Japan

Money

Digital Currency Developments in Japan: Throwing Good Money After Bad?

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Japan, a stalwart of cash society, shifted to digital when the pandemic pushed payments into a new paradigm – community currencies

Politics

Minds, Hearts and Coronets: How Monarchs Influence Their People

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

In democratic Japan, the emperor still has influence, while in Tonga, the monarchy takes a unique approach to balancing executive powers between sovereign and parliament

Environment

As Japan Moves to Release Fukushima Wastewater into the Ocean, Questions Persist

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Amid persistent concerns across the region about safety, Japan plans to dump into the ocean radioactive wastewater from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant

Geopolitics

Korea-Japan Rapprochement: Challenges, Implications and Expectations

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Moves by President Yoon Suk-yeol to address irritants in South Korea’s relations with Japan have led to the first bilateral summit since 2011

Geopolitics

Japan’s G7 Ambitions, New Security Stance and the Heightened Stakes in the Indo-Pacific

Thursday, January 19, 2023

The Japanese prime minister and US president showed strategic unity on countering China but their convergence did not make Japan’s balancing challenge any easier

Technology

Data Free Flow with Trust – and How That Trust Should be Built

Thursday, September 8, 2022

The prospect for building a global architecture for cross-border data flows anytime soon is very limited.

Economy

The Global Economy and Great Power Competition in the New Era of Stagflation

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Key economies must focus on regional integration and promoting greater collaboration in the necessary governance to address pressing global challenges.

Geopolitics

The Indian Vision of Buddhist Diplomacy

Thursday, July 21, 2022

An outline of India’s pursuit of Buddhist diplomacy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who found a soulmate strategist in Japanese counterpart Abe Shinzo

Politics

Abe Shinzo and the Importance of Cultivating One’s Own Garden

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Japan’s longest-serving PM underscored the importance of “cultivating one’s own garden” to bolster international credibility, effectiveness and leadership.

Politics

The Death of Japan’s Master Politician Leaves a Void

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

A reflection on Abe the politician, what he accomplished and what he failed to do, and what to expect from the country’s current leader Kishida Fumio.

Geopolitics

Japan’s Foreign Policy Shift in Response to the Ukraine War: Parallels with Taiwan

Thursday, June 16, 2022

An analysis of the security challenges Tokyo faces, particularly with China, given the possibility that Beijing may attempt to take control of Taiwan.

Population & Society

Covid-19 and Japan’s Evolving Work Culture

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Could the pandemic change Japan’s work culture for the better?

Geopolitics

A Coalition for Peace and Security: The Power of the Quad in the United Nations

Thursday, February 17, 2022

The Quad can be a strong coalition of influence within the United Nations that could counter China’s growing weight in the international organization.

Geopolitics

Covid-19, US-China Competition – and a Multipolar Future?

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

The pandemic has given rise to an unstable bipolarity that, if left to deteriorate, could pave the way to a multipolar future.

Geopolitics

Is Japan the Role Model for Middle-Power Diplomacy?

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Japan could demonstrate how a middle power can successfully set a path through the treacherous terrain of the great power rivalry.

Economy

The OECD Has Brokered a Global Tax Agreement – Should Asian Countries Care?

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Why did the announcement of the OECD's ground-breaking global minimum tax proposal have little effect on markets?

Geopolitics

Russia’s Greater Eurasian Partnership Strategy: Aims and Prospects

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Disruptions and disputes among the major powers with interests in the region should not hinder deeper cooperation if all players focus on trade and investment.