11 Jan 2022
Japan and Australia ties blossom
A new defence pact marks a stronger partnership for countries driven together by shared values and regional dynamics.
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27 Oct 2021
AUKUS? Quad? FOIP? A fragmented approach cannot counter China
Only a coherent policy for the Indo-Pacific will work. The West needs to offer a strong economic balance to Beijing. -
7 Oct 2021
Economic diplomacy: Japan’s new PM joins the (supply) chain gang
New research shows Australia may be an export diversification role model. -
30 Sep 2021
Meet Japan’s new PM
Asia’s oldest democracy looks for a steady hand on the tiller in a time of regional flux. -
14 Sep 2021
Tokyo2020+1 wraps up as Japan’s next race begins
With candidates jostling to take over from Yoshihide Suga, a late sprint from behind can’t be ruled out. -
6 Sep 2021
Japan’s nuclear identity and the complicated endgame
The legacy of a complex nuclear history weighs heavily on a country torn between deterrence and disarmament. -
18 Aug 2021
The double challenge for Suga
Japan’s Prime Minister cleared a massive Olympic hurdle. But will he trip up on the politics to follow? -
6 Aug 2021
Life in a host city, at home, live-streaming the Olympics
Watching on from a tatami floor in Tokyo, the sport is great, the geopolitics just as good. -
20 Jul 2021
Postcard from Tokyo 2020+1
Sport and politics make an unhappy union at one of the most controversial Olympics ever. -
14 Jul 2021
Olympic glory: Tokyo’s success is a win for Beijing
China has just as much riding on a successful Tokyo 2020 Games as Japan. -
22 Apr 2021
Economic diplomacy: Supply chains, ASEAN wanes, and Japan’s coal dump
Will government have to pick a winner for 6G networks to show the US and Japan as “global leaders in innovation”? -
22 Apr 2021
Toxic reaction to Japan’s Fukushima water dump
Experts insist the release of treated radioactive water is not dangerous. Legal challenges might find otherwise. -
12 Apr 2021
The Quad (finally) delivers: Can it be sustained?
The future of the grouping might well be determined by China’s behaviour. -
8 Apr 2021
Legalising same-sex marriage in Japan
A court ruling has thrown down the challenge to Japanese politicians to ensure equality before the law. -
16 Mar 2021
The Quad gives a boost to India’s vaccine diplomacy
Countering China’s influence is one thing. But fostering regional cooperation plays to the strengths of the grouping. -
15 Mar 2021
A new “concert” to govern the Indo-Pacific
For Quad leaders emphasising an “inclusive” region, there may be a ready-made example for involving China. -
4 Feb 2021
History haunts Japan–South Korea ties
Geopolitical expediency has previously pushed South Korea and Japan closer together, but a painful past keeps intruding. -
27 Jan 2021
Using the Australian Open as a Tokyo test run
Two international sporting events thousands of kilometres apart are linked by a common opponent. -
20 Jan 2021
Japan under Suga: The delicate balancing act
The PM must satisfy more hawkish views on China at home, as well as Washington’s expectations of greater burden-sharing. -
19 Jan 2021
Australia’s Pacific Step-up and the Quad
The four nations should take the chance to draw together a group of common initiatives in the Pacific islands region. -
17 Nov 2020
Why Russia will not return the Kuril Islands to Japan
More than 60 years of stubborn diplomatic stalemate stemming from the Second World War doesn’t appear likely to end. -
12 Nov 2020
Japan-Australia: The chance to sweeten the deal
Scott Morrison’s trip to Tokyo should move beyond a narrow focus on defence to secure the living environment. -
11 Nov 2020
Biden’s comfortable style of diplomacy will be welcome for Japan
Fear within Tokyo circles that the US will become “too soft” on China missed the nuance a new administration will adopt. -
22 Oct 2020
Economic diplomacy: Japanese investment takes a Toll
While a disastrous foray by Japan Post grabs headlines, China shrinks as a share of the global economy. -
5 Oct 2020
A Quad of consequence: Balancing values and strategy
The four-way gathering in Tokyo offers a chance to set out a vision for regional stability in the post-Covid order. -
18 Sep 2020
India puts relations with Japan back on the rails
A project to build bullet train lines across India is part of a burgeoning trans-Asian partnership. -
