We live in an increasingly globalized society in which it is becoming more and more important to familiarize ourselves with other cultures and political environments. Many of us have our hands full keeping up-to-date with our own government’s policies but as responsible citizens of the world we want to look beyond our borders to obtain a more comprehensive view of world events. For those of you looking to expand your political horizons, Observing Japan is the blog for you.

Observing Japan was created by Tobias Harris, a Japanese politics specialist who worked for a Democratic Party of Japan member of the upper house of the Diet from 2006 to 2007. He is now a Ph.D. Candidate in political science at MIT. He has been published in the Wall Street Journal Asia and the Far Eastern Economic Review, and has provided commentary for CNBC Asia, Bloomberg, BBC, and NPR. Mr. Harris is respected throughout the Japanese political science community.

The blog is directed toward a well-informed audience looking for analysis and insight on current events related to the Japanese government. There is an extensive list of resources on the sidebar as well as links to relevant blogs, media and think tanks. The blog archives, also located on the side, are organized by date allowing the reader to search for specific political events such as the pivotal August 2009 elections in which the underdog party, the DPJ, came into power after fifty solid years of LDP control. Further down the page is a Labels section which enables the reader to search by subject. It is an excellent place to turn to if you are looking for an opinion on the broader political implications of specific events, such as the recent exchange of fire between the North and South Korean militaries.

Observing Japan is an excellent resource for readers who want to expand their knowledge of current Japanese politics. Tobias Harris provides a unique perspective into the recent rise of the DPJ and other hot topics of the day such as whaling, the controversial US base located on Okinawa, and Japan-China relations. The Political atmosphere of Japan has been in flux ever since Junichiro Koizumi left office with five different Prime Ministers in the past five years. Observing Japan provides an expert English language opinion on these recent events and many more. We highly recommend it.