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Jon Reinsch

@jonreinsch.bsky.social

My main focus is Japan, and in particular, US bases in Okinawa—because as John Lewis said, "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up." Read some of my old articles here: https://shingetsunewsagency.com/author/jon/

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 3h ago

Poll: Takaichi’s support base cracks as voters in their 30s flee While I'm glad that people are finally waking up, they should take a vow to vote more carefully next time. (The same, of course, must be said about Trump voters in the US.) www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Poll: Takaichi’s support base cracks as 30s voters flee | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Support for the Takaichi Cabinet has plummeted among voters in their 30s, eroding the solid political base that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formerly enjoyed, according to a recent Asahi Shimbun poll...

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · yesterday

"Japan casts military buildup as path to economic prosperity" Get rich off war: Japan as a merchant of death. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Japan casts military buildup as path to economic prosperity | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Japan’s government is portraying its accelerating military buildup not only ‌as a way to protect the country but as a ⁠route to greater prosperity, ⁠arguing in its latest defense white paper that arms...

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2d ago

The New Face of Progressive Politics in Japan—Ishii Reiko, a finalist for head of Reiwa "She led a group that demanded that the city inspect tap water for the presence of dangerous 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) that were leaking out from the US military base at Yokota." Yes! fpif.org/the-new-face...

The New Face of Progressive Politics in Japan - FPIF

Can a mother dreaming of peace for children lead the most progressive political party in Japan?

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 4d ago

From military industry hub to peace symbol: Hiroshima A-bomb Dome's century of change "As debate continued over whether the structure should be preserved or demolished, an appeal by the Hiroshima Paper Crane Association, a group of local children, mainichi.jp/english/arti...

From military industry hub to peace symbol: Hiroshima A-bomb Dome's century of change - The Mainichi

HIROSHIMA -- This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Atomic Bomb Dome's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996. Thirty years earlie

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 5d ago

School blasted for boat accident; parents seek criminal charges "'Tomoka was subjected to defamation, including false claims that she had participated in the [Henoko] protests,' the mother said." There would have been no shame whatsoever if she had. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

School blasted for boat accident; parents seek criminal charges | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

A third-party investigative panel castigated a high school in Kyoto Prefecture on July 31, saying its lack of safety measures and awareness led to a boating accident in Okinawa Prefecture that killed ...

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 6d ago

"Opponents kill international school plans in Sapporo" Soon, Japan will be a paradise with no foreigners—except, of course, US military personnel, to which these "opponents" apparently have no objection, despite crimes including rape and murder. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Opponents kill international school plans in Sapporo | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

SAPPORO—Anti-immigration protesters have succeeded in scuttling plans for an international school here, after concerns were raised about ensuring the safety of children.

asahi.com

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 7d ago

South Korea orders residents to evacuate after reported white phosphorus leak at US base "When ignited, it burns at extremely high temperatures and can set buildings ablaze and burn human flesh to the bone." Tell us again US bases are for our protection. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

South Korea orders residents to evacuate after reported white phosphorus leak at U.S. base | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

SEOUL—South Korean authorities ordered civilians to evacuate on Tuesday after a suspected white phosphorus leak at a U.S. military base near the capital, Seoul.

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · last wk.

USFJ grows in size to deepen US-Japan coordination "a Bilateral Operations Coordination Center, a mechanism through which US and Japanese forces would jointly coordinate activities." What, pray tell, happens when US says "fire!" and Japan says "wait!" www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

USFJ grows in size to deepen U.S.-Japan coordination | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

U.S. Forces Japan has added about 215 personnel since last year to help strengthen its command structure and improve coordination with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces for a potential regional crisis, the ...

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · last wk.

"ICC president calls for support amid pressure from Trump" It would be nice if Akane Tomoko's own country would support her, but it's led by a PM who fawns on Trump. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

ICC president calls for support amid pressure from Trump | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

With her organization under fire from the Trump administration, the president of the International Criminal Court called for public support during a lecture in Osaka on July 27.

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · last wk.

"Nuclear expert urges Japan to lead global disarmament" That will have to wait until the Japanese people elect leaders who know—as the hibakusha know—that only death and misery, not security, come from nuclear weapons. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Nuclear expert urges Japan to lead global disarmament | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

NAGASAKI—As more nations seek to go nuclear, participants discussed possible routes toward abolishing these weapons at The International Symposium for Peace 2026 on July 25 here.

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · last wk.

"Some suspect that Takaichi's post was politically motivated and an attempt to gain sympathy as the approval ratings for her Cabinet have slid in media polls" At any rate, 3 hours of sleep is not resulting in policies the public likes. mainichi.jp/english/arti...

Japan PM Takaichi's '0 to 3 hours sleep' post spurs workstyle debate - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A recent social media post by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lamenting her chronic sleep deprivation and demanding workload has drawn

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

Smotrich Demands More West Bank Ethnic Cleansing After Deadly Palestinian Resistance "Tell [which settlers attacked] is located in an area ... off limits to Israelis unless they obtain permission from the ... IDF" But Israel ignores its own laws just as it www.commondreams.org/news/more-we...

