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Gregory Clark
Gregory Clark has been around a long time (born 1936) and has done a lot of things. As a result, he likes to comment on foreign affairs, economic policies and education plus events in China, Russia, Japan and Latin America (he speaks all four languages).
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 26, 2015
Russia unfairly demonized
Efforts by Russia and the West to forge a meaningful and productive relationship have been thrown away by the meaningless demonization of Moscow over the Ukraine civil war and the annexation of Crimea.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 19, 2015
Russia wants to be understood
Russia's image today remains tained by the image of Soviet days, which is why its case over Ukraine, Crimea and flight MH17 still get little attention in the West, even when it is deserved.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 31, 2015
At long last, the U.S. understands Vietnam
Finally U.S. and Australian policymakers are realizing what they should have known all along — that they can take advantage of Hanoi's traditional dislike of China to counter what they see as Beijing's expansionist threat in the East and South China Seas.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2015
Beijing is getting a bad rap in South China Sea disputes
If Beijing has been behaving badly in the South China Sea, then so too have others.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2015
'Shining lies' and distortion: how the West creates wars
Today 'theology' has taken over from morality in the efforts to construct a new world. Laws, truth and justice are readily sacrificed so that the West's version of good can prevail.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2014
'Blackmail' economic model
Remember the 'Cry for Argentina' catch-call among rationalists decrying government intervention in the economy. Now it is 'Cry for Australia' and the dozens of other nations crucified on the cross of unrestricted free trade.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 3, 2014
Kick out the touts who rule Roppongi
if you are touted in Roppongi, do not waste your time reporting it to the police. You will be in for a very humiliating experience, as I discovered recently.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 24, 2014
Western media distorts Japan
Those two favorite targets for Western moralizing about Japanese corporate corruption — Olympus (cameras) and Recruit (information) — are back in the headlines. Both typify the shallowness of much Western reporting in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2014
Irrational bias for Ukraine
The irrational bias for Ukraine in its standoff with pro-Russia rebels suggests there is something sick in the Western mentality that blocks sensible judgement where Russia is concerned.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 22, 2014
How WWII could have ended
A Soviet attack on Japan proper leading to the destruction of the Emperor system and the establishment of a communist government frightened Japan's militarists even more than the atomic bombings at the end of World War II.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 3, 2014
Sudden switchbacks mark Canberra's ties with Tokyo
The Japan-Australia relationship is an odd one. Both are fairly loveless in Asia, and Australia has this ability to switch suddenly from an anti-Japan to an anti-China attitude of suspicion.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2014
What really happened at Tiananmen?
In recent years the Tiananmen Square 'massacre' story has taken something of a beating as people in the square that night, including a Spanish TV unit, have emerged to tell us that there was no massacre in the square.
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2014
West unable to concede Russia's point on Ukraine
It's hard to understand the rationale for Western, and Japanese, sanctions against Russia over Ukraine when a federal system that allows both sides reasonable autonomy under a central government is clearly the best answer.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 24, 2014
The abduction drama game
Clearly there are people in Japan who do not want any rapprochement with Pyongyang — who are using the abduction drama to continue the image of a Japan threatened by enemies and needing strong military forces for defense.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2014
Problems with 'Abenomics'
The economic recovery we see in Japan now is almost entirely due to the massive 30 percent depreciation of the yen. We are back to the 'structural reform' vicious circle of the Koizumi years.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 10, 2014
Give Snowden the Nobel Peace Prize
Since the Nobel Peace Prize committee has shown a consistent bias in choosing people who feed self-righteous Western prejudices, it would have a chance to distinguish itself by going the other way if it gave the next peace award to Edward Snowden.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 22, 2013
Japan's foreign policy quirks
Japan's 'honne' and 'tatamae' approach to some foreign policy issues has had poor results.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2013
Nothing new in NSA scandal
The surprising thing about the scandal of Washington spying on its friends is that people are surprised. Reports of an Australian decoding operation against the Japanese date back to 1976.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2013
Pro-Japan Australia vs. China
Australia's foreign policies are a puzzle. It depends on China to take 35 percent of its exports. Yet its government now wants to cooperate with Japan and U.S. in their anti-China policies.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2013
Pro-Japan Australia vs. China
Australia's foreign policies are a puzzle. It depends on China to take 35 percent of its exports. Yet its government now wants to cooperate with Japan and U.S. in their anti-China policies.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?