Between 1966 and 1980, the War History Office of the National Defense College of Japan (now the Center for Military History of the National Institute for Defense Studies) published the 102-volume... Show moreBetween 1966 and 1980, the War History Office of the National Defense College of Japan (now the Center for Military History of the National Institute for Defense Studies) published the 102-volume Senshi Sōsho (War History Series). These volumes give a detailed account of the operations of the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. Volume 3 of the series, The Invasion of the Dutch East Indies, describes in depth the campaign to gain control over the Indonesian archipelago – at that time the largest transoceanic landing operation in the military history of the world. The present book is the first complete and unabridged translation of a volume from the comprehensive Senshi Sōsho series. It enables military historians and the general public to see and study for the first time how the operation that put an end to Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia was planned and executed. Willem Remmelink was the executive director of the Japan-Netherlands Institute in Tokyo for more than twenty-five years. He is a specialist in Japanese and Indonesian history. Show less
Obvious partners for NATO in the (Far) East are Russia and China. With Russia the Alliancecooperates through the NATO-Russia Council (NRC). China, as a rising international power, canalso no longer... Show moreObvious partners for NATO in the (Far) East are Russia and China. With Russia the Alliancecooperates through the NATO-Russia Council (NRC). China, as a rising international power, canalso no longer be neglected by NATO. But so far only mutual high-level visits have been conducted.Furthermore, as strategic partners, China and Russia share a negative attitude towards the West. Theyhave issued joint statements against the U.S.–Japanese initiative to develop a theatre anti-missilesystem in Asia, NATO enlargement, NATO’s ‘interventionist’ Strategic Concept of 1999 (justifying itsmilitary action in Kosovo), President Bush’s 2002 decision to annul the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treatywith Russia, and against the US/NATO missile defense shield. Furthermore, Moscow and Beijing takethe lead in international (security) organizations in the Far East region: the Collective Security TreatyOrganization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Show less
At the time of the first missed opportunity under Gorbachev in 1986-88, the Cold War rigidity in relations still deeply affected how Japan and the Soviet Union dealt with one another. The relations... Show moreAt the time of the first missed opportunity under Gorbachev in 1986-88, the Cold War rigidity in relations still deeply affected how Japan and the Soviet Union dealt with one another. The relations may been manipulated by Russian political forces not desiring an improvement, but there was corresponding structural weakness on the Japanese side as well. At the second missed opportunity under Gorbachev in 1989, some structural rigidity on the part of Japanese policy makers hampered faster development of the relationship. At the time, the author felt that he made the right decision, but retrospectively he questions whether, had he or the Japanese leadership been more emancipated from Cold War thinking, they might not have been able to produce a different outcome: a more content-rich Gorbachev visit earlier 1991. Concerning the third missed opportunity under Yeltsin in 1992, the author, who did not take part in it, contends very seriously that there was a failure in policy choices on the Japanese side, and that policy makers did not fulfill their responsibility at that point. There is no evidence that other policy makers learned from the experience under Gorbachev and tried to adopt a more realistic policy for Japan to achieve its goal. At the fourth missed opportunity under Yeltsin in 1997-98, the Japanese side learned lessons from past mistakes and did not hesitate to propose a courageous proposal to break the impasse. President Yeltsin was impressed by this proposal, but the Russian side as a whole did not accept it as a basis for negotiations. Nevertheless, recognition on both sides of the need for some mutual concession soared in those years. Before the fifth missed opportunity, awareness of past failures was very much at the forefront of the author__s mind. The negotiations with President Putin began, and the author very consciously tried to fulfill the responsibility of grasping the opportunity as it opened out in front of him in 2000-01. The negotiations proceeded unexpectedly fast and effectively, and then were suddenly crushed because of Japan__s domestic issue. The author did not expect the fifth window of opportunity to close in this way. Individual responsibility was fulfilled in negotiating with the Russians, but it failed to overcome domestic constraint. Show less
As international newspaper headlines increasingly focus on energy and security issues, one could almost forget that the main ties that bind states and regions of the world together are trade and... Show moreAs international newspaper headlines increasingly focus on energy and security issues, one could almost forget that the main ties that bind states and regions of the world together are trade and economic relations. Show less
Since the latter half of the 1980s, a large number of Muslims have come to Japan from countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Bangladesh in order to work. In the 1990s there was an increase in the... Show moreSince the latter half of the 1980s, a large number of Muslims have come to Japan from countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Bangladesh in order to work. In the 1990s there was an increase in the number of Muslims marrying Japanese women and forming families in Japan. The children of these families are now reaching school age and educational problems among second-generation Muslims are emerging. Show less
Since the mid-1990s, Japanese and American museum curators have experienced a firestorm of criticism for their exhibits on the Second World War, highlighting the relationship between museums, their... Show moreSince the mid-1990s, Japanese and American museum curators have experienced a firestorm of criticism for their exhibits on the Second World War, highlighting the relationship between museums, their audiences and the professional responsibilities of curators. Show less
'I just want to be thought of as special', says a mildly intoxicated woman in her late 20s as she is taped for an NTV special on Tokyo's host clubs. Her face fuzzed out for privacy, she leans... Show more'I just want to be thought of as special', says a mildly intoxicated woman in her late 20s as she is taped for an NTV special on Tokyo's host clubs. Her face fuzzed out for privacy, she leans toward her male host and looks at him, perhaps with shy, yet impish, eyes. The host returns her gaze with an ambiguous smile. Maybe he likes her.... Show less