Smotrich Demands More West Bank Ethnic Cleansing After Deadly Palestinian Resistance | Common Dreams

Six people were killed as a Palestinian man disarmed and shot Israeli settlers raiding his village in the illegally occupied West Bank.

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Defense budget hike inevitable, but Japan won’t say by how much" A blatant effort to keep the public in the dark. Outrageous. Tokyo "asked Washington not to apply visible pressure. [Because] taxpayers could ignite a public protest if they feel Japan is www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Defense budget hike inevitable, but Japan won’t say by how much | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Tokyo is keeping tight-lipped on future defense budgets in an apparent attempt to prevent a public backlash over what is widely expected to be an enormous sum.

asahi.com

Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル@jonmitchell.bsky.social · 2w ago

Wow - super stoked that my book, Why are We in Okinawa? was chosen by @spl.org for one of their Eye Opening reads. Thank you for the show of support! seattle.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/disp...

Book Bingo NW 2026: Eye-opening — a staff-created list from The Seattle Public Library

Here are some suggestions for your 2026 Book Bingo NW category: Eye-opening, selected by library staff at The Seattle Public Library. Book Bingo is our annual adult summer reading program presented in...

seattle.bibliocommons.com

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

Aide’s statement revives criticism of Takaichi over election videos Ogawa Junya: “It is important to have the aide attend the Diet as a witness.” The guy you need to hear from is the one who made the videos and the “Sanae Token” cryptocurrency. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Aide’s statement revives criticism of Takaichi over election videos | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

A written statement from an aide to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that was ostensibly intended to clarify a scandal over defamatory online videos has instead fueled criticism from opposition parties.

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Wishma’s family calls for court ruling to prevent another tragedy" Justice delayed is better than no justice at all. May the only tragedy be for the state, when they lose this case. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Wishma’s family calls for court ruling to prevent another tragedy | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

NAGOYA--Final arguments were heard July 22 in a lawsuit against the government filed by the family of a Sri Lankan woman who died while being detained here in 2021.

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

"a game between the minor league teams of the Chiba Lotte Marines & Orix Buffaloes ... was called off midway through the 4th inning after multiple people reported feeling unwell. This marks the 1st time [not the last!] an official professional baseball game has been www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Calls for Tokyo ambulances set record amid intense heat | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Ambulances were dispatched for 3,454 emergency calls across the Tokyo metropolitan area on scorching-hot July 21, the highest single-day total since statistics began in 1963, the Tokyo Fire Department...

asahi.com

Jon Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ジョン・ミッチェル@jonmitchell.bsky.social · 2w ago

The English version of my latest FOIA investigation is now live at @okinawatimes.co.jp It includes a breakdown of my 1800+ day struggle to wrestle information from the US Army about its PFAS spill into a civilian community www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/1...

Report: US Army aware of PFAS-contaminated water at Okinawa base before 2021 spill – but disposal process not yet started | Jon Mitchell Investigates | 沖縄タイムス＋プラス

At the time of a large PFAS spill from a US Army fuel storage facility in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, in June 2021, the military was already aware of contaminated water at the base – but a disposa...

okinawatimes.co.jp

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Japan PM Takaichi says '0-3 hours of sleep has become norm' since taking office" She needs to delegate to her aides. Someone tell her that her idol Trump reportedly "gets between 4 and 5 hours of sleep per night." mainichi.jp/english/arti...

Japan PM Takaichi says '0-3 hours of sleep has become norm' since taking office - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi highlighted her heavy workload in a post on X on the night of July 20, saying she has been dealing wit

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

"Japan swelters as temperatures top 40 C [104°F] for ninth consecutive year" Because governments—including Japan and US—refuse to confront climate change. And media like Asahi that rarely even mention it are helping them to ignore it. mainichi.jp/english/arti...

Japan swelters as temperatures top 40 C for ninth consecutive year - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- Temperatures soared from eastern to western Japan on July 21 as the country came under a high-pressure system, with temperatures topping 40 C

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

"US strikes Iran for 9th day as American casualties rise" If Trump cared about the lives of US troops, he'd bring them home. But no, all that matters is getting revenge for his bruised ego. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

U.S. strikes Iran for 9th day as American casualties rise | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

DUBAI/CAIRO—U.S. forces struck Iran for a ninth consecutive day on Monday as the ‌number of confirmed American military deaths in the renewed fighting rose to three and ⁠concerns grew over shipping th...

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Jon Reinsch@jonreinsch.bsky.social · 2w ago

Koizumi calls on Japan to break taboo, debate nuclear weapons "He argued that Japan... 'must debate and advance all policies without taboo.'” Says a guy whose party has a taboo against female emperors. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Koizumi calls on Japan to break taboo, debate nuclear weapons | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi broke with convention by calling for a national debate on whether nuclear weapons should play a role in Japan’s defense.

asahi.com