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Three Minutes Happiness (Tokyo)

Happiness in Japan

The German Institute for Japanese Studies has been studying “The Quest for Happiness in Japan”. What are its insights? Read more...
Fukushima *

Social media and Japan's anti-nuclear movement

Vanessa Vyvial, currently studying at Tokyo's Sophia University, has shared with us this interesting piece on social media and Japan's anti-nuclear movement. Read more...
Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan

Shinzo Abe on Abenomics

Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has shared with us through LinkedIn this article on Japan's New Growth Strategy: Bringing Rapid Reform To the Country. Read more...
さよなら、総理大臣

Abenomics must bring seismic change to Japan

The cherry blossoms appeared ten days early this year. And optimism has returned to Japan with its new government led by Shinzo Abe. But "Abenomics" must bring seismic change to Japan. Read more...
Fukushima *

Japan's nuclear madness

"Two years after the 2011 disaster, we are building a new future", says Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Honto desu ka? Really? Read more...
Iwato Yama (岩戸山)

Japanese origins

Our understandings of our origins are always a mixture of myth, legend and fragments of knowledge from archeology. What do we know of the origins of Japan, a country that believes in its uniqueness? Read more...
178-7873_IMG

Change of direction at Asian Development Bank?

Could the Asian Development Bank be heading in a new direction under the prospective new leadership of Takehiko Nakao? Read more...
The Power to Protect...

Clinton to China, "STOP IT"

"China and Japan are sliding towards war", wrote the Economist magazine on 19 January. Read more...

2011.05.15 - 327 Kobe Matsuri

Japan's experiment in ethnic immigration

Japan's experiment in ethnic immigration -- inviting Latin Americans of Japanese ethnicity to settle in Japan -- has not been successful. The cocktail of samba and sushi did not blend. Read more...
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Japan's comparative advantage

When you hear of the travails of companies like Sharp, Sony and Panasonic, it's hard not to descend into a state of “Japo-pessimism”.

But the Japanese economy does have a dynamic under belly... Read more...
Sophia University

Global education in Japan

In my four semesters from 2009 to 2011 teaching at Sophia University in Tokyo, I endeavoured to provide my students with a "global education". What does the term global education mean? Read more...
Challenges in Asia and the World: Democracy, Nationalism and Secularism

Challenges in Asia and the World: Democracy, Nationalism and Secularism

We are honored that Ambassador Kazuo Kodama, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN, has shared with us his recent speech to the Japan America Society of Southern California. Read more...
Tokyo Motor Show 2009

Innovation Japan?

There is perhaps no country more in need of innovative ideas than Japan. There must be a solution to its political paralysis and economic funk. But is Japan capable of an innovative future? Read more...
Economist's Great Graphic

Japan's financial crisis

While Japan's financial crisis is still discussed and analysed for it many lessons, Gillian Tett's book, “Saving the Sun”, remains the reference. Read more...
Heavy black plume of smoke streams southeast from Sendai, Japan

Reflections on Japan

As I was leaving Japan, one year ago, I was interviewed by Emanuele Schibotto* on various aspects of the Japanese economy. The reflections are still very relevant today. Read more...
Mt Fuji

Divesting the Image of "Inscrutable Japanese"

Masahiko Agata, Vice Chairman of the English-Speaking Union of Japan, has some interesting thoughts to share with us on the "inscrutable Japanese". Read more...
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim meets with Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, President of Japan International Cooperation Agency

Japan's muddled development cooperation

Japan received a right scolding from the OECD in its recent report on Japan’s development cooperation policies. Read more...
Japanese Teen ups WC 100_1769

Japan's bribery problems

The OECD has recently issued a scathing report on Japan's efforts to fight bribery and corruption. Read more...
光る小沢（Ichiro Ozawa, shiny）

Japan's dysfunctional politics

Japan's triple crisis of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster was an exceptional and unprecedented event. So why didn't Japan respond in an exceptional and unprecedented way? Read more...
Japan's Nationalists

Conflict in the East and South China Seas

This article, I originally wrote some time ago, is worth a read in light the Chinese/Japanese conflicts in the East China Sea Read more...