Jesse Johnson from The Japan Times:
“(Trump) is not a normal person. He’s someone who changes the rules,” Ishiba said in response to demands in parliament by opposition parties that the government draft a formal document to put in writing the recent trade deal Japan sealed with the U.S. that lowers onerous tariffs.
Credit where credit is due: this needs to be said out loud in more parliaments around the world.
From Kyodo:
Americans expressed mixed views on whether the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified, a survey by a U.S. research group showed Monday, signaling a possible change in the country's prevailing view that the attacks were necessary to bring a quick end to World War II.
The nationwide survey, conducted by Pew Research Center, revealed that 35 percent of American adults think using nuclear weapons in 1945 was justified, while 31 percent thought otherwise. A third said they are not sure.
The troubling thing here is that if you combine the 'pro-nuke' cohort with the 'dunno' one, it is still a clear majority that are either clueless or in support of mass civilian death.
From Kyodo:
As part of the extended deterrence talks in recent years, Tokyo and Washington have held multiple tabletop exercises to strategize a scenario in which a conflict broke out in East Asia and the United States is pressured to use nuclear weapons, according to the sources.
With that in mind, Japan and the United States reviewed how to coordinate and how to deal with issues stemming from the possible use of nuclear weapons, such as managing public opinion. Discussions also broached how much information the United States can share with Japan, the sources said.
A totally normal thing to do and publicly report I'm sure.
Andrew Sharp from Nikkei:
Even now, eight decades after his arrival, MacArthur's legacy casts a long shadow over Japan's politics, identity and security. For some, he was a reformer who laid the foundations of democracy, pacifism and prosperity. For others, he was a foreign dictator who imposed a constitution that stifled Japan's sovereignty. Either way, the U.S.-led occupation -- and the institutions it birthed -- continue to define Japan's postwar trajectory.
A good history of MacArthur, the drafting of the Japanese constitution, and how all of that could be undermined in our current world. Bonus points for the photo of the nasty chair at Dougie's desk.
Yohei Kawai from Nikkei:
Japanese ocean shipping group Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is exploring options for sending employees to English-speaking countries other than the U.S., citing the possibility of longer-term impacts.
The company has eight participants in its program, with four each at New York University and University of California, Irvine. They have student visas to take part in three-month programs to study English and business.
"The Trump administration's xenophobic policies will in the long term hurt the free-spirited charm has attracted exceptional young talent from all over the world and has been a U.S. strength," Mitsui O.S.K. Lines chief executive Takeshi Hashimoto said.