My latest piece for Tokyo Review:

I wrote a shorter, slightly punchier version of my recent research article about Sanseitō as my first contribution to the new Tokyo Review. It should be vastly more accessible, and hopefully sets the tone of what else I plan to do in the future of TR www.tokyoreview.net/2025/11/what...

"“Palestine 36,” a historical drama that recounts the 1936-1939 Arab revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine, was named as the Grand Prix winner at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which concluded on Wednesday."

This song by Zohran Mamdani is lowkey a banger!?

On the bus to Sendai for the Miyagi Nijiiro Parade, which will take place there tomorrow!

I'm very excited to announce I'm one of the four members of Tokyo Review's new editorial team! I especially look forward to platforming promising fellow early-career scholars, and contributing to a much-needed increase in in-depth English-language analysis on Japanese society and politics.

In this piece, admitting the BBC has broken its impartiality rules re. trans people, the BBC further breaks its impartiality rules by changing a quote saying "trans identity" to "trans ideology".

Important piece by Heidi Ka-Sin Lee about Itō Shiori’s recent documentary Black Box Diaries. I have more to add to this story myself at some point because Itō’s assaulter, Yamaguchi Noriyuki, is frequently invited on Sanseitō and Kamiya Sōhei’s YouTube channel. www.tokyoreview.net/2025/11/movi...

Rintaro Nishimura offers a timely and vital analysis of the LDP's fragile, new alliance with Nippon Ishin no Kai. Will the partnership serve both parties equally, as the LDP-Komeito coalition once did? Or has it already started teetering on the edge?

Bears!

"The governor of Japan's northeastern prefecture of Akita said Monday that he will visit the Defense Ministry to request assistance from the Self-Defense Forces following a series of bear attacks that have caused human casualties." mainichi.jp/english/arti...

"A bear wandered into the underground parking lot of The Bank of Iwate Ltd.'s head office on the morning of Oct. 28 where it was contained for several hours before being extracted safely."

"A bear wandering the grounds of Iwate University [in Morioka City] on Oct. 28 caused the cancelation of afternoon lectures and traffic congestion as cars exited the campus en masse."

"A bear was spotted hanging from netting in an indoor gym of a high school in [Yamagata City] on Oct. 29."

"The [Japanese] government suggested on Oct. 30 that children should carry empty plastic bottles to repel bears, claiming the animals hate the sound of them crumpling."

My latest piece for Tokyo Review:

I'm very excited to announce I'm one of the four members of Tokyo Review's new editorial team! I especially look forward to platforming promising fellow early-career scholars, and contributing to a much-needed increase in in-depth English-language analysis on Japanese society and politics.

In this film review, Heidi Ka-Sin Lee discusses "Black Box Diaries" by Itō Shiori, a pathbreaking documentary detailing the director's own civil case against her assaulter, but which has yet to be released in her home country.

@rmarcantuoni.bsky.social provides a summary of his recent research article on the far-right conspiracy party Sanseitō. Responding to the media's portrayal of the party as a catch-up moment for Japanese politics, he instead argues that its conspiracy ideology is a novel form of political action.

"If the United States hopes to rely on Japan as a pillar of the Indo-Pacific order, it must match Japan’s sense of urgency with sustained capacity, clarity of direction, and alignment of strategic intent", Jada Fraser writes in her analysis on the changing dynamics of the US-Japan security alliance.

Exciting stuff coming up. Please stay tuned.

Decided to toggle the "show issues & suggestions" slider on Wordpress on, only for it to suggest nonsense like this:

It's beyond just Cuomover

Zohran fucking Mamdani!!

I think maybe I'll be a candidate in a local election in the Netherlands some day, just to feel how good it feels to vote for yourself.

Mayor Toshiaki Murayama of Oizumi Town: "False claims spread on social media that our town was giving preferential treatment to foreigners. It's upsetting to think that some townspeople might believe such lies."

Scholar 1: "According to scholar 2, (...) is the case <footnote>" Meanwhile, what scholar 2 actually wrote in their cited work: "There are people who say that (...) is the case <no footnote>"

Prevention is better than cure, which is why instead of installing anti-malware software on my computer I simply choose not to download viruses in the first place.

Tanka I submitted to this month's online 歌会 is one I wrote last year. It makes reference to the black sun on Giedi Prime, as depicted in "Dune: Part Two" (2024).

Don't forget to vote for Zohran

Just had staff at a ramen place come up to me to ask me if I could tell him what a kanji (卵) on my order said. That's certainly a first lol.

I have a big announcement and an article coming up for you guys in a few days btw. You're allowed to get hyped in advance.

Heartbreaking: This Young Woman's University Email Has Been Deactivated And Now The Harsh Reality Of No Longer Being A Student Is Sinking In Slowly

Ahhhhh it looks like Leiden Uni just killed my university email. I guess it's fine in terms of retaining conversations etc., because I already had it forward everything to my gmail, but I would've appreciated a warning...

"Can't download updates 🥺" Girl, I don't care. You're good the way you are and have been. You don't need an update. Stop trying to change yourself for the sake of others.

Good morning

Girl said she's Chinese. Japanese guy immediately hits back with the phrase "I am stupid" in Chinese.

"Ride 49 stops (35 min)" is crazy

In the bus to the rave and it's so funny how it's seemingly like more than 90% filled w others also going to the rave

"about 5 min"!? That took nearly the full 12 minutes, despite me walking fast, walking on escalators and not getting lost even once!

"The [Japanese] government on Friday approved an ordinance to enforce the revised Civil Code, which includes the introduction of a new joint child custody system for divorced parents, on April 1 next year."

Bought some cozy heat-tech pants because I'm heading to a seaside rave tonight and have been told to dress "as if it's winter already"

Love the concept of 女性にもオススメのメンズアイテム

"Iwate prefectural officials (...) removed a marriage promotion booklet from their website on Oct. 28 after social media lambasted its disproportionately gendered advice."

Was wondering when it'd stop raining, so I opened the NERV app, and:

Bought two Pokémon cards!

Oh okay

My new apartment in Tokyo might just be the one building in all of Japan that actually has good thermal insulation.

My new apartment in Tokyo might just be the one building in all of Japan that actually has good thermal insulation.