Publications

Nationalism appears to be an important part of the growing frictions between China and Japan.

In March 2011, after a half-century of relative isolation and autocratic military rule, Myanmar took the world by surprise in announcing an unexpected political transition. Less than two years later the emergence of aggressive Buddhist nationalism grabbed the spotlight. The epidemic of...

The March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station turned Japan’s energy policy on its head, shedding a harsh new light on Japan’s energy policy and power supply system, and throwing into relief six major problem areas that had largely escaped scrutiny before the disaster.<...>

This study seeks to lay the foundations for a better understanding of the Chinese middle classes. It goes beyond the traditional classification by revenue and identifies the distinctive features of China’s middle classes by taking into account relevant historical events, current sociopolitical...

Chinese cities are getting bigger and are also growing into each other. To ensure that the rapidly increasing number of urban residents have access to adequate transportation not only requires increased investment in transportation, but also careful deliberation to allow an optimal tradeoff...

China is poised for a dramatic increase in its demand for natural gas. As total energy demand has risen to record levels in the last five years, China has found itself in an increasingly difficult bind: the social and environmental burden from coal is becoming too heavy to bear and a growing...

India is one of Southeast Asia’s principal neighbors and there is certainly great potential for cooperation with the region and its institutional representation, ASEAN. But does India properly exploit this opportunity? Is Southeast Asia satisfied with the level of engagement?

This paper analyzes the rise of maritime China and its implications for Japan’s security policy. 

During the last decade, Japan has sought partnership with many Asian nations - the drive remaining strong regardless of ruling parties. Newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan is to continue this trend under the name of ‘value diplomacy".

In the midst of growing tensions with China, Japan is deepening its strategic engagement in Southeast Asia. Preserving stability in the South China Sea, which is threatened by renewed frictions around contested territories, is a vital interest for sea lane-dependent Japan. Moreover, Tokyo...