Avsnitt
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On the sixth episode of The Observing Japan Podcast, I discuss three things to know about Japan's politics this week, including: Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's debut at the G7 in France and her meetings with her British and Italian counterparts; the Takaichi government's decision to move ahead with a cut of the consumption tax on foodstuffs to 1%; and the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) monetary policy decisions.
Then, I am joined by James David Malcolm from JB Drax Honore in London for a discussion about the Bank of Japan's decisions this week and the broader danger that Japan could face a fiscal crisis within the next several years. We discuss the changing structure of the bond market, the Takaichi government's fiscal policies, the underlying growth and demographic conditions, and the broader political economy of Japan's macroeconomic policymaking.
Links
The Japanese Foreign Ministry's landing page about Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's European trip
The BOJ's interest rate decision
The BOJ's bond-buying decision
A Nikkei Asia report referring to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the "shadow BOJ governor"
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On the fifth episode of The Observing Japan Podcast, I discuss three things to about Japan's politics this week, including: the scandal that could unsettle Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's government; a discussion of revising Japan's three non-nuclear principles at the prime minister's national security advisory council; and the significance of the death of former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Kōno Yōhei.
Then, I talked with Joshua Walker, the outgoing president and CEO of the Japan Society in New York and the author of a new book, Japan, Beyond the Genkan. We discussed the state of grassroots diplomacy and person-to-person cooperation between the US and Japan, drawing on his experiences at the Japan Society..
Links
Joshua Walker, Japan, Beyond the Genkan (Amplify)
He also has a new book in Japanese, 同盟の転機 アメリカの変貌と日本の戦略.
Joshua Walker at the FCCJ in February 2026.
My post on Kōno Yōhei this week.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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For the fourth episode of The Observing Japan Podcast, I discuss three things to know about Japan's politics this week, including: the Diet passes the Takaichi government's supplemental budget; Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae is ready to pursue a consumption tax cut, though there are details to hammer out; and Tokyo is looking to Southeast Asian countries as partners for arms exports.
Then, I talk with James DJ Brown, a professor at Temple University Japan, about the overall state of Japan's relationship with Russia. Our conversation covered the domestic drivers of Japan's Russia policy; Japan's pursuit of rapprochement under the second Abe administration; Japan's views of the Russia-Ukraine war; and Russia's place in Japan's strategic review this year.
Links
James DJ Brown, Cracking the Crab Hurst (outside US); Oxford University Press (US)
James DJ Brown, "Are Russia-Japan Relations Really Warming Up?" Carnegie Politika
James DJ Brown, "Japan Must Stop Its Embarrassing Embrace of Kremlin Cultural Projects," Moscow Times
For links to the stories discussed at the start of the episode, please visit observingjapan.substack.com.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit observingjapan.substack.com/subscribe -
For the third episode of The Observing Japan Podcast, I discuss three things to know about Japan's politics this week, including: the Takaichi government's JPY 3.5tn supplemental budget; the passage of a landmark intelligence reform bill; and a state visit to Japan for Filipino President Bongbong Marcos.
Then, I talk with Stanford lecturer Dan Sneider about the summit between Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and the broader trajectory of Japan-South Korea relations.
Links
Dan Sneider, "How South Korea Can Buy Alliance Insurance," KEI
Dan Sneider, "How the War in Iran Reshapes South Korea and Japan’s Nuclear Strategy," KEI
"Japan-ROK Summit Meeting," Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
My 2023 conversation with Dan Sneider about Henry Kissinger and US-Japan relations
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit observingjapan.substack.com/subscribe -
For the second episode of The Observing Japan Podcast, I discuss three things to know about Japan's politics this week, including the Takaichi government's decision to begin drafting a supplemental budget; Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's efforts to bolster her support within the Liberal Democratic Party; and the prime minister's latest summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
Then, I talked with Jane Nakano, senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), about the implications of the Hormuz crisis for Japan's energy security.
Links
Jane Nakano, "How the Hormuz Energy Crisis Is Reshaping US, South Korea, and Japan Energy Cooperation," The National Interest
Jane Nakano and Kristi Govella, "What Are the Implications of the Iran Conflict for Japan?" CSIS
METI, "Japan's 7th Basic Energy Plan," February 2025
MOFA, "Japan-ROK Summit Meeting," 19 May 2026
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit observingjapan.substack.com/subscribe -
In the first episode of The Observing Japan Podcast, I discuss three things to know about Japan's politics this week, including: how Japan was watching the US-China summit; the Hormuz crisis and the impact on Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's fiscal ambitions; and the Liberal Democratic Party's deliberations on defense spending.
Then, I talked with Eyck Freymann, a Hoover fellow at Stanford University, about his new book, Defending Taiwan.
Next week, I will talk with Jane Nakano, senior fellow in the energy security and climate change program at CSIS, about the Hormuz crisis and Japan's energy security.
Links
Defending Taiwan (OUP)
More about the book (Stanford)
Japanese-language summary
The OECD Japan survey
Please send questions or comments about the podcast to [email protected].
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit observingjapan.substack.com/subscribe -
I am Tobias Harris, a longtime analyst of Japanese politics and author of The Iconoclast: Shinzo Abe and the New Japan, and I am excited to announce the launch of The Observing Japan Podcast, which will debut on Friday this week. Episodes will feature a brief rundown of the top stories in Japanese politics — “Three Things You Should Know About Japanese Politics This Week” — followed by a conversation with a guest. This week’s guest will be Stanford’s Eyck Freymann, author of the new book Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China. The podcast will be available directly to subscribers, as well as on major podcast platforms.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit observingjapan.substack.com/subscribe
