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Tokyo Report
The Risks of Japan’s Aging Democracy
By Xiaochen Su
Does an aging population affect economic policy, and by extension, undermine trust in the democratic political system?
Kishida’s Resignation Is a Diplomatic Loss for Japan
By Yukari Easton
Japan will need another international statesman as prime minister. The jury is out as to whether Kishida’s successor, whomever that may be, will meet this high bar.
Monarchical Diplomacy in Japan-UK Relations
By Reyhan Silingar
A recent state visit by Emperor Naruhito recalls the long history of monarch-to-monarch relations in Japanese and British foreign policy.
Japan’s Kishida Announces He Will Not Run in LDP Leadership Race, Paving the Way for a New Prime Minister
By Mari Yamaguchi
Kishida, who has suffered dwindling support ratings that have dipped below 20 percent, will not seek re-election as the ruling party’s president in September.
Nagasaki’s Atomic Bomb Commemoration Overshadowed by Israel-Palestine Divisions
By Takahashi Kosuke
Ambassadors from Japan's G-7 partners skipped the event, decrying a perceived snub of Israel.
Japan Issues First ‘Megaquake’ Warning
By Catherine Putz
Following a magnitude-7.1 earthquake in the Nankai Trough, Japanese authorities have warned of an increased risk of a significant earthquake.
Japan’s Sado Island Gold Mines Designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site With South Korea’s Backing
By Eunwoo Lee
Japan and South Korea are covering up Sado Island’s dark side in a severe misconstruction of the meanings of UNESCO World Heritage, diplomacy, and history.
How Tokyo’s Young Activists Are Leading Japan’s Pro-Palestine Movement
By Sena Chang
Many Japanese youths share a deeper motivation for advocating peace in Palestine: an intense belief in their own country’s complicity in the war.
Kishida Has Returned From the Political Precipice Before. Can He Do It Again?
By Shamshad A. Khan
Despite consistently low approval ratings, Kishida seems insistent on retaining the LDP presidency. How will he fare in the upcoming leadership race?
The Coming Clash Between Japan’s Current and Former Prime Ministers
By Jio Kamata
The upcoming LDP election will be a battle over policy and personality, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his predecessor, Suga Yoshihide, symbolize the LDP's internal divide.
Nippon Ishin no Kai’s Baba Nobuyuki Faces Hard Political Realities in Tokyo and Osaka
By Jason Morgan and Kenji Yoshida
An interview with the opposition party leader on the push for political reform and setbacks to the upcoming World Expo in his political stronghold.
Japan’s Defense White Paper Sounds Alarm Over China, North Korea, Russia
By Takahashi Kosuke
A situation similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may occur in East Asia, Tokyo warns.