Search - politics

 
 
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 13, 2023

Why Japan and the G7 must take notice of the Global South

Amid the rise of authoritarian regimes, unity among the G7 countries, with their shared values, has become increasingly significant.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 6, 2023

Ukraine has decimated its oligarchs, but now fears new ones

Key allies from Group of Seven nations are pressing the government in Kyiv to resume reform programs now.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 3, 2023

Petteri Orpo, Finland's unshakeable conservative, set to become PM after vote

Orpo's center-right National Coalition Party beat out charismatic incumbent Sanna Marin of the Social Democrats in Sunday's general election.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Mar 31, 2023

China’s hospitality may not be what it seems

The day before Jack Ma resurfaced in China, former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou arrived for an unprecedented and unofficial 12-day visit.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Mar 29, 2023

Indonesia in FIFA talks after U-20 World Cup Israel protests

Fixtures for the 24-nation tournament, scheduled to run from May 20 to June 11, were due to be chosen on Friday in Bali.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Mar 24, 2023

Two high-profile visits expose global divisions

China and Russia's leaders meet in Moscow while Japan and Ukraine's presidents talk in Kyiv.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 17, 2023

Why Kishida and Yoon moved to improve frosty bilateral ties

Beyond good food and drinks, North Korea’s repeated missile launches and the need for the two countries to cooperate over economic security brought the two leaders together.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 17, 2023

Kishida warmly welcomes South Korea's president to Tokyo

Will the summit talks in Tokyo between the leaders of Japan and South Korea change the course of the two nations' hopelessly tumultuous relations?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2023

Yoon says Japan cooperation vital amid concerns on North Korea and supply chains

'There is an increasing need for Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time of a polycrisis,' Yoon said.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2023

Upper House committee votes to expel GaaSyy from Japan's parliament

The decision, made unanimously among ruling and opposition lawmakers, will almost certainly be finalized during an Upper House plenary session on Wednesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 11, 2023

Li Qiang appointed Chinese premier as Xi asserts influence

The former Shanghai party chief was named the successor of outgoing premier Li Keqiang at a meeting of the country's rubber-stamp parliament on Saturday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 10, 2023

Xi starts new term in China, with a focus on economy and U.S. rivalry

Despite his personal power seeming secure, Xi faces the urgent challenge of reviving China’s economy and escalating tensions with the United States and its allies.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2023

For China’s next premier, a subservient role to the powerful Xi

In recent years President Xi Jinping has taken control of most aspects of government, a consolidation of power that is expected to continue as he sidelines rivals and promotes allies.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 2, 2023

Redrawn electoral map raises concerns in Japan's rural areas

To rectify vote-value disparities, 10 seats will be transferred from the least populous rural areas to the most densely populated urban areas.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / Karolos Grohmann
Feb 22, 2023

IOC stands firm against banning Russia despite risk of boycott

Officials suggest the IOC is prepared to risk a boycott in order to maintain its 'non-negotiable' stance that the Games remain above and beyond politics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 16, 2023

Sunak heads toward another Brexit cliff edge

A bill to scrap all EU laws retained in the U.K. at the end of the year risks more confusion and chaos.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 6, 2023

Shotaro Kishida scandal puts focus on policy affairs secretary role

The role's closeness to the prime minister can give the holder a lot of influence, and the controversy has again raised questions about the younger Kishida's suitability for the job.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 20, 2023

Like strongman, like son? Cambodia's Hun Manet makes political debut

The political debut of Prime Minister Hun Sen's eldest son marks one of the final steps in a decadeslong grooming process that is expected to end with him succeeding his father.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 20, 2023

Why Zelenskyy's diplomacy is a key factor in Ukraine's efforts to win war

The leader's counteroffensive came at a critical time, sandwiched between two summits — the Group of Seven summit in May and a NATO summit earlier this month.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 19, 2023

What should America make of Trump’s mad power grab plan?

Former U.S. President Donald is campaigning on a pledge to remake the office, concentrating more power in the Oval Office.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 19, 2023

Modi and India’s diaspora: A complex love affair making global waves

Many Indian professionals overseas who cheer on India's economic rise also fear Modi's Hindu-supremacist policies will keep the country from standing as a democratic superpower.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 9, 2023

On security and diplomacy, Abe’s legacy to be felt far into the future

In the year since Abe's assassination, Japan has undergone a number of monumental shifts in its approach to security and foreign policy, cementing the late leader’s legacy.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 7, 2023

A year after his death, Abe's legacy still looms for both left and right

While conservatives lost a key leadership figure, liberals no longer have a clear person to organize opposition around.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 7, 2023

Tips for better diplomatic commentary

As I grow older and wiser, here are seven lessons I have learned as a career Japanese diplomat.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 2, 2023

Without whistleblowers, the West is lost

The biggest threat to Western democracies is not transparency, it is the nihilism and self-indulgence that have come to characterize politics.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 1, 2023

Climate nears point of no return as land and sea temperatures break records

High land temperatures have only been matched by those on the sea, with warming intensified by an El Nino event and other factors.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 20, 2023

How COVID’s bitter divisions tarnished a liberal icon

In a part of the world where coronavirus restrictions lingered, Jacinda Ardern struggled to get beyond her association with pandemic policy.
An extreme heat warning in Death Valley, California, on July 15
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2023

Our civilization was built for a climate that’s vanishing

Weather disasters linked to climate change like those unfolding across the northern hemisphere will affect more and more of us.
Hou Yu-ih, mayor of New Taipei City, during a protest against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taipei, on July 16. Taiwanese voters are preparing to choose their next president in January, in a vote that will define cross-strait and U.S.-China relations for years to come.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 21, 2023

Popular Taiwan mayor stumbles in bid to lead in U.S.-China hotspot

His failure to articulate a critical policy at the bedrock of Taiwan’s international status drew widespread criticism online.
A man catches a fish along the bank overlooking the Singapore skyline shrouded by haze in 2015.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 27, 2023

As El Nino fuels fire risk, Southeast Asia faces haze crisis

Officials met in Singapore last month, where they vowed to work together to monitor fires and curb pollution.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years