Applications for the Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan program are open! This program is a joint activity of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and #NEHgov. Learn more: ow.ly/xrfN50VcFXX

What people fear about entering Russia is already the new normal in the USA. My colleague in PolSci entered the USA from Europe recently to attend ISA Convention. Her colleagues, all Germans, were forced to open their laptops and show content of their research presentations. 1/

NEW in Foreign Affairs: Kurt Campbell and I argue that any serious China strategy must start with an old truth: “Quantity is a quality all its own.” • Scale matters • China has it • We get it only through a new grand strategy of allied scale We hang together—or separately.

Scholars should not be arrested for doing scholarship, and definitely not for reposting info on talks given in another country.

I've been studying China's RMB internationalization efforts for 16 years. This is the most forceful statement I've ever seen from PBOC when it comes to encouraging Chinese firms to use the RMB in x-border payments. This feels like a meaningful policy shift to me. 1/

Two years ago, I heard that Taiwan's govt had unearthed surveillance files from the secret police of its authoritarian era. They were finally becoming open to the public, nearly four decades after Taiwan's democratisation. I wanted to see what was inside: economist.com/1843/2025/05/0…

A great man, with the good fortune to be fully engaged and insightful to the end. I saw him at a seminar last month, and he was characteristically insightful and prepared. RIP.

Our neighborhood’s power has been out for 8.5 hours and we haven’t even gotten word from Eversource MA about estimated time of restoration, or any information at all. What happened to customer service?

From contest to convergence in East Asia: why do regional challengers end up resembling incumbent institutions? bit.ly/TPR_GrimesW_06… Read this new article by Yaechan Lee and William Grimes ⤵️

We are currently exhibiting a handwritten tanka about moon viewing 🎑, by Akiko Yosano, at the Consulate. The tanka is on loan from Mr. Robin Gomi, President of the Boston Japanese Language School Board, and a great-grandchild of Akiko Yosano.

Political violence is never a good thing. I hope that Charlie Kirk makes a fast and full recovery and that no one takes this as an excuse to threaten, harm, or kill political figures, no matter how much one disagrees with them.

1/ A repatriated Korean worker from the Hyundai-LG battery factory secretly wrote a detention diary about their 7-day experience in ICE custody in Georgia. The worker says ICE officers mocked them with words like as "North Korea" and "Rocket Man" despite holding a business visa.

The University of Utah political science department is hiring a junior comparativist this cycle, ideally with a focus on Asia and a desire and willingness to teach grad/undergrad stats classes. I'm not on the search, but am very happy to talk to anyone interested in the job.

I hadn’t expected Takaichi to have the support to get past 2nd place. It will be interested to learn more about how second round voting broke among LDP Dietmembers. I wonder if she’ll be able to surprise again by pulling together some sort of coalition. It seems like a challenge.

It’s an exciting moment for Japan to have a female prime minister, not to mention a female finance minister. I’ve been skeptical of Takaichi for out of policy concerns but there is no mistaking the historical importance of this moment. Maybe the US will catch up some day…