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July 24, 2026
 

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COMMENTARY

Japan

World
Japan
Japan¡¯s imperial succession and the invention of tradition
COMMENTARY / Japan
Japan¡¯s imperial succession and the invention of tradition
The historical record is clear: The absolute prohibition on female monarchs is not timeless. It is a surprisingly modern invention.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Japan¡¯s next economic challenge: bringing yen home
Now, with the yen seen as problematically weak, there are overdue reasons to encourage local capital to stay here.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Japanese culture permeates the world. Who owns it?
Japan begins from a far stronger position. It does not need to convince the world to love its culture. That battle was won decades ago. Its challenge now is ownership.
A man holds a banner criticizing South Korea men¡¯s national soccer team coach Hong Myung-bo as he waits for the coach¡¯s arrival at Seoul-Incheon International Airport on June 30. ?
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 19, 2026
Strong soccer teams start with merit, not politics
By Kuni Miyake
Japan¡¯s treatment of the national team¡¯s head coach is worlds apart from that of his South Korean counterpart, who was forced into an indignant resignation.
Houses in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture. Japan may not defend the yen with rate hikes, but it could tighten quickly if rising housing costs begin to threaten social stability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 19, 2026
The right recipe for a more aggressive Bank of Japan
By Jesper Koll
Are rising property prices putting homeownership out of reach for the next generation? And could that threaten social cohesion?
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 17, 2026
Don¡¯t become a casualty in Beijing¡¯s ¡®history war¡¯
By Masahiro Matsumura
Koizumi and the Takaichi administration must quickly shake off the euphoria of their Shangri-La performance and tighten their ideological defenses.
People worship during a service held near the Washington Monument ahead of the Rededicate 250 National Jubilee event marking America¡¯s 250th birthday in the U.S. capital on May 16.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 16, 2026
As shared values shift, what¡¯s next for U.S.-Japan relations?
By Yoshiyuki Kato
America under Trump is moving closer to the concerns of religious conservatives than to democracy and human rights.
LGBTQ+ supporters and advocates for freedom of assembly cross Elizabeth Bridge during the Budapest Pride March on June 27.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 14, 2026
What Budapest¡¯s Pride march taught me about Japan
By Waka Ikeda
Marching is good. But the right to marry, to adopt, to be recorded as a family in the koseki would be great.
An honor guard presents the flags of Japan and the United States during a welcoming ceremony attended by then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ahead of a bilateral meeting in Tokyo in March 2021.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 14, 2026
Long-held strategic assumptions no longer hold
By Brad Glosserman
For Japan, then, any real discussion of security must start with questions about the U.S. commitment to the region.
Japan should shift more pension fund investment back home because stronger domestic returns now make it a better way to support the yen and the economy compared to interest rate hikes.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 12, 2026
Japan¡¯s yen fix starts with its pension cash coming home
By Gearoid Reidy
It¡¯s the smartest move to play for the yen. For over two years, we have been hearing how the BOJ must raise rates and close the gap with the U.S. to strengthen the currency.

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.
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 weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
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.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

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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