Art of Japan During the Edo Period: Tani Buncho and Culture of China Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In the history books it is stated that Japan in the Edo period was cut off from the outside world but the old ways persisted and certain daimyo maintained aspects of past trade depending on geography.…
Kamisaka Sekka and Art of Japan: Rimpa and Creativity of New Ideas Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) lived in a very fascinating period of history in Japan and likewise his art encompasses much about the inner-struggles of this nation. He was only two years old when the Meiji Restoration of 1868…
Mongolia’s Place in China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ Publication: China Brief By: Alicia J. Campi The Jamestown Foundation Although the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been active in promoting its ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) Eurasian and maritime initiative during the last two years, to the north in Mongolia there has been doubt as…
Deaths of Lee Rigby and Anas al-Liby: Murky Roles of MI5 and MI6 in Relation to Al-Qaeda and Islamists Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times MI5 and MI6 in the United Kingdom were deeply relieved by the fortunate death of Anas al-Liby in America earlier this year. His death therefore was met…
Kiyochika and Art of Japan: Adapts to Sweeping Changes in Society Tomoko Hara and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) fought on the wrong side of history, if you happen to be a pro-Meiji modernizer during his early years. The alternative view is that he fought on the side that desired to…
Japanese Nikkei 225 Nosedives on Economic Uncertainty from China Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The economic crisis in China is hitting global stock indexes therefore the Nikkei 225 in Japan fell by 4.61 per cent yesterday. This reality highlights the importance of China internationally and internally for the Japanese economy. Therefore,…
Iraq: Conflict Alert International Crisis Group A wave of protests has brought Iraq to the edge of yet more serious conflict. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has introduced sweeping reforms to halt the deterioration but in a manner that may make things worse. An important course correction is needed if he is to survive politically and…
Tokyo Tourism and Chinzan-so: Fusion of Faiths and Stunning Garden 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…
Art of Japan and Yoshitaki: Oni Demon, Namazu and Japanese Culture Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Yoshitaki (1841-1899) produced several stunning pieces of art related to the oni demon. In the main image in this article called the Oni Demon and Catfish you have two very powerful forces at play. Therefore, the individual in this image faces…
India Faces Up to Growing Islamic State Threat Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Animesh Roul The Jamestown Foundation One of the first indications of the Islamic State’s potential appeal in India occurred in late 2014, when Aarif Majeed, a youth from the state of Maharashtra, returned to the country from Iraq, where he had reportedly…
Caucasus and Chechen Islamists Continue to Butcher in Syria: NATO Turkey and Intrigues Ramazan Khalidov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Obama of America and the leaders of France, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, continue to support a mythical “moderate third force” in Syria, despite many past failures. One intriguing source of collective…
Art of Japan and Bijinga: Torii Kiyonaga and Torii School Tomoko Hara Modern Tokyo Times Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) was an extremely stylish ukiyo-e artist who belonged to the Torii school. His rise to the top of this school highlights many aspects of Japanese culture within the art world because he wasn’t related to the Torii family.…
Sri Lanka Between Elections International Crisis Group EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A half year after Maithripala Sirisena’s stunning defeat of President Mahinda Rajapaksa raised hopes for democratic renaissance, the complexities of partisan politics, and Rajapaksa himself, have returned to centre stage. Sirisena’s initial months with a minority government led by the United National Party (UNP) have opened…
Japanese Artist in Paris: Yuzo Saeki and Isolation in a Land he Adored Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Yuzo Saeki gave much to the Japanese art world despite dying at the age of 30. Yuzo Saeki was born in 1898 and passed away in 1928. However, despite his time on this earth…
Libya is Fueling Wars Based on the Intrigues of NATO and Gulf Powers: UN and War Crimes Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times European Union powers and America are currently lambasting the Russian Federation over actions taken in the Ukraine yet people are dying daily in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Syria – and…
