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July 07, 2025
 

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Michael MacArthur Bosack

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Michael MacArthur Bosack
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 20, 2021
The LDP says the party will double Japan’s defense spending. Can it?
Abe waited until after the 2013 Upper House election to roll out his new National Security Strategy. The Kishida government will probably do the same.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 12, 2021
How the LDP keeps winning
It's precisely because of the LDP and Komeito's massive vote-generating machine that the ruling coalition has an edge over the opposition in the coming election.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 4, 2021
What Kishida's Cabinet picks tell us
It is important to look at not only who gets tapped, but which LDP factions they represent.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Perspectives
Oct 1, 2021
How Kishida can avoid becoming another revolving-door prime minister
The new LDP president will focus on expanding his power, implementing policies that benefit the electorate and ensuring success in the upcoming elections before widening his policy window.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 27, 2021
Who the opposition wants to win the LDP presidential race
The opposition are strategizing on how to erode the ruling LDP-Komeito coalition's Lower House majority, a task all the more difficult without knowing who their principal opponent will be.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 22, 2021
Will Japan’s next PM take a shot at constitutional amendment?
An important political factor at play here is that every single LDP candidate has to voice support for constitutional amendment if they hope to win the party presidential race.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 17, 2021
Why Shinzo Abe is backing a little-known hawk
The move by the former prime minister is aimed at allowing LDP heavyweights to maintain control of an increasingly fluid political situation.
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 10, 2021
What to watch once official campaigning begins in the LDP race
While previous presidential elections have subscribed to a typical formula, this year's vote will be anything but dull.
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 10, 2021
The outliers hoping to be heard in the LDP election
While the race front-runners are clear, don't count these names out
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 9, 2021
The LDP's outspoken 'maverick' steps up to fight for the party's top spot
Cosmopolitan and media savvy, Taro Kono is a reformist but has his share of liabilities.
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 9, 2021
The puppeteers pulling the strings of the LDP leadership race
With their considerable influence, Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso's backing is crucial to anyone wanting to become the next prime minister.
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 8, 2021
Fumio Kishida steps into the ring for the second time in a year
Routinely derided by his critics, the former foreign minister may prove to have more moxie than some would expect in the party leadership race.
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 8, 2021
With Suga's imminent departure, the battle for power has already begun
The prime minister's announcement that he would step down as leader of the LDP has set in motion a fierce race to the top.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 1, 2021
SDF quietly breaks new ground in Afghanistan withdrawal
What makes the dispatch of the SDF to facilitate evacuations in Afghanistan notable is not the scale of the operations, but that they are taking place at all.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 26, 2021
LDP leadership election: Suga has a target on his back
As LDP heavyweights jockey for position ahead of the party's presidential election, one thing for sure is there is a target on Prime Minister Suga's back.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 5, 2021
Taking stock of the LDP presidential race
With five potential outcomes and myriad players and interests in the mix, there is still a lot of ground the LDP must cover to reach the finish line in its presidential election.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 16, 2021
The LDP loses a heavyweight
Factions matter in the LDP because they are critical for selecting who becomes the party president and hence who becomes prime minister.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 3, 2021
Why politicians make the switch from Upper to Lower House
One almost never hears about a Lower House member trying to move to the Upper House, but movement the opposite direction has plenty of precedent.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 26, 2021
A summer of competition for the LDP-Komeito coalition
Japan's big cities are not reflective of national level politics, so even if the LDP and Komeito suffer a poor outcome in a few weeks, it will not portend some sweeping movement.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 16, 2021
The party politics behind the annual no-confidence motion
All LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai needed was something to justify his outspoken preference for a snap election, and the no-confidence motion was just that.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
Japan will experience a heat wave through mid-July on a “level only seen once in a decade,” the Meteorological Agency said on June 30.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism’ destinations
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.
Elon Musk says he has created a new U.S. political party
Elon Musk looks on during a news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 30.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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