author

 
Menu
Search
 
September 03, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Michael MacArthur Bosack

Meta

Michael MacArthur Bosack
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 24, 2023
Why a snap election might be looming for Japan
Kishida has denied that he is considering a snap election; but then again, so does every Japanese prime minister when asked about the timing for such a vote.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 19, 2023
The significance of the new Japan-China defense hotline
In a dire situation with great danger and/or worsening conditions, the Japan-China hotline is important because nobody wants to figure out who to call or have to search for the right number.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2023
Stronger Japan-NATO ties were bound to happen
Russia’s war in Ukraine and regional Chinese aggression have accelerated the maturation of the Japan-NATO relationship, but the wheels were set in motion following the fall of the Soviet Union.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 25, 2023
Japan’s political landscape after the unified elections
The ruling LDP and its junior coalition partner saw most of their candidates succeed across the country in Sunday's unified elections. The exception is where Nippon Ishin no Kai surged.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 15, 2023
Questions mount as Kishida attack brings sense of deja vu
While the incident occurred without the same tragic consequences of the assassination of Shinzo Abe last year, the shocking event leaves many unanswered questions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 22, 2023
Kishida breaks new ground in visit to Ukraine
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has effectively paved the way for future Japanese leaders to demonstrate Japanese leadership abroad with his visit to Ukraine.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 10, 2023
Preparing the SDF for tomorrow’s fight and today’s needs
How does the SDF balance between posturing for the combat operations of tomorrow and the disaster relief missions of today?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 2, 2023
The paradox that is Fumio Kishida’s leadership
Lucky for Prime Minister Kishida, the Japanese public does not see a viable alternative to the LDP for running the government.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 16, 2023
Fumio Kishida is succeeding abroad but failing at home
Kishida's polling numbers remain in the “caution area,” and there seems to be little opportunity for him to turn things around before local elections in April.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2023
Key takeaways from Japan-U.S. talks worth noting
The fact that Japan and the U.S. do not require continuous renegotiation of their standing agreements is an important one, and shows the strength of the alliance.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2023
Prime Minister Kishida’s 2023 survival strategy
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has a tough road ahead, but he is politically savvy and has been adept at making the moves necessary to remain in office so far.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Perspectives
Dec 23, 2022
What to make of Japan’s new defense documents
Nothing in Japan's new defense documents signals an abandonment of the core principles of its security, but a refinement of roles and capabilities to match modern needs.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 13, 2022
The politics of Japan's defense spending
When Japan first imposed the 1% of GDP defense-spending ceiling , the issue has been a matter of politics and any attempt to breach that threshold has been taboo.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2022
Is the clock running out for the prime minister?
Will Prime Minister Fumio Kishida be able to recover from his political troubles, or is he on a path to join the party's long list of short-lived prime ministers?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 25, 2022
Key takeaways from the Australia-Japan summit
The Australia-Japan summit in Perth was big on deliverables, focusing on security cooperation, China and values.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 12, 2022
Nepotism and Japan's political dynasties
The appointment of Fumio Kishida's son as an executive secretary in the Prime Minister's Office has prompted a backlash and is raising questions about nepotism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 2, 2022
A man larger than life: Remembering Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki, a pro wrestler, businessman and politician, was a transformative and inspirational figure for his nation. He will be missed.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 22, 2022
Kishida would be riding high except for a political misstep
By going for a unity Cabinet, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was forced to bring in members from factions that were at greater risk of being linked with the Unification Church.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 21, 2022
Ukraine wants Japan to be a security guarantor
Given Japan is the world's No. 3 economy, and despite it's inability to grant substantive military support, Kyiv's pursuit of Tokyo's backing makes sense and would be a boon for Ukraine.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 12, 2022
How Japan's political system linked the Unification Church with lawmakers
One problem faced by Japan is that there are institutional and customary factors that allow fringe organizations to maintain access to politicians at the highest levels of government.
More sweltering days forecast for September after hottest summer on record
By the end of August, 8,341 people had been transported by ambulance for heatstroke in Tokyo alone.
‘Mount Fuji Lawson’ becomes a symbol of Japan’s overtourism problem
A couple poses for a wedding photo in front of a Lawson in the town of Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Aug. 25.
Surrounded by Chinese bases, a tiny Philippine island stands firm
A Philippine Navy sailor looks at a China Coast Guard vessel just off the coast of Pag-asa Island in the disputed South China Sea last month.
Woman dies after possible knife attack in Setagaya
Police investigate the scene where a woman was found bleeding on a street in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Monday.
Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami resigns over alleged possession of illegal drugs
Takeshi Niinami, then-chief executive officer of Suntory Holdings, in May 2024
Why Stalin didn’t invade Hokkaido still largely unknown, 80 years after WWII
During a survey to collect the remains of victims from the Taito Maru, one of the vessels involved in the Three Ships Incident, a metal helmet was found near the stern of the vessel on Aug. 5, 1984, at Rumoi Port. No human remains were discovered.
More sweltering days forecast for September after hottest summer on record
By the end of August, 8,341 people had been transported by ambulance for heatstroke in Tokyo alone.
Surrounded by Chinese bases, a tiny Philippine island stands firm
A Philippine Navy sailor looks at a China Coast Guard vessel just off the coast of Pag-asa Island in the disputed South China Sea last month.
‘Mount Fuji Lawson’ becomes a symbol of Japan’s overtourism problem
A couple poses for a wedding photo in front of a Lawson in the town of Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Aug. 25.
‘Cool’ Patagonia wants to take used items into the mainstream
"It's not just about sales. It's about system change," said Marty Pomphrey, general manager of Patagonia Japan, on Aug. 6.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER