Zen Buddhist Priest and Japanese Art: Tensho Shubun and Influence of China Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Artists in old Japan highlight the power and influence of China. At the same time, the uniqueness of Japanese culture also shines through because of specific elements that existed and influenced artists. In modern Japan the richness…
Islamist Terrorist Attack hits Turkey: Many Killed after Ataturk International Airport Attack Nuray Lydia Oglu, Sawako Uchida, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sunni Islamist terrorists have killed at least 36 people after a brutal attack against Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul. The final death figure may increase because at least 130 people remain…
U.S.-Backed Syrian Rebel Commander Boasts of Fighting With AQ Affiliate by Ariel Behar and Ravi Kumar Investigative Project on Terrorism A commander of a U.S.-backed Syrian opposition group says his fighters continue to ally on the battlefield with an al-Qaida-tied jihadist group. The United States continues to arm Nuruddin az-Zinki as it fights…
Japan in Shock about the United Kingdom Leaving the European Union: Urgent Meeting Held Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an important meeting to discuss the ramifications of the United Kingdom (UK) leaving the European Union (EU). This is based on financial…
Japan Art and the Spirit Of Shinto: Ukiyo-e in the Light of Nature and Shintoism Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Recently, the modern Japanese artist, Sawako Utsumi, produced two stunning pieces of art based on the fusions of ukiyo-e, the gentle influence of Shintoism and the power of nature. These two pieces of art…
Political Stalemate Heightens Appeal of Religious Extremism for Western Sahara Youth Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Andrew McGregor The Jamestown Foundation The death from illness on May 31 of the Polisario Front’s long-time leader Mohamed Abdelaziz has brought the exiled Sahrawi independence movement of the Western Sahara to an ideological crossroads. The Polisario nation, known as…
UK Votes to Leave the European Union: Scottish Independence and Possible United Ireland Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It would appear that the white working class and middle England have come together based on issues related to mass immigration, sovereignty, and growing disillusionment with the political order. Ironically, Scotland and London…
Contradictory US Entanglements in the Middle East: Anti-Shia Forces, Iran, and Saudi Arabia Ramazan Khalidov, Noriko Watanabe, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Foreign policy in America under President Obama is certainly one of mass estrangement, confusion and assisting in failed states. In Egypt the Obama administration favored a new Muslim Brotherhood regional order…
Japanese Art, Culture and Religion: Fusions of Distant Times and Modern Society Tomoko Hara and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Shintoism runs deep throughout Japanese religion even when outwardly Buddhism may appear predominant. This is based on fusions and gentle ideas that have penetrated various different Buddhist sects. Indeed, even when it appears that…
Terrorist Attacks in West Kazakhstan Call for Urgent Reforms Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: George Voloshin The Jamestown Foundation Kazakhstan has traditionally been considered the most stable and prosperous country of Central Asia and was even dubbed by external observers an “island of stability” in a chronically volatile region. Yet, on June 5, this image…
Anti Shia Persecution and Direct Intimidation in Bahrain: Sunni and Western Alienation Jibril Khoury, Kanako Itamae, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It appears that the Sunni-led leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain is intent on increasing tensions with the Shia majority. This reality is based on stripping Ayatollah Sheik Issa Qassim of Bahraini…
Flourishing of Art and Culture under Japanese Warlord Oda Nobunaga in the 16th Century Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) was extremely multi-dimensional despite his harsh reputation. This single figure in Japanese history laid the foundation stone for the centralization of Japan based on his tenacity, creativity, openness to new…
Foreign Minister of Germany Rebukes NATO over its anti-Russian Federation Stance Galina Zobova, Takeshi Hasegawa, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The demise of the Soviet Union seems like a different world away. However, leading figures inside NATO seem to be stuck in this time warp. This is based on anti-Russian Federation policies that…
Arrests Show Jihadists Infiltrating Syrian Refugees by Abigail R. Esman Special to IPT News Investigative Project on Terrorism When Europe agreed to open its borders to Syrian refugees in response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our age, officials assured the Western world: we’ve got this. There will be no jihadists among them;…
