Opinions
From English to Japanese: A word’s journey into another language
When a word enters another language, it’s similar to taking a journey. Like people, some stay but never assimilate, while others do entirely. Some words just shallowly enter into another language, while the roads other words go down can be long and winding. To elucidate on the changes that occur… Read
Is 88 million the magic number for Japan’s population?
Throughout Japan, the consensus is that its declining population is not just a problem; it’s a crisis. One popular talking point regarding the declining population is immigration. However, in 2002, Professor J. Sean Curtin explained in an article on the Japanese Institute for Global Relations GLOCOM Platform that if Japan… Read
Reconsidering Postwar Japanese History: A Handbook
Clear the decks and prepare for boarders aiming to junk orthodox versions on contemporary Japan and its historians. If "Reconsidering Postwar Japanese History: A Handbook" editor Simon Avenell and his crew have their way, things need to be massively changed and fast. Their mission is to critically debate multiple aspects of the… Read
Biden’s dragging poll numbers won’t matter in 2024 if enough voters loathe his opponent even more
Commentators were quick to note President Joe Biden’s low job approval and favorability ratings after he announced his long-expected reelection bid on April 25, 2023. Others have publicly urged Biden not to run again because of his advanced age. Biden’s popularity has never really recovered following the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and the COVID resurgence in… Read
Don’t let politics haunt origin tracing of COVID-19
Currently, although the global COVID-19 pandemic has not completely ended, the post-COVID-19 era is coming. Life in Singapore, where I am living, has long resumed to norm, and I have travelled back to China twice this year for business trips. There is hardly any trace of the pandemic, and people… Read
Gods in the machine? The rise of artificial intelligence may result in new religions
We are about to witness the birth of a new kind of religion. In the next few years, or perhaps even months, we will see the emergence of sects devoted to the worship of artificial intelligence (AI). The latest generation of AI-powered chatbots, trained on large language models, have left their… Read
Hiroshima G7 summit: A pivotal moment for Japan's diplomacy
As a nation committed to pacifism, Japan has enjoyed an enviable position under the U.S. safety net. This is partly due to the U.S.-Japan Mutual Agreement of 1960, which granted U.S. military bases with reciprocal defense duties on Japanese soil. Once considered an alternative, it has fallen out of favor… Read
Pain of police killings ripples outward to traumatize Black people and communities across U.S.
As the video goes public of Black police officers in Memphis beating Tyre Nichols to death, it is a stark reminder of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. That set up the largest protests in U.S. history and a national reckoning with racism. But beyond any protests, every police killing… Read
Why people believe in conspiracy theories and how to respond
From vaccine uptake to violent extremism, conspiracy beliefs are linked to distrust in major institutions or powerful figures. Research developed in the last decade shows how conspiracy beliefs can be linked to people’s lack of control in their lives, feeling threatened or even workplace bullying. Conspiracy theories are defined by psychologists as “explanations for important events that… Read
Japan is paying families ¥1 million to move to countryside – but it won’t make Tokyo any smaller
The Japanese government has announced a fresh round of incentives for people to move out of the Tokyo region. From April 2023, families seeking a new life in greener pastures will receive 1 million yen per child. This represents an increase of 700,000 yen on previous such payments. Once the whole benefits… Read
