Japan wants a “normal” foreign policy. Its neighbors want apologies for wartime atrocities — and an assurance that Japanese militarism is a thing of the past.
The Apology Olympics
read more
Japan
Is China a Threat? The Devil’s in the Details
It turns out that that a large-scale conflict in the Asia-Pacific is much more difficult to imagine than China hawks like to pretend.
Is Japan’s Prime Minister the Next Putin?
America’s top ally in East Asia is bulking up its military, picking fights with its neighbors, and showing a blithe disregard for democracy.
The Fourth Winter of Fukushima
In the fourth winter since the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, many of the displaced residents are still in limbo.
Okinawa: The Small Island Trying to Block the U.S. Military’s “Pivot to Asia”
Last month, the citizens of Okinawa awarded a landslide victory to a governor who wants U.S. troops off the pristine island.
Obama and the Gordian Knot of Politics
Democracy has become more about bureaucratic procedure and less about the people.
Rich Countries Pony Up (Some) for Climate Justice
The developed world has pledged $9.5 billion to help fight climate change. But it’s going to take hundreds of billions more.
Asia Smiles for the Cameras
Today, Asia is like the Kardashian clan: wealthy, contentious, and all up in the public’s face.
Japan Is Antagonizing Everyone
Japan’s war hawks and imperial apologists are alienating the country’s allies and making a confrontation with its rivals more likely.
The Big Chill: Tensions in the Arctic
As the climate warms and the ice melts, the Arctic could become the next great theater of global cooperation—or a battlefield.