menu_open Columnists
Japan Today

Japan Today

Japan Today

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

AI-generated political videos are more about memes and money than persuading and deceiving

Zohran Mamdani as a creepy trick-or-treater, Gavin Newsom body-slamming Donald Trump and Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero. This is not the setup to an...

sunday 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

From truce in the trenches to cocktails at the consulate: How Christmas diplomacy seeks to exploit seasonal goodwill

President Donald Trump is reportedly setting his sights on a Christmas peace deal in the Ukraine-Russia war. The timing is apt. Every December,...

26.12.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

Medieval peasants probably enjoyed their holiday festivities more than you do

When people think of the European Middle Ages, it often brings to mind grinding poverty, superstition and darkness. But the reality of the 1,000-year...

25.12.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

How Donald Trump is molding 2028 Democratic presidential contenders

President Donald Trump’s aggressive policy agenda is doing more than reshaping the economy and immigration enforcement - it’s also giving a...

22.12.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

Ending exclusion begins with inclusive education in Japan

While you read this article, look up and count six people around you. One of them may experience a significant disability, according to WHO data.  If...

18.12.2025 30

Japan Today

Japan Today

From violence to sexism, the manosphere is doing real-world harm

There’s a lot of debate around the extent to which the manosphere is playing out in young people’s lives and relationships. Some suggest...

16.12.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

Tariffs 101: What they are, who pays them, and why they matter now

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case to determine whether President Donald Trump’s global tariffs are legal. Until recently, tariffs...

15.12.2025 9

Japan Today

Japan Today

Kushner returns to team Trump, as ethical questions swirl

His only official job title at the White House is son-in-law. But Jared Kushner has staged a remarkable -- and sometimes controversial -- comeback to...

14.12.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Contrasting views of Russia show deepening Republican split over foreign policy

In the past week, President Donald Trump and senior Republican lawmakers have presented starkly different views of a top U.S. national security...

13.12.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

Labeling dissent as terrorism: New U.S. domestic terrorism priorities raise constitutional alarms

A largely overlooked directive issued by the Trump administration marks a major shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy, one that threatens bedrock free...

12.12.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Are U.N. climate summits a waste of time? No, but they are in dire need of reform

The United Nations’ global climate summit has finished for another year. Some progress was made in Brazil on climate finance and adaptation. But...

05.12.2025 40

Japan Today

Japan Today

In brief glimpses of Tehran, an AP journalist sees a changing and challenged Iran

As you enter Iran’s capital, it starts with only occasional glimpses — a passenger in a car speeding by or a pedestrian trying to leapfrog through...

03.12.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

Higher fees for foreigners visiting U.S. national parks stokes tourism concerns

A $100-per-person charge for foreigners entering Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and other popular national parks is stoking apprehension among some...

02.12.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Shootings of people who mistakenly go to the wrong house test the limits of stand your ground laws

The fatal shooting of a house cleaner who Indiana authorities say mistakenly went to the wrong address feels hauntingly familiar. It’s a tragic...

28.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Just follow orders or obey the law? What U.S. troops told us about refusing illegal commands

As the Trump administration carries out what many observers say are illegal military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean allegedly smuggling...

27.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

COP30 deal exposes fragile climate unity as U.S. steps back

In the final fractious hours of the U.N. climate summit in Brazil, when a deal to advance the world's fight against global warming was slipping out of...

25.11.2025 30

Japan Today

Japan Today

How the rich world is fortifying itself against climate migration

The UK has announced much harsher rules for asylum seekers including the prospect of more deportations for those whose applications fail. The U.S....

24.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Behind Trump defense of Saudi crown prince, a deeper U.S. shift on human rights

When President Donald Trump defended Saudi Arabia's crown prince this week over the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, he did more...

22.11.2025 50

Japan Today

Japan Today

MAGA civil war: How a white nationalist blew up the American right

It began as a simple stunt -- a long, provocative chat between two lightning rods of the American right. The goal: spark debate, go viral and maybe...

19.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

China finds bigger role as U.S. sidesteps Brazil climate summit

With the United States absent from the U.N. annual international climate summit for the first time in three decades, China is stepping into the...

18.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Why do some of us love AI, while others hate it? The answer is in how our brains perceive risk and trust

From ChatGPT crafting emails, to AI systems recommending TV shows and even helping diagnose disease, the presence of machine intelligence in everyday...

17.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

BBC crisis exposes fractures at renowned British institution

Top-level resignations from the BBC over the editing of a speech by President Donald Trump have blown the lid off wider tensions at the British...

12.11.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

A Trump Supreme Court tariff defeat would add to trade uncertainty

The U.S. Supreme Court's tough questioning of President Donald Trump's global tariffs fueled increased speculation that they will be struck down, but...

09.11.2025 9

Japan Today

Japan Today

G2 or not G2: Trump's new favorite term for U.S.-China relations carries a lot of history's baggage

In diplomacy, even short words matter. And with a brief Truth Social post, President Donald Trump may have revealed his approach to the U.S.-China...

06.11.2025 80

Japan Today

Japan Today

Violence, racism and Nazi praise: The dark side of U.S. political group chats

Three separate controversies involving leaked text messages from private online group chats have rocked U.S. political circles this month, revealing...

04.11.2025 20

Japan Today

Japan Today

Why Japan should renew its leadership in the fight against malaria

For decades, Japan has been an indispensable partner in the global effort to end malaria. From funding World Health Organization (WHO) programs to...

