 Japanese Whaling Not “for purposes of†Scientific Research  On 31 March 2014 the International Court of Justice handed down its long-awaited decision in Australia v Japan, concerning the legality of whaling in the Antarctic Ocean. While the decision in Australia’s favour effectively prevents Japan’s continued whaling hunt in the Antarctic under its current…
Remember the days as a child when you would receive a shiny new bicycle and in all the excitement you would hop on and start pedaling as fast as you could? Forgetting the concept of danger, you would ride it all around the neighborhood hoping to make the other kids jealous, popping wheelies and…
   While Japanese business has boomed under the policies of Abenomics, doubts have persisted for the average wage earner. Recent developments, however, suggest that the Abe government means business in strengthening the position of labor.             Since sweeping back into office in December 2012’s lower house election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pursued…
On December 7, 1970 in Warsaw, Poland, West Germany’s Prime Minister Willy Brandt laid a wreath and fell to his knees at a monument commemorating the lives lost during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. His gesture, appearing to be both spontaneous and genuine, came to symbolize the acknowledgement of past wrongs. Brandt’s act, although unpopular with…
Since sweeping back into power in December 2012’s lower house victory, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pursued a series of reforms aimed at keeping his increasingly marginalized country a tier-one power. Among these efforts, Abe’s plan for reviving the long-stagnant Japanese economy, dubbed “Abenomicsâ€, has received the most attention. In the past several months,…
As with the beginning of every new year, people everywhere look toward the future, hopeful that the year will be better and brighter than the last. Sadly in 2013 from January 16 to January 19 those hopes were cut short for 40 people when Algerian extremists attacked and overran the Tigantourine gas plant near In…
If there is one thing the year 2013 demonstrated, it is that the adage, “Secrets don’t make friends,†is as true for government as it is for people. Edward Snowden’s revelations of numerous National Security Agency programs, including those where the United States spied on its allies and collected enormous numbers of phone records, has…
      Maybe you have recently thought to yourself, “Gee whiz, I’ve been working so hard creating engaging lessons, exploring a new country, and learning a new language, I have had no time to stay up to date on global current events.†Even worse, with the holidays right around the corner,…
If you are an Australian or New Zealander living in Japan for any extended period of time, whaling will undoubtedly have arisen as a topic of conversation. It may be sprung on you out of the blue at an enkai during a course of whale, or initiated by your own actions if you’re bored in…