China, India, and Russia voice concern about Afghanistan: Humanitarian assistance and drugs Sawako Utsumi and Sawako Uchida Modern Tokyo Times The nations of China, India, and the Russian Federation belong to the RIC format. Hence, the three members of the RIC (Russia, India, and China) uttered concern and alarm over the situation in Afghanistan. The…
China and Russia to increase military drills in Northeast Asia: Japan geopolitics Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Russian Federation will take part in military drills with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members for the first time in early December. At the same time, the Russian Federation and China will…
PM Kishida appoints Hayashi to the dismay of Abe and Aso: Foreign Minister and China Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, is showing early signs of self-belief. Henceforth, the appointment of the new Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was met with dismay by two ex-leaders of Japan.…
PM Kishida in anti-China Human Rights post: Japan and anti-Armenian Turkey can’t let go Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Newly elected Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seems set to follow the anti-China mantra of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga. This is witnessed by the new human rights post that is specifically…
Art of Japan and the Middle Kingdom (China): Buddhism, Confucianism, and other ideas Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The religious and philosophical ideas of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism (Daoism) impacted enormously on China, Japan, and Korea in Northeast Asia. Similarly, each nation had potent internal faiths and ideas. For example, Shintoism in Japan and…
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…
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…
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.…
China and Taiwan need statecraft: America, Japan, and blocs are meddling Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times China and Taiwan need to adopt statecraft and implement respective compromises. If not, then outside meddling emanating from America and Japan – and the Quad Group (America, Australia, India, and Japan) and AUKUS (America, Australia,…
South Korea open to lifting sanctions on North Korea: US and peripheral Japan Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Korean Peninsula is currently witnessing new launches of tested ballistic missiles by North Korea and South Korea. This especially applies to North Korea. However, overtures are being made towards South Korea by…
Anti-Russia and anti-China politicians in Japan says Russia: AUKUS to Cybersecurity Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Since Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took power, the Japanese Foreign Ministry barely goes a week without upping the anti-China mantra. More recently, the anti-Russian Federation angle is emerging. Indeed, the next leader of Japan seems…
North Korea and South Korea in a possible inter-Korean summit: Japan on sidelines Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Korean Peninsula recently witnessed the launch of tested ballistic missiles by North Korea and South Korea. This occurred within hours of each other. Henceforth, words of strength were spoken by President Moon Jae-in…
Japanese Buddhism and art: Hakuin Ekaku and Chinese philosophy Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The revered Zen Buddhist, Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769), understood the importance of connecting with ordinary people. Hence, under his tutelage and wisdom, he helped to restore the vitality of Rinzai Buddhism that was stagnating. Hakuin was born in Hara in the province…
Crypto transactions banned in China Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe Modern Tokyo Times The trillion-dollar industry of cryptocurrencies and crypto-related transactions is now deemed illegal in China. Naturally, crypto mining is also deemed illegal because of the obvious connection and issues concerning carbon emissions. Therefore, it will be interesting to see the repercussions for Bitcoin,…
Japan welcomes non-Northeast Asian powers to the region: AUKUS and anti-China rhetoric Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The administration of President Yoshihide Suga will soon pass into history for doing little apart from antagonizing China. Yet, dinosaurs remain within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that seeks to continue this policy.…
North Korea and South Korea test ballistic missiles: the US muted, Japan angry, and China diplomatic Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Korean Peninsula witnessed the launching of tested ballistic missiles by North Korea and South Korea within hours of each other. Japan condemned the launch by North Korea. However,…
Failed Japan mission in Afghanistan means help from China, Russia, and regionally Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan, like other nations, was caught off guard by the speed of the Taliban take over in Afghanistan. Henceforth, with America and other nations evacuating tens of thousands of people, it…
China says “alien models” will fail externally and internally: Afghanistan, Visegrad, and the Asia Pacific Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times China is witnessing events in Afghanistan from a different prism similar to the Russian Federation. Indeed, internally in China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is now focused on preserving traditions wrapped…
Kazakhstan Surges to Third Place in Global Crypto-Currency Production, behind China and US Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: John C. K. Daly The Jamestown Foundation While many crypto-currency advocates worldwide promote this sector as the next step in international finance, multiple governments are becoming increasingly leery because of digital currencies’ energy-intensive mining requirements, volatile price…
China’s Hypersonic Missiles: Methods and Motives Publication: China Brief By: Richard Weitz The Jamestown Foundation Introduction The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is pursuing various hypersonic delivery systems to augment its already impressive arsenal of precision strike capabilities. Hypersonic missiles are emerging as a highly valued weapon system for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)…
Japan wins first-ever Table Tennis Olympic gold after beating China Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times Japan won its first-ever table tennis gold medal at the Olympics after Jun Mizutani and Ito Mima beat Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen from China. The amazing mixed doubles final went all the way to the last…
Curfew at night in Afghanistan to provide more security in areas held Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The pull-out of American forces in Afghanistan under President Biden of America is witnessing fresh Taliban momentum. Nerves are obviously fraying within government-controlled areas because the Taliban supports a strict and draconian Islamic Sharia…
China sends India Covid-19 assistance despite frosty relations Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Increased territorial tensions between China and India have been put aside because of the severity of the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis in India. Hence, President Xi Jinping of China reiterated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India that China…
America and Japan in usual anti-China mantra under Biden and Suga Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The former leader of Japan, Shinzo Abe, could contain anti-China hawks during his leadership. However, it is noticeable under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that the Japanese Foreign Ministry is enacting a hawkish policy aimed at…
China and South Korea rebuke Japan over planned nuclear plant water into the sea Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times China and South Korea have rebuked Japan over plans to release nuclear plant water into the sea. Of course, the nuance in Japan is releasing “treated water.” However, this isn’t fooling China…
Japanese poet of the ninth and tenth century Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Heian court was served by the poet Mibu no Tadamine between 898-920. Thus one can imagine the flows of internal Japanese culture and the impact of the Middle Kingdom (China) on this esteemed poet from bygone days. Indeed, the Nara…
Poetry of ancient Japan enriched by the Middle Kingdom Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The eighth-century Japanese scholar and poet Abe no Nakamaro (698-770) belongs to the cultural world that was inspired by the Middle Kingdom (China). From a very young age, he showed exemplary skills suited to the world of academia. In this…
Japan mimicking America and following the China containment policy Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japan is mimicking America to the extreme when it comes to Washington’s containment policy of China. Hence, the recent meetings between senior American and Japanese officials in Japan resulted in the same anti-China mantra. Security talks in…
Japan utilizes America, Australia, and India to lambast China during the Quad summit Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan utilized the Quad summit with America, Australia, and India to lambast China. Indeed, this is a familiar tactic while all nations maintain strong economic ties with China…
Tanaka Hōji and Japan art: Taoism to Meiji era and words of Lao Tzu Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Tanaka Hōji (1812-1885) is a Japanese artist who belongs to the traditions that predate the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Hence, despite the modernizing convulsions of the Meiji Restoration on the art world of Japan, the…
Japan reliance on foreign Covid-19 vaccines and bottlenecks: China and Russia helping internationally Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times China, Japan, and the Russian Federation all belong to the geographic space of Northeast Asia. Indeed, the Russian Federation is a transcontinental nation. However, despite China and the Russian Federation producing coronavirus (Covid-19)…
China and the United Kingdom impose respective media bans Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In a perfect world, media organizations would be based solely on journalism and providing independent news. However, the agenda of the day be it overtly controlled politically like in China – or based on politically correct modes…
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