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July 25, 2026
 

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Jonathan Bernstein
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Falls Church, Virginia, on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY
Nov 9, 2023
U.S. elections show Republicans have clear voter problems
Abortion as an issue that breaks strongly for the Democrats doesn¡¯t seem to be going away at any point soon.
Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy speaks to reporters after he was ousted as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 4, 2023
McCarthy¡¯s ouster highlights the depths of GOP dysfunction
The recent removal of Kevin McCarthy as U.S. House speaker is symptom of the wider malaise in a fractious Republican Party.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 19, 2023
What should America make of Trump¡¯s mad power grab plan?
Former U.S. President Donald is campaigning on a pledge to remake the office, concentrating more power in the Oval Office.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 26, 2023
Democrats should cheer up about Biden¡¯s bid for another four years
Voters have understandable hesitation about the Joe Biden¡¯s age, but they ought to feel good about his accomplishments.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2022
Democrats were smart to meddle?in GOP primaries
Democrats¡¯ meddlingu00a0in GOP primaries is aimed at helping extremist Republican candidates advance in order to improve the general election chances of Democrats.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jun 30, 2022
Trump has steered himself into a legal morass
Cassidy Hutchinson¡¯s testimony describing an attempt by Donald Trump to grab the wheel of his car on Jan. 6 revealed a lack of control in more ways than one.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 8, 2022
Here come the Jan. 6 hearings
No, these events won¡¯t change everything. And very few people will really be watching. But an awful lot is still at stake
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2022
Don¡¯t jump to conclusions on politics of ending Roe v. Wade
Americans favor abortion rights, but most aren¡¯t intense pro-life or pro-choice partisans. A definitive Supreme Court ruling might alter the current landscape.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2022
Is Donald Trump a lock for the 2024 nomination?
The argument that Trump has the nomination locked up is pretty straightforward. Still, we don¡¯t know for sure that he¡¯ll be running in 2024 but he is certainly running for 2024 right now.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 30, 2022
A judge says Trump broke the law. Here¡¯s why that matters.
A legal opinion affirming the ¡°illegality¡± of a plan to overturn the 2020 election won¡¯t end partisan polarization, but there¡¯s value in stating what¡¯s obviously true.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2022
Five ways to look at Biden¡¯s State of the Union speech
Biden¡¯s first formal State of the Union checked off all the required boxes. It was fine, most of it wasn¡¯t memorable and It will neither help him nor hurt him politically.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 25, 2022
Six early thoughts on Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine
Be wary of anyone who is certain about how all of this will turn out. No one knows today whether the Ukraine invasion will be a great success or total disaster for Putin.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 4, 2022
The Jan. 6 story should be told to bolster more than just Democrats
No matter the evidence and no matter how damning the information may be, it¡¯s unlikely that the American people will rise up and seek to banish Trump and his followers from public life.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2021
What¡¯s next for the U.S. Democrats¡¯ big bill?
While the success or failure of Build Back Better has important consequences for the nation, it will likely have limited direct effects on midterm or presidential elections.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 22, 2021
Biden can promise action, but omicron is in charge right now
The U.S. president¡¯s biggest policy promise during the 2020 campaign was perhaps his vow to attack COVID-19 in a professional and competent way.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2021
America¡¯s campaign silly season is already under way
People are far more interested in the candidates than they are in policy and they¡¯re most interested in the candidates who are already well known, whether or not they¡¯re serious contenders.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 16, 2021
For Trump, no conviction, but a historic repudiation
One thing that Trump made clear was that nothing in the constitutional system makes presidents respect the U.S. political system and respond to that system¡¯s incentives.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 14, 2021
This time, Trump impeached himself
Trump had given himself no room for error. He built no relationships with any Democrats, and relatively few with Republicans.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 19, 2017
A presidential news conference like none before
Not only did Donald Trump rant and rave at his first presidential news conference, he denied he was ranting and raving ¡ª which is even more bizarre than actually ranting and raving.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 15, 2017
Republicans must save Trump from himself
If Republicans don¡¯t demand that Donald Trump bring in a tough chief of staff who knows Washington, they¡¯ll only have themselves to blame for the next scandal, and the next one, and the one after that.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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