Turkey under Erdogan: Tens of Thousands Arrested but Turkey still not Expelled from NATO Nuray Lydia Oglu and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Turkey is witnessing the relentless imprisonment of Kurdish political activists, arrests of supporters of Fethullah Gülen, and anyone not towing the Islamist-leaning government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Yet, despite month…
Nichiren Buddhism and Japanese Artist: Sado Island and Exile in the Snow Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Buddhist holy man called Nichiren (1222-1282) was exiled to Sado Island in his native Japan. This reality was extremely harsh for Nichiren and his followers feared for him. However, Nichiren had faced even worse situations because…
China Needs to Re-evaluate the Independence of Taiwan: America and Japan Hiroshi Saito and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of China needs to re-evaluate its relationship with Taiwan. After all, in a geopolitical sense, tensions with Taiwan will only embolden Washington’s containment policy of China. Similarly, the changing sands…
London Terrorist Followed the Jihadist’s Twisted Path From Prison to Terrorist by Patrick Dunleavy IPT News Investigative Project on Terrorism Before he drove violently into the crowd on Westminster Bridge, before plunging the knives into the police officer’s body, Khalid Masood‘s twisted path into terrorism followed an all too familiar pattern from petty crimes to…
African Nationals Attacked in India after Locals Site Drugs and Criminality: Complex Causes Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The death of a local youth in Greater Noida is igniting tensions between indigenous communities and African nationals. According to reports, the parents of the youth allege that Nigerian students had enticed the…
Japanese Buddhist Poet Saigyō (1118-1190): Nature, Shintoism, and the Light of the Buddha Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese Buddhist poet Saigyō Hōshi (birth name Satō Norikiyo) was born in 1118 and passed away in 1190. He was a man of passion, virtue, contemplation, and a soul that wandered places of religious importance.…
Tochigi Ski Resort hit by Tragedy: Children Perish in Nasu after Avalanche in Japan Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times A tragic avalanche in Tochigi Prefecture killed seven high school students and one teacher in Nasu. It is known that at least 40 people were injured when the avalanche struck in the…
Kamuina Nsapu Insurgency Adds to Dangers in DR Congo Hans Hoebeke International Crisis Group The Kamuina Nsapu insurgency arose last year as a locally rooted conflict in the Kasai-Central province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but has since gained intensity and is spreading to neighbouring provinces. By January, 216,000 people had been…
Japan pulls the Self-Defense Forces out of South Sudan under a Self-Created Cloud Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times If Japan is serious about becoming a stabilizing international power then pulling out of South Sudan, under “dubious comments” by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, isn’t a positive sign. After all, ethnic and political…
Japanese Folklore and Samurai Tadamori: Power Concentration and Taira Clan Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The folklore of Japan is extremely rich and not surprisingly art, culture, fables, history, and myths focus notably on characters like Taira no Tadamori (1096-1153) in a favorable light. Tadamori tackled the world he knew based on loyalty and…
CIA and Apple: iPhones and MacBooks Infiltrated for 8 Years but Sincerity or Duplicity? Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It is reported by WikiLeaks that the CIA has infiltrated products by Apple, in relation to iPhones and MacBooks, for 8 years. Of course, while this issue is nothing new, the extent,…
Arunachal Pradesh: Cultural and Strategic Flashpoint For Sino-Indian Relations Publication: China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 1 By: Sudha Ramachandran The Jamestown Foundation Sino-Indian relations are likely to become strained in early 2017. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Tawang in the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in March. According to the Chinese Foreign…
Japanese Artist and Landscapes of Manchester: Blackley Forest, Heaton Park, and River Irk Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist, Sawako Utsumi, fuses the art world of Japan and Europe based on an array of areas. For example, from the inspiration of traditional Dutch art to the cityscapes of Paris. Similarly, her…
Sunni Islamist Terrorist Kills 3 People in London before being Shot Dead Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Reports say one known Takfiri Islamist killed three people prior to being shot dead by armed police in London. Of course, given the ongoing situation, then another conflicting report stressed possibly more than one…
Syrian Government Remains Steadfast against Sectarianism and Terrorism: Christian Survival Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government remain steadfast in the need to preserve the religious mosaic of this nation. At the same time, despite the flows of Sunni Takfiri sectarians based on the intrigues of…
Israel Focuses more on China: High Technology and Heavy Investment Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is increasingly focused on major Asian powers. Of major significance are China and India but other regional powers like Australia are being targeted. Yet, the flow of…
