Commentary / World | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Apr 21, 2017
Terrorism brouhaha, then and now
A person's definition of terrorism usually depends on what side of the fence they're on.
Hiroaki Sato
A Japan Times columnist since 2000, Hiroaki Sato has won prizes for his translation of poetry (PEN American Center, Japan-US Friendship Commission). A paperback edition of his “Legends of the Samurai” has recently appeared. He is now working on a second collection of samurai tales with their origins.
For Hiroaki Sato's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Commentary / Japan | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Apr 3, 2017
Military justice, revenge and an albatross
Japan has produced a great many martyrs, not least in the wake of its defeat in World War II.
Commentary / Japan | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Feb 27, 2017
Indiscriminate bombing and legal judgment
Indiscriminate or otherwise, aerial bombing remains the preferred choice of warfare for the United States, which dropped 26,171 bombs in 2016 alone.
Commentary / Japan | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Jan 22, 2017
Reversing Japanese names for Western use?
When did the Japanese start reversing the family-personal name order for Western consumption?
Commentary / Japan | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Dec 28, 2016
What's in a surname? It depends on who you ask
Some women want to keep their maiden names after marriage, yet many others choose not to.
Commentary / World Nov 17, 2016
When a 'sick joke' is elevated to the presidency
Donald Trump as president will be a disaster, and it won't be short-lived.
Commentary / World | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Oct 21, 2016
Anthem refuseniks, and ancient legends
Japan knows all about people taking a public stand by refusing to rise for the national anthem.
Commentary / World | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Sep 27, 2016
'No refuge could save the hireling and slave'
Is the U.S. national anthem racist or are the lyrics of the third stanza merely misunderstood?
Commentary / World | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Aug 28, 2016
The longest U.S. conflict and defining a war
Figuring out when wars start and end isn't always as obvious as it might seem.
Commentary / World | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK Jul 29, 2016
Terror, terror on the wall, who's the biggest of all?
The word "terrorist" can and should be applied to a wider range of killers.