- Japan
- Yamaguchi Akira’s World (Photos)Yamaguchi Akira
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Artist Yamaguchi uses the technique and approaches of traditional Japanese painting to open up new possibilities for contemporary art. His superbly detailed paintings reward close inspection. Take a closer look!
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- Two Years On from FukushimaSven Saaler
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More than two years since the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi, more than 100,000 people are still unable to return to their homes due to radioactive contamination. Ironically, however, the nuclear disaster seems to have had more impact in some European countries than in Japan itself. Germany, Italy, and Switzerland have all decided to phase out nuclear energy. France is discussing new ways o…
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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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- North Korea’s Rocket Launch Alters Diplomatic Playing FieldSuzuki Kazuto
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North Korea’s successful launch of a satellite last December has altered the diplomatic situation. Suzuki Kazuto, a professor at Hokkaidō University, ponders the changes likely to arise and the actions Japan might take in response.
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- Diplomatic Strategy Under New Leadership in Japan and South KoreaOgoura Kazuo
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A change of government is always an excellent opportunity for new domestic and foreign policies. This is true in any time period, and in any country. But when two countries undergo a change of government at more or less the same time, there is a danger that their respective policies can diverge. This can lead to serious misunderstandings. A certain amount of friction is therefore not uncommon. T…
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- Japanese Cuisine Behind the Iron CurtainIrmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit
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Imagine a small town in a mountainous region of central Europe containing roughly 30,000 inhabitants, located more than 300 kilometers from the capital, and isolated from the general flow of information, travel, and international goods exchange due to being located in the German Democratic Republic—the former East Germany. To open a Japanese restaurant in such a place under such economic conditi…
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- Criticizing Youth Will Not Make Them Go AbroadAndrew Horvat
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A report earlier this year that the number of Japanese students at US universities had dipped below 20,000 for the first time in a quarter century unleashed a flood of articles lamenting an alleged decline in interest among young Japanese in the world around them. One newspaper carried the headline “Students staying in Japan,” while a commentator writing earlier about the same phenomenon stated…
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- Differing Attitudes to Confucianism Across East AsiaWang Min
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Japan’s relationship to Confucianism is fundamentally different from that of its two neighbors, China and Korea. In Chinese and Korean culture, Confucianism is a core element of classical morality. In Japan, on the other hand, Confucianism has never been an element of primary importance in the local culture. In China and Korea, Confucianism is not just a unified way of looking at human nature, l…
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- Asia Diplomacy in President Obama’s Second TermSuzuki Yoshikatsu
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During their first term in office, US presidents have a tendency to focus on reelection. In their second term, they begin to think about their future place in history. President Barack Obama is unlikely to be an exception in this respect, although as the nation’s first black president his name is already written in the history books. His administration faces a number of domestic issues, many of wh…
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- The Contradictions of “Protest Diplomacy” in East AsiaOgoura Kazuo
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The Takeshima dispute and the question of Japanese apologies for colonial rule have led to renewed political and diplomatic friction between Japan and South Korea recently. There are also serious problems in the relationship between Japan and China, where domestic interests in both countries have turned the dispute over ownership of the Senkaku Islands into a knotty political mess. Territorial …
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