Japan

Abe’s drive to “bring back Japan”
Abe’s drive to “bring back Japan”
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party was victorious in Japan’s Upper House election held on Sunday, but it was the killing of former prime minister Abe Shinzo during a campaign…
Abe Shinzo: Australia’s “best friend” in Asia
Abe Shinzo: Australia’s “best friend” in Asia
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent shockwaves around the world. Abe’s term as prime minister ended in August 2020, but he remained leader of…
What a waste! Japan’s food sustainability challenge
What a waste! Japan’s food sustainability challenge
Japan is famous for its “mottainai” culture, often translated as “what a waste!”, which encourages people to reduce what is discarded from their everyday lives. At the same time,…
The shadow of Abe
The shadow of Abe
From the breaking news notification in Japanese media around 11:30 in the morning on 8 July to vision a few days later of his hearse driving by the institutions of party and…
The Quad needs a futures focus
The Quad needs a futures focus
If there is a cumulative lesson from the past few years, it’s that the era of “polycrises” is firmly upon us. A polycrisis is defined as the net effect from the non-linear…
Contingency plans: South Korea and cross-Strait security
Contingency plans: South Korea and cross-Strait security
The importance of “peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait featured in joint statements issued after US President Joe Biden’s meetings in May with South Korean President…
Why Australia shouldn’t put all its eggs in the Quad basket
Why Australia shouldn’t put all its eggs in the Quad basket
Since its resurrection in late 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) between Australia, India, Japan and the United States has gradually become a centrepiece of…
How the Abe era reshaped Japan’s foreign and security policy
How the Abe era reshaped Japan’s foreign and security policy
Book review: Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzo, by Michael J Green (Columbia University Press) Michael Green’s examination of Japan’s foreign and…
The Pyongyang problem for the Quad
The Pyongyang problem for the Quad
North Korea at least waited until US President Joe Biden had left Asia before launching another volley of missiles to splash into the sea. American officials had braced for a…
Japan-Australia: building a hydrogen supply chain
Japan-Australia: building a hydrogen supply chain
Of the many issues canvassed at the Quad leaders’ meeting in Tokyo last week, the four partners stressed the importance of common energy supply chains. The leaders agreed in…