31.10.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

The bulldozer and the ballroom: Trump puts permanent stamp on the White House

When President Donald Trump met with donors for his new ballroom at the White House earlier this month, he relayed a story that thrilled his real...

29.10.2025 9

Japan Today

Japan Today

AI-generated lesson plans fall short on inspiring students and promoting critical thinking

When teachers rely on commonly used artificial intelligence chatbots to devise lesson plans, it does not result in more engaging, immersive or...

25.10.2025 80

Japan Today

Japan Today

The worldwide web was meant to unite us, but is tearing us apart instead. Is there another way?

The hope of the worldwide web, according to its creator Tim Berners-Lee, was that it would make communication easier, bring knowledge to all, and...

24.10.2025 50

Japan Today

Japan Today

How can Gaza even begin to rebuild?

The Gaza Strip is a tortured piece of land that is about 40km long and 11km wide. Some 2.3 million souls are crammed into a space of around 360...

21.10.2025 50

Japan Today

Japan Today

Ceasefire offers Israel opportunity to end its international isolation

A ceasefire in Gaza is raising hopes among many in Israel that the country can begin to repair its image abroad, after months of deepening isolation...

20.10.2025 60

Japan Today

Japan Today

How Japan got its mojo back

It took a long time, but we got there in the end. In August 2025, Japan’s Topix stock market index finally rose above its previous all-time high,...

19.10.2025 50

Japan Today

Japan Today

How safe is your face? The pros and cons of having facial recognition everywhere

Walk into a shop, board a plane, log into your bank, or scroll through your social media feed, and chances are you might be asked to scan your face....

17.10.2025 60

Japan Today

Japan Today

Iran is out in the cold as the Mideast unites in support of Gaza ceasefire

As the Middle East broadly welcomes a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iran finds itself at one of its weakest moments since its 1979...

15.10.2025 70

Japan Today

Japan Today

How VR and AI could help the next generation grow kinder and more connected

Empathy is not just a “nice-to-have” soft skill – it is a foundation of how children and adults regulate emotions, build friendships and learn...

14.10.2025 60

Japan Today

Japan Today

Major win for Trump on Gaza, but will it stand test of time?

U.S. President Donald Trump has undeniably scored a diplomatic victory by helping to broker a truce for Gaza, but the path to the lasting peace he...

13.10.2025 10

Japan Today

Japan Today

Trump exerted leverage for Gaza deal but tough questions remain

With the Gaza war entering its third year, U.S. President Donald Trump has achieved something no other world leader has been able to do: strong-arm...

11.10.2025 80

Japan Today

Japan Today

Why Major League Baseball keeps coming back to Japan

When Shohei Ohtani stepped onto the field at the Tokyo Dome in March this year, he wasn’t just playing a game – he was carrying forward more than...

09.10.2025 90

Japan Today

Japan Today

From San Francisco to today: Does multilateralism need reform?

In 1945, 50 nations gathered in San Francisco to sign the United Nations Charter, laying the foundation of a multilateral order designed to safeguard...

07.10.2025 80

Japan Today

Japan Today

From all over the planet, they came to the U.N. with a message: Fix things, particularly yourself

It’s not polite, as a general rule, to visit your hosts and criticize the way they do things. Unless, that is, you’re helping to pay the rent....

03.10.2025 70

Japan Today

Japan Today

Japan’s NHK fees in 2025: Harassment disguised as public service?

NHK collectors — known to many simply as the dreaded “NHK guy” (though women do the job, too) — are still a common sight across Japan. They...

01.10.2025 100

Japan Today

Japan Today

Has Japan already capitulated in great global AI race?

In another five years, might it only be the United States and China that are laughing? Considering the advancement of artificial intelligence and the...

30.09.2025 70

Japan Today

Japan Today

What do some researchers call disinformation? Anything but disinformation

"Disinformation" is fast becoming a dirty word in the United States -- a label so contentious in a hyperpolarized political climate that some...

28.09.2025 50

Japan Today

Japan Today

Japan's multicultural reality: Stories of diversity, diaspora and identity

When I teach basic intercultural communication to university students in Japan, I often begin with this warm-up question: On a scale of one to 10, how...

27.09.2025 90

Japan Today

Japan Today

Suicide-by-chatbot puts Big Tech in the product liability hot seat

It is a sad fact of online life that users search for information about suicide. In the earliest days of the internet, bulletin boards featured...

26.09.2025 70

Japan Today

Japan Today

In battles over free speech, comedians are often center stage

Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian satirist whose “Daily Show”-like program was canceled after the military seized the once pro-democracy government,...

24.09.2025 80

Japan Today

Japan Today

Jury trials, a critical part of democracy, are disappearing

The right to trial by jury in criminal and civil cases is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It’s also a critically important way in which citizens...

21.09.2025 70

Japan Today

Japan Today

Kids and current events: How to help them deal with what they see around them

In hardly any time at all, the footage of the horrifying moment when a bullet hit conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the neck cascaded across the...

14.09.2025 70

Japan Today

Japan Today

Graphic video of Kirk shooting was everywhere online, showing how media gatekeeper role has changed

They were careful with the explicit imagery — as usual. But did it make any difference? Traditional news organizations were cautious in their...

13.09.2025 90

Japan Today

Japan Today

Trump upsetting U.S. allies needed to counter China

U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade and immigration policies are undermining relationships that have been cornerstones of American...

12.09.2025 60

Japan Today

Japan Today