Trump administration in fresh anti-Russia rhetoric: Russian Federation and the Baltics Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Russian Federation under President Vladimir Putin is increasingly disillusioned by the posturing of elements within the administration of President Donald Trump. Indeed, not only is anti-Russian Federation rhetoric a reality within parts of the…
Twelfth Century Japanese Art of Tokiwa Mitsunaga: A Clouded Sky Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The twelfth-century Japanese artist, Tokiwa Mitsunaga, resided in a world of power politics related to blood and prestigious holy Buddhist temples. Sadly, the passages of time and the tragedy of fire means that originals perished. At the…
Apple abiding by the Authoritarianism of the Chinese Communist Party: VPN Services Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times It is abundantly clear that nations, religious groups, politically correctness, and other forces, seek to stem the freedom of social media, the internet, and other forms of communication outside of traditional limitations. Yet, it…
Moscow Considers Trump Too Weak to Be Useful Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Pavel Felgenhauer The Jamestown Foundation The US House of Representatives has with an overwhelming majority passed a bill reinforcing sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, and the Senate seems ready to approve the bill this week. Russian state news agencies report…
Political Malaise in Japan: Leader of Main Opposition Party Resigns Kanako Itamae and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The current leader of Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is under pressure because of cronyism, scandals, and other negative factors. Yet, despite the negative political approval ratings of Abe and being questioned seriously within the chambers…
Art of Japan and the enigmatic Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: Creativity to Depression Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi literally lived in two worlds. This applies to not only the Edo Period and Meiji Period of Japanese history but also to his chaotic lifestyle. However, despite this, Yoshitoshi produced stunning art and…
European Art: Paul Gauguin and L.S. Lowry Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times L.S. Lowry (1887-1976) became one of the greatest artists in Britain during the twentieth century despite facing many obstacles related to his artistic style. After all, his style was very individualistic alongside being extremely broad. Northern English people can certainly relate to…
56 Killed by Sunni Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Terrorists hit Kabul and Lahore Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sunni Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan have butchered more than 56 people in two terrorist attacks that struck Kabul and Lahore respectively. In Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, it was a mainly…
Japanese Poetry by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro: Seventh and Early Eighth Century Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kakinomoto no Hitomaro is a highly esteemed poet of the distant past in the land of the rising sun. Indeed, Hitomaro is deemed to be one of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals based on his prominence in volumes 1…
Hungary Defends Poland against EU Inquisition: Orban says, “Will Europe be inhabited by Europeans?” Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Victor Orban of Hungary hit out at the European Union (EU) in relation to statements made against Poland. At the same time, he raised the issue once more of mass…
Cameroon on the Frontline in Fighting Boko Haram Takfiri Terrorism: Amnesty International Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Cameroon is on the frontline in fighting the barbarity of Boko Haram terrorism. Yet, reports by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, are often “useful tools for Sunni Takfiris.” Hence, latest…
Japanese Art and Tosa School: Buddhism, Culture, and Power Dynamics Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times One of the most famous schools of art in Japan applies to the Tosa school because of areas related to traditional art and the past longevity of this esteemed school. This exemplary art school flowed naturally before the Edo…
Japanese Art and Depicting Kabuki: Two Contrasting Styles Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Utagawa Toyokuni was born in 1769 and died in 1825 during the Edo Period in Japan. Sadly, despite producing elegant and stylish art he gave a rather negative comment about his artistic merits. Indeed, many art experts have wide opinions about…
3.5 Million Japanese Children face Poverty: Japan Announces $1 Billion for International Children Kanako Itamae and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan pledges $1 billion dollars to support the development agenda of the United Nations (UN). However, internally in Japan, child poverty is a real issue. Similarly, instead of Japan supporting…
North Korea should Open Up to the New Leader of South Korea: Military Talks Proposed Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The new leader of South Korea, President Moon Jae-in, is hoping to stabilize the Korean Peninsula by talking openly with North Korea. In order to achieve this, tentative steps and measures…
Utamaro and Japanese Art: Mystery and Bijin-ga Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The distinguished art of Utamaro Kitagawa is known internationally based on his stunning art. This notably applies to the depiction of beautiful women (bijin-ga). However, while Utamaro is internationally famous, his life remains shrouded in mystery based on many areas remaining foggy.…
