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May 21, 2024
 

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Jesse Johnson
For Jesse Johnson's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 leaders summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 14, 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 14, 2023
Biden and Xi look to put floor under strained U.S.-China ties
The two leaders will have a laundry list of concerns to discuss, but the talks are unlikely to yield any dramatic breakthroughs.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa speak as they wait for a group photo session during the Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 8, 2023
G7 top diplomats call for ‘humanitarian pauses’ in Israel-Hamas war
The statement didn’t mention a cease-fire, only noting the necessity of humanitarian action.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, in November last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 7, 2023
Biden wins global vote of confidence over China's Xi, survey finds
A survey has found that nearly two-dozen countries are nearly three times more likely to the U.S. president more positively than the Chinese leader.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a red line he drew on the graphic of a bomb used to represent Iran's nuclear program as he addresses the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York in September 2012.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 6, 2023
Israeli minister's Gaza nuclear comments spotlight opaque arsenal
The country has long had a policy of ambiguity as to whether it has nuclear weapons, though it is widely believed to possess a sizable number.
Japanese evacuees from Israel arrive at Tokyo's Haneda Airport via an Air Self-Defense Force flight on Friday night.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 3, 2023
SDF plane evacuates 46 from Israel as Japan's top diplomat visits
The evacuation came as Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa visited Israel for talks with her Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.
Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Ryo Sakai speaks during a news conference Tuesday at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2023
Defense chief condemns ‘outrageous’ response in SDF harassment case
A male perpetrator of sexual assault was forced to apologize directly to the female victim despite her wishes not to see him.
China's powerful vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxian (left), and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrive for the Beijing Xiangshan Forum in the Chinese capital on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 30, 2023
Chinese military No. 2 slams U.S. but signals defense channel reopening
While criticizing the U.S., China's Gen. Zhang Youxia also indicated an openness to resuming high-level military talks with the Pentagon.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, on Nov. 14, 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 29, 2023
U.S. and China agree to work toward Biden-Xi meeting next month
U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized the need to manage the U.S.-China rivalry "responsibly” during a rare meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrive to speak to the press prior to meetings at the State Department in Washington on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 27, 2023
Top U.S. and China envoys seek 'in-depth' dialogue to stabilize ties
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks that could pave the way for a meeting of the two countries' leaders.
Then-Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 25, 2023
Chinese defense chief’s ouster opens door to better military ties with U.S.
Although questions remain over Li Shangfu’s fate, his firing has opened an avenue for resuming high-level military talks with the U.S.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu salutes before delivering a speech during the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 24, 2023
China ousts defense chief and removes ex-top envoy from Cabinet
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu has been removed from his positions as defense chief and state councilor, state-run media said.
Japan on Tuesday named Shigeo Yamada (left) its new ambassador to the United States and tapped and former Foreign Ministry top bureaucrat Kenji Kanasugi to be its envoy to China.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 24, 2023
Japan taps new U.S. and China envoys as Tokyo looks to balance ties
The appointments of new envoys to the U.S. and China come amid growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during an opening ceremony of a diplomatic symposium at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 24, 2023
China's top diplomat to visit U.S. ahead of possible Xi trip
Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be the highest-ranking Chinese official to travel to Washington in about five years.
A China Coast Guard vessel collides with a Philippine resupply vessel in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, in this image taken from video.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 22, 2023
Philippines and China trade blame over South China Sea collision
The incident occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal, as a Philippine resupply vessel made its way toward a military garrison.
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Palestinian groups.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 22, 2023
Fears grow that Israel-Hamas war could spread across Middle East
Tensions surged as the U.S. said it was sending more military assets to the region and Israel appeared poised for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Journalists watch a large screen showing Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa addressing the International Peace Summit hosted by the Egyptian president in Cairo on Saturday amid the ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 21, 2023
Japan FM urges redoubling of diplomacy to halt Israel-Hamas fighting
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa joined a handful of leaders and officials for a meeting hosted by the Egyptian president in Cairo.
Military vehicles carrying DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles in Beijing in 2019
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 20, 2023
Pentagon says China set to have over 1,000 nukes by 2030
The report adds that China has "probably completed" 300 intercontinental ballistic missile silos as it expands its launch facilities.
A Chinese fighter jet is seen during an intercept of a U.S. aircraft in the South China Sea, including by approaching a distance of just 12 meters before repeatedly flying above and below the U.S. aircraft and flashing its weapons.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 18, 2023
U.S. sees 'sharp increase' in Chinese military's 'risky' behavior
The Pentagon said it has documented nearly 300 dangerous incidents that affected U.S., allied and partner aircraft since the fall of 2021.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks during a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2023
Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF
Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law explicitly forbids SDF personnel from engaging in political activity, with the exception of voting.
A field of kochia plants is lit up in the colors of the rainbow at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture, in September.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2023
Ibaraki regains ignominious crown as least attractive prefecture
This marks the 12th time the prefecture ranked last since the survey began in 2009 — after being dethroned by Saga in 2022.
Rare sequel to 'My Neighbor Totoro' to play at Cannes
A screening of "Mei and the Baby Cat Bus," which is being billed as a "mini-sequel" to the Studio Ghibli classic "My Neighbor Totoro," is set to take place at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
America wasn’t made for walking, and it’s killing them
A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
Why half of Japan's cities are at risk of disappearing in 100 years
A couple looks out onto the Fukuoka nightscape. Due to its distance from Tokyo and its close proximity to South Korea and China, professor Tomoya Mori believes that Fukuoka is one of the few metropolitan regions of Japan that will see some form of growth in the decades to come.
Japan concerned over U.S. officials' remarks on atomic bombings
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks to reporters during a news conference in Washington on Thursday.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
The politicians moving Japan forward on climate
While not the most outspoken politician on the issue, digital minister Taro Kono has a track record of being serious in his commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Seoul's eclectic Art OnO shines light on Japan's artists and galleries
Art OnO, which took place from April 19 to 21 in Seoul, featured a modest number of 36 participating galleries from 15 countries.
Want to be a voice actor? Stay 'true to the character'
SungWon Cho is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience portraying characters in anime, cartoons and video games.
Local theater in Japan is more than a hobby — it’s a community
Japan Times contributor Laura Pollacco (front right) was offered the role of one of her all-time favorite heroines, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet, in the Tokyo International Players’ production of “Pride and Prejudice.”

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