Is Japan Leaving Pacifism Behind?

Is Japan Leaving Pacifism Behind?

Japanese post-war pacifism reached its pinnacle in 1976. That year, the Miki Takeo administration adopted two measures representing the tide of the moment: a 1 percent cap on the annual defense budget per GNP, and a de facto ban on arms exports that applied to both allies and enemies alike. For a long time, both … Read more

Japan’s Crisis of Confidence 

Japan’s Crisis of Confidence 

The resignation of four cabinet ministers in the most serious political corruption scandal in recent memory begs for a certain appraisal of affairs. In the past year and a half, Japan has been going through a spectacular series of corruption incidents and fraud at the highest levels of government and industry, eroding an already brittle … Read more