Japanese Pop’s Secret Utopians
Bright, ironic, and tuneful, Yellow Magic Orchestra provided the soundtrack to Japan’s bubble economy in the 1980s. But the band’s work also contained hidden depths and the memories of East Asia’s political struggles.
Search Result(s) for: “Japan”
Never Forget Nagasaki
Two veterans go to Japan to discuss the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the urgent need for nuclear disarmament.
“No Rape, No Base, No Tears”
The US military presence around the world doesn’t just create death and destruction — in places like Okinawa, Japan, its bases foster an environment of sexual violence against women.
America’s Railroad to Nowhere
We know the US rail network is no match for trains in France or Japan. But Barack Obama’s plan for high-speed rail couldn’t even match that of Morocco or Uzbekistan.
The Slaughter of Hiroshima
On this day in 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Here's one survivor's story.
It Pays to Be Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel has been at the center of nearly every act of Democratic evildoing of the past few decades. He's being rewarded for that behavior with an ambassadorship to Japan.
The Ukrainian Poet and Anti-Imperialist You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Vasily Eroshenko was a blind Ukrainian poet and writer of children’s stories. He traveled around the world teaching Esperanto, railing against imperialism, and witnessing revolutions in Russia and China.
Kim San, Martyr of Korean Socialism
From the struggle against Japanese rule in Korea to his work with China’s revolutionaries, Kim San lived a life committed to socialism and the struggle against imperialism. He deserves to be remembered today.
Road to Ruin
The risk of war with North Korea remains real. And Trump and Abe are pushing us further in that calamitous direction.
Why the State Matters
The state has been used to discipline capital before. With climate change upon us, it'll have to do so again.
The Firebombing of Tokyo
Seventy years ago today, the United States needlessly killed almost 100,000 people in a single air raid.
Five Books on Eldercare, Here and Abroad
We asked Jacobin contributor Suzanne Gordon to recommend some titles she worked on about the crisis of aging in America.
Changing Channels
The Suez Canal is a symbol of Arab nationalism. It’s also a damn good source of national income.
What Chinese Capitalists Owe to Mao Zedong
China did not develop capitalism during the 18th century, despite having a market economy as strong as Britain’s. The raw material for China’s 20th-century capitalist takeoff came from an unlikely figure: Mao Zedong.
Resilience for Whom?
The Japanese prime minister's plans for "resilience" will serve corporations and US military goals more than the Japanese people.
Nightmares Must Be Told
For twenty-five years, survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery have demanded a reckoning.
The Secret Life of Communist Richard Sorge, Hitler’s Nemesis and the World’s Greatest Spy
One man put a stop to Hitler’s march across Europe: not Stalin, Churchill, or Roosevelt, but a German Communist called Richard Sorge. Sorge was a real-life spy whose exploits surpassed any fictional creation, and one of the twentieth century’s great heroes.
The People of Okinawa Don’t Want to Be Pawns in a US-China Conflict
With growing talk of a possible conflict over Taiwan, the US and Japanese governments have put Okinawa at the heart of their war strategies. But the island’s people have suffered enough from great-power militarism and are organizing their own peace movement.
Population Decline Will Transform Our Social World
Population growth has been slowing and even reversing in many countries, a trend with far-reaching social implications that looks certain to continue.
Japanese Militarism Has Put the People of Okinawa on the Firing Line
Okinawans have long campaigned against the massive US military bases that dominate their island. But the Japanese state is pressing ahead with a new base against their will, placing the island on the front line in a region made more dangerous by US saber-rattling against China.