Tianjin Death Toll Reaches 104: Government of China and Rampant Capitalism Shuchun Zhang and Kanako Itamae Modern Tokyo Times The giant explosions that ripped through the port of Tianjin in China continue to take more lives. Currently, the death toll is 104 people but this total looks likely to increase. At the same time,…
Wilayat al-Yemen: The Islamic State’s New Front Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Brian M. Perkins The Jamestown Foundation The protracted and ongoing civil conflict in Yemen has brought to the fore a range of regional threats, both old and new. Most prominently, Yemen’s multisided battle space has already allowed al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and…
Art of Japan and Murasaki Shikibu: Richness of Culture and History Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The most famous lady in Japanese history is Murasaki Shikibu (Lady Murasaki) and many ukiyo-e artists depicted this lady of knowledge and wisdom. It is difficult to get the real truth about Murasaki Shikibu because of documentation. Therefore,…
Bangladesh Islamists Slaughter Another Secular Writer by IPT News Investigative Project on Terrorism Five men posing as prospective tenants stormed the Dhaka apartment of blogger Niloy Neel Friday afternoon, hacking him to death. Neel, 40, is the fourth secular blogger murdered in Bangladesh this year. American Avijit Roy, 45, was killed in February when…
Living Flowers of Ikebana: Richness of Culture in Japan Sarah Deschamps and Kanako Itamae Modern Tokyo Times The history of ikebana (living flowers) is extremely fascinating because it tells us a lot about aspects of Japanese culture and how the different thought patterns can be seen in art. Ikebana is also known by the name…
Kurdish PKK States NATO Turkey is Protecting ISIS in Syria: Timidity of ISIS Towards Turkey Nuray Lydia Oglu, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It is abundantly clear that the failure of ISIS (Islamic State – IS) to erase the fighting capabilities of the Kurds in Northern Syria became a serious issue…
Venezuela: Unnatural Disaster International Crisis Group OVERVIEW The accelerating deterioration of Venezuela’s political crisis is cause for growing concern. The collapse in 2014 of an incipient dialogue between government and opposition ushered in growing political instability. With legislative elections due in December, there are fears of renewed violence. But there is a less widely appreciated…
Saudi Arabia and UAE are Killing and Destabilizing Openly in Yemen: Western Fingerprints Murad Makhmudov, Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Saudi Arabia led coalition that is bombing Yemen from the skies is showing no signs of let up. Indeed, the United Arab Emirates now have ground forces in Yemen, while…
Art of Japan and the Neglected Yumeji Takehisa: Sadness of Life Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In all nation states you have elites that control and often abuse power based on “special interests” and “secrecy.” Many individuals feel like “fodder” because so many dreams never materialize for the majority of people. This is the…
Obama Administration Undercutting Ukraine’s Position in the Minsk Armistice Negotiations Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Vladimir Socor The Jamestown Foundation Urged by US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in Kyiv last week, Ukraine took a first step toward legalizing the secessionist authorities in the country’s constitution (see EDM, July 20). Concurrently, US Vice President…
Japanese Art and the Reality of Life in the Edo Period: Keisai Eisen and Early Years Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Keisai Eisen (1790-1848) battled through the ravages of poverty and the reality of family deaths throughout the early part of his life. In a sense, Keisai Eisen represents a reality that…
ISIS Leaning Turkey at Loggerheads with America: Syria, NATO, the Kurds and Real Rogue State Ramazan Khalidov, Michiyo Tanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Erdogan of Turkey is going against the international grain because he and the current ruling party of this nation are focused on containing the Kurds at any cost.…
Triumph of Diplomacy over War: Final Nuclear Deal with Iran Defeats the War Party By Vojin Joksimovich Modern Tokyo Times In April this writer addressed the draft agreement between the six world powers and Iran which represents a remarkably good deal from the nuclear non-proliferation standpoint with a potential of becoming a historic game-changer. The…
Russian Federation Kills 8 ISIS Terrorists in Ingushetia: Syria, FSB and Ticking Time Bomb Murad Makhmudov, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Russian Federation knows that Gulf and NATO intrigues in Syria have enabled untold numbers of international terrorists to enter this nation. This reality should boost military support from the…
Japanese Folklore and Art: Samurai Tadamori and Taira Clan Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japanese art and folklore depicts Taira no Tadamori (1096-1153) most favorably because this notable samurai feared nothing in this world. Likewise, within the rich world of Japanese folklore and spirituality Tadamori also didn’t fear the unseen world of dark mysteries.…