United Nations Finally Says that ISIS is Committing Genocide against the Embattled Yazidis Murad Makhmudov, Noriko Watanabe, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Investigators from the United Nations (UN) human rights committee finally stress that ISIS (Islamic State – IS) is committing genocide against the embattled Yazidis in Iraq and Syria respectively. Of course,…
Japanese Art and Shadows of Sorrow: No Artistic Redemption for Yumeji Takehisa Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In many nations powerful elites often control and abuse the political system based on special interests and secrecy. Given this reality, many individuals feel like “fodder” because so many dreams fail to materialize for the majority of…
Moscow Anticipates Anti-Russian NATO Summit Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Roger McDermott The Jamestown Foundation Ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) July 8–9 summit in Warsaw, commentators widely expect the Alliance to adopt a range of measures to boost security on its northeastern and eastern flanks. Moscow, however, notes a number of “signals,”…
Japanese Art: Spirit Of Shinto and Ukiyo-e in the Light Of Nature Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In the stunning art piece by Sawako Utsumi titled Spirit of Shinto and Ukiyo-e in the Light of Nature, you have so many intimate and adorable intricacies. This applies to the rich influence of ukiyo-e during the…
Legacy of Deng Xiaoping needs the Next Stage: Business and Social Reforms Shuchun Zhang, Noriko Watanabe, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of China is faced with a balancing act of preserving high economic growth, containing internal social problems, maintaining the flow of accessible loans, focusing on the huge economic gap between…
Siege of Mecca, Gulf Petrodollars, the US and UK Intrigues, Sunni Islamist Takfiris and Destabilization Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In the 1980s, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and some other nations began to fund Sunni Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan. This meddling came hot on the heels…
UN says Eritrea is Committing Mass Crimes Against Humanity: Eritrea Refutes the Inquiry Lielit Kebede, Michiyo Tanabe, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The United Nations (UN) is adamant that the government of Eritrea is committing mass crimes against the people of this nation. Not surprisingly, Eritrea refutes the findings of the UN and…
Art of Japan and Power of Mount Fuji 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…
Pakistan’s Jihadist Heartland: Southern Punjab International Crisis Group EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS Southern Punjab must be central to any sustainable effort to counter jihadist violence within and beyond Pakistan’s borders, given the presence of militant groups with local, regional and transnational links and an endless source of recruits, including through large madrasa and mosque networks.…
Concerns of Russian Federation: America, China, Japan, Naval Issues and the South China Sea Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It appears that the Japanese government is seriously thinking about joining naval military patrols with America in the South China Sea. Yet, if military patrols only involve America and Japan then this…
Shintoism and Japanese Folklore: Art, Ghost Stories and the Richness of Culture Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Shintoism runs throughout the fabric of religion in Japan despite the powerful role of Buddhism within society. After all, Buddhism and other powerful influences including Confucianism emanate from outside this nation. Therefore, Shintoism influences folklore to various…
China Dictates Terms for Sino-Japanese Relations During First Japanese Foreign Minister Visit in Four Years Publication: China Brief Volume By: Michael S. Chase, Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga The Jamestown Foundation Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio’s official visit to Beijing from April 29 to May 1, the first trip to China by a Japanese Foreign Minister since November…
Angola and Keeping Extreme Wealth within the Family Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The political elites in Angola, like other nations including Nigeria, is yet another bane to the people of Africa. This reality is based on mass corruption, syphoning and exploiting natural resources, preserving a rich elite based on family…
Japanese Animation: Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japanese animation is rich and varied, therefore, Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (We Still Don’t Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day) is full of mystery. Not…
Leader of U.S. Supported Syrian Rebel Group Backs Al-Qaida by John Rossomando and Ravi Kumar Investigative Project on Terrorism Al-Qaida and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) are allies fighting alongside each other for the same cause and should not be viewed differently when it comes to toppling the Assad regime, said Anas al-Abdeh, president of…
Japanese Art, Eisen and the Mirage of Life: View of Shogetsu Pond to Subculture 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. This reality means that one can…
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