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Kuni Miyake
A Palm Sunday procession makes its way toward a government-sanctioned Catholic church in Youtong village in China's Hebei province
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2023
The Holy See shows how to deal with China
In China, the relationship between politics and religion is unique, and the Holy See has adopted a sophisticated approach to diplomacy with Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in South Africa on Aug. 23
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 14, 2023
What does Xi really mean? Chinese diplomacy’s true intentions
Decoding the true meaning behind Xi Jinping's words, and his silences, reveals an increasingly isolated China.
A sign reading "suspend the sale of all fish products imported from Japan" in an area of Japanese restaurants in Beijing
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 30, 2023
China’s actions on Japan and religion are cut from the same cloth
Beijing’s stoking of anti-Japanese sentiment based on unscientific accusations mirrors its suppression of religious freedom in Xinjiang.
Social division and the polarization of the American political system are becoming more and more apparent.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2023
Where is the America I once knew headed?
The sociopolitical transformation I witnessed in San Francisco is not just a West Coast phenomenon, but perhaps a nationwide trend.
People lie passed out on a sidewalk in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco in February 2020.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 8, 2023
Is America’s soft power eroding?
San Francisco has changed from a hub of hippie culture and freedom in the 1960s and '70s, suggesting America's soft power is abating.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 20, 2023
Kishida’s Middle East visit creates a great opportunity for Japan
Kishida visit shows Japan's policy vis-a-vis the Middle East is shifting from the traditional energy-securing economic diplomacy to a more strategic foreign policy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 7, 2023
Tips for better diplomatic commentary
As I grow older and wiser, here are seven lessons I have learned as a career Japanese diplomat.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 24, 2023
Blinken’s visit to China was neither a success nor a failure
The Japanese media are divided in their assessment over the success of the U.S. secretary of state's trip to Beijing for talks to better relations.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 9, 2023
An open letter to China’s defense minister (satire intended)
Japanese editorials were divided over the Sino-U.S. positions at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 23, 2023
The Hiroshima summit will affect global politics for years to come
The Hiroshima summit was a historic and consequential event that reaffirmed Japan’s leadership role in the world.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 9, 2023
Kishida's Seoul visit was a positive step — at least in the short term
Fumio Kishida and Yoon Suk-yeol's meeting in Seoul required courage, political initiative and the support from all sides.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 27, 2023
Evacuating citizens from war zones differs from country to country
Japan has very different ideas on how to evacuate its nationals from war zones compared to countries like the United States.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 14, 2023
French leader adds unneeded tension to the 'One China' policy
French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in on the issue of Taiwan-China relations, and much of the world did not like his comments.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 5, 2023
Is 'Americanness' in peril?
Will the U.S. continue to be exceptional, or will it be transformed into a mediocre nation?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 17, 2023
Kishida warmly welcomes South Korea's president to Tokyo
Will the summit talks in Tokyo between the leaders of Japan and South Korea change the course of the two nations' hopelessly tumultuous relations?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 8, 2023
The geopolitical trajectory of the Philippines is changing
Growing anxiety toward China, improved U.S.-Philippine relations and growing momentum to advance trilateral-security cooperation that includes Japan is changing Philippine diplomacy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 17, 2023
Off the record should mean off the record
An off-the-record remark may have take down a high-level Japanese bureaucrat. Such actions by journalists will only hurt journalism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 6, 2023
Japan-South Korea talks fail to inspire hope of breakthrough
Senior diplomats from Japan and South Korea make limited progress in wartime labor talks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 19, 2023
Japan's myopic coverage of the Kishida-Biden summit
The foreign press provide more comprehensive reporting on the Kishida-Biden summit compared to Japan's own media outlets with their focus on domestic politics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 11, 2023
Japan needs to reassure neighbors on release and safety of treated radioactive water
Scientists have concluded that the plan to discharge the ALPS-treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the ocean is the most realistic solution to the storage issue.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals