View from Tokyo features observations and commentary from Tomohiko Taniguchi, a distinguished non-resident fellow at Sasakawa USA who also serves as a Special Adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet and a professor at the Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management, teaching international political economy and Japanese diplomacy. Taniguchi operates from his home base in Tokyo.
The Onsen Summit: Why Abe is seeking a settlement from Russia
December 14, 2016Author: Tomohiko Taniguchi and Daniel Bob
Categories: In the News, View from Tokyo: Tomo Taniguchi's Take
Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, is slated to visit Japan on December 15 and 16. He will arrive at a small airport on the western edge of Japan’s main island and stay at a traditional onsen (hot spring) inn located in the hometown of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. There, Messrs. Putin and Abe will hold an unusual tête-à-tête — one between two middle-aged, naked men, bathing in the warm waters of Nagato city.
Tags: Abe, China, Crimea, Japan, japan-russia, japan-russia relations, kuril islands, nagato, Nuclear, onsen, Op-ed, Putin, Russia, shintaro abe, Shinzo Abe, summit, Syria, territorial dispute, the national interest, tomohiko taniguchi, view from tokyo, Vladimir Putin, World War II
Brexit: The consequences for Japan
July 8, 2016Author: Tomohiko Taniguchi
Categories: In the News, View from Tokyo: Tomo Taniguchi's Take
Brexit was a bolt out of the blue, one with strategic, economic, and political implications not just for countries across the Atlantic, but also for ones in the Asia-Pacific. This is particularly true in Japan, which in recent years has worked to build and enhance its relationship with London.
Tags: Abe, brexit, Britain, eu, european union, Japan, london, military, Pacific, Shinzo Abe, Tokyo, tomohiko taniguchi, uk, uk-japan, united kingdom, view from tokyo
President Obama’s Hiroshima visit: How it happened and why no apology was expected in Japan
June 13, 2016Author: Tomohiko Taniguchi
Categories: In the News, View from Tokyo: Tomo Taniguchi's Take
On May 27, 2016 in Hiroshima, Japan, President Barack Obama delivered one of his best speeches ever, crafted and delivered so masterfully that it will likely leave a lasting legacy. In Hiroshima he towered above any politicking, which can easily get nasty in our less-than-ideal world, especially in an election year. What was behind his visit to Hiroshima? In retrospect many actions and events—some planned, some not—merged to pave the way for President Obama to fulfill his wish to visit Hiroshima while in office.
Tags: a view from tokyo, ambassador roos, Barack Obama, Caroline Kennedy, election, Hiroshima, john roos, joint session, Politics, president obama, Shinzo Abe, tomohiko taniguchi, World War II, yasukuni shrine