Oglu, Toshiyo Tanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Davutoglu and President Erdogan of Turkey have collectively conspired against Syria by supporting various terrorist and sectarian forces against this nation. Indeed, when Kurds were openly…
ISIS Lures Shia Muslims to their Death in Iraq Murad Makhmudov, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In Nigeria the Takfiri Islamist group Boko Haram killed countless Muslims that were doing late shopping for the festival of Eid in northeastern Nigeria. ISIS, in Iraq, following the same Takfiri Islamist logic, slaughtered over…
Fallout From Greece’s Financial Crisis May Negatively Impact Azerbaijan’s European Energy Strategy Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Zaur Shiriyev The Jamestown Foundation The Greek government’s wide-ranging efforts to prevent the country’s financial collapse finally culminated in an agreement with the European Union, on July 13 (see EDM, July 14). The bailout deal provides new concessions…
Yokoyama Taikan and Art of Japan: Intellect and Nationalism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958) was born in the prefecture of Ibaraki but he moved to Tokyo in 1878. This period of history in Japan would witness many events because time didn’t stand still during the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods of…
Boko Haram Islamists Kill Muslims in Nigeria: Eid Shoppers Targeted Paul Joseph Nzeribe, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Boko Haram Takfiri Islamists in Nigeria targeted last-minute Muslim shoppers who were preparing for the festival of Eid. It is known that at least 49 people have perished and the final death…
Japan and Military Normalization: Real Issue is Regional Relations and Utilizing Russia Takeshi Hasagawa, Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is paving the way for gradual military normalization. Of course, the internal liberal agenda will be based on irrational anti-Japanese militarization based on…
Alexis Tsipras of Greece Faces Political Convulsions Despite Good Intentions of France Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of France enabled Greece to find breathing space because Germany desired even harsher terms during intense talks about the bailout plan. Despite this, the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras faces…
Richness of Japanese Art: Ito Shinsui Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Ito Shinsui (1898-1972) is a notable twentieth century artist from the land of the rising sun. This applies to the amazing sophistication and grace of so many art pieces. Also, Shinsui didn’t negate the rich traditions of Japanese art despite being…
Southern Thailand: Dialogue in Doubt International Crisis Group The south Thailand insurgency has grown less lethal over the past year, but there are worrying indications militants may have expanded operations beyond the traditional conflict zone of the four southernmost provinces. Malay-Muslim rebels have been fighting against Thai rule for more than a decade in what…
Greece Finds a Friend in France: Paris Provides Breathing Space for Athens Pierre Leblanc, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The majority of people who voted in the referendum in Greece said “no” to the European Union economic diktat. However, instead of more confrontation and possible exit for Greece from the Eurozone,…
Art of Japan, Folklore and Ghost of Koheiji: Konishi Hirosada and Richness of Faith Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The power of the Shinto faith runs deep throughout the fabric of Japanese religion, folklore, culture and other important aspects of society. Buddhism which emanated from outside of Japan would also greatly impact itself within…
Impact of US Autistic Foreign Policies in the Balkans: Part II Bosnia By Vojin Joksimovich Modern Tokyo Times Bosnia in the News Again: Srebrenica Twentieth Anniversary July 11, 2015 marks the twentieth anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre (a war crime) converted into genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.…
Al-Shabaab’s Foothold in Kenya’s Northeast Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Sunguta West The Jamestown Foundation On June 14, the Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen militant group (better known as al-Shabaab) launched a major attack on a Kenya Defense Force (KDF) camp in Lamu County. The attack failed badly and exposed the militant group’s weak military capabilities. However, it…
Russian Federation is Far From Isolated: Hosting of BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization Galina Zobovo, Michiyo Tanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Russian Federation is in the vanguard of supporting a multipolar world thereby breaking the stranglehold of the traditional world order whereby America, European powers and Gulf monarchies work in tandem…
Japanese Art and Gyoshu Hayami: Flows of China, Europe and Japan Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Gyoshu Hayami (1894-1935) sadly passed away at a relatively young age but despite this the power of history and momentous changes influenced his artistic soul. Indeed, Gyoshu Hayami highlights much about the history of Japanese art based on…
Egypt Foiled ISIS (Wilayat Sinai) based on Precision Airstrikes and Outfoxing Takfiri Terrorists Boutros Hussein, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The armed forces of Egypt faced a familiar tactic being used by ISIS (Islamic State – IS) and various Takfiri terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria respectively. This applies to a…
Saudi Arabia Led Bombing Kills More Civilians in Yemen: International Silence Murad Makhmudov, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Saudi Arabia is continuing with its bombing campaign of Yemen along with coalition members that flout international law on a whim. In the latest attack by coalition military warplanes another 45 people have…
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Influence of Japanese Art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) adored Japanese ukiyo-e and many famous international artists also fell in love with this art form. Toulouse-Lautrec and his lifestyle would certainly have fit in well with the environment of Yoshiwara in Tokyo, which is famous for…
On Thinner Ice: The Final Phase of Colombia’s Peace Talks International Crisis Group OVERVIEW The peace talks between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) enter their toughest stretch both vulnerable and resilient. The former quality was displayed on 22 May, when the collapse of the guerrillas’ five-month old unilateral ceasefire triggered…
Boko Haram Islamists Butcher Muslims in Nigeria: Time for Christian and Muslim Militias? Paul Joseph Nzeribe, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Newly elected President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria is intent on tackling the Boko Haram Takfiri Islamist insurgency both internally and tightening the stranglehold externally. The external dimension applies to working…
Meiji Art in Japan (1868-1912) and its Rich Legacy Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Meiji Period (1868-1912) was very dynamic in many ways because new thinking, modernization, radical change, and a plethora of other factors, altered the cultural landscape in all major cities. However, the countryside often ticked to a different beat despite…
