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May 19, 2024
 

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Leonid Bershidsky
For Leonid Bershidsky's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 29, 2014
EU should encourage Ukraine's aspirations
The European Union should strive to turn Ukraine into a success story that can serve as an example for Russians who now see no alternative to Vladimir Putin.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2014
Why Putin doesn't trust the West
Today's bitter relationship between the United States and Russia contains a divorced couple's cynical disappointment with each other.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2014
Putin has plenty of non-crazy friends in Europe
Whether the current Western leaders like it or not, pragmatism in relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin is part of the political mainstream in Europe, not the domain of fringe crazies.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2014
Why Merkel is playing long ball with Putin
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's strategy of dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin stems from her keen understanding of 20th century history.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 18, 2014
Putin-bashing at G-20 meeting was juvenile
What were Western leaders trying to achieve by humiliating Russia President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2014
Russia's future looks bleak
As Russia's present is too unbalanced to discuss and President Vladimir Putin prefers to rehash the past, some commentators have set out to fathom the country's future based on its current trajectory. Their scenarios are bleak.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2014
Putin's cronies fight for Russia's textbooks
Larger school textbook publishers who have no problem with Russia's growth into an ideological state under President Vladimir Putin are allowed to make money.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2014
Bovine voter registration in rebel-held Ukraine
A cow, literally, could have voted in the elections for rebel-held regions of eastern Ukraine on Sunday. Nobody really cared who would win.
COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 2014
Does being gay make Tim Cook a better boss?
Strange as it may seem in 2014, Apple's Tim Cook is the first chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to come out in public about being gay. Members of this exclusive club are still unsure whether that's wise.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 31, 2014
Ukraine starves as its leaders play Monopoly
With a new parliament elected last weekend, the Ukrainian political establishment has no more excuses for failing to make vital changes in economic regulation and the way the country is governed. Unfortunately the winners have resorted to their tired political circus.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 28, 2014
Putin can't be the leader of anti-U.S. resistance
The world may need powers that can challenge the U.S. But Vladimir Putin's Russia doesn't fit the bill because it is not an example anyone would want to follow.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2014
If growth is not the priority
Both President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany defy their critics by continuing to pursue policies that are bad for economic growth.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2014
Winners make Russia sanctions smell like fish
The Faroese, Icelanders and fish farmers of remote Chile are now taking in more Russian orders than ever before because of the food embargo. It just goes to show that when politicians act to disrupt trade flows, it's like cutting off pwer to a home that has a reserve generator.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2014
Putin's Herculean, bizarre birthday presents
As he turned 62 last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin was said by official pollsters to be more popular in Russia than ever before. Gifts and dedications to the president took on the most bizarre forms ever.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 4, 2014
U.S., not the EU, needs to tackle Apple's taxes
Apple, the world's most valuable company, receives much of its profit in Ireland but pays taxes on a fraction of it. The U.S. primarily has the power to make Apple and other offshore companies pay more.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2014
New anti-Semitism in Germany isn't the same
It's not the old-style, neo-Nazi anti-Semites who are trying to burn down synagogues or calling the Jews out to fight these days, as they have a problem with the currently dominant strain of anti-Semitism — its carriers have darker skin.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2014
Fewer obstacles to Putin-style nationalization
The house arrest on Sept. 16 of one of Russia's richest men is part of an attempt to nationalize his oil business. It also shows how the recent Western strategy of isolating Russia is perversely benefiting President Vladimir Putin's close circle of friends:
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 20, 2014
Russia, Europe in a race to the bottom
As Europe and Russia head into another round of sanctions, economic data are driving home the point that nobody stands to win in this tit-for-tat battle.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2014
Ukraine's uneasy compromises please no one
The concessions Kiev made to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine come at an enormous cost in human lives, lost trust and broken relationships between Ukraine and Russia.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2014
Which countries will NATO protect from Putin?
There is logic to the U.S. and EU response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's Soviet revanchism that even Putin appears to accept, if not acknowledge. It is that European countries have been divided into three levels of NATO 'protection.'
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court 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.
U.S. envoy to Japan makes landmark visit to front-line island near Taiwan
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel meets with members of the Self-Defense Forces stationed on Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture, on Friday.
Japan passes bill to introduce 'blue ticket' fines for cyclists
A new system under which bicycle riders pay fines for minor traffic violations to escape criminal punishment is expected to be introduced in Japan no later than 2026.
Japan changes law to allow joint custody after divorce
Legislation that allows the option of joint custody of children after divorce is passed at the Upper House plenary session on Friday.
Can AI-generated inventions be patented? A Tokyo court says no.
The Tokyo court's ruling comes amid ongoing debates on how to regulate generative AI and is part of a transnational class action lawsuit.
A new initiative rethinks old Tohoku crafts
The colored patterns of Tsuguru "nuri," made in Aomori Prefecture, are achieved by applying multiple coatings of lacquer, which are later polished down to reveal layers of colors beneath.
Xi and Putin mark ‘new era’ amid efforts to counter U.S. ‘containment’
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend an event in Beijing on Thursday. During Putin's visit, the leaders showed off their growing alignment amid efforts to push back against the U.S.-led world order.
Unraveling the Japanese prose of Yukio Mishima
Author Yukio Mishima accepts the Arts Festival Award in the drama category at the 20th Arts Festival Award Ceremony on Jan. 22, 1966.
New Taiwan president to set tone for ties with China at inauguration
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te arrives at the CyberSec 2024 Exhibition in Taipei on Wednesday.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

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