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September 03, 2025
 

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Michael MacArthur Bosack

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Michael MacArthur Bosack
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 31, 2020
Ox walking, heckling and other strange Diet practices
Understanding Japanese politics, as with many things in Japanese society, is often an exercise of scratching beneath the surface to discover the true meaning.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 29, 2020
Article 9, ittaika and Japan's liaison officer corps
The Constitution's Article 9 has shaped the SDF in ways that are deeper than most observers, analysts and policymakers realize.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 23, 2020
Komeito, the 20-year-old security watchdog
Komeito wields influence in major security policy decisions, especially the one that has most Japan-watchers intrigued: constitutional amendment.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 19, 2019
Looking back on Japan's security in 2019
2019 had its share of good, bad and ugly moments, but overall it was a net positive for Japanese security.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 28, 2019
Revisiting Japan's nuclear arms debate
As long as the U.S. nuclear umbrella exists, the Japanese government will not have the political impetus to change its policy on nuclear weapons.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2019
Resignations offer insights into Cabinet politics
The latest resignations are symptomatic of broader Japanese Cabinet politics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 21, 2019
The humbling of Shinjiro Koizumi
Although he still routinely ranks high among respondents as the top pick for prime minister, the reality is that he still has years before he is ready for the job.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 17, 2019
Taro Kono: A different kind of defense minister
For the first time ever, the Defense Ministery is headed by a prime minister-ready politician.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 10, 2019
Japan's not hedging with Australia security ties
Once willing to let others take the lead in foreign policy and defense, Japan is now employing a comprehensive security strategy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 19, 2019
Who's leading the pack for post-Abe leadership
If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lasts for another year or two, Toshimitsu Motegi will be best-postured to succeed him.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 12, 2019
Abe shows his command over LDP in reshuffle
Abe demonstrated that he is clearly in the driver's seat, posturing his allies for advancement in the LDP ranks, keeping bandwagoners contained and edging out rivals altogether.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 6, 2019
The National Police Agency and the Senkakus
The next step in the evolution of Japanese security practice will involve growing pains, but for better or worse, the Abe administration has demonstrated its willingness to endure some friction to posture against China's steadily increasing presence in the East China Sea.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 15, 2019
Decluttering the Japan-South Korea debate
Accusations that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stands to gain politically by getting tough with South Korea miss the mark.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 30, 2019
Factional politics remain a force in Japan
With critical leadership positions and policy agendas being influenced by these formal groups, it is important to recognize the continued relevance of factions in Japanese politics today.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 25, 2019
Abe's chase for glory at the 2020 Olympics
Don't expect Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to pursue constitutional revisionism in earnest until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 22, 2019
For Japan, Upper House results signal stability
The results of the Upper House elections promise exactly what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe campaigned upon: stability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 18, 2019
Remembering the role Japan played in the Forgotten War
For Japanese and South Koreans, this anniversary ought to present a reminder that back-and-forth erosion of trust is in neither of their self-interests.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 12, 2019
Japan's place in coalition-building against Iran
Japan's participation in any coalition in the Persian Gulf region is far from a foregone conclusion
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2019
Get ready for a Cabinet reshuffle
The Upper House election is unlikely to produce a significant change in the composition of the Diet, but it will still shape the near-term political landscape significantly.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 18, 2019
Success or failure for Abe in Tehran?
There are still miles to go in Abe's endeavor, and no one should be judging the Japanese government this early in the process.
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

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