Executive Summary: On June 11, the State Council issued the “Plan for Implementing the Employment-First Strategy During the 15th Five-Year Period” (实施就业优先战略“十五五”规划). This mandates a “Million Youth Emp...

Japan’s accelerating military buildup will inevitably collide with the country’s shrinking and reluctant recruitment base.

Japan’s recent political milestone—the election and re-election of Takaichi Sanae as Prime Minister—has drawn fresh attention to gender inequality in Japanese society. Yet one dimension of this inequa...

Conducting a conjoint survey experiment with 4,730 adults, Peter Chai and colleagues found that voters punish sexual violence most severely. Bribery, meanwhile, incurs substantial costs, adultery and ...

Published in Asian Affairs (Ahead of Print, 2026)

Published in Journal of Contemporary Asia (Ahead of Print, 2026)

Published in Labor History (Ahead of Print, 2026)

Published in Disability & Society (Ahead of Print, 2026)

Published in Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies (Ahead of Print, 2026)

As faith in China and the United States erodes, Japan has quietly become the partner of choice.

In February’s lower house election, voters in Japan delivered the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) the most decisive single-party victory of the postwar era. Prime Minister Sanae Tak...

Japan’s first post-war two-thirds majority was won by avoiding economic debate and overwhelming a fractured opposition.

Immigrants in Japan have now reached a record high of nearly 4 million, accounting for around 3.2 percent of the country’s total population.

Yamagami Tetsuya’s trial will renew attention to the powerful effect of religious groups in Japanese politics, and the LDP’s history of opaque fundraising. Will Takaichi address those issues?

A rise in anti-Japanese sentiment among the Chinese public in the past month is not unprecedented, but rather an extension of a steady rise since 2023. The surge, which followed Prime Minister Sanae T...

Social pressure pushes people to sound tougher on immigrants than they feel.

In her first policy speech, Japan’s new prime minister made big promises that hinge on big spending.

The LDP found a new coalition partner, but Prime Minister Takaichi is still short of a majority in the lower house.

Takaichi's rise shows symbolism has outpaced substance in nation's gender politics

Beijing seeks to open to skilled migration as US closes the door

Over-the-counter emergency contraceptives likely available early next year

The franchise’s success reflects the growing size – and evolving nature – of Japan’s anime industry in recent years.

It will be difficult to truly address Japan’s inflation and debt woes given the fragile political environment.

Hisahito’s position as the only eligible male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne has generated intense interest in his life – and public debate about Japan’s male-only imperial succession.

A long string of court rulings has upheld the right to same-sex marriage. How have these judgments intersected with public opinion?