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.…
Presidential candidate in South Korea expresses doubt of any military alliance with Japan Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The United States would like Japan and South Korea to mend ties and for both nations to be part of the containment of China. However, many political elites in South Korea have reservations…
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…
Japan election: PM Kishida elected after LDP and junior partner Komeito re-elected Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito have been re-elected. Currently, the full election result isn’t known. However, polls and early results show the ruling LDP and Komeito passing the…
Japan election looms but apathy rules the day! Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Japan isn’t meant to be governed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decade after decade. Instead, Japan is meant to be a thriving democratic nation. However, in over six decades, the LDP usually emerges as the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Japan and the Russian Federation: Kishida and Putin hold a positive chat Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation held a positive phone chat with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan. Kishida, the new leader of Japan, is more open to the Russian Federation than the…
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…
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,…
Japan Increases Involvement in Central Asia Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Paul Goble The Jamestown Foundation Almost two decades ago, Japan adopted the 5+1 approach to dealing with Central Asia, a model other outside players have copied. Now, Japan is increasing its involvement in the region given the Taliban’s recent victory, which has created new…
Vietnam and Japan praise relations between both nation in Hanoi: Russian Federation Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính of Vietnam (Việt Nam) met the Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi in Hanoi (Hà Nội) yesterday. The Prime Minister of Vietnam and the Defense Minister of Japan praised recent developments between Japan and…
Japan LDP leadership battle: Sanae Takaichi and nationalism Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times The stepping down of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga means that an internal battle within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is ongoing. Several candidates are in the running. Therefore, the factional angle will come into play like usual. However,…
Japan LDP leadership battle: Fumio Kishida vows fairer society Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The announcement by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that he would step down means an internal battle to replace him is ongoing within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Several candidates have come forward. However, unlike others, Fumio…
The UK evacuated Japanese Embassy staff from Kabul: Usual reliance on others Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan seems to lack a sense of priority when urgent decisions are needed. Indeed, in areas of national security, the government of Japan relies heavily on the armed forces of America.…
Japan Challenges Russia in Antarctic, Sparking Concern in Moscow about West’s Plans Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor By: Paul Goble The Jamestown Foundation The Japanese government’s National Institute for Polar Research (NIPR) released four reports so far this month (July 2021) outlining Tokyo’s view that Japan should be among the countries allowed to exploit the oil…
Japan protests against the PM of Russia visiting Iturup Island: Economic changes Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Japan made formal protests to the Russian Federation after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Iturup Island in the South Kuril Islands. According to Japan, the region belongs to Japan and is called the Northern…
President Moon of South Korea cancels planned visit to Tokyo Olympics because of undiplomatic language Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The rude comment by Hirohisa Soma, the Deputy Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, aimed at President Moon Jae-in of South Korea scuppered his planned visit to the Tokyo…
Japan and South Korea: Possible meeting between Suga and Moon in Tokyo Noriko Watanabe and Kanako Mita Modern Tokyo Times Reports of a possible meeting between Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and President Moon Jae-in have hit a diplomatic snag. This concerns a rude comment by Hirohisa Soma, the Deputy Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in…
Japan condemns China over human rights but is fine to strengthen ties with Iran Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese Foreign Ministry under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his administration are endlessly rebuking China over human rights and being a regional threat. However, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Japan, Toshimitsu…
Japan provides 1 billion dollars to COVAX scheme: Huge debt and little help at home Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times Japan is blighted by enormous debt and a government under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga who can support the international community but provide little at home. Thus the announcement that Japan will provide…
Japan concerned by Vietnam news of new hybrid India and UK Covid-19 variant Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times Japan is concerned by news emanating from Vietnam about a new hybrid variant of the coronavirus (Covid-19). According to the government of Vietnam, this concerns variants that were first acknowledged in India and the…
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…
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…
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