Japanese Buddhist Poetry by Jakushitsu (1290-1367): Why pursue words, when one truly seeks silence? Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Jakushitsu Genkō (1290-1367) is a famous Japanese Rinzai Buddhist preacher who became the first abbot of the Eigen-ji temple that was built in his honor. He reportedly said about poetry, “Why pursue words, when one…
Fighting Boko Haram in Chad: Beyond Military Measures International Crisis Group Since early 2015, attacks in Chad by the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram have killed hundreds, displaced more than 100,000 and damaged the regional economy of the Lake Chad basin. Violence peaked in 2015 with suicide bombings in the capital and in the Lake…
China Seeking to Prevent America, North Korea, and South Korea from Colliding Head On Sawako Uchida, Ri Kuk-Chol, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of China is trying to quell militant voices in the respective governments of America, North Korea, and South Korea. This is based on the ongoing militarization and political…
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and Early Steps Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The long rule of Islam Karimov in Uzbekistan ended after he passed away in September 2016. Not surprisingly, given the rigid nature of politics in Uzbekistan, he was replaced by the newly elected President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in later…
Japanese Art and Dutch Art: Altered Reality of Hiroshige by Van Gogh Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ando (Utagawa) Hiroshige (1797-1858) is one of the most famous Japanese ukiyo-e artists to have impacted greatly internationally. This reality came to the attention of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and other European artists of high distinction. Therefore,…
Burundi needs International Support to Fight against Malaria Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Burundi needs greater international support to fight against the terrible consequences of malaria. According to government officials in Burundi, approximately 800 people have perished this year alone. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) needs to…
Poetry of Old Japan: Yamabe no Akahito Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese poet Yamabe no Akahito belongs to the Nara period of history in the eighth century. In truth, much remains unknown about the life of Yamabe apart from the rich poetic legacy he bestowed on future generations. Therefore, the Yamabe that…
China Tolerating Vietnam’s South China Sea Activities, For Now Publication: China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 3 By: Derek Grossman The Jamestown Foundation China’s expanding military presence in the South China Sea has prompted Vietnam to enhance its ability to protect its own holdings in the region. In late November, for example, commercially available imagery revealed…
PM Abe of Japan Grovels to the anti-Human Rights nation of Saudi Arabia Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Cabinet officials including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, just like major Japanese companies, are intent on groveling to the most draconian nation in the world called Saudi Arabia.…
Myanmar needs International Support: Fighting on the Border with China and anti-Buddhist Media Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The situation in Myanmar remains critical because ethnic, religious, and political issues are extremely complex. On top of this, it is notable that certain militias are utilizing border areas between Bangladesh and Myanmar,…
High Peak Art by Japan Artist: Castleton and other Villages of the Peak District Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist, Sawako Utsumi, feels at home when viewing the stunning landscapes of the High Peak region in Derbyshire, England, and the dotted villages throughout the Peak District. Indeed, her latest art…
Remembering the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011: Brave Fire Brigade Heroes of Otsuchi to 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.…
Trump’s America Focused on Helping US Workers: Japan Urged to Change at WTO Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Donald Trump of America was elected on the premise of helping American workers and boosting companies that face unfair obstacles in trade. This reality was behind the urging of Japan to open…
Legendary Japanese Female Warrior: Tomoe Gozen and the Female Samurai Class Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese legendary female warrior, Tomoe Gozen, is a prime example that the compliant image of females in old Japan and throughout the Tokugawa Period isn’t all that it appears. Indeed, the field of art equally breaks down…
Islamic State Kill Over 30 after Attacking a Military Hospital in Afghanistan Amina Qamar, Sawako Uchida, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The growing menace of ISIS (Islamic State) in Afghanistan is being witnessed by massacres against Shia Muslims and the latest terrorist attack against a military hospital in Kabul. Reports indicate that ISIS…
Japan Tourism and Stunning Wakayama: Ticking Clock of Buddhism in Koyasan and Negoro-Ji Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times If visitors to Japan have time to connect with spirituality, then Koyasan and Negoro-ji are charming places to visit in Wakayama, where living Buddhism is still ticking strongly. Indeed, the prefecture of Wakayama…
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