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COMMENTARY / World
Dec 5, 2019

Brexit underlines perils of populist politics

The standoff between equally matched camps may solidify into a deep rupture in the national fabric.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 30, 2019

'The way he treats people, it's horrible': Suburban U.S. women recoil at Trump's racial politics

Carol Evans approves of Donald Trump's immigration policy. She gives him credit for the strong economy. But the Republican from the affluent Milwaukee suburbs of Waukesha County, a GOP bedrock in Wisconsin, just can't commit to voting for Trump in next year's U.S. presidential election like she did in...
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 / View from Osaka
Apr 20, 2019

Osaka Ishin's success could have impact on regional politics elsewhere in Japan

History shows cities that flourish due to maritime trade have a reputation for some of the world's most colorful, complex, and corrupt local politics. That includes the port of Osaka, which was trading with China and the Korean Peninsula more than 1,000 years ago.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 12, 2019

Pushing the envelope: Money politics undermines democracy in Indonesia

Shanti Ramchand learned quickly what was expected when she began campaigning in Jakarta for Indonesia's national parliament; distribute envelopes of cash at a small campaign event, and give a motorcycle or an air-conditioning unit to the community leader.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jan 21, 2019

No politics please for Baghdad bikers aiming to unite Iraq

Roaring along Baghdad's highways, the "Iraq Bikers" are doing more than showing off their love of outsized motorcycles and black leather: They want their shared enthusiasm to help heal Iraq's deep sectarian rifts.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 21, 2019

How will AI change domestic politics?

Political stability and economic prosperity in the future seems likely to depend on who can control the anger and frustration of the critical mass of the unemployed.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 9, 2018

Experts question whether Nick Ayers has gravitas to be President Donald Trump's next chief of staff

Nick Ayers, in talks with President Donald Trump to become his new White House chief of staff, is a 36-year-old political whiz-kid who could help with the looming re-election campaign, but critics question whether he has the grit needed to keep Trump and an often chaotic administration under control....
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2018

The extraordinary life and times of George H.W. Bush

The 41st U.S. president cared more about his legacy than the 1992 re-election he lost.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2018

Ignore the news and America seems pretty nice

Drive from coast to coast with the radio off and everybody seems to be getting along fine.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 13, 2018

Politics and cinema intermingle at Busan International Film Festival

The 23rd edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened Oct. 4 as Typhoon Kong-rey approached the South Korean port city. When the storm peaked on Saturday morning, some public events were cancelled, but the screenings continued and were still packed with press, industry people and, most...
EDITORIALS
Jun 25, 2018

Japan loses a Korean friend

Kim Jong-pil's career is a lesson for all who seek to serve their country.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 25, 2018

Former chief of Japanese Communist Party lauds Emperor for staying out of politics

Former Japanese Communist Party leader Tetsuzo Fuwa has praised Emperor Akihito for, unlike his father, staying away from politics as stipulated by Article 4 of the Constitution.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2018

The double helix of Chinese history and its powerful leader

After years of reform and a greater openness, authoritarianism dominant under President Xi.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 20, 2017

Macron and the post-revolutionary idea

The key to political novice Emmanuel Macron's success is found far from France — and four decades removed from the present.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 20, 2017

How populists win when they lose

The choices made by established conservative elites, as much as the challenges posed by insurgent outsiders, determine the fate of democracy.
EDITORIALS
Jun 19, 2017

French voters give Macron a blank check

With an overwhelming parliamentary majority, French President Emmanuel Macron can press forward with his program to rejuvenate his country.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 9, 2017

Theresa May's biggest mistake

U.K. voters threw out the script. Let that be a lesson.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 6, 2017

Merkel wrong about Trump, Brexit

All over Europe, politicians and commentators are rolling up Brexit and Trump into one ball of populist horror, and spitting on it.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 29, 2017

A crisis of constitutional politics

A state of barbarism incompatible with modern constitutional principles permeates Japan's politics today.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2017

Threats to liberal democracy

Benjamin Franklin's declaration 'the price of liberty is eternal vigilance' matters now more than ever in the age of Donald Trump.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2017

The 'Brenda factor' and the British election

Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to call a snap election after repeatedly saying she would not do so has dented her reputation for honesty.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2017

Why Trump is so hated by liberals

Pick a Trump outrage that's got liberals in a tizzy and you can find a similar policy they had no problem with when it was authored by Obama.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 25, 2017

Depressed by politics? Stop staring at phones

If we expect better from officeholders and candidates and activists, we have to demand better from ourselves.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 13, 2016

How the European left lost the working class

If left-wing parties can't appeal to the working class, what's their use?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2016

Thailand's new uncertainty

Given the uncertainty implied by King Bhumibol's death, and the prospect of an unpopular crown prince eventually reigning, stability seems unlikely in Thailand any time soon.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 17, 2016

Theresa May's risky search for the elusive center ground

The search for the political center ground sometimes leads to no-man's land.
CULTURE / Music
May 1, 2016

DYGL soaks in New York's garage rock and politics

The life Nobuki Akiyama has been living since moving to the greater New York City area in March sounds like a dream come true for any young musician.
EDITORIALS
Mar 18, 2016

Merkel's 'Black Sunday'

If German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen as less solid in her grip on domestic politics at home, then her ability to push or steer the European ship of state is similarly diminished.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 23, 2016

To make a comeback, DPJ must empower supporters

The DPJ's turnaround can only be achieved by inviting broad participation of citizens in the selection of its candidates and the establishment of a policy platform, thereby creating a new energy in politics.

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