Shingetsu News Agency (SNA) was established in December 2010 by Michael Penn, a former university lecturer and journalist specialized in West Asian and Japanese history and politics.The SNA aims to help fill the gap between the mainstream Japanese-language media, which is often well-resourced but burdened with a tendency to avoid investigative journalism and an unwillingness to … [Read more...] about Japan-related news from Shingetsu News Agency
Former State Department Official Asks Military Members to Speak Out
USMC Iraq veteran, former Afghanistan Foreign Service Officer, former State Department official, advisory board member of Veterans For Peace and an antiwar activist Matthew Hoh (@MatthewPHoh)is asking military members to speak out before its too late. Matt has spent years speaking about PTSD, Moral Injury, and life after combat to help others who might be seeking some answers. … [Read more...] about Former State Department Official Asks Military Members to Speak Out
Drop all charges against Okinawa anti-base activists
Petition to Drop All Charges Against Arrested Okinawa Anti-Bases ActivistsAs a citizen of the world and an advocate for peace and people’s human and democratic rights, I demand that all charges against Hiroji Yamashiro, and his co-defendants, Hiroshi Inaba and Atsuhiro Soeda, be dropped and all attempts to silence the people of Okinawa in their just quest to rid their … [Read more...] about Drop all charges against Okinawa anti-base activists
浦島悦子「山の桜は泣いた――2018名護市長選」
先の名護市長選では、辺野古新基地に反対の姿勢で２期務めた後の現職・稲嶺進候補を、基地を推進する勢力が推薦した渡具知武豊候補を破って新市長となりました。この市長選について、名護市在住の作家、浦島悦子さんが振り返った文をここに紹介します。これは『アジア太平洋ジャーナル：ジャパンフォーカス』用に提供され、ガバン・マコーマックらが翻訳した英語版の記事From Peace Philosophy BlogFive Okinawan Views on the Nago Mayoral Election of February 2018: Implications for Japanese … [Read more...] about 浦島悦子「山の桜は泣いた――2018名護市長選」
Confronting South Korea’s censored discourse on ‘comfort women’
“I want Japan to ask for forgiveness.” Ching-lin Yuen, testimony at the Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery, 2000. Yuen was among 64 women from 8 countries who came to Tokyo to testify about their experiences as former “comfort women.” The judges in this citizens’ tribunal found Emperor Hirohito guilty of responsibility for sexually … [Read more...] about Confronting South Korea’s censored discourse on ‘comfort women’