17 Sep 2020
Suga steps in, at least for now
Japan’s new prime minister has kept the Abe cabinet largely intact, but he’ll need to prove he’s a different leader. -
15 Sep 2020
The making of Prime Minister Suga
Abe Shinzo’s “Mr Fix-It” has the top job. Will he make his own mark in a country famed for its revolving door of PMs? -
31 Aug 2020
Australia has lost its “best friend” in Asia
Whale hunts and submarine deals gone awry caused prickles, but Abe Shinzo sought special relationship with Canberra. -
30 Aug 2020
Abe aimed to move mountains, setting Japan high goals for the future
A strategic thinker and global leader, Japan’s prime minister was bold in foreign policy and politically strong at home. -
13 Aug 2020
Japan’s tech industry reboot will have region-wide effects
Japan can play a key role in digital debates facing democratic and authoritarian societies alike. -
6 Jul 2020
Beyond Covid, the chance for a broader Australia-Japan relationship
Positive public feelings towards Tokyo show how Canberra can move beyond a narrow focus on security ties. -
3 Jul 2020
Popular Tokyo governor eyes a second term, and maybe more
Yuriko Koike’s re-election is almost certain, and with the national government out of favour, she might not stop there. -
4 Jun 2020
China and Japan’s island dispute
The issue is not whether Beijing would want to challenge Tokyo over the islands. The question is when, and how? -
2 Jun 2020
Who really killed the Quad 1.0?
Australia has borne the blame for sinking the first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. The history is not so simple. -
15 May 2020
In an Olympic-sized challenge, Japan’s golden chance could go begging
Cancellation rumblings are understandable, but an all-or-nothing attitude is a risk, not only for sport but diplomacy. -
1 May 2020
Japan: Cracks in Abe’s government amid the Covid-19 crisis
The dream projects of Japan’s longest serving PM appear under threat as his political capital evaporates. -
27 Apr 2020
Islands of ire: The South Korea–Japan dispute
The Dokdo/Takeshima islands are a flashpoint for memories of exploitation – a hostility that won’t soon be resolved. -
23 Apr 2020
Statesman Turnbull steps up: Secret letters, taming Trump, due credit
Business with Donald, shared history with Xi and a Pacific ploy are revealing of the former PM’s foreign ambition. -
7 Apr 2020
Japan and coronavirus: Abe needs to make bold decisions
A tradition of limited touching may slow the virus spread but political missteps leave the country vulnerable. -
3 Apr 2020
Japanese whaling is down but not out
The retreat from whaling in the Antarctic marks a historic shift, but Japan has raised quotas in its own waters. -
10 Mar 2020
Coping with Covid-19 as the Tokyo Olympics loom
Postponement looks likely – but a complete cancellation could be disastrous for Japan, Abe Shinzo included. -
24 Feb 2020
Japan: Article 9 conundrum rears its head again
The next 18 months offer Abe Shinzo his last chance as Prime Minister to amend Japan’s 1946 “Peace Constitution”. -
21 Feb 2020
China-Japan-US triangle: Abe’s balancing act
China’s rise, alliance management, and hedging against US abandonment is testing Japan’s policy choices. -
17 Feb 2020
Japan–South Korea tensions show little sign of easing
After last year’s steady decline over a spate of issues, reconciliation remains a long way off. -
13 Feb 2020
Japan should – like other countries – build and operate hospital ships
Not only in responding to disasters at home, a floating hospital can advance Japan’s interests in the region. -
4 Feb 2020
Tokyo Olympics are a chance for diplomatic reset with North Korea
The 2018 PyeongChang games eased engagement between South Korea and Kim Jong-un. Japan has a similar opportunity now. -
31 Jan 2020
Carlos Ghosn – from rock-star CEO to international fugitive
The tale of the former Nissan chief exposes the contradictions of the man – and of corporate culture in Japan. -
22 Jan 2020
Japan has struck low in climate ambition
Vague timeframes and inadequate emission reduction targets leave plenty of wiggle room in Abe Shinzo’s claims to lead. -
10 Jan 2020
Asia’s shameful gender discrimination
Japan is a standout for all the wrong reasons in a recent assessment of the gender gap in leading economies.