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July 04, 2025
 

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Michael Richardson
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 27, 2013
China betting on overland energy-supply lines
China's strategy to diversify supply routes for its rapidly rising energy imports has taken a major step forward as natural gas flows through a Myanmar pipeline.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 17, 2013
The rush toward Asia-Pacific FTAs
Whichever of three mega-trade-and-investment liberalization blocs is first to conclude a credible agreement will have a signficant impact on world trade and geopolitics.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 8, 2013
Deterring an Asia nuke race
Asia risks sliding into a nuclear arms race, aggravated by underlying mistrust. Potential 'threshold' countries include South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 3, 2013
Preparing for cyberwarfare
Washington expects cyberspace missions to become a dominant factor in military operations. But what will the rules of engagement be in the lawless, digital frontier
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 18, 2013
Cruise missile threat in Asia
Cruise missiles that are difficult to detect, increasingly fast and capable of carrying nuclear warheads are raising the risk of catastrophic conflict in Asia.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 6, 2013
China's troubling core interests
This week Chinese President Xi Jinping appears set to offer his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, an alluring deal for closer economic cooperation.
COMMENTARY / World
May 30, 2013
New U.S. weapons have China worried
Recently a U.S. test of an advanced, long-range weapon — apparently designed to reduce U.S. reliance on nuclear arms in a crisis — set alarm bells ringing in China.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2013
China's nuclear program still shrouded in secrecy
The best hope for unraveling China's nuclear secrets may be to make future U.S.-Russia nuclear arms cuts contingent on participation by China, India and Pakistan.
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2013
U.S. burnishing energy card
As the top natural gas producer outpacing even Russia, the U.S. has an energy card to play. It can decide how much to export, at what price, and to which countries.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2013
North Korea's nuclear puzzle
Additional evidence that North Korea is about to deploy nuclear-tipped long-range missiles will raise a question that no Asian or Western leader wants to answer.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 11, 2013
Pyongyang-Tehran military ties test nuclear nonproliferation regime
Circumstantial evidence and a growing number of reports suggest that North Korea and Iran are sharing advances in nuclear and missile technology.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 3, 2013
Defusing the North Korean crisis
Asia-Pacific allies and security partners of the U.S. are scrutinizing every move made by Washington as North Korea threatens to strike South Korea.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2013
Testing times for U.S., China
It's easy to imagine the U.S. as a threat to China when the U.S. spends six times more on defense and has pacts with Japan, India and South Korea.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 14, 2013
China using Senkakus dispute to test Japan, U.S.
Beijing faces an awkward propaganda problem in the South China Sea, as its sovereignty claims are not against an original imperial or colonial power.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2013
High stakes in cyberspace
As China catches up with the West in technology and relies increasingly on cyberspace for business and security, it may seek a cyberspace detente.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 22, 2013
The limits of military growth
The unipolar moment of global military supremacy for the U.S. after the Cold War ended with the Soviet Union collapse appears to have been fleeting.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 5, 2013
No winners in a conflict over the Senkaku Islands
The U.S. and Japan, despite domestic uncertainties, had better consider how they'll react if the Senkaku Islands start a military conflict with China.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 31, 2013
A question of Chinese sovereignty
China's 'historic rights' claims in the South China Sea have prompted Southeast Asian nations to argue that China is flouting international law.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2013
China sets sights on an 'outer space trump card'
When China destroyed one of its own satellites in space six years ago, it alarmed many other Asia-Pacific countries that have invested heavily in orbiting satellites for telecommunications, Earth observation and scientific research.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 10, 2013
China ups the ante in space
China recently opened its domestic satellite navigation network to commercial use across the Asia-Pacific region.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
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."
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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