Tokyo on Fire!

We're pleased to welcome special guest Mr. Glen S. Fukushima, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C..

This week starts with talking about Trump's victory in US presidential election. In an unexpected turn of events, Donald J. Trump has been elected as the 45th U.S. President.

Another story will focus on the transition from President Obama to President-elect Trump. In the next 10 weeks, U.S. President-elect Trump will be inaugurated and step into the White House. How will the transfer happen between President Obama and newcomer Donald Trump?

And the last episode is for US-Japan relationship after the-eye opening election. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump: boon or bane for Japan? Plenty of uncertainties: Will the U.S. protect Japan in war? Is TPP dead? Hear about these topics and more on the new episodes of Tokyo on Fire!

This week, on Tokyo on Fire:

So much is going on in Japan! Firstly, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made an official visit to discuss relations with Japan and his growing reluctance to work with the U.S.A, favoring instead China. Secondly, as we were about to start filming the death of Prince Mikasa was announced. The prince was the younger brother of emperor Hirohito and was 100 yeof ars old. Lastly, Halloween is upon us! The typically american holiday has grown to become a major hit in Japan - both to the public and corporations catering to the holiday.

Taking a look at by-election on last Sunday, Prime minister Abe has dodged a bullet with double victories in Tokyo and Fukuoka. But as a result of winning in the capital, Koike Yuriko’s popularity and power is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. She has been revisiting promises and terms made by the capital to the olympic committee, which has in return threatened to move some events to South Korea. Will prime minister Abe have enough to call a snap election in January? And will Governor Koike continue to assert her power over the coming months?

Here is a great news! On Monday, Japanese microbiologist Yoshinori Ohsumi won the 2016 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his work on cell autophagy. This process helps the body remove unwanted proteins. Japan has had a steady number of nobelist over the last decades, and it has become a point of pride for the nation. But with young people becoming less and less interested in the hard sciences, will we continue to see world-renowned prizes being awarded to Japanese citizens?

This week, on Tokyo on Fire:

We will begin this week with the election of the Niigata Governor - which seems mundane for the isolated prefecture on the western side of Japan. But it actually holds a lot of weight for Japanese LDP politicians as the discipline in the ranks start to whither.

In other news, the LDP has backtracked from their 50 year old dream of changing the Japanese constitution. But why would Prime Minister Abe suddenly get cold feet after finally getting two thirds majority in both Lower and Upper houses?

Last but not least, we revisit the Death by Overwork problem which has plagued Japan's brand for many years. Is the government working towards a solution? Or will this topic stay a favourite amongst Western journalists looking for an easy story?

We're pleased to welcome special guest Dr. Toshio Nagahisa, executive director of the PHP Institute.

This week starts off with what got people’s chins wagging and eyebrows to raise through the roof. The tragic story of a young Dentsu employee’s suicide has got Japan talking once more about the ever-present issue of its unforgiving work-life balance. Extreme work hours have almost become synonymous with Japan’s image as a diligent, hard-working nation - but do long hours necessarily produce better results? And at what cost?

In other news, two recent incidents have brought to the forefront the difficulties one may face as a foreigner in Japan. An Osaka sushi store was accused of purposefully serving inedible amounts of wasabi to foreign customers in an act of xenophobia, and a Nankai train conductor took a lot of flak from Japanese and foreign media alike after apologising to customers for the “annoying” foreigners on board. The huge influx of tourists Japan has experienced over the past few years have left many locals feeling stifled, causing frustration to fester. There is no doubt that a tourism boom is just what the country needs, but a city can only hold so many people - how long will it be before this all reaches boiling point?

It’s not just Chinese tourists with their large suitcases visiting Japan - this month is a busy one for Prime Minister Abe and Emperor Akihito as they expect visits from not just one but three heads of state! President Temer of Brazil, King Abdullah of Jordan and President Duterte of the Philippines will all be making a trip, and each event carries different significance for Japan. Will Temer’s visit have an impact on Tokyo 2020 preparations? And how will Duterte’s controversial stance towards the US affect Japan’s relations between the two states? These are some of the questions that may be on the table.

This week, on Tokyo on Fire:

When Yuriko Koike decided to run in the election to become Governor of Tokyo, she did so without asking for permission in "the proper way”, creating a lot of discord among the LDP ranks. Entrepreneurs and opportunists are getting ready to jump ship. Will Koike's rise continue, and will she go on to create her own party?

After her success in becoming the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, Renho has been faced with a constant stream of accusations of being a foreigner (gasp!) by not having correctly renounced her Taiwanese citizenship. Is she really at fault for not disclosing this? And how problematic is it to have two passports in Japan anyway?

