At this stage one can only judge the atmospherics and optics of the summit, and on that basis, Beijing and Pyongyang have plainly come out ahead, while Tokyo and Seoul seem to have been overlooked.
The long-awaited summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump will take place on Tuesday, with much at stake.
AAP/The Conversation
The highly awaited summit has the potential to lead to real peace on the peninsula- but only if both countries can find a common interest on which to build an agreement.
While many of its Asian neighbours are striving to get smoking under control, Indonesia is the stubborn exception.
An increasing proportion of Japanese adults will remain unmarried their whole lives, and should be considered full citizens rather than underperformers.
Shutterstock
An MP from Japan’s governing party recently commented that single women were a burden on the state. But many young women, and men, are rethinking the lure of married life.
A large explosion aboard the USS Lexington is seen in this May 1942 photo taken by a U.S. navy employee.
U.S. Navy
In the 1970s, both Kyoto and Melbourne made fateful decisions about their transport networks. Melbourne today enjoys the benefits of trams, while Kyoto lives with the consequences of losing them.
US-Japan relations are under pressure. As leaders of the two countries meet this week, a scholar tells the story of the exchange program that made such a difference to American attitudes toward Japan.
People in South Korea watch a news program on TV about the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in late March. Kim and Xi sought to portray strong ties between the neighbours and long-time allies despite a recent chill.
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Kim Jong-un’s surprise recent visit to Beijing and Xi Jinping was an awkward get-together that didn’t address the elephant in the room – Kim’s possible face-to-face meeting soon with Donald Trump.
Fans plead for an autograph from Shohei Ohtani, Major League Baseball’s newest Japanese import.
Chris Carlson/AP Photo
On March 11, 2011, a nuclear disaster struck Japan. Translated testimony by the power plant’s manager reveals how close the world came to a greater catastrophe – and how much there is to be learned.
In the 1940s, the renowned Anglo-Australian artist became an outlaw just like his most famous subject, Ned Kelly.
An illustration of Japanese courtesans by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825), with one courtesan showing another the
tattoo on her upper arm.
Prints of Japan
While sovereign governments need to develop coherent frameworks to regulate cryptocurrency, permanent solutions will be found through international co-operation.