- China
- The Implications of the Japan-Taiwan Fisheries AgreementKawashima Shin
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Japan and Taiwan have temporarily shelved territorial disputes over the Senkaku Islands in order to conclude a fisheries agreement. This is a positive step, but tensions remain. We analyze the main points in the agreement and consider future developments.
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- Examining Japan’s Africa Policy Through TICAD VEndō Mitsugi
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In June 2013 the city of Yokohama will host the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development. African studies specialist Endō Mitsugi looks at the TICAD process, now in its twentieth year, for hints to Japan’s diplomatic approach to the dynamic continent.
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- The History Issue Clouding Japan’s Relations with Its NeighborsShiraishi Takashi
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Conflicting ideas about history are becoming an increasingly intractable problem between Japan and its neighbors. According to reports in the South Korean media, at her summit meeting with US President Barack Obama on May 6, President Park Geun-hye declared that Japan must have a correct perception of history for the sake of peace in Northeast Asia. And in her address to a joint session of the …
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- Big in Beijing: Two Japanese Creative Workers Creating a Stir in ChinaKobayashi Sayuri
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Although government-level relations between Japan and China remain tense, growing numbers of Japanese people have put down roots in China and are flourishing at the forefront of their fields. Beijing-based writer Kobayashi Sayuri talks to two of them about the challenges they have faced.
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- Japan-US Relations: The Need for Commitment and Restraint
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Abe Shinzō’s new administration has made a promising start in its dealings with the United States, including an inaugural summit with President Barack Obama that laid the groundwork for Japan’s participation in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. The bilateral relationship faces numerous issues, though, whose outcome remains to be seen. We asked former ambassador to the United States Fujisaki Ichirō to share his thoughts.
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- The Future of the Japan-Australia PartnershipOgoura Kazuo
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In October 2012, the Australian government published a white paper outlining the country’s Asia policy for the twenty-first century. Titled “Australia in the Asian Century,” the white paper examined the policies Australia needs to adopt to make the most of the opportunities presented by the burgeoning Asian economy. The publication of the white paper is itself symbolic of the seriousness of Aus…
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- Priorities for Japan’s Defense PolicyNakanishi Hiroshi
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Prime Minister Abe Shinzō has moved to hike the defense budget for the first time in 11 years and has called for a revision of Japan’s basic defense guidelines. How should we evaluate the new administration’s approach to defense and security policy?
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- Risk-Taking Investors Welcome AbenomicsItoh Motoshige
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Abe Shinzō has taken over as prime minister for the second time. The market and the political world have welcomed his arrival and especially his message that, for the time being, vanquishing deflation will be his top priority. As a result, the overvalued yen has undergone some correction, and stock prices have made large gains. While his administration is still working out the details of its polic…
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- Giving a Flowering Art a New Arrangement
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Ikebana flower arranging has a history stretching back over 500 years. One world-renowned practioner of the art today is Kariyazaki Shōgo, who brings his own unique style to this traditional art. In this interview, we discuss his recent projects and the aesthetics of flowering arranging.
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- Abe’s Visit to Southeast Asia and Japan’s Five New Diplomatic PrinciplesShiraishi Takashi
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From January 16 to 18, Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visited Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia; this visit to Southeast Asia was his first international trip since taking office on December 26. On the first day of his trip, Abe flew to Vietnam, where he met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi. The two leaders agreed to promote bilateral cooperation through trade and investment in areas includ…
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