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As Ambassador, Rahm Emanuel Says His Impatience Nudged Japan Forward
In a society used to quiet consensus-building, Tokyo has made bold changes to its defense policy. “Did I contribute to that?” Mr. Emanuel asked. “Uh, yeah.”
By Motoko Rich
Japan, one of the world’s most densely populated countries, is a volcanic archipelago located between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.\n
In the mid-nineteenth century, following more than 200 years of cultural isolation, Japan began a period of rapid modernization and military expansion that ended with its defeat in World War II and the signing of a pacifist constitution. The country experienced rapid economic growth following the war and, despite a major downturn in the 1990s, has remained an economic superpower. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, prompted by a perceived threat from China, a decrease in American military presence and recent territorial disputes, has called for a reinterpretation of the constitution to allow for strengthening of Japan’s armed forces.\n
Japan is a hotspot for seismic activity and in 2011 experienced its strongest-ever earthquake followed by a tsunami, which killed thousands of people and severely damaged several nuclear power facilities.\n Scroll below to learn more about Japan using our article archive and chronology of breaking news.","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/topic/destination/japan","name":"Japan","mainEntity":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ItemList","itemListElement":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/15/world/asia/rahm-emanuel-ambassador-japan.html","position":1},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/us/bob-fernandez-dead-pearl-harbor.html","position":2},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/books/shuntaro-tanikawa-dead.html","position":3},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/opinion/scott-bessent-treasury-trump.html","position":4},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/realestate/tiny-homes-japan.html","position":5},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/world/asia/south-korea-martial-law-japan.html","position":6},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/world/sumo-wrestling-tournament-uk.html","position":7},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/opinion/democrats-rahm-emanuel-china.html","position":8},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/business/scott-bessent-wall-street-treasury.html","position":9},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ListItem","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/world/asia/japan-satellite-launch-failure.html","position":10}],"numberOfItems":10},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.nytimes.com/#publisher","name":"The New York Times"},"copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https://www.nytimes.com/#publisher","name":"The New York Times"},"sourceOrganization":{"@id":"https://www.nytimes.com/#publisher","name":"The New York Times"},"copyrightYear":2024}
In a society used to quiet consensus-building, Tokyo has made bold changes to its defense policy. “Did I contribute to that?” Mr. Emanuel asked. “Uh, yeah.” By Motoko Rich He was a 17-year-old sailor aboard the U.S.S. Curtiss when Japanese forces attacked. He said he had joined the Navy to see the world. By Rachel Nostrant A perennial front-runner for the Nobel Prize in Literature, he was a revered figure in Japan, not just in literary circles but also among casual readers. By Michael S. Rosenwald Some of Scott Bessent’s economic views are outside the mainstream. But at least he’s qualified. By Peter Coy Some newer houses around the country are barely wider than a common family car. By Tim Hornyak and Hiroko Masuike Donald J. Trump had been seen as the main risk factor for the partnership between Tokyo, Seoul and Washington. Then came martial law in South Korea. By Motoko Rich A five-day event in October will be the Japan Sumo Association’s first competition in Britain in more than three decades. By Claire Moses The former Clinton and Obama aide has a gift for constructing winning coalitions. By Bret Stephens Scott Bessent’s former colleagues and rivals see the prospective Treasury secretary as a thoughtful choice with a broad understanding of financial markets. By Maureen Farrell Japan is off to a shaky start in its efforts to break into the space rocket market dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. By River Akira Davis and Hisako Ueno Advertisement AdvertisementJapan
As Ambassador, Rahm Emanuel Says His Impatience Nudged Japan Forward
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