Japan Trends
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How to Survive Trump’s Armageddon
For some time now, analysts have been pointing to the possible end of the U.S.-led postwar order. With the Strait of Hormuz now facing the risk of closure, global stock markets, oil prices, and other indicators are swinging wildly. The atmosphere feels almost apocalyptic. ・ History shows many moments when an existing system of security and economic stability suddenly collapsed.…
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Japan Is Richer Than Its GDP Suggests
(This essay first appeared in Newsweek Japan in 2011. The basic situation has not changed very much since then, so I am reposting it here. I plan to update the argument soon—although the U.S. or even the global economy might collapse before I get the chance.) ・ These days I often hear Japanese friends complain, “Japan has become poor.” When…
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Dialogue with the Late Professor Joseph Nye
(This essay was originally written in March 2025. Since then, Professor Joseph Nye has passed away. The issues discussed here, however, remain urgent. I have therefore updated and reposted it.) On February 25, 2025, I read in Newsweek Japan an article by Joseph Nye, the architect of the concept of “soft power,” titled “Why America Holds the Advantage in a…
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Japan Will Not Turn Hawkish—Despite a Landslide for the Takaichi LDP
/ On February 8, Japan held a general election for the House of Representatives. Although the chamber still had nearly three years left in its term, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi—who had herself been chosen by parliament only last October—declared that she wanted to seek a direct mandate from the public and dissolved the lower house. Under Japan’s Constitution, the prime…
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On the Restarting of This Blog
This blog existed for approximately 20 years until December of 2024. After being offline for a year. Now it is restarted with the help of the Urban Connections Inc. team. The reason for its disappearance, as noted at the end, was due to technical factors. / Past data, as of November 29, 2023, has been preserved by the National Diet…