Series
China Sizes Up the New Administration
How have the Chinese greeted Japan's new DPJ government? With open arms, if we can take the official rhetoric at face value. But closer examination reveals a telling gap between Bejing's rosy assessment and the attitudes of ordinary citizens.
Read More …2. Capitalism: A System Based on Speculation
What is speculation? In general terms, it means to conjecture without firm evidence, and in particular refers to the act of buying things, not for any return or utility arising from their use, but for the prospective gains to be had by selling them on to other people in the future. 1
Read More …The Need for Japan-US Cooperation in Dealing with Russia
The Eurasia Information Network project invited a group of Russia experts from the United States to come to Japan from November 10 through 13, 2009, for discussions with Japanese experts about Russia and the international environment pertaining to Russia.
Read More …Vol. 25: Yakihata Turnips
Swidden agriculture, known in Japanese as yakihata ("burned field") farming, has been conducted in Japan for several centuries. In contrast to the destructive slash-and-burn farming seen in some parts of the world, it is a sustainable practice in harmony with the forest ecosystem. Moreover, turnips grown in swiddens are highly nutritious, brightly colored, and, above all, delicious.
Read More …Vol. 24: Pan-Fired Tea (2)
Japanese tea owes its green color to the lack of fermentation. While steamed teas are far more common, there is another kind of unfermented tea that has a stronger aroma: pan-fired tea, or kamairicha . The second installation of a two-part series, this article discusses the tea varieties grown in Japan and takes readers to another small village where residents privately produce kamairicha.
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