Children in Japan Betrayed by Bureaucracy: Only Half of Fatal Child Abuse Cases Reviewed Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times According to an important investigation by the Yomiuri Shimbun media outlet, only half of all fatal cases involving child abuse were investigated between 2012 and 2015. This figure is alarmingly low because…
Jaish al-Adl’s Reemergence Threatens Iran-Pakistan Relations Publication: Terrorism Monitor By: Farhan Zahid The Jamestown Foundation Pakistan’s tense relations with its neighbor Iran were further impacted on April 27 when militants from Jaish al-Adl (JuA, Army of Justice), a Sunni group that allegedly operates from across the border in Pakistan, killed 10 Iranian border guards in…
The Russian Federation and Iran should put pressure on Turkey to leave Syria Nuray Lydia Oglu, Michiyo Tanabe, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation needs to focus on the ulterior motives of President Erdogan of Turkey in relation to Syria. In recent times the Russian Federation and…
Contemporary Japanese Artist and Utrillo: Fresh Eyes of Notre-Dame de Clignantcourt Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Notre-Dame de Clignantcourt in the life of Maurice Utrillo (1883-1955) wasn’t a particular historical and famous Christian church in Paris. However, this Catholic place of worship certainly hit a right chord with Utrillo because he painted this scene,…
Former Secretary-General Ishiba of the LDP questions Prime Minister Abe of Japan Kanako Itamae and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The reverberations of the terrible showing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election continues to usher in internal political discontent. This notably applies to Shigeru Ishiba, the former…
President Macron of France Impresses President Trump of America in Paris: European Breathing Space Sawako Uchida and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Emmanuel Macron of France turned on the style and spoke passionately during his meeting with President Donald Trump of America. Indeed, Trump is viewing a positive and diverse side to Europe…
Japanese Art, Culture, and the Shadow of Shintoism in Modern Japan Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Buddhist temples from various sects appear to dominate the religious discourse in Japan but inwardly the faith of Shintoism remains within the soul, irrespective if cultural, religious, or secular. Indeed, the splendor of ultra-modern cities, for example, Tokyo…
Islamic Radicalization in the Military Surfaces Again IPT News Investigative Project on Terrorism In November 2009, U.S. Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan opened fire on fellow soldiers at a Fort Hood, Texas processing facility, killing 13 people and wounding 30 others. An ensuing investigation determined Hasan had exhibited outward signs of his Islamist radicalization to…
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and the Defeat of ISIS in Mosul: Holy Shia Cleric and Resistance Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the most senior holy Shia religious leader in Iraq, openly declared a religious fatwa against Takfiri Islamists that threatened to overrun this nation. Hence, the Grand…
Ukiyo-e Art of the Meiji Era is Undervalued Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Meiji period (1868-1912) was very dynamic in many ways because of 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…
Anti-Erdogan Rally Ends in Turkey: Kilicdaroglu Opposes the “Second Coup” Nuray Lydia Oglu, Sawako Uchida, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is increasingly creating the space for division and discord based on his policies of power concentration. Indeed, it seems that forces loyal to Erdogan are doing the…
Torrential Rain, Floods, and Landslides hit Northern Kyushu in Japan Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The region of northern Kyushu was hit hard by torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides in this part of Japan. It is known that at least 18 people have perished with a further 30 people…
Art of Japan and Kyoto: Nichiren Buddhism and Rinpa Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japanese historical art is blessed with many forms inspired internally and from the richness of ancient China and Korea. At the same time, religious and philosophical influence naturally flowed within the historical legacy of Japanese art. Therefore, it is fitting…
Swarms at War: Chinese Advances in Swarm Intelligence Publication: China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 9 By: Elsa Kania The Jamestown Foundation The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) anticipates that future warfare will be “unmanned, invisible, and silent” (“无人、无形、无声”战争), with ever higher degrees of “intelligentization” (智能化). [1] PLA strategists expect that future, autonomous combat involving unmanned…
Japan and the European Union sign biggest Open Economic Area in the World: America and Trump Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The European Union (EU) and Japan have agreed to move ahead and open the biggest economic area in the world under free trade. At the same time, major Japanese financial…
Child Abduction in Japan and Parental Alienation Syndrome: Foreign Parents still Suffer Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The issue of child abduction is international and based on the growing nature of mixed ethnic marriages, then it is an issue that needs addressing with immediate effect. This article is focused on Japan…
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