Sudan in crisis after the military coup: PM Hamdok arrested Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times A State of Emergency in Sudan was declared by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. This declaration took place after the armed forces arrested the civilian leadership. Therefore, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok – and other civilian leaders of…
Japan art and continuity despite rapid political changes: Sakai Dōitsu (1845-1913) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sakai Dōitsu (1845-1913) was a Japanese artist who witnessed the demise of the Edo period and the rapid changes of the Meiji era. However, he actually died during the early Taisho period that promised further modernization and greater liberty. …
China and Russia in joint navy patrol: the Sea of Japan, Western Pacific, and the East China Sea Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times China and the Russian Federation completed their first joint naval patrol that entailed the East China Sea, the Western Pacific, and the Sea of Japan. The joint patrol…
PM Viktor Orbán of Hungary says, “We’re David who Goliath is best off steering clear of” Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary waved to vast numbers of supporters in Budapest. The mass rally in support of Orbán and the Hungarian government was also reminded how Hungary…
Japanese Death Poem: The final moments of Prince Ōtsu (663-686) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The final weeks and moments of the life of Prince Ōtsu (663-686) were full of shock and sadness. His father, Emperor Tenmu, provided hope and optimism that his future would be bright. However, the convulsions after the death of…
Japanese Buddhist poetry from centuries ago Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The holy Buddhist monk Jien (1155-1225) followed Tendai Buddhism. Naturally, with the passages of time and the political power dynamics of the day, it is important to enter his world. However, for Jien, “All the flowers are but the flower of the law”…
State of Emergency in Ecuador: “One enemy and that is drug trafficking” Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador announced a State of Emergency concerning drug trafficking and violent murders. The State of Emergency will be enforced for 60 days throughout the country. However, special attention will focus on…
Yemen and UNICEF says 10,000 known children killed or injured since the war began Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Rich Gulf nations spend vast sums on owning European football clubs, buy expensive property all over the world in exclusive cities, buy yachts at unimaginable sums, go on Muslim religious pilgrimages, and…
Japanese Buddhist poetry: Saigyō, nature, and solitude Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The young Saigyō Hōshi (birth name Satō Norikiyo) was born to a noble family in Kyoto. However, the cultural dynamics were shifting because Buddhism was increasingly being questioned during his period of life – despite Buddhism remaining potent. Therefore, with Saigyō living between 1118-1190,…
Myanmar needs a National Salvation government: Neither side can win, only more suffering! Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Myanmar needs a National Salvation government to overcome the horrendous internal convulsions that threaten this nation-state. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Defence Services (before the coup against State…
Poland decries EU threat of economic blackmail: Endless Visegrad disrespect Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Poland is adamant that its dispute with the European Union (EU) should be discussed in a democratic approach and not a diktat. This diktat, implied by the behavior of the European Commission, concerns the non-approval of €57…
Japanese poetry: Highly esteemed Hitomaro from 7th to early 8th century Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (Hito-maru from the Heian era and onwards) is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese poets to have blessed this country. His name is mentioned alongside Fujiwara no Teika, Iio Sōgi (Inō Sōgi), and Matsuo Bashō.…
North Korea and South Korea military modernization: Japan watching developments Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times The military modernization of the Korean Peninsula is increasing once more to a higher level. Hence, with the ruling party in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), seeking to double Japan’s military budget if re-elected on October…
Biafra, Communists in Indonesia, and East Timor: Shameful legacy of millions of deaths under Harold Wilson Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The horrendous legacy of Harold Wilson is now being released concerning the massacres of communists in Indonesia (1965-1966). Henceforth, Harold Wilson, the leader of the Labour Party and the Prime…
Russia hopes for a U-turn in the EU’S energy policy Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Mateusz Kubiak The Jamestown Foundation On October 6, Vladimir Putin held a publicly broadcasted meeting with Russian oil and gas industry representatives, discussing the skyrocketing global natural gas prices (Kremlin.ru, October 6). As expected, it focused on the dramatic situation in…
Japan politics: Komeito opposes LDP focus on increased military spending Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The general election of the Lower House will take place in Japan on October 31. However, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), under Fumio Kishida, is upsetting the junior Komeito Party that is part of the…