For the past few months we have been predicting the possible snap election in January of next year - but how realistic has this prediction become? Prime Minister Abe - who currently has a majority in both houses - and therefore should be passing his long loved constitutional revision - seems to be focusing on other matters (the possible discord within his own ranks?).

This week in the news, Prime Minister Abe's policies, including his ever-lampooned Abenomics as well as his ill-conceived Womenomics, continue to flounder in the international eye, with little hope in sight. This seems to be a recurrent problem for the 5th longest serving Prime Minister of Japan... whatever shall we do?

But wait! What's that, up there, in the sky?! Is it a bird? Is it a plane?! No, its Wo-Man! The new Tokyo Govern    or and new Opposition Party leaders, each sporting 1 more X-chromosome than is generally expected in the position, have really started to shake things up in their still young tenure. What more can we expect, both in the near and the long term, from Koike-san and Renho-san, and how will PM Abe shine in their midst?

Oh, and by the way: we're just about to hit 1,000 subscribers. Couldn't have done it without you, our magnificent fans! Thank you so much for supporting us this far, hope you'll continue with us on the ride.

Upon her return from Rio, Governor Yuriko Koike held a press conference in which she stated her plans to delay the relocation of the Tsukiji fish market to the larger but less convenient Toyosu. She cites a number of reasons that led to her decision - health concerns and cultural preservation to name a few - but dig deeper and it seems she has strong political motives. Will this move become a feather in her cap or spell disaster? And how will it impact the preparations for the 2020 Olympics?

It seems that 2016 is the year of female empowerment in Japan, as we see another woman take center stage. Elections for a new leader for the Democratic Party are underway, and Upper House member Renho is currently the top contender. Her bid for leadership has raised issues surrounding her mixed heritage and potential dual citizenship, a topic that has set social media aflame. Will she overcome these hurdles to become the first female (and mixed race) leader of the DP?

North Korea yet again fired a series of missiles as part of their tests, this time reaching the Japanese EEZ. This occurred just as China was host to the world leaders for the G20, and this provocation by the North Koreans brought significant criticism. This ongoing threat has put their Asian neighbors on edge, which may result in an overhaul of the political dynamics of the region.

These issues show no signs of being resolved - tune in to find out more!

This week we are joined by special guest Glen S. Fukushima, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C. With a reputation as an effective trade negotiator between the U.S. and Japan, Glen shares his views on the close ties between the two, particularly in relation to the upcoming presidential elections.

With TPP and all the economic activity taking place in Asia, there is renewed U.S. interest in the region and the stakes are even higher. There is no doubt that there would be a huge contrast between a Clinton administration and one led by Trump, but what exactly would be the significance of these differences?

In continuation of the theme of differences, business transactions in the U.S. and Japan are also very distinct from each other. Lobbying, a commonplace activity in D.C., is much rarer in Japan and carries a certain level of stigma. However, in the recent years Japan, with Abe leading the helm, has been seeing the importance of developing this sector.

With only 10 weeks to go until the big day, these issues are becoming more important than ever - stay informed by tuning in to this episode of Tokyo on Fire!

We are glad to have had special guest Dr. James Brown of Temple University Japan on the show with Timothy for this episode of Tokyo on Fire. A specialist in Russian policy, Dr. Brown discusses in depth the current state of Russo-Japanese relations, particularly PM Abe President Putin's budding friendship.

There's also movement in East Asia this week with South Korea, China, and Japan meeting at a summit in Tokyo to discuss yet another missle launch by North Korea into the East China Sea, and what to do about it.

But really, all anyone wants to talk about is AbeMario, right? We've got that and more covered, too, so don't miss this episode of Tokyo on Fire!

This week we got over the honeymoon phase with new Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and saw her get to work, and what an explosive start that has been! English-language op-eds, butting heads with a plethora of ministers, and what appears to be a knack for causing mischief, could we actually have a real, live rebel in our midsts? We certainly could use one, because this week we also saw the disbanding of Tokyo's much-loved student protest group, the SEALDs. Its hard for us not to think that this was symbolically planned to coincide with the 71st commemoration of the end of the Pacific War, but we won't put words in their mouths. In more tropical news, once again we see the ongoing tumultuous clash between Tokyo and Okinawa rearing its now very-well known head. Finally, Abe's much lauded Abenomics has received yet another slap to the face as the Japanese GDP missed its growth target once again. Come here more about these stories with us on Tokyo on Fire!