070608JapanConsideredPodcastVolume03Number21

Click here for a transcript of this program. A hearty South Carolina welcome to one and all. Thanks for dropping by this week. Special welcome to those of you who haven't been with us before. I hope the program meets your expectations. Each week we consider events in the news from Japan with longer-term significance for Japan's domestic politics and/or conduct of international relations. Not a news show, now. Nothing that fancy. Or comprehensive. Just interpretation and analysis of what others tell us. This week our focus is international. First, the significance of creation of an annual 2+2 diplo-military consultation framework with Australia, and the first annual meeting. Then we take what must be a preliminary look at Japan's participation in the G-8 Summit being held in Germany. How does Prime Minister Abe's performance compare with those of his predecessors. Click on over too the G-8 Summit website maintained by the G-8 Research Group at Trinity College. The University of Toronto hosts the website. Here's the link. Well worth saving. And finally we break tradition and conclude with a non-bluegrass clip today. It's close, though. Hope you like it.