It’s been hard to miss the growing attention given to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) over the past few months, but like so many things out there in the news related world, we may come to recognize the name without really having a clear idea of what it is or its purpose. Below are…
Asia Pacific Current Events 1. A lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, took hostages for 16 hours on Monday, Dec 15 at the Lindt Chocolate Café in Sydney, Australia. The standoff ended the following day when police quickly raided the building after hearing shots, Monis and two hostages died. NYT 2. American man denounces…
             Last month was a busy time for many world leaders first attending the Asian-Pacific Economic Partnership (APEC) Summit in Beijing, China and then the G-20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane, Australia. These summits, often merely speeches of flattery and pats on the back or of criticism with wags of the finger sometimes surprise everyone and…
This month we’re branching out from the usual coverage of Japanese current events and taking a look at our neighbors in China (expect to see more updates about regional news in future issues). As many of you are well aware, Hong Kong’s commercial district has been flooded with protestors, the majority being students,…
 Japanese Sanctions and Russian Security Drills Things were looking up for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Vladimir Putin, and their respective countries due to improving economic ties and because a possible solution to their territorial disputes seemed to be at its closest in recent memory. However, events in August brought Japan’s rapprochement to a…
 When we think of summer　we often think of relaxing on a beach, enjoying coconut drinks adorned with tiny umbrellas, and maybe some light conversation with friends about the books we finally have time to read. Far from the summer mind is the desire to improve cultural, economic, and security ties with neighbors, unless perhaps…
Most of us know the history, or at least the abridged version, of the Pacific Theater in World War II. Japan became increasingly militaristic in the 1920s and 1930s and went on to invade other parts of Asia before finally deciding to attack the United States at Pearl Harbor. In response, the Americans declared…
A confluence of international, bilateral, and domestic conditions has made Japan’s chances with the Trans-Pacific Partnership better than widely thought. On April 23rd, US President Barack Obama met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The first state visit by a sitting US president since Bill Clinton in 1996,Obama’s trip to Japan was meant…
While March’s wage hike by Japan came as a bright spot amidst growing concern over Abenomics, will April’s 3 percentage point tax hike rain on Abe’s parade? Since sweeping back into office in December 2012’s Lower House election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pursued an aggressive plan—dubbed Abenomics—to create a “virtuous economic cycle†of increased…