Jonas

For those that care. here is the full text of Ishiba's statement on WWII, focusing on the danger of nationalism and populism and the failure of the political system to control the military. He is speaking to the present moment, not only in Japan I suspect.
japan.kantei.go.jp/content/0001...

Excellent thread on the next round of political upheaval in Japan's political system.

Japan's Komeito withdraws from ruling coalition with Takaichi's LDP Quarter-century of formal partnership comes to end over political funding scandal

Big news: Japan's Komeito withdraws from ruling coalition with Takaichi's LDP
asia.nikkei.com/politics/jap...

@mstephen.bsky.social and I argue @ecprtheloop.bsky.social that the return of power politics favours cooperation through #IIGOs, as they allow powerful states to increase their scope for action. Yet, the systematic turn to IIGOs is at odds with the idea of global authoritative rules. For more, see ⬇️

A timely collection of great articles on the UN, including my piece with @lisadellmuth.bsky.social on the legitimacy of the UN.

👉 Look at that! 😊

Today the electronic version of my book:

⭐ "Securitizing the #Sahel. Analysing External #Interventions and their Consequences"⭐

is published on-line with @oxunipress.bsky.social!

#security #defense #military #Niger #Mali #Burkina #Chad #France #UN #EU #US

#63: Terroir For Busy People

I found this episode of the Making Coffee podcast by Lucia Solis an interesting listen: pca.st/episode/4f13...

Despite the podcast being on coffee, Lucia has a background in wine processing, so she links to that quite extensively throughout the ep.

How Takaichi won the LDP’s leadership race A split of moderate votes in the first round and the support of an LDP kingmaker helped propel the former economic security minister to a historic victory.

A split of moderate votes in the first round and the support of a party kingmaker helped propel Sanae Takaichi to a historic victory in the LDP’s presidential race.

Praktika im Forschungsbereich Praktika im Forschungsbereich - Politikwissenschaftliche Forschung und unabhängige Beratung in internationalen Beziehungen, Außenpolitik und Sicherheitspolitik für Bundestag und Bundesregierung

Praktikumsplätze in der Forschungsgruppe Asien der SWP zu vergeben, wir freuen uns über Bewerbungen: www.swp-berlin.org/karriere/pra...

at the same time? In this economy??

South Korean foreign minister says out loud what many in Korea and Japan (and Europe) are thinking.

www.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

APPLICATIONS OPEN: JF-CIJS-EAJS Fellowship.

European PhDs in Japanese Studies (humanities & social sciences) can spend 4–12 months at Tohoku University (September 2026–Mar 2027). Stipend includes ¥310k/mo + travel. Around 3 awarded.

Application deadline: November 21, 2025.

eajs.eu/jf-cijs-eajs...

Europe had ESG. Japan wants big role in disaster risk financing Tokyo aims to set standards for mobilizing global money for prevention

Europe had ESG. Japan wants big role in disaster risk financing
https://asia.nikkei.com/business/finance/europe-had-esg.-japan-wants-big-role-in-disaster-risk-financing

NATO allies held Article 4 consultations after Russian drone incursion. Here's what that means NATO allies have held talks about Russian drones entering Polish airspace. Polish and Dutch fighter jets shot down some of these drones.

After doing so in 2014 and 2022 (right after the full-scale invasion), this is the third time Poland has invoked article 4.

apnews.com/article/nato...

Article 4 in full text: "The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened."
www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

NATO activates Article 4 after Russian drones entered Polish airspace, Warsaw says Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows member states to request consultations with the allies if they believe their security has been threatened, without triggering a military response.

Poland formally asks NATO for Article 4 consultations after it downed Russian drones that entered Polish airspace overnight. kyivindependent.com/poland-asks-...

【速報】保守中道でないと連立組めないと公明代表 公明党の斉藤代表は7日、自民党の次期総裁について「保守中道路線の私たちの理念 ...

Komeito casts its vote for the next LDP leader:

www.47news.jp/13121879.htm...