Sudan needs international support to preserve the democratic path Kanako Mita and Sawako Utumi Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Sudan faces another fragile moment on its path to democracy. Indeed, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said pointedly that if a solution isn’t found then Sudan’s future will be thrown “to the wind.” In September, loyalists…
Japanese art and never-never land Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The artist Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942) lit up Japanese art during his time on this earth. Of course, lovers of Sekka exist far and wide in modern times based on his adorable art. From a very young age, it was clear that Sekka was extremely…
MP Amess stabbed to death by Islamist inside a church in England: Apostates face death in Somalia Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times A serving Member of Parliament (MP), Sir David Amess of the United Kingdom, was brutally murdered by an Islamist in a Christian Church in eastern England. According to sources,…
Iran and Nuclear deal is a luxury that bypasses the fear of everyday life! Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The central state of Iran rules by fear. This concerns the most basic things in life – from how females dress, holding alternative political ideas, questioning political cronyism, seeking to follow a different…
Japan election preparations: Opposition need apathetic non-voters to vote Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) usually wins the general election in Japan apart from the odd shock. Hence, in 2009, the inept leadership of Taro Aso (LDP) lost to the estrange Yukio Hatoyama, representing the opposition. …
Bloodshed in Beirut is a reminder that regional Christians have been betrayed Murad Makhmudov, Kanako Mita, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Lebanon is the only country in the Middle East with a sizeable population of Christians, even if Coptic Christians are more numerous in Egypt. However, regional nations and ethnic groups have utilized…
Japanese art and the feeling of Shinto through the prism of nature Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist, Sawako Utsumi, hails from northern Japan. Her artwork is often inspired by past European and Japanese artists, despite her own personal landscapes. Henceforth, in this delightful landscape, you can depict the partial influence of…
Sunni Islamists massacre Muslims in mosque attack in Niger Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sunni Islamists have massacred 10 people after a brutal attack against a mosque in Niger. Only recently, Sunni Islamists slaughtered Shia Muslims in Afghanistan inside another mosque. Therefore, the sheer hatred of Islamists – against non-Muslims and…
Chile declares a ‘state of exception’ concerning Mapuche tensions Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times The President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, is alarmed by events in the two southern regions of Araucania and Biobio. This concerns the indigenous Mapuche people and ongoing clashes with the security forces. Pinera said, “We have decided to…
Russian Federation dismayed by PM Kishida of Japan: Kuril Islands Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently became the leader of Japan after Yoshihide Suga voluntarily stepped down. Hence, an internal Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) transition before the general election later this month. However, even before the general…
Austria and political order despite Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigning Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe Modern Tokyo Times Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria resigned after a breach of trust was reported. Kurz denies any involvement in the alleged bribery scandal. However, the Green Party, the junior political partner of the coalition government, insisted that Kurz should…
Buddhist poetry in Japan and the fallen Autumn leaf: Henjō (816-890) and Sōgi (1421-1502) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In two short poems by Henjō (816-890) and Sōgi (1421-1502), you can feel the last throes of life and the memories that become a dream world. Hence, these two holy Japanese Buddhist monks – with Henjō…
DRC and 26 million people facing food insecurity: WHO sex scandals to elites siphoning money Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) need urgent international support. However, while over 26 million people face food insecurity in the DRC, this nation faces two…
Shia Muslims killed inside a mosque in Afghanistan by a Uighur terrorist Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Another devastating terrorist attack against Shia Muslims occurred in the city of Kunduz in Afghanistan. The current death toll isn’t fully known. However, the BBC reports that at least 50 people have been killed.…
Buddhist nun: Art, poetry, Japanese anti-Buddhism, and sadness of Rengetsu (1791-1875) Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Ōtagaki Rengetsu is widely acclaimed as being one of the greatest poets of nineteenth-century Japan. Indeed, her legacy is great concerning art, calligraphy, poetry, and being a graceful potter. The life of Rengetsu was shaped greatly by Buddhism.…
France and Greece sign Defense Pact: NATO members worry about NATO Turkey Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times A mutual military defense pact between France and Greece was ratified by Greek lawmakers. Interestingly, this means that both NATO members can now ally themselves against an internal threat from within this…
