Even before the coronavirus pandemic forced their postponement, the 2020 Tokyo Games were haunted by memories of past Japanese Olympiads.
Robin Ramcharan of the Asia Centre in Bangkok offers an approach for strengthening democratization in the region.
Alliances and partnerships with the US should be viewed as insurance contracts to hedge against the uncertainties of Beijing’s growing power and influence.
Vasuki Shastry, Associate Asia Fellow of Chatham House in London, offers lessons from the past year and considers what they may portend at the beginning of a new decade.
Shinzo Abe, now Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, is steering Japan across tricky diplomatic waters.
Japan-financed urban railway project in Ho Chi Minh City: ASEAN needs a collaborative and coordinated approach to infrastructure development
Domestic politics trumps diplomacy: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken a strong line on Korea to boost his approval ratings
Leaders on both sides need to see the advantages of long-term close relations over fractious bickering
Japan could be the lynchpin the keeps US-China relations from going off the rails.
Japan’s interwar period between 1925 and 1937 was marked by a gradual backsliding in the liberal democratic political system that had developed since the Meiji Constitution was adopted in 1889. Hiroyuki Yamamoto of Tokyo International University draws parallels between the heightened partisan politics of that time that gave way to anti-democratic forces and the unchecked party competition today in many countries including the US.
This month, G20 leaders will endorse guiding principles for “quality infrastructure investment”, a priority for Japan. China’s support of these principles signals a willingness to address criticism of its Belt and Road Initiative. China and Japan, rivals in delivering high-speed rail, appear open to collaborating on projects that would meet high sustainability standards, writes Motoko Aizawa, President of the Observatory for Sustainable Infrastructure, who for 12 years headed the Policy and Standards Unit in the Environmental and Social Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The Asia-Pacific population has been undergoing dramatic aging, which is transforming the region’s demographic landscape beyond recognition. The region is currently ill-equipped to meet this critical challenge, particularly due to a lack of sound and efficient pension systems.
With the U.S.-China trade conflict worsening by the week, Australia, Japan, and India may see security ties as a chance to boost their status in Washington. But the Trump administration’s crusade on trade could very well engulf them, too.
With its aging demographics and labor shortage, Japan is taking radical approaches, including relaxing a virtual ban on unskilled workers.
The Asia-Pacific casino sector has undergone many changes in the past 15 years. The success of Macao and Singapore has encouraged other regional jurisdictions, such as Japan, to follow suit. The recent passage of Japan’s legalization bill caused heated debate across Japanese society, but stakeholders can engage the community to achieve positive outcomes.
The 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant triggered by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami have caused ordinary Japanese to reevaluate their trust in the food supply. Skeptical of government assurances, consumers turned to private actors, who stepped up their regulatory efforts to fill the trust gap.
Over the past couple of decades, Japan has indicated its desire to play a bigger role in Central Asia and has gradually increased its developmental efforts in the region. However, Japan’s engagement in the region remains overwhelmingly government-driven. To make a bigger impact, it must increase private sector participation.
Undersea cables are the bedrock of the global communications system. Yet, they are severely under-protected. Damage to these cables could create havoc. It is of urgent importance that governments and non-state actors work together to build a framework to ensure the security of such key infrastructure.