Home >> East Asia Japan Simmering discontent between Japan and South Korea over Pacific Island
Sudhanshu Tripathi - 9/18/2012
The just erupted face-off between South Korea and Japan over islands in Pacific may put in jeopardy the peace and security of entire Asia in, unfortunately, today’s world when geo-politics is moving towards East. Japan’s Defense White Paper evokes strong reactions from China and South Korea
Pranamita Baruah - 8/30/2012
On July 31, the Japanese government released this year’s edition of the Defense White Paper titled ‘The Defense of Japan 2012’. Kan Naoto Battles Reconstruction Efforts
Pranamita Baruah - 8/12/2011
Since March 11 when the triple disaster struck Japan, Japan has been struggling to cope with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis. Reconstruction efforts in the disaster-stricken areas also have remained inadequate. The current domestic political turmoil stems from Kan Naoto administration’s failure in achieving these two goals. Message from the Tsunami
Tanveer Jafri - 3/23/2011
Nature’s fury was at work once again on 11th March when a powerful earthquake of 9 magnitude hit the North-eastern Japan, triggering gigantic Tsunami waves which shook this mighty nation. This earthquake is said to be one of the five most powerful earthquakes the world has ever witnessed. This earthquake was so powerful it moved the Japanese coast by 8 meters and shifted the Earth’s axis. It is well known that Japan is situated on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ (margin of the Pacific tectonic plate are called) which is prone to large scale volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Due to these geologic... Japan: The Economic Consequences of Disaster
Prof. Peter Morici - 3/14/2011
The toll in human misery wrought by the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan test the imagination of economists but the effects on Japan’s GDP and wealth are a different matter. Tough Challenges of Naoto Kan
Pranamita Baruah - 7/18/2010
On June 2, Yukio Hatoyama, the ninety third Prime Minister of Japan, decided to step down while taking full responsibility for his failure in relocating the Futenma base outside Okinawa and the continued political fund scandals that dogged the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration for months. DPJ General Secretary and party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa also opted to resign from his post due to his recent embroilment in political fund scandal. Of late, Hatoyama had come to be seen as a liability by most of his party colleagues. Those up for re-election to the Upper House in July this year were... Democratic Party of Japan: Birthpang blues continues
Pranamita Baruah - 5/9/2010
Barely six months after Yukio Hatoyama’s Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept into power though a historic win in the House of Representatives general election in August 2009, trouncing the then dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which had ruled the nation almost continuously for more than half a century, the new government already finds itself in a very sticky position on a number of issues. Changing Contours of the Japan-India Defense Relations
Pranmita Baruah - 3/4/2010
The history of India-Japan cooperation is relatively short. The defence cooperation between the two states was basically initiated by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. During his August 2000 visit to India, Mori and counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed a bilateral agreement entitled ‘Global partnership between Japan and India in the 21st Century’. Japan hoped to build a multifaceted cooperative relationship with India in a wide range of fields. At that time, both sides talked about institutionalizing a dialogue between the ministries of defence and foreign affairs for coordinated action... The Rising Sun
Trevor Albertson, Ph.D. - 12/16/2009
The seemingly parental relationship the American government and the Government of Japan (GOJ) have developed and maintained in the years since the end of World War II is undergoing dramatic alteration. The GOJ believes its place and role in the 21st century international community is drastically different from that which it has occupied since September 1945. Under the new leadership of Prime Minister Hatoyama, the Japanese are rebelling against American leadership and what many in the GOJ regard as American domination. The GOJ intends to set its own course in international affairs and these... Hatoyama in Fund Donation Scandal
Rajaram Panda, Ph.D. - 12/7/2009
Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is entangled in a scandal involving shady donations from which it appears difficult for him to come clean. Though scandals involving politician in Japan has become common, either in connection with defence contract or with construction companies, this is the first time a sitting Prime Minister’s involvement in a scandal leads him to his mother. Political Transition seems imminent in Japan
Rajaram Panda, Ph.D. - 8/31/2009
Japan goes to the polls on 30 August 2009. The assessment of Japan’s current domestic politics leads one to believe that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has virtually uninterruptedly ruled Japan for more than half a century is going to be ousted from power, paving the way for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). If the DPJ wins and assumes power, it will be a welcome change for Japanese politics and a move closer to a possible two-party system in the future. But given the nature of Japanese politics, it might be unrealistic to assume major policy change, though there will be s... Will North Korea propel Japan to revisit its Nuclear option?
Shamshad Ahmad Khan - 7/27/2009
Security analysts of Japan has often argued that commensurate with its economic superpower status Japan will try to become a military superpower, amend its Constitution and will ultimately become a nuclear weapon state. The statements by the political elites also suggests towards that ambition. The recent nuclear and missile tests by North Korea have also triggered the nuclear debate in Japan. But judging Japan’s future nuclear strategy mere on statements and the events would be deceptive and foolhardy. The issue should be judged whether Japan has the delivery capability, “Second Strike” capacity and most importantly whether nuclear weapon has strategic significance for the country. Single-Payer Health Care In Japan
Susan Goya - 1/8/2009
Could it be? Was I really listening to the pleasant song of birds? I looked around the hospital and saw finches in cages affixed to the walls every twenty feet or so. Well, that's different. So began my first visit to a Japanese hospital. Over the years I would visit general practitioners, optometrists, dentists, obstetricians and pharmacists in public, private and church-run facilities. Is pacifism limping back in East Asia?
Shamshad Ahmad Khan - 7/16/2008
The North Korean nuclear crisis, a Sino-Taiwanese standoff and resurgence of nationalism in Japan had led the security experts to speculate that the pacifism is passé in the region. But the developments in East Asia -such as destruction of cooling tower of North Korea’s Yongbyong nuclear plant, thaw in Cross straits relations with the opening of skies, resumption of high level talks between the Sino-Taiwan authorities, Sino-Japanese agreement on sharing of energy reserves of East China Sea and port calls of naval ships of both the countries- would indicate that the situation is taking a revers... |
