Easy to connect this to recent rumors that Ishiba intends to make a wartime apology statement. It would certainly boost Japan-ROK relations — though the LDP could quickly undo any goodwill generated if they then chose Sanae Takaichi as leader on 4 October. english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/6...

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Sunday that he will resign, following growing calls from within his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election. https://to.pbs.org/47PlZDB

It's insane that TPP has become an alternative to US bullying, when it was designed as a US-sponsored alternative to Chinese bullying, until Trump abruptly decided to quit. Not renegotiate, just quit. asia.nikkei.com/economy/trad...

Akazawa heading to Washington for 10th round of tariff talks www.japantimes.co.jp/business/202...

Hasn’t she suffered enough? www.bbc.com/news/article...

"deals" are out. they're not even letters.

This from @tobiasharris.bsky.social is a really good summary of where Japan's LDP finds itself now:

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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is denying reports that he would soon announce his resignation: “I have never made such a statement,” he said.

TOKYO, July 23 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba denied talk on Wednesday that he would quit after a source and media reports said he plans to step down following a bruising upper house election defeat. www.reuters.com/world/japans...

Ishiba to announce resignation at end of August, reports say www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...

Alarm bells will be ringing at LDP HQ after today’s NHK poll: party support down 4 percentage points in a week, 8 in three, the LDP’s lowest NHK number since returning to power in 2012. Ishiba has five campaign days left to turn it around. www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

A more accurate headline here would be "one Japanese business leader accuses Tokyo...". And the FT once again shows a fantastical lack of realism about the policy reform space for Japanese agriculture. www.ft.com/content/7c57...

The U.S. is imposing a 25% tariff on Korea because of trade deficits that it claims are "engendered by Korea's Tariff and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers." But Korea has a free trade agreement with the U.S. It charges zero tariffs on nearly everything.

Later in the history and future IR textbooks, the year 2025 will be remembered as a critical juncture in international relations, where long-standing norms governing the use of force, especially, the non-proliferation regime unraveled. I hope still we find ways to solve this as a global community.

I'm really not concerned. If there were actual war plans against Iran, Hegseth would have posted them on Signal.

America's brain drain could be Japan's gain. Tokyo is set to announce a USD 700mn new package that would help attract top-tier US-based researchers who are being forced out of the country. www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZ...

May he roll around heaven all day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSXg...

"In Sotome, for instance, people prayed to a statue of what they called Maria Kannon, a genderless Bodhisattva of mercy, as a substitute for Mary." Truly fascinating. www.ap.org/news-highlig...

President Lee Jae-myung spoke to President Trump today by phone, 2 days after his victory. Trump invited Lee to the U.S., for a bilateral or multilateral meeting. They also talked about the tariffs deal.

In case you need this for conversation, Japanese translations of TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) include「トランプはいつも怖じ気づいてやめる」 from CNN. AFP uses the slang, while explaining it in brackets, with「トランプはいつもチキって〈おじけづいて〉退く」. Bloomberg has「トランプはいつも尻込みする」, while the Nikkei and Mainichi have「トランプはいつもビビってやめる」.

My book “Foundation of the Nation?” debunks the naïve view of Japanese rice policy that Leo Lewis repeats here. Given its historical, cultural, and political importance in Japan, the idea that “rice can, and should, be sacrificed if that is what it takes” is for the birds www.ft.com/content/75fe...

Mainichi reporting that Japan might offer to purchase US fighter jets as a way to reduce its trade surplus. mainichi.jp/articles/202...

PM Ishiba's trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa will arrive here in DC on Thursday, with another round of tariff talks with Scott Bessent et al expected on Friday ✈️ www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

Having taught a premodern Japanese history survey course this past semester, it's kinda amazing that the price of rice is still so central national politics to the point that the prime minister is essentially vowing to somehow manipulate it until it's low enough. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

JAPAN AUTO EXPORTS FALL 5.8% IN APRIL ON TRUMP TARIFFS – NIKKEI

Korean Air CEO states that demand for flights to US has declined since Trump was inaugurated due to heightened border scrutiny. Such an own goal. A lot of tourism money being washed down the train. 1/ www.chosun.com/english/indu...

By articulating his desire to keep using a Qatari-747 after he leaves office, President Trump should be commended on making substantial progress in assuaging fears that he may never leave the White House | The Editorial Board

First Armitage, then Nye. A sad few weeks in US-Japan policy circles. asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Ob...

Upwards of 10,000 US personnel were killed between 9 May 1945 and Japan's formal surrender ending the war on 2 September.

If Trump is serious about tariffs on movies, it's a very dangerous escalation. Tariffs have not traditionally been applied to services, and the United States is a massive net exporter of services. We would be extremely vulnerable to any service-based retaliation.

Thoughts and prayers to the first administration official who is asked to explain precisely *how* this latest tax on US consumers would be implemented.

Without parallel, this is the most complex—and arbitrary, and capricious—tariff regime ever attempted in the history of global trade. How are businesses meant to plan investments when doing policy forecasting feels like walking through the Hall of Mirrors?

In a briefing after meeting with Trump, Japanese negotiator Akasawa praised the US president, saying "I'm such a lower-ranked person compared to him, but still Trump was very nice." He expressed Japan's deep concerns over tariffs and both sides agree to hold the second talks aiming for this month.

In Tokyo this morning, attention is on US-Japan talks over tariffs, with Tokyo being one of the first to negotiate. Trump attended negotiations today between Bessent + Japanese trade negotiator Akasawa, which some Japanese experts view as a move to put pressure and draw a big concession from Japan.

The passing of Richard Armitage, one of Washington's best known "Japan handlers," is a top news item in Tokyo. Armitage was a Navy officer in the Vietnam War who later worked at the Pentagon before becoming deputy secretary of state for George W. Bush. He was 79. news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b30...

"hours before the ceremony... a suspicious box was found at Kyoto Station and reported to police. A bomb squad was sent to the scene, causing train delays, but it was found that the box only contained "foreign-made sweets," according to Japanese media." www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04...

Defence Minister Nakatani tells NATO SG Mark Rutte that Japan is considering joining NATO Security Assistance & Training for Ukraine (NSATU). As well as aiding UKR, Nakatani says participation will help Japan learn lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZ...

Oh, what a tangled web we weave / When first we practice to describe trade deficits as tariff barriers www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Just speed running the Kindleberger spiral this week

China hawks in the Trump administration might take note--if you disrupt Japan's economy with massive tariffs, Tokyo will have less money to spend on defense.

“The Japanese American National Museum says Trump admin may withhold as much as $2 million approved by the Biden admin.” “Facing pressure to scrub its website of diversity and inclusion references, a JANM leader says the museum will ‘scrub nothing.’” www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

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Beggar-thy-self

The Korean President has been impeached. What does it all mean? Watch the Impossible State podcast LIVE for analysis from journalists and experts!!

For Yoon, "American Pie" must feel like a long, long time ago.