石破首相 総理大臣を辞任する意向を固める | NHK 【NHK】自民党の臨時の総裁選挙が実施されるかどうか、8日決まるのを前に、石破総理大臣は、党が分断される事態は避けたいとして総理大…

BREAKING: Japanese PM says he has decided to quit 石破首相 総理大臣を辞任する意向を固める | NHK www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

How do international organizations change as the consequence of autocratization? A new article in @coco-journal.bsky.social
with @debremaria.bsky.social explores how regime transformations affect IO membership composition.

Are non-democracies taking over?

➡️ journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Kim Jong Un to attend major Chinese military parade in early September | NK News This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates. (Last updated at 11:43 a.m. KST with additional details throughout) DPRK leader Kim Jong Un will visit Beijing for a major military para...

Kim Jong Un to attend major Chinese military parade in early September | NK News www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...

Trump-Lee Oval Office meeting has begun. Lee really leaning into flattery. He compliments the gold decoration, Dow near-record highs, American "renaissance," America as peacemaker under Trump, hopes Trump starts diplomacy w/North Korea & builds Trump Tower there and Lee can play golf w/Trump there.

Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs is recommending replacing the government’s long-standing Kunrei system with more widely used Hepburn-style spellings. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...

Zu Gast bei Schlüsselpartnern in Asien: Außenminister Wadephul reist nach Japan und Indonesien Die erste Reise nach Asien führt Außenminister Johann Wadephul zu Schlüsselpartnern in der Region. Auf der Agenda stehen vor allem Fragen der Wirtschafts- und Sicherheitspolitik. Mehr zur Reise des Au...

Unsere Freiheit, unser Wohlstand und unsere Sicherheit entscheiden sich nicht nur in Europa, sondern auch im Zusammenspiel mit starken Partnern weltweit. @aussenminister.diplo.de bricht heute zu einer Reise nach Japan 🇯🇵 & Indonesien 🇮🇩 auf. 👉 Darum geht es: diplo.de/2730472

参政・神谷氏、独極右の共同党首と会談　SNSに｢近く私も欧州に｣：朝日新聞 参政党の神谷宗幣代表は5日、ドイツで排外主義的な主張を掲げて勢いを増す最大野党の極右「ドイツのための選択肢（AfD）」の共同党首のクルパラ氏と国会の事務所で会談したと明らかにした。同日夜、X（旧ツイ…

Welcome to the Reactionary International: Sanseitō's Kamiya Sōhei shares that he met with AfD's Tino Chrupalla. digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...

The Indo-Pacific Interregnum The era of US hegemony in Asia is widely believed to be in crisis, or even coming to its end. What follows is less clear. Scholars and policy have focused on the rise of China and a coming China-centr...

Tried to use Gramsci's ideas on interregnum as a starting point to make sense of current power shifts in the Indo-Pacific with an emphasis on three "c-words" (no, not that one): Contestation, contingency, co-constitution. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

What the LDP-Komeito Defeat Means for Japanese Foreign Policy Increasing political instability will pose challenges to decisive leadership and give opposition parties more sway in specific situations.

New publication: I have an article out today in @thediplomat.com on what the July 20 Upper House election results mean for Japanese foreign policy: thediplomat.com/2025/07/what...

Paid internship opportunity: The CSIS Japan Chair program is now accepting applications for its fall internship. Apply by August 11: careers.csis.org/opportunitie...

Trump Agreed to Tariff Deal With Japan After 70-Minute Talks; U.S. President Tried to Trade Concessions for 1% Reductions <p>There was just about one week remaining until the Aug. 1 deadline when Japan and the United States reached a 15% tariff deal. Tokyo had managed to avoid the worst-case scenario of U.S. President Do...

Yomiuri account of the bizarre negotiations with Trump with Akazawa and Lutnick scheming on how to persuade the Mad King.
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/eco...

Selective development goals: examining Japan’s SDG implementation gaps Abstract. In this article, we consider how efforts by the Japanese government and private sector to make the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

Japan elected a record 42 women to the Upper House—a step forward for gender representation.

But our article shows how visible progress in some areas can coexist with deeper patterns of inequality.

@takadanobaba.bsky.social, @clsturtz.bsky.social, Charles Crabtree
academic.oup.com/ssjj/article...

We're less than thirty minutes until the polls close in Japan's upper house elections. This is the start of my running thread for the returns.