Japan

Japan’s New Culture Warriors: Cute Cartoon Characters As Soldiers of Soft Power Fortune

Japan’s military is forbidden by law from sending its troops to fight abroad; so why not send fictional 2D ones instead?

Land of the Rising Dead, Part Two: Death and Taxes

As military spending spirals, should Tokyo consider channeling the free-market spirit of the 1980s?

“Economy is Security, Security is Economy”: Will South Korea set an example for other Eastern Asian countries?
“Economy is Security, Security is Economy”: Will South Korea set an example for other Eastern Asian countries?

The fact that President Joe Biden chose South Korea as the first stop of his first Asian tour since his inauguration is significant. Washington and Seoul are seeking to upgrade their military alliance into a “comprehensive global strategic alliance.”

Beware the Pride of Victors: Reinhold Niebuhr on Japan’s Surrender
Beware the Pride of Victors: Reinhold Niebuhr on Japan’s Surrender

“It was inevitable that the final surrender of Japan, ending the costliest war of human history, should be greeted with a delirium of joy all over the world, and in America particularly.”

Ep. 53 | Caught in the Middle: Japan's Geopolitical Role
Ep. 53 | Caught in the Crossfire: Japan’s Geopolitical Role

In this episode of the Foreign Policy ProvCast, Joshua Walker speaks with Mark Melton about Japan’s geopolitical role, especially as…

True North, Ep. 1 | Moral Horror: A Moral Defense of the Bombing of Hiroshima
True North, Ep. 1 | Moral Horror: A Moral Defense of the Bombing of Hiroshima

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic devastation of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which helped bring about the…

The Crucible of Hell: A Conversation with Saul David
The Crucible of Hell: A Conversation with Saul David

Writing about his experience in the Battle of Okinawa, US Marine Eugene Sledge reported that “men struggled and fought and…

Whistling Past the Graveyard: How Iwo Jima Led Toward Hiroshima
Whistling Past the Graveyard: How Iwo Jima Led Toward Hiroshima

Last week marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Iwo Jima. The Japanese intended to make the American cost of taking the island so severe they would reconsider invading the Japanese home islands. On this point, the Japanese condemned themselves by their very success. The shadow of Iwo Jima is arguably a mushroom cloud.

Lighten Up, Francis

Pope Francis visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki this weekend. In both locations, he lamented the horrors and immorality of nuclear weapons. He got the horror right, not much else.